Talented singles’ players descended — ascended, actually — on Cate School to battle not only their opponents but the scorching heat in Friday’s CIF Sectionals.
In Round One, Dos Pueblos standout Sasha Gryaznov (No. 27 Boys 16s, Southern California) dispatched his first opponent, Dwayne Johnson of Oxnard, 6-0, 6-0.
He had a small break before facing and beating Alex Jensen of Lompoc (No. 206 Boys 16s, Southern California), 6-2, 7-5, in a 90-minute match in Round Two. Many incredible rallies ensued, from baseline to baseline and corner to corner. Adding to those rallies was a nice mix of volleys and smashed overheads. Then, it was time for a lunch and “shade” break.
In Round Three, Gryaznov did his best to counter-punch the brilliant shots coming from Kyle McMorrow of Thousand Oaks (No. 7 Boys 18s, Southern California). McMorrow eventually prevailed, 6-0, 6-2.
Despite the loss, Gryaznov finished with a great season and a record of 39-12 for the Chargers.
Liz Frech coaches boys’ tennis at Dos Pueblos High.