The San Marcos doubles team of twin brothers Charlie and Joey Friedman finished an undefeated Channel League season as league champions.
The Royals’ senior duo fought off a challenge from Kai Yakushko and Julian Choi of Dos Pueblos to win the league doubles title on Tuesday at Santa Barbara High. The scores were 6-2, 6-4.
In singles, Ventura’s Thiago Canessa beat two Royals en route to winning the championship. He defeated defending champ Jed Greenwald in the semifinals and freshman Carter Cotich in the final.
In the double final, the Friedmans used strong serving and shot making to win the first set, said coach Emily Carver. They carried momentum into the second set and led 4-2 before Yakushko/Choi went on a run and tied the score at 4-4
The Friedmans responded strongly and pulled out the win to capture the title. The pair have not lost a match all season.
“The level of tennis on both sides was intense, with long rallies and spectacular lobs and drop shots,” said Carver. “This match was by far the most impressive doubles match San Marcos faced all year.”
The San Marcos team of Shea Suzuki and Kyle Shaffer advanced to the semifinals.
In singles, Carter Cotich put together a solid, steady performance to defeat Rio Mesa’s Harnoor Singh in the semifinals. Cotich beat teammate Matthew Chung in the quarterfinals.
“Beginning the semifinals with a San Marcos player on each court is an accomplishment that we have been working toward as a team,” said Carver. “The team would like to share a special thank you to the coaches that have made this possible, including assistant coach David Burns, as well as the parents, grandparents, family, and friends who have been supporting the team.”