A DROP SHOT can be a great tactic against a baseline virtuoso in tennis. Except when you’re playing Monte Vista High senior Shaun Chaudhuri, that is.
Chaudhuri was a “drop-shot destroyer” in his dazzling 6-4, 6-0 victory over Albany’s Bernardo Saraiva in the championship match of the North Coast Section Division I tennis tournament last week. He ran down just about everything, punishing drop shots with great returns.
Moreover, leading 3-0 in the second set, the top-seeded Chaudhuri sprinted several feet off the court and hit a backhand winner down the line after Saraiva thought he had a sure point on a volley.
“My coach taught me very early on to be a quick person on the court, so I kind of like it when people try to drop-shot me,” said Chaudhuri, who won his second NCS title overall.
It was impressive watching his mental and physical strengths against an upset-minded opponent. Now he rides off to Harvard in the Ivy League after a glorious high school finish.
“It’s really exciting,” Chaudhuri said. “This is one of my favorite tournaments all year, and it’s really nice to perform well again.”
Overall, it was a big NCS singles and doubles tournament for Monte Vista, though the Mustangs were disappointed not to have a doubles team make the finals. Of the 12 players advancing to Saturday’s NCS semifinals, five were Mustangs. Monte Vista’s doubles team of Mark Meyer and Anthony Lim beat teammates Michael Feldman and Keivon Tabrizi 6-3, 6-1 in the third-place match.
The Mustangs are competing in the NCS team tournament this week as the top seed after going 14-0 in the East Bay Athletic League.
Last month Monte Vista thrived on a bigger stage. The unseeded Mustangs placed fifth at the National High School Tennis Boys All-American Team Tournament in Corona Del Mar. Chaudhuri was selected as one of 10 All-Americans.
VAULTING TO NEW HEIGHTS: San Ramon Valley junior Colin Barber was first in the pole vault at the recent Sacramento Meet of Champions, clearing 14 feet, 9 inches. Barber’s best in the event of 15-6 puts him 11th in the state, according to http://dyestat.com.
Longtime SRV pole vault coach Roger Werne thinks Barber has great potential. He compares him favorably to former California High vaulter Justin Miller, who cleared 17-0 as a senior in 2008 and took first at the NCS Meet of Champions before going on to Cal.
VALLEY GOLF ROCKS: Congratulations to EBAL golf teams for dominating at Monday’s NCS Division I Qualifier at the Sunol Valley Palm Course.
De La Salle, San Ramon Valley and Amador Valley took the top three spots, Monte Vista was fifth and Livermore eighth.
San Ramon Valley’s Connor Blick, who shot 1 over 73, and Amador Valley’s AJ Hebert (74) and Justin Shotwell (76) paced the locals.
DONS POOL SHARKS: Amador Valley won eight of 12 events and beat rival Foothill 107-78 in EBAL swimming action last week.
The Dons set the tone by winning the 200 medley relay with a team of Jason Chen, Andrew Seitz, Bryan Hughes, and Kyle Surber.
The same quartet won the 200 free relay.
Contact Matt Schwab at mschwab@bayareanesgroup.com.
