IVC's Neuman, Yung and McCann Claim Top Spots in Ojai
Full Final 3C2A Men's Singles and Doubles Championships Results
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Ojai, Calif. - For the second consecutive year, Irvine Valley College (IVC) men's tennis has claimed the top spot at the Ojai Valley Tournament, once again sweeping both the singles and doubles titles.
The Lasers continue their dominance with an all-IVC singles final, featuring Philip Neuman and Steven Anderson, while the duo of Bradley Young and Nevin McCann captured the doubles championship. The performance was similar to last year, when Nick Grove defeated teammate Luis Moros. Grove also teamed with Luciano Pardo to secure the doubles crown.
These back-to-back performances by IVC continues to set the standard at the Ojai Valley Tournament.
Since the Round of 16, Anderson endured three physically demanding matches. He first split sets with Foothill College Abdala Quintero before closing it out in a third-set tiebreak, 6–3, 2–6, 7–6(4). In the quarterfinals, he was again pushed to the brink by Glendale College David Tinajero, with the match following a nearly identical pattern, another three-set battle decided in a tiebreak, which Anderson won 5–7, 6–3, 7–6(4). Although his semifinal against Bakersfield College Mateusz Lipczynski was settled in straight sets, it was far from routine. The match featured long, grueling baseline rallies before Anderson secured a 7–5, 6–3 victory.
By contrast, Neuman's path to the final was significantly less demanding. His toughest test came in the quarterfinals, where he dropped just four games to Chabot College Sergio Escobar. To say he entered the final fresher than Anderson would be a considerable understatement.
The final took place under ideal conditions, with a beautiful day occasionally interrupted by passing clouds and light wind, perfect for high-quality tennis.
Neuman came out firing, breaking early to take a 2–0 lead. After several extended rallies, Anderson began adjusting to Neuman's pace, mixing in his trademark slice and a deep, central moon ball to reset points. Neuman threatened to extend his lead to 3–0, but Anderson's movement and shot variety allowed him to break back and level the match at 2–2. He then held serve to move ahead 3–2.
Anderson had chances to extend his lead to 4–2, but Neuman responded. Using a strong inside-out forehand and improving his ability to handle Anderson's slice, Neuman broke serve to even the score at 3–3.
From there, the match settled into a rhythm, with both players trading games. Each kept the ball deep and attacked when opportunities arose. Both served at a high level, holding consistently as the set reached 6–6 and into a tiebreak.
A defining quality of top players is their ability to elevate their level in critical moments, and Neuman did exactly that. In the tiebreak, he focused his first serve, allowing him to dictate play with aggressive follow-up shots—an adjustment from earlier in the match. After earning a mini-break, he maintained control and closed out the tiebreak 7–3.
With the momentum of the first set behind him, Neuman raised his level in the second. Playing with greater freedom, he delivered bigger serves and more assertive groundstrokes, ultimately closing out the match 7–6, 6–3.
Despite the 6–3 scoreline, the second set was far from one-sided. The match remained competitive throughout, with the outcome hinging on just a handful of key points.
In the men's doubles division, Irvine Valley College's Bradley Young and Nevin McCann delivered an impressive performance in their 6-4, 6-4 win over Ventura College's Caua Coimbra and Abladj Mondroha.
Ventura had many chances during both sets, but were not able to convert on key volleys. In the end, a single service break in both sets determined the outcome of the match.
Courtesy of Bo Navarro, CCCSIA