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Bosnjakovic strings MB Open titles together
by John Tawa
Boris
Bosnjakovic won his second consecutive Manhattan Beach Open tennis tournament,
using his power game to edge close friend and practice partner Ross Loel 6-4,
6-3 in a dramatic Sunday final at Live Oak Park in Manhattan Beach.
Two hundred players competed in the event's 13 divisions over the past two weekends. Rene Sandera, owner of tournament sponsor Super Sports Manhattan Beach, said that it was one of the best men's open fields since his company started sponsoring the event in 1982.
"There was a lot of high-quality tennis out here," Sandera explained. "A lot of guys who were in the Mercedes Benz qualifying [the men's professional tournament next week in Westwood] were out here. The quality is getting better and better every year."
The tournament's best tennis, however, was reserved for the Sunday final, where power was the name of the game for Bosnjakovic, 26, a former touring pro from Palos Verdes by way of Serbia; and Loel, 26, a California native now living in Redondo Beach who was Big 10 Player of the Year while at the University of Minnesota.
Both players dominated their service games in the match's opening stages. Loel took the opening game at love, courtesy of two service winners, an ace and a forehand volley into the deuce court. Bosnjakovic also won his opening serve, using powerful ground strokes to move Loel all over the court, before finishing the game off with a booming ace.
Leading 2-1, Loel had the match's first break chance, but Bosnjakovic took the game to deuce with a powerful overhead smash at the net and won the next two points, taking the game with a serve to the body that Loel could not handle.
The serving dominance of both players continued over the next three games. Loel actually had the better of the play, covering the court with his quickness advantage over the bigger Bosnjakovic and using drop shots that had Bosnjakovic out of position and lunging at the net.
Loel had another break chance, leading 4-3 after Bosnjakovic misplayed a backhanded volley, but Bosnjakovic did not falter. He saved the break with a powerful overhead and won the game on a second serve winner to tie the set at 4-4.
When two players are evenly matched, sometimes the outcome turns on a single point. That may have been the case in this match. With Loel serving at 15-all in the set's ninth game, Loel's racket string broke during a point, causing him to net an easy overhead volley. Bosnjakovic took advantage, rifling a backhand down the line on the next point, and broke Loel for a 5-4 lead when Loel couldn't handle a dipping backhand at the net.
Bosnjakovic served out the set to win 6-4, but not without a fight. Loel led 15-30, highlighted by a nice lob that pinned Bosnjakovic behind the baseline, followed by a drop shot into the service court. But a serve-and-volley winner by Bosnjakovic and a leaping backhand volley at the net created a set point chance for Bosnjakovic. Bosnjakovic's wide volley squandered one set point, but he did not miss the second time, cutting off a passing attempt with a stretching forehand volley for a winner and the opening set.
The second set featured more Bosnjakovic power. Loel's power, however, waned somewhat. His effort to score points from the baseline dissolved with one unforced error after another.
"I was trying to get in a groove on the baseline because I didn't feel that comfortable and hoped to use that against him because I felt like I could hold [my serve] every time," Loel explained. "I kind of lost my concentration a little bit."
The crushing blow came in the set's fourth game. After saving a break to take a 2-1 lead, Loel had triple break point against Bosnjakovic. But Bosnjakovic won five straight points to take the game.
Bosnjakovic then broke a demoralized Loel, taking advantage of a double fault to grab a 3-2 lead. Both players held serve for the next three games before Bosnjakovic broke Loel again with a dominant effort to win the set 6-3 and take the match.
"He's too good," said Loel after the match. "His serve is so good, it's hard to get in a rhythm. I had two break points in the first set and he played two perfect points.
"To be honest, he shouldn't be playing in this tournament. He should be playing at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, he's that good. This tournament's pretty lucky to have a player as good as he is playing."
Bosnjakovic said the difference in the match came down to one or two points.
"We both have big serves," he explained. "At this level, every point is so important. With big serves, it's hard to return. That's all that matters, one or two points. I guess I got lucky today."
Bosnjakovic's winning effort netted him the $1,500 first prize, but that's not nearly enough to get him out on tour again. Bosnjakovic played full time on the ATP Tour in 1998 before running short of funds.
"The money is a problem," said Bosnjakovic, who currently is ranked number 900 in the world. "It takes a lot of money to keep traveling all year round on the tour."
Bosnjakovic, who is looking for someone to foot the $40,000 cost of a year on tour, said it is frustrating knowing that money is holding him back.
"I know I can make it somewhere," he said. "I know I'm good enough to compete with those guys. I just want to give it a shot."
[agate type] = Other results: Open Men's Doubles: Dan and Brian Battistone, Las Vegas, d. Bosnjakovic and Loel 7-6, 4-6, 6-4; Over 40 Open Men's Singles: Mike Costigan, Torrance, d. Bennet Slusarz, Hermosa Beach, 6-2, 6-3; "A" Men's Singles: T.J. Hyman, Torrance, d. Scott Reilly, Redondo Beach, 6-4, 6-4; "B" Men's Singles: Todd Serota, Manhattan Beach, d. Peter Steckelman, Los Angeles, 6-3, 6-2; Over 40 "B" Men's Singles: Marty Friedman, Manhattan Beach, d. Jim Bachis, Rancho Palos Verdes, 6-2, 6-2; "C" Men's Singles: Kevin Forester, Manhattan Beach, d. Ken Berendt, Redondo Beach, 6-2, 1-6, 7-6; "B" Men's Doubles: Monreal and Monreal, Redondo Beach, d. Buck and Bosch, Hermosa Beach, 7-5, 6-2; "C" Women's Singles: Jessica Boston, Redondo Beach, d. Susan McMaster, Redondo Beach, 6-2, 6-4; "A" Women's Doubles: Michelle Obeson and Renee Brigden, Manhattan Beach, d. Anne Sandera and Allison Vanthof, Manhattan Beach, 6-4, 6-3 ; "B" Women's Doubles: Lana Staudle and Tiffany Meyer, Redondo Beach, d. Carol Ecker and Ilene Watson, Manhattan Beach, 6-4, 6-4; "C" Women's Doubles: Jessica Boston and Carrie Aburto, Redondo Beach, d. Debbie Horn and Gail Barardino, Redondo Beach, 6-1, 6-4. ER