2008 Woodie Awards
Men's tennis team has athlete reach the sixteenth round
By: Branden Jones
Issue date: 4/28/05 Section: Sports
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Primetime, the lights are on and all eyes are on center stage as the regular season has ended and the postseason is getting underway.
For Tipton McMahon and Jun Espiritu of the men's tennis team, this postseason got off to a fast start in both the Ojai and South Coast Conference Tournaments and looks to get tougher in the coming weeks with both Regionals and State Finals approaching.
The 105th Ojai Tournament commenced last Thursday and saw the arrival of athletes spanning from the Pacific-10 Conference, Division II, Division III and community college level.
McMahon kicked off his tournament in the round of 64, as he received a bye for the round of 132 due to his regular season success.
In his first match, McMahon achieved an early lead and never looked back in a 6-1, 6-0 victory over Hector Mateus of San Diego Mesa.
"He was consistent, but he wasn't willing to stick it out," McMahon said. "I was playing more consistent and conserving my energy because I didn't need it."
Following his only singles match on Thursday, he traveled to the other playing site and teamed up with Espiritu for their round of 64 doubles match against Irvine Valley.
This was a match that featured a lot of intensity, strong serving, including McMahon's four aces, great net play, exemplified by Espiritu's 10 winners and teamwork.
Unfortunately, the Warriors came up on the short end as they dropped the three-set thriller 4-6, 6-4, 4-6 in a match that could have gone either way.
"It was tough because Tipton had to change rackets and he couldn't hit all the shots he wanted but we both played really well," Espiritu said. "If Tipton had his racket, we would have won in two sets."
Following the heartbreak loss, McMahon was frustrated with the outcome and it seemed as if this setback was going to get the best of him.
Fortunately for McMahon, he had the chance to sleep on it and get refocused for his second singles match the next day at 8 a.m.
For Tipton McMahon and Jun Espiritu of the men's tennis team, this postseason got off to a fast start in both the Ojai and South Coast Conference Tournaments and looks to get tougher in the coming weeks with both Regionals and State Finals approaching.
The 105th Ojai Tournament commenced last Thursday and saw the arrival of athletes spanning from the Pacific-10 Conference, Division II, Division III and community college level.
McMahon kicked off his tournament in the round of 64, as he received a bye for the round of 132 due to his regular season success.
In his first match, McMahon achieved an early lead and never looked back in a 6-1, 6-0 victory over Hector Mateus of San Diego Mesa.
"He was consistent, but he wasn't willing to stick it out," McMahon said. "I was playing more consistent and conserving my energy because I didn't need it."
Following his only singles match on Thursday, he traveled to the other playing site and teamed up with Espiritu for their round of 64 doubles match against Irvine Valley.
This was a match that featured a lot of intensity, strong serving, including McMahon's four aces, great net play, exemplified by Espiritu's 10 winners and teamwork.
Unfortunately, the Warriors came up on the short end as they dropped the three-set thriller 4-6, 6-4, 4-6 in a match that could have gone either way.
"It was tough because Tipton had to change rackets and he couldn't hit all the shots he wanted but we both played really well," Espiritu said. "If Tipton had his racket, we would have won in two sets."
Following the heartbreak loss, McMahon was frustrated with the outcome and it seemed as if this setback was going to get the best of him.
Fortunately for McMahon, he had the chance to sleep on it and get refocused for his second singles match the next day at 8 a.m.