THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, May 6, 1995 TAG: 9505060428
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C6 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PAUL WHITE, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: Medium: 51 lines
Tallwood's Ramel Bautista recovered from a dismal second set to upend Cox's Hondo Fleischer, 7-5, 1-6, 6-2, and move into the Beach District ``A'' Flight singles tournament Friday at Owl Creek Municipal Tennis Center.
Meanwhile, two-time defending champion George Kannarkat of First Colonial continued to dominate his opposition, as he easily defeated Tallwood's Mike Bernardo, 6-2, 6-1, in the other semifinal.
Kannarkat, who improved to 11-0 and has still never lost to a Beach District opponent, will go for his third title in the final Monday at 4 p.m. at First Colonial. The two did not meet during the regular season.
``It should be good,'' Kannarkat said. ``Both of us really want it.''
For a while Friday, it didn't seem as though Bautista (13-2) would have a chance to get it. Although Bautista won a closely contested first set, Fleischer stepped up his attack in the second and began to score consistently with winning volleys. The sudden turn in the match caused Bautista to have flashbacks to the regular season meeting between the two players, when the Tallwood junior won the first set and got steamrolled the rest of the way.
During the break between the second and third sets, Bautista vowed this time would be different.
``Last time, I let down a little for the first couple of games (in the third set), and the next thing I knew I was down 4-1,'' he said. ``I couldn't let that happen again.''
It didn't. The talented lefthander began mixing up the pace of his shots and also flicked a handful of clean winners and subdued Fleischer with surprising ease.
In the ``B'' Flight singles semifinals, Cox's Ted Yeschin downed Tallwood's Ryan Bautista, 6-1, 6-1; and Tallwood's Adam Heward nipped First Colonial's Colin Miller, 6-3, 7-6 (7-3). Yeschin and Heward, both No. 6 singles players, will meet in the final Monday at 4 p.m. at First Colonial.
In the doubles semifinals, Bernardo and Ramel Bautista defeated Josh Childress and Peter Childress of Kempsville, 7-5, 6-2, and Kannarkat and Paul Schrader beat Fleischer and Latane Meade, 6-2, 6-4. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by L. TODD SPENCER
First Colonial's George Kannarkat, above, will meet Tallwood's Ramel
Bautista on Monday at First Colonial for the Beach District crown.
by CNB