TENNIS / ADOPTION GUILD CHARITY TOURNAMENT : Aler, Evans Will Play Leach, Dunk in Open Final
NEWPORT BEACH — After squandering four match points, Ian Aler and Keith Evans won a third-set tie-breaker over Jerry Frantz and Carlos Bustos for a 6-4, 6-7 (7-4), 7-6 (10-8) semifinal victory Saturday in the men’s open division of the annual Adoption Guild charity doubles tennis tournament at the Newport Beach Tennis Club.
Jon Leach, a former Laguna Beach High standout who recently completed his sophomore season at USC, teamed with Chris Dunk for a 7-6, 7-6 victory over Antony Emerson and Ric Bengtson in the other semifinal. The men’s doubles final is scheduled for 1 p.m. today.
Stella Sampras and Barbara Gerken will play Susan Hawke and Nicole Storto for the women’s doubles title at noon. Sampras, the older sister of 1990 U.S. Open champion Pete Sampras and the 1988 NCAA women’s doubles champion, and Gerken advanced with a 6-1, 6-2 victory over Themis Glatman and Lisa Seeman. Hawke and Storto eliminated Danielle Scott and Mamie Ceniza, 6-4, 6-4.
With partner Geoff Martinez, Sampras also advanced to the 3 p.m. mixed doubles final, defeating Ceniza and Bill Barber, 6-2, 6-4. Robert Van’t Hof and Linda Howell topped Scott and Brett Hansen-Dent, 6-3, 6-1, in the other semifinal.