Wasserman Leads Westlake to Tennis Title

Lindsay Wasserman of Harvard-Westlake High had been scheduled to fly the friendly skies Tuesday morning. Instead, she soared against top-seeded Los Alamitos, guiding the Wolverines to an 11-7 victory and the girls’ Southern Section Division III tennis championship at the Claremont Club in Claremont.

Wasserman and Romy Mehlman each swept three opponents as their team’s Nos. 1 and 2 singles players to boost Harvard-Westlake (21-3) past Los Alamitos (22-2), the defending division champion and a team that had reached three consecutive finals.

Wasserman is scheduled to play in the USTA girls’ 16-year-old and under indoor tennis championships today in Houston, and her family already had booked flights there for Tuesday morning when the Wolverines qualified for the final.

Unable to change the flight reservations, Wasserman was resigned to missing Tuesday’s match until Principal Tom Hudnut volunteered to pay for new plane tickets if Wasserman stayed and played.

Wasserman struggled early against Los Alamitos’ top player, Susan Huberman, falling behind before recovering for a 6-3 victory. She cruised the rest of the way, defeating Laura Westphal, 6-2, and Melissa Rosenthal, 6-1.

Mehlman battled her game too, in the first match against Westphal, but regained her rhythm in time for a 6-3 win. She then blanked Rosenthal, 6-0, and clinched the title with a 6-2 victory over Huberman.

But the Wolverines, who won seven of nine singles matches, still needed some clutch doubles play.

Gloria Abramson and Jennifer Kreisberg, the Wolverines’ No. 2 team, defeated Alison Miller and Michelle Schneider, 6-3, in the first round and came from behind to beat Erica Ladney and Sheri Moore, 6-4. That gave Harvard-Westlake an 8-4 advantage heading into the final round.

Andrea Levine and Leanne Mouw contributed at No. 3 doubles for Harvard-Westlake, stopping Ladney and Moore, 6-4, and defeating Miller and Schneider, 7-5. Lisa Smolinisky beat Rosenthal, 6-1, in singles for Harvard-Westlake’s other win.