5A boys tennis: Individual champions crowned on day three of tournament action

DENVER – Individual champions were crowned on the final day of the 5A boys tennis individual championships Saturday afternoon, Oct. 15, at Denver’s City Park.

Cherry Creek came into the day with a finalist in all seven lines, marking the first time since 2013 the Bruins had all seven finalists. After a morning full of competition, Cherry Creek finished the day with four individual state champions.

Perhaps the most exciting match of the day was at the top with No. 1 singles. Seniors Eduard Tsaturyan from Grandview and defending No. 1 singles champion Aram Izmirian from Cherry Creek rematched in the finals. Tsaturyan dropped his first set all season in the first set, 7-5, but he battled back to take the next two, 6-3, 6-2, to claim the title.

“I am very happy that I won this tournament,” Tsaturyan exclaimed. “I was preparing for this tournament all season. The first time I played against Aram it was an easier match, but this time he was very focused and on top of things and made it a tough match. I put so much time into training so this win feels amazing because I put so much work in.”

A fresh face at the 5A state championships emerged at No. 2 singles, as Valor Christian freshman Jace Nakamura defeated the defending No. 3 singles champ, Cherry Creek senior Kiril Kostadinov in three sets that all went 12 games.

“This feels amazing,” Nakamura stated. “I’ve worked so hard all summer for this exact moment, and I’ve been waiting for this match all year. It was super fun and exciting playing out there, there was a lot of pressure, but I had all my teammates and people out there supporting me. I’m going to remember this for the rest of my life.”

At No. 3 singles, junior Kristian Kostadinov got some individual glory after he was part of the No. 1 doubles title winning team last year. He took down Regis Jesuit’s Brady Jenkins, 6-3, 7-6, for the lone Creek individual title.

In the doubles ranks, all four matchups featured Cherry Creek and Valor Christian, offering a doubles preview of Tuesday’s team finals. Creek took three of four, with the lone Valor win coming at No. 2 doubles.

The duo of Jack Eikelberner & Charles Stern of Cherry Creek won in a quick match over Graham Beukelman & Drew Schell of Valor Christian in No. 1 doubles, 6-1, 6-4. They went back-to-back after taking the No. 4 doubles title last season.

Valor’s lone win came at No. 2 doubles, as Ryan Mandes & Ryan Greenfield combined to take down Trevor Robinson and Matthew Hu from Cherry Creek in three sets 7-5, 3-6, 6-3. The duo came together this season after Mandes lost in the No. 3 doubles finals last season, and Greenfield was runner-up at No. 3 singles.

“To win this title with Ryan is amazing, all the hard work we’ve put in all the practices have paid off,” Mandes said.

“Being able to play with a good friend of mine was a blessing, and I’m just happy that it ended in a victory,” added Greenfield.

At No. 3 doubles, Trey Zurcher and Ryder Landry of Cherry Creek had an equally quick match as No. 1 doubles, winning by an identical 6-1, 6-4 tally over Valor Christian’s Jack Mohler & Harrison Wentworth. It was a comeback year for the Bruins No. 3 doubles slot, as that line finished in fourth place last season.

Finally, Creek’s No. 4 doubles duo of Tate Hutchins and Drew Kaprielian had a bit of a longer match, but ultimately defeated Valor Christian’s Rory MacEwan and Drew Summers, 6-3, 7-6.

At the conclusion of the tournament, the Centaurus tennis team was honored with the Vicky Matarazzo Sportsmanship Award.