It was another banner day for the Ventura College men's tennis team. After clinching the Western State Conference team title last month, sophomore Santino Serralonga claimed the WSC singles championship on Saturday over teammate Jinsei Tajima. Meanwhile, second-year players Tajima and Philemon Jabin captured the doubles crown at the VC Tennis Center.
The final was the only men's single match of the day and featured the Pirate teammates Serralonga and Tajima. Tajima, who is from Nakayoma, Japan, captured the first set 6-4 before Serralonga, a native of Buenos Aires, Argentina, won the second 6-3. Serralonga then took control in the third, winning 6-0 to bring home the singles title.
Doubles play began with the semifinal round. Tajima and Jabin advanced wit a victory over opponents from Santa Barbara, 6-2, 6-3. Meanwhile, Lucas Abreau and Eduardo Gorgonio Criscuolo narrowly missed making it another all-Pirate final, dropping a 6-4, 6-7, 10-7 to a pair also from SBCC. In the championship match, Tajima and Jabin, who is from Brussels, Belgium, claimed the title with a hard-fought 6-4, 7-5 triumph.
The Pirates will now await their playoff seeding in the CCCAA Southern California Playoffs. The first round is scheduled for Tuesday April 11 and will be held in Ventura beginning at 2:00 pm.