Gaytan- Leach captures crown

usta national open finalsCorona del Mar resident defeats the top seed for the girls’ 14s singles title at the USTA National Open in Newport Beach.NEWPORT BEACH -- Corona del Mar resident Cierra Gaytan-Leach won the girls’ 14s singles title in the United States Tennis Assn. National Open on Monday at the Newport Beach Tennis Club.

The third-seeded Gaytan-Leach defeated top-seeded Sophie Chang of Cupertino, Calif., 6-1, 6-1, in the final for the championship.

“It was awesome,” Gaytan-Leach said. “I felt relieved that it was over and I came out on top. I wasn’t all that confident because I heard that [Chang] had improved a lot.”

Entering the match, Chang had not lost a set en route to reaching the final, while Gaytan-Leach, who reached the quarterfinals of the Southern California Tennis Assn. junior sectional championships in June, concluded the tournament with only one set lost.

The local will likely attend Corona del Mar High next year, her mother said.

In boys’ 16s singles, Newport Beach resident Fabian Matthews, the No. 6 seed, lost to third-seeded Ryan Thacher of Studio City, 6-3, 6-2, in the final Monday at the Newport Beach Tennis Club.

Matthews, who placed third at the Pacific Coast League singles tournament as a freshman at Corona del Mar last spring, had reached the final with a 7-5, 6-1 victory over top-seeded Bradley Klahn of Poway on Sunday.

-- Chris Yemma