Girls tennis: Arlander holds off challenge from Branson teammate for MCAL singles title

True friends don’t like to see friends lose even if they’re on the opposite side of the court.

Moments after she captured the MCAL singles crown on Wednesday night at Novato High, Mirabel Arlander said “I feel so bad.”

The Branson School senior had just beaten junior teammate and very good friend Katie Warrin 7-6 (2), 6-2 to conclude three days of MCAL tennis under the lights in chilly conditions.

“Katie is one of my closest friends and I love her to death,” said Arlander. “It’s awful to try to go there and try to win. I really want to be competitive. But it’s hard to get in that competitive mode when you’re playing someone who’s your friend.”

As Arlander and Warrin warmed up, Branson coach Chrissie Costamagna was asked who she was rooting for. She quickly responded “Branson” in delight with sending her top two singles players to the MCAL championship singles match.

Costamagna said the duel between Arlander and Warrin helps prepare the Bulls for the North Coast Section team tournaments that start next Tuesday.

“I hope this gets them and the team fired up for next week,” said Costamagna. “For the singles players, having this type of match helps them focus mentally to play the tough match. It was clearly a tough match not only because they’re good players but they’re also teammates. That adds a different element to the match.”

In doubles. top-seeded Jordan Marotto and Ella Povio of Redwood won their sixth straight match together to claim the MCAL title. The senior duo downed fellow Giants Julia Laury and Gwenn Ricordel 6-2, 6-4.

Marotto won the MCAL singles title last year but wanted to give doubles a try with her fellow senior classmate. Although Redwood coach Tracey Porter isn’t sure about her lineup for the NCS team tournament next week, she said Marotto and Povio definitely plan to enter the NCS doubles tournament together later this month.

Seeking her first MCAL singles title, Arlander had three set points in the 10th game of the first set before Warrin got it going with a service winner for 30-40. Warrin also anticipated a tough drop shot and used a forehand cross-court winner to knot the score at 5-5.

Warrin’s momentum continued in the next game as the junior broke Arlander’s serve to pull ahead 6-5.  Arlander went to her drop shot on game point and the ball clipped the top of the net and fell back on her side of the court.

Arlander broke right back to make it 6-6 as Warrin began to rush her shots against the consistent senior. Including the 12th game and tiebreaker, Arlander won 11 of the final 13 points of the first set.

“I had three set points and losing those was definitely difficult,” said Arlander. “Going into the tiebreaker, I really wanted to reset. The tiebreaker is a whole new thing. I had to keep trying to get myself in a position where I have a shot.”

The tiebreaker turned the momentum in Arlander’s favor in the second set as Warrin began to tire. Arlander grabbed an insurmountable lead with a break of serve to go ahead 5-2 on a double fault by Warrin.

“I think Katie played amazing as usual,” said Arlander. “We both played a lot yesterday. I think Katie was a little tired and I had some easier matches.”

Besides sending two doubles teams to the MCAL finals, Redwood got one of the biggest upsets of the tournament from freshman Alessia Bailliet. In the quarterfinals, Bailliet stunned previously unbeaten Clare Zhu of San Marin 6-1, 7-6 (5).

Bailliet claimed the third-place singles match by default over San Marin’s Deepti Bhat, who suffered a hamstring injury in the semifinals. The emergence of Bailliet gives the defending MCAL and NCS champion Giants lots of options heading into the section tournament.

“I have major flexibility,” said Porter. “We’re planning on winning NCS and heading to state.”

In the third-place doubles match, Tam’s Maria-Jose Stuart and Amalie Stoker outlasted Marin Catholic’s Georgia Compagno and Heidi Koch 4-6, 7-5, 6-2.