Girls tennis: San Marin standout caps unbeaten season with MCAL title

San Marin High sophomore Devanshi Shrestha is the undisputed heavyweight champ of MCAL girls tennis, as evidenced by her unbeaten season and the league singles title she claimed on Thursday at Novato High.

With her 6-3, 6-4 victory over Tam freshman Chloe Mouret-Lafage, Shrestha became the first San Marin girl to capture the MCAL title since Darla Huang in 2014.

“It’s an honor,” said Shrestha. “I really like representing my school and my team.”

This is Shrestha’s first season of high school tennis. She was homeschooled last year to focus on tennis, but has found a balance between classes at San Marin, online courses and a rigorous tennis schedule in order to participate in high school sports.

“It’s really fun,” said Shrestha. “I like my teammates cheering me on. It’s really sweet. And I love cheering on my teammates as well.”

As dominant as Shrestha has been, Mouret-Lafage can take solace in winning more games against the new MCAL champ than anyone else this season. After their fourth meeting, Mouret-Lafage knows she’s getting closer each round against a player many say is the best the MCAL has seen in years.

“Next time it’s going to happen,” said Mouret-Lafage. “I learn every time.”

In the close second set, Mouret-Lafage nudged ahead 3-2 by breaking serve with a cleverly timed drop shot that Shrestha barely reached and hit into the net. Shrestha broke right back and then held serve for a 4-3 lead.

When Mouret-Lafage held serve to even the set score 4-4, it seemed the door was open for an upset or at least split sets. Trailing 30-love in the 10th game of the set, Shrestha showed the poise of a champ by claiming the next four points in a row to seal the win.

“I had a lot of confidence going into the match because I had already beaten her three times before,” said Shrestha. “I knew how to play her. ”

Shrestha said she hurt her left leg in the first set and relied on consistency to get her over the finish line. Despite the new injury, she chased down balls with speed and grace, tossing in just enough variety to keep Mouret-Lafage guessing.

Tam coach Wally Tice had plenty to keep his eyes on during the MCAL finals, with players on all four courts, but was most impressed with the defense and tenacity Mouret-Lafage displayed against the league’s top player.

“Chloe — to play that well against a player that has beaten her soundly in three matches, I’m proud of the way she pushed her,” said Tice.

Tam, the unbeaten league team champ, sent six players into Thursday’s finals and third-place matches. The lone winner for the Red-tailed Hawks was Siena Moglen, who won the third-place singles match with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 victory over Ariana Bazan of Marin Catholic.

In the doubles final, Redwood’s Julia Povio and Alessia Balliet defeated Tam’s Bianco Botero-Cortes and Maya Riisgaard 6-4, 6-2. Branson’s Paloma Vano-Rice and Talia Schneiter won the third-place doubles match against Tam’s Annika Hakes and Payton Dunn 6-4, 3-6, 6-4.

Tice joked that the league was ganging up on his Red-tailed Hawks since they faced players from four different schools during the MCAL finals.

“We had players in all four matches and that’s fantastic,” said Tice. “It certainly demonstrates our depth.”

The MCAL champs earn automatic berths to the North Coast Section Tournaments. As much as Shrestha has enjoyed her first year of high school tennis, she said she may not be able to compete in NCS due to a conflict with a junior tournament in San Diego.

The NCS Division 2 singles and doubles tournaments will be hosted by the MCAL and staged at Marin Tennis Club in San Rafael, Nov. 17-18.

The NCS D-1 tournament will take place at Foothill High in Pleasanton. Mouret-Lafage should receive an at-large berth in singles. Povio and Balliet advance directly as MCAL doubles champs.

NCS team tournaments begin next week with the seeding meetings on Sunday. For the first time, there will be three divisions, including the new Open Division. Tam, which clinched its first MCAL title since 2019 this season, is expected to play in the Open Division.