SUNRISE REGION: Gupte puts Rancho on top with boys singles title

For what is believed to be the first time in school history, Rancho has produced a Sunrise Region tennis champion.

Sophomore Rohan Gupte defeated Coronado senior Matt Dees, 7-5, 6-4, to capture the Sunrise boys singles title Friday at Darling Tennis Center.

“No one from my school has ever won or come close to this,” Gupte said. “I feel happy to show that Rancho’s finally on top for once.”

Gupte came from behind in both sets. He rallied from a 5-4 deficit in the first set, when he broke the left-handed Dees’ serve for the first time to take a 6-5 lead.

“It was a pretty tough first set. He was serving pretty good the whole time,” Gupte said. “I had to stay aggressive on the return the whole time, which I wasn’t doing in the beginning. But I figured it out eventually, got the break and won the set.”

Down 4-3 in the second set, Gupte again recovered and won the final three games.

“I got my second wind. I started coming to the net more because it seemed to be working,” he said. “I knew I was in for a tough match today, but I knew if I stayed confident I could pull through.”

It was a gritty effort for Gupte, who placed third in the region last year to advance to state and is undefeated this season with only three lost games in his first four matches in the Sunrise tournament.

“He really toughed it out,” Rancho coach Kevin Lord said. “I was kind of worried there for a little bit, but he managed to stay focused and bring it back in.”

Lord said the humble Gupte is a consummate team player for the Rams.

“He’s about the quietest kid you could ever hope to have on your team,” he said. “He’s always out there helping other players. He’s a great student and he always comes in and works hard every time.”

The match was Dees’ first loss of the year.

“It was really close the whole match. A couple points determined it,” he said. “I just felt like my focus kind of left. He started coming to the net and I couldn’t counter it.”

Gupte and Dees both advance to next week’s Class 4A state tournament at Darling Tennis Center.

In the third-place match, Coronado’s Andy Durand beat Liberty’s Chitnarong Sopat, 6-1, 6-4. Durand will try to qualify for state Tuesday in a play-in match.

In the Sunrise girls singles final, Coronado’s Paris Reese outlasted Silverado’s Jordan Minnick 6-4, 6-7 (2), 6-2, to claim the crown.

The third-place match also went the distance, with Coronado’s Nicole Gardner recording a 6-7 (3), 6-1, 6-4 comeback victory over Las Vegas High’s Selena Torres.

In the boys doubles final, Liberty’s Gil Lim and Blayze O’Keefe cruised to a 6-1, 6-2, victory over Coronado’s Kai Carl and Bryden Baxter.

In a clash of Coronado teammates, the duo of Patrick Crockett and Sebastian Sandqvist stormed back to beat Stephen Boyd and Patricio Sanchez, 5-7, 6-1, 6-0, for third place.

In the girls doubles final, Liberty’s Ashley Wao-Udin and Aphrah Brokaw beat Coronado’s Sarah Pate and Allie Sanford, 6-1, 6-0.

Brokaw teamed with Liberty graduate Danae Ingwaldson to win last year’s state doubles title.

Coronado’s Marina Arriola and Kayla Tarlton topped Basic’s Marissa Ross and Paige Blake, 6-3, 6-0, for third place.