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CLAREMONT — As Corona del Mar senior Niels Hoffmann posed with Beckman freshman Tyler Lee for a post-match photo Thursday, he stretched his arm around the shoulder of his opponent in the CIF-SS singles final and offered an encouraging pat.
It was a telling moment between Orange County’s tennis maestro and one of its best prospects.
The USC-bound Hoffmann solidified his status as the master by defeating the up-and-coming Lee 6-2, 6-1 to cap a historic career with his second consecutive singles championship at Biszantz Family Tennis Center at Claremont McKenna College.
“He’s good,” Lee said of Hoffmann, who for the second straight year didn’t drop a set at the CIF-SS tournament. “He just knows how to beat you. He adjusts his game well. If you try to change it, he’ll change his, too.
“He can find your weakness and attack it really well,” Lee added. “That’s frustrating to play against but that’s what makes him good.”
Hoffmann’s crafty play helped the Surf League make a major statement. Marina’s somewhat under-the-radar duo of David Tran and Trevor Nguyen captured the doubles title with a 6-4, 6-3 victory against University’s SangHyuk Im and Bradley Yung.
It was the Vikings’ first individual title in boys or girls tennis.
The Hoffmann-Lee final paired two reigning Ojai champions. The top-seeded Hoffmann claimed the singles title at Ojai last month while Lee teamed with his brother Caden to take the doubles crown.
If that wasn’t enough intrigue, Lee entered as one of only two players to beat Hoffmann this season and ranked as the No. 5 freshman in the nation by Tennis Recruiting Network.
Hoffmann used his well-rounded game to collect his third victory in four meetings against Lee.
The reigning SoCal co-player of the year especially displayed his skills in the second set.
Hoffmann opened a 3-1 lead by closing a game with a service ace. He then broke Lee’s serve and closed another game with an ace.
👀Niels Hoffmann ace for a 3-1 lead in Set 2 pic.twitter.com/wfF60zsYIP
— Dan Albano (@ocvarsityguy) May 23, 2024
In the final game, Hoffmann rallied from a 0-40 deficit to break Lee again.
His highlights during the sizzling stretch included a leaping forehand winner down the line and and sliding along the baseline to extend points.
“I kind of let it rip in that last game,” Hoffmann said. “I bet he was like ‘What is happening? I’m supposed to win that game 40-love.’ That was fun.”
“Because I have a few more matches under my belt and am a few years older, I’m the veteran,” he added. “I’m sure there’s definitely some truth to being little bit older and having a little bit more experience (helps).”
Hoffmann joined O.C. greats such Stefan Dostanic (Woodbridge), Gage Brymer (University) and Steve Johnson (Orange) as county players to claim consecutive section singles titles.
“It’s not easy to win back-to-back CIF,” Corona del Mar coach Jamie Gresh said of Hoffmann. “He’s left a huge legacy.”
Lee impressed with his aggressive and physical style. Hoffmann called him a “machine” with his hitting abilities.
“He’s the best I’ve ever had,” veteran Beckman coach Nick Friendt said of Lee, the Patriots’ first section finalist.
In the semifinals, Hoffmann defeated JSerra freshman Riley Anson 6-4, 6-1. Lee rallied to defeat Corona del Mar senior and Cal Poly SLO-bound Jack Cross 4-6, 6-0, 6-1.
The CIF doubles champ David Tran, left, and Trevor Nguyen of Marina pic.twitter.com/P7P0L7QT1b
— Dan Albano (@ocvarsityguy) May 23, 2024
Tran, a sophomore, and Nguyen, a junior, made their move in the semifinals. The Ojai semifinalists knocked off top-seeded and Ojai runner-up Caleb Settles and Mateen Ghafarshad of Claremont 6-4, 6-3.
“We played very well at Ojai and I felt like if we stepped it up and prepared a little bit more we could (do) very well,” Nguyen said. “We were confident coming into this tournament.”
Nguyen and Tran mostly played No. 1 and No. 2 singles, respectively, for Marina before teaming at doubles for the postseason.
They effectively blended their skills against the all-senior University team, which featured Im seeking a third straight doubles crown with a third different partner.
“Trev is an aggressive player and I’m more a consistent, steady player,” Tran said. “Sometimes it gets wild when it’s two smackers.”
University’s season concludes Saturday in the inaugural CIF State team final against California of San Ramon in Fresno.
