Looking to be the first Cerritos College men's tennis doubles team to win the California Community College Athletic Association championships, sophomores Derek Siddiqui (Los Alamitos HS) and Johnny Chai (Cerritos HS/UC Riverside) were probably expecting to play #2-seeded Alex Sarkissian and Trevor Campbell of Glendale College in the championship match at Fresno City College this weekend. The Falcon duo, seeded #1 in Southern California after their win in the Southern California Championships, were just as shocked as anyone when Cypress College's Oliver Andrzejczuk and Torsten Keil-Long posted a 7-6, 3-6, 6-3 win in the other semi-final to earn the right to face the Cerritos tandem that handed Rodrigio Shaefer and Sergio Chip of College of the Desert a 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 decision in their semi-final match.

    The championships pitting Siddiqui and Chai against the Chargers duo would be a re-match of their meeting in the first match of the season, where the Falcon duo posted a 7-6, 6-1 win. However, in the state championship match, Andrzejczuk and Keil-Long prevented Siddiqui and Chai of becoming the first-ever state doubles champion in school history, when they posted a 6-2, 7-5 win...[more]

05.07.11 - Doubles team overcomes injuries to win championship
With one of their players forced to retire in the quarterfinals of the Southern California Regional singles tournament and another held out altogether, it would only make sense that the duo would overcome those obstacles to capture the Southern California Doubles championship for the first time in Cerritos College men's tennis history. Sophomores Derek Siddiqui (Los Alamitos HS) and Johnny Chai (Cerritos HS/UC Riverside) defeated #1-ranked Alex Sarkissian and Trevor Campbell of Glendale College in the finals, 5-7, 6-4, 6-2 on Saturday at College of the Desert. The pair, who were ranked #2 for the Southern California Regional Tournament, will enter the state championships next weekend at Fresno City College as the #1-ranked team from Southern California.

Siddiqui, who was ranked #2 in singles play, easily won his first two singles matches on Friday, and was leading Ventura College's Sean Levesque, 3-2 in the first set of their quarterfinal match. However, still feeling the effects of a nagging injury that stemmed from the Ojai Tournament the week before, Siddiqui was forced to retire. At the Ojai Tournament, Siddiqui easily defeated Levesque, 6-1, 6-1 in the quarterfinals, and will be ranked #4 at the state tournament...[more]

05.01.11 - Siddiqui defeated in singles finals
Advancing to the championship singles match of the 111th Annual Ojai Tennis Tournament, Cerritos College sophomore Derek Siddiqui (Los Alamitos HS) was coming off a hard-fought semi-final win over #3-ranked Alex Johnson of Foothill College. He pulled out a 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 win, which propelled him to the championship match, where Siddiqui squared off against top-ranked Alex Sarkissian of Glendale College. Sarkissian, who posted a 6-0, 6-1 win in his semi-final match, was too much for Siddiqui, who dropped a 2-6, 5-7 loss for his first setback of the season in singles play. Siddiqui is also the first Cerritos singles player to reach the championship match.

On the strength of Siddiqui reaching the finals, as well as sophomore Johnny Chai (Cerritos HS/UC Riverside) advancing to the quarterfinals and the duo making it to the quarterfinals in doubles play, Cerritos finished third in the race for the Ojai Team Trophy, which awards the team with the most wins over the course of the tournament. The Falcons recorded 17 wins, with College of the Desert taking the trophy with 19 wins.
 

04.30.11 - Derek Siddiqui advances to semis at Ojai
Cerritos College sophomore tennis player Derek Siddiqui (Los Alamitos HS) picked up a win in singles play on Saturday at the 111th Annual Ojai Tennis Tournament, but suffered an upset loss in doubles. As a result, the #2-ranked singles player will now face Alex Johnston of Foothill College at 8:00 a.m. on Sunday in the semi-finals. Siddiqui reaches the semis after a convincing 6-1, 6-1 win over Sean Levesque of Ventura College...[more]

04.29.11 - Both singles and one doubles move on
There are two schools at the 111th Ojai Valley Tennis Tournament that have three entries still alive in both singles and doubles play combined. After the second day, the Cerritos College men's tennis team boasts sophomore singles players Derek Siddiqui (Los Alamitos HS) and Johnny Chai (Cerritos HS/UC Riverside), while the two have advanced in doubles play. They join College of the Desert, who still have one singles player and two doubles teams still alive in the tournament, with four other colleges boasting a combination of two entries...[more]

04.28.11 - Cerritos players all win at Ojai
After the first day of the prestigious Ojai Tournament, the Cerritos College men's tennis team saw all of their entries win their opening matches. The tournament, which is scheduled to run through Sunday, have all of the Falcon players slated to play on Friday...[more]

04.19.11 - Falcons defeated by Mt. San Jacinto
In their first round match of the Southern California Team Playoffs, the Cerritos College men's tennis team, seeded #5, was defeated by #4-seeded Mt. San Jacinto, 5-2 to end their team season. The Falcon tennis players will now enter the Ojai Tournament, which starts April 28...[more]

04.18.11 - Team opens playoffs against Mt. San Jacinto
After sweeping through the South Coast Conference and posting a 14-4 season record, the Cerritos College men's tennis team has been seeded #5 for the Southern California Regional Team Playoffs. They first round opponent on Tuesday at 2:00 p.m. will be #4-seeded Mt. San Jacinto College, who is traditionally one of the best teams in the state. ..[more]

04.12.11 - Cerritos drops decision to Ventura
Facing the defending state champions, the Cerritos College men's tennis team was on the losing end of an 8-1 non-conference decision against Ventura College on Tuesday. The Falcons (14-4), who won the South Coast Conference championship, will now compete in the first round of the team playoffs next Tuesday against a team still to be determined...[more]

04.07.11 - Falcons advance four singles and two doubles
Along with breezing through the South Coast Conference season undefeated, the Cerritos College men's tennis team has now advanced four singles players and two doubles teams to the Southern California Regional Tournament after they all advanced to the quarterfinals of the SCC Tournament on Thursday. The Falcons, who will travel on Tuesday to face Ventura College at 2:00 p.m. in a non-conference match, also earned both post-season awards.
 

04.05.11 - Six singles and two doubles still alive
After the first day of the South Coast Conference men's tennis tournament, the Cerritos College team still has six of their seven singles players still active, while two of their three doubles teams remain alive. The tournament, which concludes at Cerritos College on Thursday at 2:00 p.m., will only be played until the quarterfinals, with those advancing to the Southern California Regional Tournament.

The top two seeded singles players are Falcons - Derek Siddiqui (Los Alamitos HS) and Johnny Chai (Cerritos HS/UC Riverside) - and didn't compete on Tuesday. But three of the four winning players did so in straight sets, while freshman Kyle Porter (Lakewood HS) was extended to a third set before he defeated Yasuto Miyawaki of El Camino College, 6-4, 5-7, 10-8...[more]

04.02.11 - Conference tournament next for Cerritos
With the Cerritos College men's tennis team hosting the South Coast Conference Tournament this week, the conference champions know that all they need to do is advance their players to the quarterfinals in order to qualify for the Southern California Regional Tournament. The coaches in the conference had elected to only play until the quarterfinals in both singles and doubles, which means two wins for the top-five seeded singles players will send them one step closer to the state tournament, while all others will need to win three matches. In doubles, the top two seeded teams need just one win, while all others will have to win twice. The tournament is scheduled to start on Tuesday at 2:00 p.m., and conclude on Thursday...[more]

03.31.11 - Falcons lose match to NCAA Champions
Facing the defending NCAA Division III champions in Thursday, the Cerritos College men's tennis team fell behind early, which resulted in a 5-4 loss to Middlebury (VT) College. The Falcons (14-3) lost four of the six singles matches, which meant they would have to win all three doubles matches to pull out the team win. They picked up wins in two of the three matches, but lost the #2 doubles match. Next up for Cerritos is the South Coast Conference Tournament, which they will be hosting starting on Tuesday.

At the top of the singles ladder, all went well for the Falcons, as they picked up a pair of straight set victories. Sophomore Derek Siddiqui (Los Alamitos HS) remained undefeated, as he recorded a 6-3, 6-2 win over Spencer Lunghino, with sophomore Johnny Chai (Cerritos HS/UC Riverside) defeating James Burke, 6-2, 6-2...[more]

03.29.11 - Cerritos defeats El Camino for a third time
Gearing up for the South Coast Conference Tournament, as well as the prestigious Ojai Tournament, the Cerritos College men's tennis team defeated El Camino College for a third time this season, as they handed them an 8-1 setback on Tuesday afternoon. The Falcons concluded their conference season with a perfect 9-0 record, while they improved to 14-3 on the year. Cerritos will have one more tune-up match before they embark on the post-season, and will host Middlebury (CT) College at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday.

In the win over the Warriors, the Falcons swept all six singles matches, which included five straight set sweeps and sophomore Nick Johnson (Long Beach Millikan HS) winning his second consecutive third-set tiebreaker. The top of the ladder saw top-ranked sophomore Derek Siddiqui (Los Alamitos HS) breeze past his friend, Andrew Sarawasi, 6-0, 6-1 in the #1 position, while sophomore Johnny Chai (Cerritos HS/UC Riverside) continues to work through nagging injuries and posted a 6-2, 6-3 win. Freshman Kyle Porter (Lakewood HS) had little trouble with Yasuto Miyawaki, defeating him, 6-2, 6-2. Porter, who won team challenge matches, will enter the Ojai Tournament as the team's third singles player...[more]

03.24.11 - Team remains undefeated in conference after win
Looking to finish off their South Coast Conference season undefeated, the Cerritos College men's tennis team posted a 7-2 win over visiting Long Beach City College on Thursday. The Falcons, who are now 13-2 on the year, are 8-0 in SCC play with just one match remaining. The team will host El Camino College at 2:00 p.m. next Tuesday and then play a non-conference match before entering the conference tournament.

The match allowed high school teammates to face off against each other, as sophomore Nick Johnson (Long Beach Millikan HS) squared off against LBCC's Matt Taggart in the #2 singles match. Johnson, who defeated Taggart in straight sets in their last meeting, was defeated this time, 4-6, 2-6 by his friend. It also marked a meeting of high school rivals, with freshman Andrew Turner (Cypress HS) squaring off against Ryan Blanchett in the #3 position. Just as he did in their first meeting, Turner came away with the win, as he held off Blanchett, 7-6(5), 6-2...[more]

 

03.22.11 - Slow start forces Falcons to rally
Although they defeated Mt. San Antonio College, 6-3 in their South Coast Conference match on Tuesday, the Cerritos College men's tennis team found themselves in a battle early on. The Falcons (12-2, 7-0) trailed in three of the singles matches before turning the tide and coming back to win five of the six singles matches. Cerritos will finish off their regular season with three more matches at home before hosting the conference tournament. They will face Long Beach City College at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday...[more]

03.18.11 - Cerritos hands Palomar 7-2 defeat
Playing their second non-conference match in as many days, the Cerritos College men's tennis team appeared to get stronger as the day progressed. The Falcons (11-2) were able to win four of the six singles matches to take a commanding lead over the Comets, then easily closed out the match by sweeping all three doubles matches in straight sets. Cerritos, who clinched the South Coast Conference title at the beginning of the week, will resume conference play on Tuesday when they travel to Mt. San Antonio College for a 2:00 p.m. contest...[more]

03.17.11 - Falcons win non-conference match
Playing host to visiting Pima (AZ) Community College on Thursday, the Cerritos College men's tennis team showed their guests just how competitive each match is in the state. The Falcons, who clinched the South Coast Conference title on Tuesday, defeated the Aztecs, 7-2 to run their season record to 10-2. Cerritos will play their third match of the week when they host Palomar College at 2:00 p.m. on Friday in another non-conference match.

Top-ranked Derek Siddiqui (Los Alamitos HS) started the day with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Alan Barrios, while the Aztecs (5-2) recorded their only singles win in the #2 position. Sophomore Nick Johnson (Long Beach Millikan HS) moved up one spot on the ladder to fill in for injured Johnny Chai (Cerritos HS/UC Riverside), and was defeated by Andrew Barnett, 6-3, 6-3...[more]

 

03.15.11 - Team clinches conference title
For the first time in three seasons, the Cerritos College men's tennis team has clinched the South Coast Conference championship. They had won four consecutive titles (2005-08) before the conference was realigned and they finished in second place the last two seasons. They secured the title on Tuesday with an 8-1 win over El Camino College to run their season mark to 9-2, while they are 6-0 in the SCC with three conference matches remaining. The team will host a pair of non-conference matches next, with Pima (AZ) Community College facing the Falcons at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, followed by a home match against Palomar College on Friday.

The Falcons, who are currently projected to be the #5-seeded team when the Southern California Regional Team Playoffs begin next month, won five of the six singles matches, with only sophomore Johnny Chai (Cerritos HS/UC Riverside) being forced to retire in the second set due to an injury. Four of the five singles matches the team won were by straight sets, with freshman Nick Johnson (Long Beach Millikan HS) coming out on the positive side of a third-set tie-breaker. Johnson had been 0-3 in third-set tie-breakers this season, but posted a 7-6(4), 1-6, 10-8 win over Yasuto Miyawaki in the #3 position...[more]
 

03.10.11 - Cerritos sweeps past Long Beach City
Through their first five South Coast Conference matches, the Cerritos College men's tennis team has shut out three of their opponents. They made it twice in as many tries on Tuesday against Long Beach City, as the Falcons (9-2, 5-0) posted a 9-0 decision. Next Tuesday, Cerritos will look to remain defeated in conference play when they host El Camino College...[more]

03.08.11 - Falcons lock down win over Mt. SAC
The Cerritos College men's tennis team clinched their fourth South Coast Conference win in as many matches on Tuesday when they won four of the six singles matches against Mt. San Antonio College. The Falcons, who were playing without sophomore #2 singles player Johnny Chai (Cerritos HS/UC Riverside) came away with a couple of big wins, which led them to their 6-3 victory, which improves their season mark to 6-3. The team will now travel to Long Beach City College for a 2:00 p.m. conference match on Thursday.

With everyone moving up a spot in the ladder, freshman Andrew Turner (Cypress HS) stepped in at the #6 position and recorded a big 6-4, 7-5 win over Rex Tseng. The Falcons took control of the match when freshman Ryan Ilagan (Bellflower HS) fought back against Ron Kao for a 5-7, 6-2, 10-4 win that gave the team their fourth team point...[more]
 

03.01.11 - Strong singles play leads to conference win
The doubles matches for the Cerritos College men's tennis team against El Camino College on Wednesday were more of an afterthought after the team won five of the six singles matches to clinch the South Coast Conference victory. The Falcons (6-2 overall, 3-0 SCC) remained undefeated in conference play with a 7-2 win over the Warriors. The team will look to stay undefeated in SCC play on Thursday at 2:00 p.m. when they host Mt. San Antonio College...[more]

02.24.11 - Cerritos improves to 2-0 in conference
Even without injured Derek Siddiqui (Los Alamitos HS), the top-ranked singles player in Southern California, the Cerritos College men's tennis team had little trouble dispatching visiting Long Beach City College, 9-0 in a South Coast Conference match on Thursday. The Falcons improved to 5-2 on the year and 2-0 in SCC play and will travel to El Camino College at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday.

Cerritos inserted several reserves into singles play, as sophomore Johnny Chai (Cerritos HS/UC Riverside) also took the day off from singles play. That moved freshman Nick Johnson (Long Beach Millikan HS) up to the top spot and he responded with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Alex Necklemann. Freshman JP Elchico (Whitney HS) also played his first match of the season at #2 and posted a 6-1, 6-4 victory over Matt Taggart. It also marked the first match of the season at #3 for freshman Kyle Porter (Lakewood HS) and he defeated Ryan Blanchett, 6-1, 6-1...[more]

02.22.11 - Falcons defeat short-handed Mt. San Antonio
The Cerritos College men's tennis team took full advantage of host Mt. San Antonio College playing short-handed in their South Coast Conference opener on Tuesday. The Mounties, who were playing without four of their six singles players, were no match for the Falcons (4-2, 1-0), who easily defeated them, 9-0. Cerritos will now host Long Beach City College at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday...[more]

02.17.11 - Team overcomes injury for 5-4 win
Sophomore Johnny Chai (Cerritos HS/UC Riverside) did everything he could to play through an injury he suffered during warm-ups, but couldn't finish one set in either singles or doubles play for the Cerritos College men's tennis team. However, his teammates stepped up and the Falcons came away with a 5-4 non-conference win over host Los Angeles Pierce College on Thursday. Cerritos (3-2) will now open South Coast Conference play on Tuesday when they host Mt. San Antonio College...[more]

02.1.11 - Cerritos drops match to Mt. San Jacinto
Facing the #3-seeded team in the state, the Cerritos College men's tennis team was able to post wins at the top of the ladder in both singles and doubles. The Falcons, who ended up dropping a 6-3 non-conference match on Tuesday, came within a pair of third-set tie-breakers of upsetting the Eagles. Cerritos (2-2) will now travel to Los Angeles Pierce College on Thursday for a 2:00 p.m. non-conference match...[more]

02.10.11 - Falcons pick up second straight win
The Cerritos College men's tennis team put an exclamation mark on their 7-2 non-conference win over San Diego Mesa College on Thursday by winning two key matches that went to a third set tie-breaker. The Falcons (2-1) split the two singles matches that went to a third set, while they came away with a win in their doubles match. Had the Olympians been able to pull out all three, they would have escaped with a victory. Cerritos will now travel to Mt. San Jacinto College for a :00 p.m. non-conference match on Tuesday.

It was business as usual for top singles player Derek Siddiqui (Los Alamitos HS), who registered a 6-1, 6-1 win over Alex Nichols. Freshman JP Elchico (Whitney HS) also had a quick match with Sean Moazez in their #4 match, with Elchico posting a 6-1, 6-1 win. After a hard fought 7-5 win in the first set against Stanislav Margarchenko in the #2 match, sophomore Johnny Chai (Cerritos HS/UC Riverside) dominated in the second set, winning, 6-1...[more]

02.08.11 - Cerritos responds with victory
After opening the season with a tough loss to Cypress College, the Cerritos College men's tennis team responded with a come from behind 5-4 win over host Irvine Valley College in a non-conference match on Tuesday. The Falcons (1-1) will now host San Diego Mesa College at 2:00 p.m. in a non-conference match on Thursday...[more]

02.03.11 - Falcons open season with loss to Cypress
The Cerritos College men's tennis team opened their 2011 season at home, but came up short in a 6-3 non-conference loss to Cypress College on Thursday. The Falcons, who only have three returning players, will now travel to Irvine Valley College on Tuesday at 2:00 p.m. for another non-conference match.

The match started out promising, as sophomore Derek Siddiqui (Los Alamitos HS) continued where he left off last year and posted a 6-4, 1-6, 10-8 win over Oliver Andrzejzuk in the top spot. Siddiqui, who reached the state semi-finals last season, also had a hand in the team's only doubles win, as he teamed with sophomore Jonny Chai (Cerritos HS/UC Riverside) for a 7-6 (1), 6-1 win in the top doubles match...[more]

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Email: John Van Gaston, Ext. 2896
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