Thao tops her cousin

David Blanchard is going out in style. Choua Thao, meanwhile, gave a glimpse of what Golden Empire League tennis players can expect next season.

Blanchard, a senior at Marysville High, stormed past San Juan's Ted Fox, 6-3, 6-2, Wednesday at Lindhurst High to win the GEL boys singles tennis title. Thao, a junior at Lindhurst, defeated her cousin, Ploua Thao of Marysville, 6-4, 6-3, to capture the girls' league crown.

"It's very nice to go out as the GEL champion," Blanchard said.

Two years ago, Blanchard had to default in the semi-finals after injuring a shoulder, Last year, he made it to the finals.

"This is the best tennis I've seen David play this season," Indians coach Steve Tennis said.

Heading into the tournament, Blanchard and his Marysville teammate, David Rac, were the odds-on favorites to meet in the finals. Rac, an exchange student from the Czech Republic, however, was out of town visiting a brother when the singles tournament began Monday. "Rac would have been in the finals if he had been here," Tennis said.

Tennis noted Marysville coaches purposely didn't let Blanchard and Rac play each other during practice because they were hoping to find out who was the better player in the league finals.

Blanchard, who was the top seed in the tournament and unbeaten, was disappointed he didn't get to face Rac in the league finals, but that disappointment was overshadowed by his title and how he won it.

A swirling wind was blowing, causing problems for both players, Blanchard said.

"You just have to play through everything," Blanchard said, "and just go out there and do your best."

Blanchard said the first set was tough, but by the second set, he had started to take command and wear down Fox.

The win also posed a few problems for the Thao cousins.

"It was interesting," Choua said. "Serving with the wind, I was able to put more spin on the ball and against the wind, I had to serve a lot harder."

The wind was very distracting, Ploua said, adding when Choua was hitting with the wind, "she'd lob the ball to my backhand, which is my weaker side."

Choua Thao was the No. 1 seed in the tournament and also unbeaten in the GEL.

"We were surprised Ploua made it to the finals," Tennis said. "She's lost only three times all season."

Ploua, a senior, lost to Choua's sister, Mee, playing No. 2 singles earlier in the season and then to Choua, 6-0, 6-1. Ploua also was extended in her semi-final match Monday, outlasting Mee, 6-7 (1), 6-1, 7-5.

"This is my seventh year coaching tennis, and I've never had a girl from Marysville in the finals before," Tennis said.

Choua Thao looked like she might run away with the match, winning the first four sets. Ploua Thao rallied though, winning the next four to tie the match, 4-4. Twice during the rally, the Thaos went to deuce, with Ploua winning both times when Choua committed an unforced error.

"I didn't want to lose," Ploua Thao said of her fortitude for rallying from the big deficit.

Standing side by side, Ploua was the more diminutive player of the two, but she also seemed to come up with more big hits.

"For her size, she hits the ball a ton," Tennis said, noting coaches tease her all the time about the power behind her swing.

Ploua Thao held her own in the second game, squaring the match at 2-2 through four games. But Choua won the next won the next three and had match point with the set squared at deuce when she committed an unforced error.

For one of the few times in the match, Choua came to the net and tried to smash her shot, but instead she sent ball into the net. In the next set, Ploua staved off two match points before finally falling when she hit a lob out of bounds.

"She should be dominating again next year," Lindhurst coach Ting Tanonglek said of Choua Thao. "Unless an exchange student comes along who is a good player, no one should be able to touch Choua."

Rac and Billy Casselman of Marysville defeted Indians teammates Chue Xiong and Ger Xiong in the boys doubles final, 6-3, 4-6, 6-2.

Lindhurst's Bee Xiong and Choua Her outlasted Daniel Morales and Zulena Surez of Highlands, 3-6, 7-6 (5), 6-3, to win mixed doubles. Foresdt Lake's Kaitlin Hanson and Jen Menary knocked off Lindhurst's Mee Thao and Susan Xiong to win the girls doubles crown.

Everyone who finished first or second advance to the Sac-Joaquin Section tournaement in Stockton, starting May 8.

Contact sports reporter Richard Myers at 749-4714 or rmyers@appeal-democrat.com