Aptos tennis standout Koosha Safari’s prep career comes to a close with a close defeat in CCS semifinals

Aptos High’s Koosha Safari’s Prep Career Ends in CCS Singles Semifinals

Unseeded Koosha Safari, a senior at Aptos High and three-time Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League champion, saw his high school tennis career come to an end in the semifinals of the Central Coast Section Singles Tournament on Thursday. Safari was narrowly defeated by No. 4 seed Somei Ogata from Saratoga in a hard-fought match that ended 4-6, 6-3, 10-8.

Despite the loss, Safari finished his season with an impressive 15-1 record. Looking ahead, Safari plans to take a gap year after graduation to train at the prestigious Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy in Las Vegas.

In the final, No. 3 seed Anthony Lim from Crystal Springs Uplands secured the section championship by defeating Ogata in a thrilling match that ended 5-7, 6-4, 12-10. Lim advanced to the final after a walkover against No. 2 seed Magnus Weng from Leigh.

In the doubles competition, No. 1 seed Drew Goldman and Bhavan Balusu from Monta Vista in Cupertino emerged victorious, defeating No. 3 seed Srikar Gorvindaraju and Alexander Sanford from Archbishop Mitty with a score of 6-4, 6-1.

In other sports news, former UC Santa Cruz player Jake Dietrich and his partner Silila Tucker advanced from the qualifier bracket to the main draw at the AVP Huntington Beach Open. The duo, seeded No. 13, will face off against No. 4 seed Hagen Smith and Logan Webber in the first round. Stay tuned for more updates on local sports events.