Boys tennis: Fairview’s Castelino back in a fourth-straight championship match

Fairview’s Ignatius Castelino returns a serve on Friday. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

DENVER — Ignatius Castelino didn’t panic when he lost a first-set tiebreaker in Friday’s No. 1 singles semifinal at the Class 5A boys tennis state championships.

The Fairview senior had been there before.

“It’s not that big of a thing,” Castelino said afterward, “(just play) one point at a time.”

He played the remaining points well, as he took the final two sets over Denver East’s Kai Smith 6-1, 6-1 to advance to his fourth state championship match.

Castelino has never won a state title, losing to a Cherry Creek entry in each of his three previous state title matches.

“It’s been motivating,” he said of wanting to finally win a state championship.

It almost didn’t happen. In one of the best matches of the tournament thus far, neither player could hold serve in the first set, going eight straight games breaking each other’s serve.

“My serve hasn’t always been my strength,” Castelino said. “I take away the other guy’s strength.”

Smith, a sophomore, broke serve to tie the first set 6-6, then eased to a 7-1 victory in the tiebreaker.

Castelino then refocused. Although the two traded spectacular volleys at times, it was the Fairview player winning most of them.

Castelino will play Cherry Creek sophomore Ethan Hillis for the state title at 9 a.m. Saturday. Hillis was the No. 3 singles champion as a freshman.

He has resigned himself to that.

“It’s always Creek,” Castelino said of facing another Bruin for the state title.

Hillis defeated Castelino twice during the regular season, although the Fairview player has come out on top in other previous matches.

“I just need to dig a little deeper and focus like today,” he said.

Cherry Creek, with entries in all three singles finals and three of the four doubles title matches, wrapped up the team championship before play ended Friday. It is the Bruins’ fourth-straight championship, and 39th in the past 42 seasons. They have 73 team points to this point.

Castelino’s Knights are currently in second place in the team race with 49 points. Denver East is in third with 43, while Boulder has 38. Fossil Ridge has 25 points after Friday’s rounds.

Find complete 5A results on the draws.

Photos