Cate’s Blake Mackall is a gamer.
Mackall pulled out a huge comeback win in the first set of his third-round match and advanced out of Friday’s CIF Individual Sectional tennis tournament at home with a gutsy victory over Kevin Bondar of Oaks Christian.
Mackall fought off five set points to take the first set in a 10-8 tiebreaker, took a 2-0 lead in the second set and claimed victory when Bondar was forced to retire with a back injury.
He earlier defeated the Foothill League champion from Valencia, 6-2, 6-3. The two wins put Mackall in next week’s CIF Round of 32 at Whittier Narrows.
“Blake played focused, consistent and smart tennis to fight off five set points,” Cate coach Bob Bonning said.
Mackall is the only Santa Barbara County singles player to advance to the Round of 32.
In doubles, Cate’s Austin Lokre and Abhay Singh won their first two matches over Lompoc and Valencia before falling in the third round against the No. 3 seeds from Santa Monica, 7-6, 6-0.
