BERKELEY -  California's Andre Goransson booked a return trip to New York when he defeated teammate Filip Bergevi in the singles final of the USTA/ITA Northwest Regional Championships on Monday at the Hellman Tennis Complex. Goransson, the tournament's top seed, beat his fellow senior and Swedish compatriot, 6-4, 7-6(3).
 
There was little threat of rain Monday, meaning the final two matches of the regional weren't going to move indoors as matches did on Friday and Sunday due to inclement weather.

Besides Goransson's victory, Cal won the overall team title at the regional based on its success in main draw singles and doubles draws.

Last year, Goransson, then a junior, reached the singles final and garnered the Sportsmanship Award at the USTA/ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships in Flushing Meadows, New York. His win Monday qualified him to play in singles again at national indoors.
 
"I'm very excited," Goransson said. "I've wanted the whole fall to go back there. I was a little bummed about Tulsa, where I wasn't able to do as well as last year. Being able to come back here and win regionals in Berkeley, it's a really nice feeling to win and to go back to New York."
 
The product of Hollviken, Sweden, referred to the recent Saint Francis Health System All-American Championships in Tulsa. That tournament's singles quarterfinalists also earned berths to national indoors, though Goransson lost in the round of 64.
 
The stoic Goransson showed some emotion at Hellman when he tied the second set to force a tiebreaker against his roommate Bergevi, who hails from Ahus, Sweden.
 
"There are so many emotions playing someone who's basically your best friend," he said. "You do everything together. It's always tough to close out a match against a guy like that. I kind of got pumped up and was able to hold my serve to make it 6-all."
 
"Our team had one of our best regionals in many years," Cal head coach Peter Wright said. "Having three players make it to the semifinals of a tournament of this caliber shows the tremendous depth we have this year. Andre's play throughout the weekend showed his versatility and adaptability. He played outdoors, indoors, outdoors, indoors and then won the final today outdoors.
 
"Filip had a similar path to the final today, although he was down match points to his teammate Billy Griffith last night. Even though we didn't win the doubles title, I'm quite pleased with the progress made by Andre Goransson and Billy Griffith this week. They're really starting to gel as a team. Today's outcome means our three seniors, Bergevi, Goransson and Lakat, will represent us at national indoors. I can't say enough about what these seniors mean to the team and how much they contribute on and off the court."
 
Based on their success in Tulsa, Bergevi – in doubles with Lakat – and Lakat – also in singles – had already qualified to compete in New York.

In the first match on Monday at Hellman, the Stanford duo of Sameer Kumar and Yale Goldberg defeated Oregon's Jayson Amos and Simon Stevens, 0-6, 7-6(2), 1-0(10), in the regional's doubles final to likewise earn a berth to New York.

While Monday's finals signaled the end of the regional, the Berkeley Futures USTA Pro Circuit tournament began at Hellman on Monday, with several Golden Bears competing in the 32-player qualifying singles draw. Goransson and Bergevi will compete in main draw singles – and Bergevi will pair with Lakat in main draw doubles – later this week.
 
J.T. Nishimura, a junior, played the Bears' first futures qualifying match on Monday, defeating San Francisco's Marco Barretto, 6-0, 6-2. Cal junior Billy Griffith followed with a 6-1, 6-4 victory over Woravin Kumthonkittikul, another Don.
 
Cal sophomore Gunther Matta took on the top-seeded Austin Smith and fell 6-4, 6-4. Griffith will next face Smith on Tuesday.
 
In Cal's last match of a long day at Hellman, freshman Bjorn Hoffmann topped Austen Huang, 7-5, 6-1.
 
The 32-player main draw singles and 16-team main draw doubles draws begin Tuesday at Hellman. The futures tournament is slated to end on Sunday.
 
USTA/ITA Northwest Regional Championships
Oct. 17, 2016, in Berkeley, Calif.
Hellman Tennis Complex
 
Main Draw Singles Final
[1] No. 17 Andre Goransson (Cal) def. [5] No. 77 Filip Bergevi (Cal) – 6-4, 7-6(3)
 
Main Draw Doubles Final
[9] Sameer Kumar/Yale Goldberg (Stanford) def. [2] Jayson Amos/Simon Stevens (Oregon) – 0-6, 7-6(2), 1-0(10)
 
Berkeley Futures
Oct. 17, 2016, in Berkeley, Calif.
Hellman Tennis Complex
 
Qualifying Singles
J.T. Nishimura (USA) def. Marco Barretto (USA) – 6-0, 6-2
Billy Griffith (USA) def. Woravin Kumthonkittikul (THA) – 6-1, 6-4
[1] Austin Smith (USA) def. Gunther Matta (USA) – 6-4, 6-4
Bjorn Hoffmann (USA) def. Austen Huang (USA) – 7-5, 6-1