“We’ve been around each other for three years now, so it’s not like it was completely new,” said Gerch, a left-handed native of Berlin, Germany. “Getting here wasn’t easy, but we have different styles which makes it tougher for opponents to adjust to us. We played almost our best tennis.”

After winning the title, Kadhe, a native of India and a three-time All-American, joked with his partner: “He could’ve held his serve a couple more times, so it was tougher than what the score says. We were just having fun out there, taking pressure off ourselves.”

Gerch and Kadhe reached the finals with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 semifinal victory over UCLA’s Martin Redlicki and Evan Zhu, while Barber and Genesen downed another UCLA duo, Max Cressy and Ben Goldberg, 6-4, 7-5.

Separately, both Gerch and Kadhe are previous Pacific Coast Doubles winners with Oklahoma State teammates. Kadhe shared last year’s title with Julian Cash, and Gerch teamed with Nicolai Olsen to take the 2015 crown.

To view the final match results and tournament draw, please go to:
http://tennislink.usta.com/tournaments/TournamentHome/Tournament.aspx?T=188291

Named “Club of the Year” for 2011 by the San Diego District Tennis Association and one of the “Top 50 Tennis Resorts in the World” by Tennis Resorts Online, the La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club’s reputation as a top tennis destination started when it attracted its first major tournament – the Pacific Coast Men’s Doubles Championship in 1942. The tournament is one of the five-oldest tennis events in the world and the second oldest tennis event in the United States. First held in 1890 at The Hotel Del Monte in Monterey, California, the event was created to promote the sale of real estate on the Monterey peninsula. The original concept pitted the best players from the East versus those from the West. This coast-to-coast rivalry was the inspiration for the Davis Cup.

Past winners of the Pacific Coast Men’s Doubles Championship include some on the greatest names in tennis, including Jack Kramer, Ted Schroeder, Bobby Riggs, Pancho Segura, Don Budge, Tony Trabert, Stan Smith, Bob Lutz, Arthur Ashe, Dennis Ralston and John McEnroe.

The Club is also scheduled to host the USTA National Hard Court Championships for Women’s 50-90 age groups and La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club Hard Court Tournament.

Men’s Doubles
Championship
Lucas Gerch (1) and Arjun Kadhe (OSU), def. Jack Barber (9) and William Genesen (Stan), 6-3, 6-4

Semifinals
Lucas Gerch (1) and Arjun Kadhe (OSU), def. Martin Redlicki (3) and Evan Zhu (UCLA), 6-4, 4-6, 6-2
Jack Barber (9) and William Genesen (Stan), def. Max Cressy (9) and Ben Goldberg (UCLA), 6-4, 7-5