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  • Sunny Hills senior Christie Wan captured the CIF-SS individual championship...

    Sunny Hills senior Christie Wan captured the CIF-SS individual championship in girls tennis Thursday at Seal Beach Tennis Center.

  • Sunny Hills senior Christie Wan captured the CIF-SS individual championship...

    Sunny Hills senior Christie Wan captured the CIF-SS individual championship in girls tennis Thursday at Seal Beach Tennis Center.

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Associate mug of Kenny Connolly, Anaheim reporter.

Date shot: 12/31/2012 . Photo by KATE LUCAS /  ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
PUBLISHED: | UPDATED:

SEAL BEACH – A year after earning runner-up honors, Sunny Hills senior Christie Wan capped her high school career with the ultimate prize, topping Jenna Moustafa of Harvard-Westlake of Studio City, 6-1, 6-3, to win the CIF-SS Individual singles championship on Thursday at Seal Beach Tennis Center.

As a junior last fall, Wan advanced to the final, but was upended by three-time CIF-SS singles champ Ena Shibahara of Peninsula of Rolling Hills Estates.

“It was definitely a process,” Wan said of capturing the CIF title. “Ena was such a good player. She was so focused last year. I think that match was a great experience. I learned from her and how to prepare for this match.”

Wan made quick work of every individual she faced over the last two days of the tournament to get back to the championship finale. From the Round of 16 on, the Lancers star won all of her matches in straight sets, never conceding more than two games until the title-clinching 6-3 set against Moustafa.

Prior to Thursday, Wan had never beaten the Harvard-Westlake senior in any of their encounters on the junior circuit.

“I think my game’s really developed over the years,” she said. “Jenna is such a good player. I knew I had to stay focused and couldn’t get too excited until that last point.”

Wan, who has committed to Columbia, is the first Orange County player to win the CIF-SS singles title since Alyssa Smith of Dana Hills did it in 2012. She is also the first player in Sunny Hills history to win the crown.

In reaching the championship match, she knocked off San Clemente’s Lindsay Hung, Villa Park’s Soly Colling and Campbell Hall of North Hollywood’s Rachel Wagner.

“Usually when I play junior tournaments, you’re playing for yourself, so I rarely ever get nervous,” Wan added. “CIF is something different. You’re playing for your school so there’s much more at stake.”

Contact the writer: kconnolly@scng.com