Boys tennis: Uni doubles up CdM

Tony Altobelli

CORONA DEL MAR - For Corona del Mar High’s boys tennis team, it’s

back to the drawing board following the Sea Kings’ 12-6 Pacific Coast

League loss to visiting University.

“We’re still working on the right combinations out there,” Coach Tim Mang

said. “We just weren’t tough enough to stop Uni today.”

Actually there hasn’t been a team tough enough yet to stop the Trojans

(ranked No. 1 in CIF Southern Section Division II), who improve to 14-0,

8-0 in league with the win, a duplication of their first-round victory

over Corona del Mar, to seal championship rights.

“We needed our older guys to step up today and we just couldn’t do it,”

Mang said. “It’s just a matter of doing the little things like moving the

feet and playing well together as a team. We’re getting there, but we’re

not quite there yet.”

The lone sweep for the Sea Kings (14-4, 5-2) came from the No. 1 doubles

team of Michael Bean and Peter Kulmaticki, who won, 7-5, 6-3, 6-2.

“Peter is definitely our No. 1 doubles guy,” Mang said of the junior. “He

teamed up with another partner to sweep them last time, which says a

lot.”

Leading, 6-5 against Uni’s No. 1 doubles team, Kulmaticki frustrated Uni

in the final game with three straight lob shots, breaking their serve and

winning the set.

On the singles side, Brian Morton, nearly pulled off the Trojans’

double-sweep as well. He won, 6-4, 6-1, in his first two matches, but ran

out of gas in the third set, losing, 1-6.

“I still can’t figure out how he won all three last time,” Mang said. “To

sweep three of the top players in the country is a pretty tough feat. To

do it twice is nearly impossible. Brian played unbelievable for us. He

just ran out of steam in the final set.”

Leading, 2-1, in his matchup with Uni’s No. 1 Aaron Yovan, Morton won a

long deuce point to go up, 3-1.

After Yovan broke back to tie the set at 3-3, Morton returned the favor

and broke Yovan before holding his serve to go up, 5-3.

Yovan held his serve, making Morton serve out the set, which he did to

win.

The Sea Kings will close out the PCL with a match against Costa Mesa on

Tuesday at 3:15 p.m. before competing in the Ojai Tournament, beginning

April 27.

PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE

University 12, Corona del Mar 6

Singles - Ning (CdM) lost to Yovan, 0-6, lost to Mack, 0-6, lost to Li,

1-6; Morton (CdM) won, 6-4, 6-1, lost, 3-6; Stockwell (CdM) lost, 3-6,

0-6, 0-6.

Doubles - Bean-Kulmaticki (CdM) def. Hsu-Lawrence, 7-5, def. Chen-Morgan,

6-3, def. Frank-Hier, 6-2; Ball-Myers (CdM) lost, 3-6, won, 6-2, lost,

3-6; Kennedy-Stuart (CdM) lost, 2-6, 3-6, 6-7.