Girls tennis: Yelsey tops Reitz for PCL singles title

Richard Dunn

COSTA MESA - Sophomore Anne Yelsey has played No. 1 singles all

season for Corona del Mar High’s girls tennis team, and she didn’t have

to go far to meet her toughest challenge.

Yelsey, a Pacific Coast League singles finalist last year, shook hands

with familiar faces Thursday after defeating teammates Kim Singer and

Brittany Reitz in the PCL semifinals and finals, respectively, at the

Costa Mesa Tennis Center.

In the championship match, Yelsey rallied to win in three sets over

Reitz, 3-6, 6-1, 6-0.

“It was definitely the toughest match I’ve played in a long time,”

said Yelsey, who arrived at the facility for early hitting practice at 11

a.m., then tackled Singer in the semifinals -- a 6-3, 6-3 victory --

before the marathon final against Reitz, which lasted 2:15.

Reitz defeated top-seeded Amiee Kim of University, 6-3, 6-3, in the

other semifinal.

“Anne played great. She definitely deserved it,” said Reitz, who

didn’t become eligible to play for Corona del Mar until Oct. 16,

according to the CIF Southern Section, after transferring from St.

Margaret’s in San Juan Capistrano.

After Reitz won the opening set, Yelsey came back in the second set,

winning a crucial fifth game, in which there were 13 deuces with Reitz

serving.

Yelsey, ahead 3-1, finally broke Reitz to gain the upper hand in the

match.

“I think that was the turning point, because whoever won that (game)

would have the advantage and the momentum,” said Yelsey, who broke

Reitz’s serve all four times in the second set.

“I’ve had a few losses in the high school season (four), but I’ve

never had a close match this year like this.”

Yelsey struggled in the first set, often spraying the ball out of

bounds and chalking up four double faults behind the service line.

“When I get down, I know I have to change something,” Yelsey said. “I

had to put more spin on the ball and I made my shots more consistently

(after the first set), and then it was a matter of who can outlast the

other person. We were both tired.”

Yelsey, who broke Reitz’s serve for the eighth straight time to

conclude the match, beginning at the eighth game of the first set, had no

problems focusing against her teammates.

“We’re teammates off the court, but when you get on the court, they’re

just like anybody else,” Yelsey said. “You’re playing hard and you’re out

there to win.”