Boys tennis: CdM plays house with Menlo in semifinals

Tony Altobelli

CORONA DEL MAR - One topic, two different stories.

The Corona del Mar High boys tennis hosted one semifinals match of

the National High School Boys Tennis All-American Team Invitational

against Menlo and pulled out a 6-3 win.

Was the home turf an advantage or disadvantage? It all depends on who

you ask.

“We’re not going to use it as an excuse,” Menlo Coach Bill Shine said

afterward. “But it is their home courts. I’ll leave it at that.”

CdM Coach Tim Mang thought the opposite. “I believe it was a

disadvantage, because our guys love playing at the Palisades Tennis Club.

It’s a much bigger crowd and it’s a better environment to play in. I told

the guys we were playing here at CdM and they were kind of bummed out.”

Perhaps it was that bummed out feeling that sent the Sea Kings into a

2-1 hole following the doubles matches.

“Yeah, I was nervous at that point,” Mang said. “I was hoping to win

two of the doubles and three of the singles.”

Instead, Mang’s CdM squad won five of six in singles to advance to the

finals to face Peninsula.

Included in that 5-1 singles stretch was two tiebreaker victories for

Peter Kulmaticki and Randy Myers

“It basically came down to who could suck it up and cross the finish

line first,” Mang said. “Those guys did a great job of just hanging in

there and finding spots to be aggressive. I was proud of both of them.”

The Sea Kings’ trio of Brian Morton (8-3), Cameron Ball (8-6) and

Garrett Snyder (8-4) also prevailed with singles’ victories.

Peninsula advanced to the finals with a 6-3 win over Clovis West.

Rylan Rizza and Jeff Kazarian defeated Brian Wright and Dustin Ilic, 8-4,

in doubles action.

In singles play, Rizza took care of Wright, 8-3, while Kazarian

blasted Ilic, 8-1.