Boys tennis: CdM is finals bound

Tony Altobelli

CORONA DEL MAR - If boys tennis was a sprint race, Corona del Mar

High would be preparing for the 2002 season.

Fortunately for CdM, Thursday’s CIF Southern Section Division V

semifinal was a marathon, giving the Sea Kings plenty of time to regroup,

relax and reload, to the tune of an 11-7 win over visiting

Harvard-Westlake.

On the way to the finals, the top-seeded Sea Kings (22-0) overcame a

4-2 deficit in sets to avenge last year’s Division I semifinals’ loss to

the fourth-seeded Wolverines (16-5).

“Was I nervous? You bet I was,” a relieved CdM Coach Tim Mang said

afterward. “We came out nervous and we played like it, with a ton of

mistakes.”

After the first round wake-up call, the Sea Kings regrouped and won

five of the next six sets to take over the lead for good.

Leading the Sea Kings’ charge was junior Cameron Ball, who swept his

three sets, including a 6-3 win over Harvard-Westlake’s top player, Jesse

Ferlianto. He didn’t lose a game in his other two sets.

“After we fell behind, we all knew we had to step up,” Ball said. “We

definitely came out nervous, for some reason. I just focused on doing my

best on every play, every game and it worked out.”

Senior Brian Morton overcame a tough loss to Ferlianto in the opening

series to win, 6-4, 6-0 in his final two sets. Garrett Snyder also pulled

out two of his three sets for the Sea Kings.

On the doubles’ side, Peter Kulmaticki and Michael Bean pulled out two

straight wins, 6-2, 6-4, after a tough 4-6 loss.

Teammates Randy Myers and Justin Ning also pulled out two straight,

including a pivotal 6-4 win over the No. 1 doubles team of Chris Shepherd

and Steven Gersh.

“That was a major turning point for us,” Mang said. “Our doubles have

to pick it up in the finals.”

With the win, the Sea Kings will play No. 2 seeded Brentwood in the

finals Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. at the Claremont Club.

“It’s going to be a heck of a match,” Ball said. “The top competition

in the finals brings out the best in you. That’s what makes it so

exciting.”

CIF DIVISION V PLAYOFFS

Semifinals

Corona del Mar 11, Harvard-Westlake 7

Singles - Morton (CdM) lost to Ferlianto, 6-7, def. Hiatt, 6-4, def.

Cron, 6-0; Ball (CdM) won, 6-3, 6-0, 6-0; Snyder (CdM), lost, 5-7, won,

6-0, 6-1.

Doubles - Kulmaticki-Bean (CdM) lost to Shepherd, Gersh, 4-6, def.

Rubenstein-Thayer, 6-2, def. Hom-Sher, 6-4; Myers-Ning (CdM) won, 6-4,

lost, 6-7, won, 6-3; Wadhwa-Stockwell (CdM) lost, 0-6, 1-6, 1-6.