Prep tennis: Pair of singles stars honored

NEWPORT BEACH - Recent graduates Cameron Ball (Corona del Mar High)

and Natalie Braverman (Newport Harbor) have been named high school tennis

All-Americans.

Ball, who will enroll at the University of Arizona in the fall, was

ranked 55th in the nation in 18s singles in May. He earned a key victory

over University’s Aaron Yovan (7-6, 6-4) in the finals of the Costa Mesa

Tennis Center Mercedes-Benz Cup Pre-qualifying Tournament May 12. Ball

also defeated Stanford-bound James Pade (Menlo High) to help the Sea

Kings win the CdM National All-American Invitational March 23.

Braverman, bound for Pepperdine, is ranked fifth in Southern

California and 61st in the USTA girls 18s singles. She will compete in

the 100th annual Southern California Junior Sectionals Championships that

begin Saturday.

In her senior season for the Sailors, Braverman won the Sea View

League singles title with an avenging 6-2, 6-1 victory over Elizabeth

Exon of Woodbridge in the title match. She also posted two singles

victories to help the Sailors defeat Woodbridge, 4-2, in a tiebreaker

after a 9-9 tie in sets and a 68-68 deadlock in games for the Sea View

League championship on Oct. 25.

Braverman ended her season by reaching the CIF Southern Section

singles semifinals. She compiled a 25-3 record as a senior and was 43-5

during her Harbor career.

The National High School All-American team is determined by national

rankings, Southern California rankings and victories over ranked

opponents. The boys and girls teams each include 40 honorees.