Five locals shoot for crowns today at Costa Mesa Junior Tennis

Classic

Bryce Alderton

As the sun began to break through the clouds about 9:30 Thursday

morning, three budding area tennis players had already won their

semifinal singles matches while two would shortly take their matches

in straight sets to set up an eventful final day today at the Costa

Mesa Tennis Center for the 10th annual Costa Mesa Junior Tennis

Classic.

Second-seeded Vanessa Dunlap won her match against Santa Ana’s

Ariana Fahrney, 6-2, 6-1, and will face her teammate at Newport

Harbor High, Diana Khoury, today at 9:30 a.m. in the girls 16s

singles finals after Khoury won her match over Brea’s Jennifer Even,

6-1, 6-1, Thursday morning.

Dunlap’s serve began picking up speed in the second set as she

fired six aces in her three victorious service games.

“I just needed to get warmed up a little and I was confident I

could go for it as much as I could,” Dunlap said. “I played my game

just trying to get the ball back, not going for as many big shots but

playing consistent.”

Up, 15-0, and serving for the match at 5-2 in the second set,

Khoury hit a ferocious backhand to the far left corner to which Even

tracked down but was only able to hit a weak forehand back to Khoury

standing at the net. Khoury ripped another backhand to the opposite

corner to win the point.

Khoury would then take the match three points later after Even hit

a backhand long.

“I just hustled for every shot and kept as many (balls) in as

possible,” Khoury said. “ I was trying to run (Evan) around and

hopefully put one away.”

Dunlap and Khoury paired in girls 16s doubles action Thursday.On

the boys side, Diana’s younger brother Robert Khoury, the No. 2-seed

in boys 18s singles, advanced to today’s final at 11:30 a.m. against

top-seeded Tom McCullough after Khoury beat Irvine’s Andrew Cho, 6-1,

6-3.

In boys 14s singles, No. 1-seed Jake Fleming from Newport Beach

took advantage of Christian Isip’s several second serves to score a

6-1, 6-1 victory and advance to the final today at 8 a.m. against

second-seeded Silvio Chiba from Irvine, who beat Parker Rhodes of

Newport Beach, 6-0, 6-0.

On match point in the second set Fleming came to the net and hit

an underhand drop shot to the left corner for the win.

“I was trying to attack (Isip’s) second serve and scoot in to

pressure him to feeling tentative,” Fleming said. “I thought I was

able to maintain shots and didn’t make too many errors today.”

A No. 1 seed vs. No. 2 seed is also in the works in the girls 12s

singles as second-seeded Nelly Radeva of Costa Mesa faces No. 1-seed

McCall Jones of Trabuco Canyon today at 8 a.m. Radeva beat

third-seeded Tiffany Hai of Fountain Valley, 6-2, 6-3, Thursday.

Top-seeded Charlie Alvarado of Costa Mesa advanced to today’s 10

a.m.-final in Boys 12s singles with a 6-2, 6-2 win over fourth-seeded

Taran Sondhu of South Laguna. He faces second-seeded Raymond

Sarmiento of Los Angeles.

Alvarado thinks he can improve on his serve in the final. Alvarado

said after his match against Sondhu Thursday that he only got 60% of

his first serves in.

“My goal is to get 80% of (first serves) in,” Alvarado said.

Sarmiento beat Alvarado in the semifinals of last week’s War by

the Shore Junior Tennis Classic.

“(Sarmiento) was playing too good (last week) and I couldn’t do

anything about it,” Alvarado said. “I would like to pick on more of

his backhand.”