Doubles carry

Rick Devereux

Tennis is an individual sport in which the better individual players

usually prevail. Even in doubles, the better players usually come out

on top. But the Costa Mesa High boys tennis team has been riding a

wave of success thanks to an unselfish, team approach.

The Mustangs used a team effort to defeat crosstown rival

Estancia, 11-8, in a Golden West League Match Tuesday at Costa Mesa

High.

“We set a goal and a game plan,” Costa Mesa Coach Sean Lance said.

“We wanted our doubles [teams] to deliver eight points and we wanted

singles to deliver two.”

After the second round of action and Mesa doubles teams up, 6-0,

Lance and the squad reevaluated their goals.

“Before the third round, we got into a huddle and said we wanted

doubles to not lose a set,” Lance said.

The Mustangs responded, sweeping Estancia’s tandem players to

improve to 6-5, 5-1 in league.

“We had to stick to our game plan, keep motivated and have fun,”

Lance said. “I think you saw us have fun.”

The team cheered every point Ken Shida and Garret Sneen received

in the final doubles set, a 6-4 victory that clinched the win. The

dynamic duo of Brian Nguyen and John Dang improved to 18-0 in league

after wins of 6-1, 6-4, 6-1.

The real match winners for Costa Mesa, however, were singles wins

by Jonnathan Courtney and Huy Le.

Estancia (3-6, 3-2) has strong singles players, as evidenced by

Scott Braunsdorf and Bradley Fisher sweeping their opponents.

Braunsdorf, who has only lost one set in league play, was nearly

flawless against Costa Mesa, earning wins of 6-0, 6-0, 6-1.

Even with Braunsdorf and Fisher finishing off their opponents with

relative ease, it was the Costa Mesa team that celebrated the win at

the end of the match.

“I am extremely disappointed,” Estancia Coach Rachel de los Santos

said. “I knew it was going to be a tough battle.”

Golden West League

Costa Mesa 11, Estancia 7

Singles -- Bahena (CM) lost to Braunsdorf, 0-6, sub. Courtney (CM)

lost to Fisher, 3-6, def. Nelson, 6-4; L. Tran (CM) lost, 0-6, sub.

V. Tran (CM) lost, 2-6, 2-6; Le (CM) lost, 1-6, 2-6, won 6-2.

Doubles -- Nguyen-J. Dang (CM) def. Do-Raymond, 6-1, def.

Gonzalez-Alvergue, 6-4, def. Fennessey-Thompson, 6-1; H.

Dang-Kosnosky won, 6-0, 6-1, 7-5; Sneen-Shida won, 6-4, 6-4, 6-3.