Miller dropped in final

SEAL BEACH -- Sometimes a well-rested tennis player does not have the

advantage.

Case in point: After gaining a spot in the CIF Southern Section

boys tennis singles championship match Saturday because of a default

in the semifinals by Santa Barbara High’s Blake Muller, Corona del

Mar senior Wesley Miller ran into a buzz saw in the final as

Woodbridge’s Michael McClune swept Miller, 6-4, 6-3, to claim the

crown at Seal Beach Tennis Center.

Second-seeded Muller, 1-1 against Miller this season, did not show

up for his scheduled semifinal match at 11 a.m., citing illness and a

longing to attend Saturday night’s prom, he told reporters.

McClune defeated Miller, 8-5, in the CdM national invitational

earlier this year in an eight-game pro set and also in a dual match,

7-6 (9-7). McClune advanced to the CIF final after smoking Palm

Desert’s Cale Planck, 6-0, 6-1.

“[Miller didn’t play a semifinal match], but I think it worked to

my advantage,” McClune said. “I had a warmup match and I was able to

get into my rhythm.”

McClune, a 6-foot-1, 150-pound sophomore, is ranked No. 2 in the

United States Tennis Association in the boys 16s.

In the title match, McClune’s serve was broken just once by

Miller, coming in the first set with McClune behind the line at 4-2,

before McClune served out the set.

“My serve helped me a lot,” McClune said. “Also, my backhand was

working and I was able to get those cross-court shots.”

Miller, whose only dual-match loss this season came against

McClune, fell behind early and never recovered.

“The problem was that he got off to a slow start,” Corona del Mar

Coach Tim Mang said.

Miller became the second CdM player in three years to reach the

CIF championship match, following Garrett Snyder, now at the

University of Texas, in 2003.

Taylor Dent, a top-50 player on the Association of Tennis

Professionals Tour, was the last Sea King to claim a CIF singles

championship, with that victory coming his freshman year in 1996 --

and the only year he played high school tennis.

-- By Richard Dunn