Singles rough for CdM

NEWPORT BEACH — On one side of the spectator area at the Balboa Bay Club Racquet Club on Friday, Corona del Mar High’s Fabian Matthews was making quick work of The Bullis School’s Will Beck at No. 1 singles.

But on the other side, on the four courts where No. 2 through No. 6 singles were being played, Bullis was winning the match.

The school, based in Potomas, Md., won five of six singles sets over CdM in the Sea Kings’ 6-3 loss in the quarterfinals of the National High School Tennis All-American Tournament.

“I’d say three of my guys had no legs out there, and that was the difference,” said CdM Coach Tim Mang, also the tournament’s director. “Young kids, sometimes it’s hard for them to fire back up. But, you’ve got to be prepared for these types of matches.”

Corona del Mar (10-2) plays a consolation match today at 8 a.m. against Menlo at CdM.

In the college-style format of six singles sets and three doubles sets, the teams played the singles sets first. Bullis, two-time defending champion of the Interstate Athletic Conference in Maryland, worked fast against CdM, which pulled out an exhausting 5-4 win over Crossroads of Santa Monica on Friday morning in the first round.

Matthews, who Mang said is undefeated in his three years at the prestigious tournament, controlled the match against Beck, ranked No. 3 in Maryland’s United States Tennis Association boys’ 18s rankings.

But no other CdM singles player could win more than three games against the Bulldogs, who clinched the match before the doubles even started. Senior Dustin Hladek had perhaps the best chance but, down 4-3 against Taylor Hairston, he lost four straight games.

“I had two games where I was up 40-love, and lost five straight points,” Hladek said. “After that, I hit the wall … they were just very consistent. I don’t really remember anybody missing a shot. They played better than we did today; it happens.”

CdM senior Josh Kim, who played in singles and doubles for the Sea Kings, said the team was in the dark about what to expect about a team from Maryland.

“You don’t know how they’re going to play, what type of style,” Kim said. “With teams locally, we know all the players. We know how to play them.”

But that hasn’t stopped CdM, the three-time tournament champion, in the past. With the loss to Bullis, the Sea Kings failed to make the semifinals of the tournament for the first time.

“I think [Bullis] saw a little name recognition and they said, ‘Hey, let’s fire up for Corona del Mar,’” Mang said. “Our record here is pretty good. I think that got them pumped up a little bit more.”

In the first round on Friday morning, the Sea Kings, ranked No. 5 in CIF Southern Section Division I, and Crossroads, ranked No. 3 in Division III, were tied 3-3 after the singles matches.

Brent Pham and Bryan Buchert won at No. 3 doubles, 8-3, to put the Sea Kings a match away from clinching. But Matthews and Hladek, at No. 1 doubles, were losing, 7-4, to Reese Milner and Clay Thompson of Crossroads. But the CdM duo went on to win three straight games and the tiebreaker, stunning the Roadrunners and winning the match for the Sea Kings.

“That was a heck of a match, an unbelievable comeback,” Mang said. “To be down like that against a team with big serves is almost impossible to overcome, but we did it.”

Bullis will play Santa Barbara in a tournament semifinal today, with University playing Sacred Heart Prep in the other semifinal at 8 a.m. at Balboa Bay Club Racquet Club. The championship match is at 3 p.m. at Palisades Tennis Club.

National High SchoolQuarterfinal -- Matthews (CdM) def. Beck, 8-3; Damion (CdM) lost to Zutz, 2-8; Rhodes (CdM) lost to Seckman, 2-8; Kim (CdM) lost to Fashauer, 2-8; Hladek (CdM) lost to Hairston, 3-8; Peyton (CdM) lost to Silverstein, 2-8.

All-American Tournament

Bullis 6, Corona del Mar 3

Singles

Doubles -- Kim-Corum (CdM) lost to Lee-Fludd, 6-8; Pham-Buchert (CdM) def. Jackson-Latham, 8-4; Mehr-Peyton (CdM) def. Leahy-Park, 8-3.

First round -- Matthews (CdM) def. Milner, 8-7 (7-4); Damion (CdM) lost to Thompson, 7-8 (4-7); Rhodes (CdM) lost to Sohaili, 0-8; Kim (CdM) lost to Koenig, 3-8; Hladek (CdM) def. Brawn, 8-1; Peyton (CdM) def. Haber, 8-1.

Corona del Mar 5, Crossroads 4

Singles

Doubles -- Matthews-Hladek (CdM) def. Milner-Thompson, 8-7 (8-6); Rhodes-Damion (CdM) lost to Sohaili-Koenig, 7-8 (4-7); Pham-Buchert (CdM) def. Norlinger-Ainley, 8-3.