Tuz shows he’s tough

COSTA MESA — Josh Tuz’s game is about pressure. As he advances in the 15th annual Costa Mesa Summer Junior Classic, he employs it constantly.

Pressure is put on his tennis opponents the moment they walk on the court and see the 6-foot-4 Costa Mesa resident.

“Wait, is he really supposed to be in the 16-and-under division?” they probably ask themselves.

More pressure is added when Tuz unleashes a big first serve then comes to the net behind it, utilizing the seemingly lost art of serve-and-volleying.

But Tuz, who will be a junior at Newport Harbor High, is used to feeling the pressure himself.

“I’ve always struggled with nerves,” Tuz said Tuesday after beating Jimmy Fernandez of Orange, 6-3, 7-5, in a boys’ 16 singles match at Orange Coast College. “In my first match, after I lost the first set my hand was shaking. I just laughed that off; it cracks me up how nervous I get.”

Tuz advances to the quarterfinals of the tournament, where he will play Michael Griffin of Temecula today at 10 a.m. at OCC. Griffin beat Sage Hill’s Troy Astorino, 6-2, 6-1, in another Round of 16 match.

For Tuz, who came to the United States from New Zealand almost exactly a year ago, his game matches his big height. But he almost let the second set slip away against Fernandez.

He won the first set fairly easily behind his serve-and-volleys, also coming to the net after Fernandez’s serves. But Tuz said his left leg is bothering him, which was part of the reason why he went away from that strategy early in the second set.

“With this leg, something’s gone funny,” he said. “My movement was all gone, so I wasn’t coming to the net quick enough to dig out those low ones.”

Tuz fell behind 5-2 in the second set. But he overcame the leg and those nerves, winning five straight games, taking the match in two sets. That was important, because Tuz didn’t want another tough three-set match like he had against Corona del Mar High’s Ryan Peyton on Monday.

“I knew I shouldn’t have been down in the first place,” Tuz said. “I just knew I could pull it out. I credit myself as a fighter, and that’s what I did. I did not want to go three [sets]. That would just be depressing.”

A big win for a big family. Tuz’s dad, Jack, stands 6-8 and played basketball for CdM. Jack Tuz was the Newport-Mesa Player of the Year in 1977, when he helped lead the Sea Kings to the CIF 3-A championship — CdM’s first CIF title in boys’ basketball.

He went on to play at the University of Colorado, and was drafted by the then-San Diego Clippers in 1982 before a toe injury forced him to go overseas. After playing in Europe, he settled in New Zealand.

“He decided to go globetrotting a bit,” Josh Tuz said. “Then he met my mom and I showed up on the scene. It was a good decision, or else I wouldn’t be here.”

“Here” for Josh Tuz is now the quarterfinals of the Costa Mesa tournament, which he said is only the 11th tennis tournament he’s ever played in.

“I’m not what you’d call ‘tournament tough’ at this stage,” Tuz said.

But still, he remains confident. After beating Peyton, he said he would “take down” whoever his next opponent was — and he delivered.

“I know I’ve got the potential to win this thing,” Tuz said. “ … Practicing, I’d kill any of these guys, hands down. It’s just a matter of bringing it together on the day.”

MATT SZABO may be reached at (714) 966-4614 or at matthew.szabo@latimes.com.

In other matches Tuesday at the Costa Mesa Summer Junior Classic (locals only):

Girls’ 18 singles: Alex McIntosh (C.M.) beat Mallory Wilhelms, 1-6, 6-4, 6-4. McIntosh will play Paige Polizois today at 9 a.m. at OCC in the quarterfinals.

Allie Shea (N.B.) lost to Ariana Mokhtari, 6-0, 6-1.

Girls’ 16 singles: No. 3 Ellie Edles (C.M.) beat Tricia Mar, 7-5, 6-4, then defeated Karen Ishii (N.B.) 7-6, 6-2. Edles plays Sabastiani Leon of San Diego today at 12:30 p.m. at the Costa Mesa Tennis Center in the quarterfinals.

Ishii topped Kala Johnson, 6-0, 6-1 before losing to Edles.

No. 4 Neda Ghassemi (CdM) beat Jordyn Bounds, 6-0, 4-6, 6-4 before winning via default over Elizabeth Buchanan. Ghassemi plays No. 5 Leyla Simmons today at 12:30 p.m. at CMTC in the quarterfinals.

Danielle Kaiden (N.B.) topped Hanadi Roman, 6-0, 6-0, before topping No. 8 Jeanette Losaria, 7-5, 6-3. Kaiden plays No. 1 Morgan McIntosh today at noon at CMTC in the quarterfinals.

Girls’ 14 singles: Mazy Watrous (N.B) beat No. 2 Catherine Fevery, 7-6, 4-6, 7-5. Watrous plays Mayo Hibi today at 9 a.m. at OCC in the quarterfinals.

Megan Rucker (N.B.) beat No. 3 Haley Moss, 6-2, 6-2. Rucker plays Ariel Aung today at 9 a.m. at OCC in the quarterfinals.

Erica Lewis (N.B.) lost to Michaela Barthelmass, 6-3, 6-4.

Danna Moustafa (N.C.) lost to Megan Yu, 6-1, 6-0.

Jessica Yi (N.C.) lost to No. 4 Beth Albert, 6-0, 6-0.

Lauren Conway (N.B.) lost to Hibi, 6-0, 6-0.

Girls’ 12 singles: Ataf Moustafa (N.C.) lost to Bailey Sholder, 6-2, 6-0.

Boys’ 18 singles: Henri Chomeau (N.B.) beat Wesley Savin, 6-2, 6-1. Chomeau plays No. 4 Junya Yoshida in the Round of 16 today at 11 a.m. at CMTC.

Bradley Fisher (C.M.) lost to Michael Aston, 6-0, 7-6.

Boys’ 16 singles: Alexander Grosek (C.M.) lost to No. 6 Jordan Brown, 4-6, 7-6, 6-4.

Boys’ 14 singles: Ismaen Aboubakare (CdM) lost to No. 2 Nicholas Tong, 6-0, 6-2.

Caleb Kim (N.B.) lost to No. 1 Connor Treacy, 6-0, 6-0.

Jason Cernius (N.B.) lost to Spencer Pekar, 6-1, 6-1.

Connor Cole (CdM) lost to No. 5 Jimmy Fernandez, 6-3, 6-2.

Boys’ 12 singles: No. 1-seeded Dante Saleh (N.B.) beat Camden Marco, 6-3, 6-0. Saleh will play Kosta Milovanovic today at 10 a.m. at CMTC in the quarterfinals. Milovanovic defeated Garrett Rucker (N.B.), 6-1, 6-1.

Alastair Hurry (CdM) defeated Will Walker, 6-2, 6-1. Hurry will play No. 4 Riley Smith today at 10:30 a.m. at CMTC in the quarterfinals.