CdM’s Feeley ousted in quarterfinals

NEWPORT BEACH — Kelli Feeley outlasted her past teammates on the tennis court.

The incoming senior at Corona del Mar High found it hard to go further in singles action.

Feeley’s run at the 20th annual Balboa Bay Club Junior Tournament ended in the quarterfinals. Hazuki Onaga of El Segundo beat Feeley, 6-1, 6-3, in the girls’ 18-year-old division at The Tennis Club Thursday afternoon.

Training for the Sea Kings’ season is in late August. Feeley, normally a doubles player, began hers early.

She reached new heights at the tournament also called the War by the Shore. Opting to compete in singles, rather than doubles, Feeley made her first quarterfinal appearance at the tournament she said she’s participated in a handful of years.

After bowing out to Onaga, the 17-year-old Feeley looked to the future.

“I was actually going to sign up for more [tournaments] with my dad later,” Feeley said. “I’m hoping to play more.”

Onaga, the No. 9 seed, stopped Feeley from advancing to the semifinals today.

Onaga forced Feeley to chase balls, never allowing her opponent to find a comfortable pace. Trying to keep the ball in play proved difficult for Feeley.

“She has a really good forehand,” Feeley said. “She was able to keep the ball in play better than I was. It didn’t really come down to serves. More or less, it was more of who can keep the ball in play.”

Onaga won the battle, but Feeley came away feeling good about her performance.

Teammates from last year’s CdM team finishing runner-up in the CIF Southern Section Division playoffs lost in the division’s opening round. Karen Ishii, Paige Polizois and Danielle Kaiden have graduated, leaving Feeley to help the Sea Kings return to the section championship match for a fourth straight year.

The past two years the Sea Kings have finished second. When they won the title in 2006, Feeley played on the junior varsity team.

Getting back to the championship is CdM’s goal.

“We wanted it this [past] year,” said Feeley, who saw the Sea Kings in 2008 fall for the first time, losing to Dana Hills for the second straight season in the championship. “We have a really solid singles [lineup for this upcoming season]. We have Hailey Hogan, Melissa Matsuoka and Katelyn Nguyen, so we’re pretty stacked.

“[No. 1] doubles is pretty set [with me and Azadeh Nazemi], but No. 2 and No. 3 is still open. We’ll see how Coach Brian Ricker [decides who plays on the two other doubles teams].”

Feeley is counting on her experience competing in singles during this tournament carries over to the high school season in doubles.

After opening the tournament with a bye, Feeley beat Kala Johnson, 6-3, 6-1, and then Megan Chomeau, 6-0, 6-2, to qualify for the quarterfinals.

“Since I play doubles during the season, I don’t get as much match play [and] singles is more mental,” said Feeley, who teamed up with Ishii last year to win the Pacific Coast League doubles title. “I just decided to play more singles to get my game better.”

OTHER LOCAL RESULTS

 In boys’ 18 singles, Shane Korber, the No. 3 seed who will be a junior at Corona del Mar High in the fall, advanced to today’s championship. He beat No. 8 seeded Trevor Dell of Laguna Niguel, 6-3, 7-6. Korber will face unseeded Parker Glore, an incoming junior at Marina High, at 12:30 p.m.

Glore upset No. 4-seeded Ryan Peyton, a future CdM senior, 2-6, 6-3, 7-6, in the semifinals Thursday.

 In boys’ 14 doubles, Corona del Mar resident Alastair Hurry and Fullerton’s Will Walker advanced to today’s final. They beat Newport Beach’s Mitchell Mendoza and Irvine’s Ryan Van De Water, 6-0, 6-0. Hurry and Walker will play against Nikolas Ramadan of San Clemente and Eric Tseng of Irvine at 2 p.m.

 In girls’ 18 doubles, Corona del Mar High senior-to-be Melissa Matsuoka and Sabrina Man-Son-Hing, the No. 2-seeded team, advanced to today’s final. They beat Lila Luna of La Habra and Crystal Lim of Orange, 6-2, 6-2. Matsuoka and Man-Son-Hing play against unseeded Hayley Miller of Laguna Beach and Joanna Smith of Laguna Niguel at 3:30 p.m.

 In girls’ 10 singles, unseeded Joan Soewondo of Laguna Niguel beat No. 2-seeded Jenna Moustafa of Newport Coast, 6-3, 6-0, in the semifinals.