Corona del Mar girls’ tennis beats rival Newport Harbor in first Battle of the Bay match
Adjustment is a key in tennis, where players can switch paths quickly when running down a shot.
The high school tennis lineup is also often not set in stone.
Corona del Mar High junior Isabel Roytman and freshman Madi Jackson played doubles together for the first time this season on Tuesday, as the Sea Kings traveled across the bay to play rival Newport Harbor.
Roytman and Jackson proved hungry enough for success.
They earned a “triple bagel” — three 6-0 sets — as CdM eased past Newport Harbor 16-2 in the first Battle of the Bay match.
“It was new, but I thought we did really well together,” Roytman said. “We put ourselves in positions where our strengths were at.”
The first-place Sea Kings improved to 9-2 overall, and 6-0 in the Sunset League as the first half of league concluded. Newport Harbor, in fourth place, fell to 4-4 overall and 3-3 in league.
CdM swept in singles. Junior Polina Briggs, freshman Julia Cross and junior Sasha Briggs each won all of their sets in scores ranging from 6-0 to 6-3.
Injuries necessitated the pairing of Roytman and Jackson. Roytman said her usual partner, Sasha Briggs, was moved to singles after Emilie Lew hurt her ankle over the weekend. Jackson’s usual partner, Alex Denisova, is expected to miss six-to eight weeks with another ankle injury, CdM coach Jamie Gresh said.
Roytman and Jackson enjoyed their No. 1 doubles placement, making quick work of the Sailors.
“This is my first Battle of the Bay, so it’s extra cool,” said Jackson, adding that she is soaking up her first year of high school tennis. “I enjoy the practices, the environment is really great and our coach is awesome.”
The doubles teams of Giulia Fontana and Gigi French, as well as Eliza Jensen and Eden Clark, each won a pair of sets for CdM. Clark is the team’s only senior starter.
Newport Harbor’s top singles player, junior Lily Roman, battled Polina Briggs in the first go-round, but exited after suffering yet another ankle injury in the second round. Roman was last year’s Wave League singles champion.
The Sailors won both of their sets in doubles, with the teams of Sienna Ivey and Lucy Perraud, as well as substitutes Hannah Page and Kaylin Messinger, earning victories in the final round.
“It’s definitely a lot different than last year,” third-year Sailors coach JD Owens said. “Team-wise, we were quite high up there in the standings. This year, it seems like a lot of schools have some incoming freshmen that can play. We’ve gone from being up there to middle of the pack, and we didn’t expect that. It’s a learning curve for the girls.”
CdM plays at Los Alamitos on Thursday before traveling to Fountain Valley on Tuesday for a showdown with league title implications. The Barons are 5-1 in league and battled the Sea Kings in the teams’ first meeting on Sept. 12, before succumbing on games.
Newport Harbor hosts Huntington Beach on Thursday.
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