Crescenta Valley tennis stays perfect with win over Glendale
LA CRESCENTA — Crescenta Valley High’s boys’ tennis team stayed undefeated and continued an impressive start to the Pacific League season with a win over Glendale at home on Thursday.
The Falcons have yet to play a nonleague match this season and sit atop the Pacific League standings with their four wins in as many matches, including a 10-8 victory over the Nitros.
Sam Hyun, who coached the Falcons to a fourth-place league finish last season, admitted it is unfamiliar ground.
“First time in my career the boys have been No. 1 in league,” said Hyun, who also coaches the girls’ team. “We need to work harder and do our best against Arcadia and Glendale [in the second meeting].”
Glendale (3-2, 1-2) lost its second consecutive league match, two days after falling to Arcadia. The Nitros played well against the Falcons for the most part, but a forgettable second round of sets ultimately did them in.
“We came out and played well in the first round, but we just got steamrolled in the second round,” Nitros Coach Bob Davidson said. “I think we only won one set. We came back and played decently, but we got run over in the second and that was the difference.”
For the second consecutive match, the Nitros received strong play from their respective No.1 seeds, Arin Meserkhani in the singles bracket and the duo of Mike Akopians and Davit Ismailian. Meserkhani swept Crescenta Valley’s competitors Albert Chtchyan, Jonathan Frink and Ted Yang, 6-3, 6-3, 6-1, while Akopians and Ismailian finished their day with a 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 line.
The Falcons (4-0) had little trouble otherwise, however. Chtchyan and Frink each won two sets, 6-1, 6-3 and 6-1, 6-3, respectively. Chtchyan was able to get past Arthur Khash and Melvin Issaei, while Frink defeated Artiom Ambartsoum and the match’s final set as well as the clincher over Issaei.
Ambartsoum suffered an injury during the second round and was replaced by Khash.
Crescenta Valley’s No. 3 Ted Yang won one set.
Robert Lee and Young Woo Peak, Crescenta Valley’s No. 1 doubles team, won one set.
The teams of Jae Yoon and Alex Jang and Jason Chang with Danny Chung fared better, with two sets apiece, and aided in the Falcons getting a total of five in each bracket.
“Give them credit, they won five in singles and five in doubles,” Davidson said. “They were clearly the better team. They competed harder than we did and that’s what I’m a little disappointed in.”
After the win, Hyun was already anticipating the next meeting with Glendale.
“It has been close with Glendale this year and last year,” said Hyun who received a 7-5, 6-7 (4-7), 6-3 line from Yoon and Jang and a 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 tally from Chang and Chung. “They’ve become our local