County Players Fall in Hardcourt 45 Tennis

Herm Ahlers of Dana Point, Steve Field of Laguna Beach and Len Lindborg of Laguna Niguel were eliminated Thursday in the fourth round of the Hardcourt 45 tennis championships at the Lindborg Racquet Club in Huntington Beach.

Len Saputo of Walnut Creek defeated Ahlers, 6-4, 6-3. Richard Chace of Winter Park, Fla., defeated Field, 4-6, 7-6, 6-3, even though Field had three match points in the second set. Billy Higgins of Long Beach defeated Lindborg, 7-5, 6-2.

Top-seeded Jim Parker of Houston defeated Dick Johnsrud of Riverside, 6-1, 6-2, and second-seeded Dick Johnson of Riverside defeated David Lee of San Mateo, 6-1, 6-2, to advance to today’s quarterfinals, which start at 10 a.m.