Carroll Rolls Into Semifinals : Tennis: Ventura skateboarder, 13, wins two matches at Ojai, including 3 1/2-hour marathon against 12-and-under champion.

A sudden sensation? No. A Johnny Come Lately? Not quite.

Let’s just say Erin Carroll of Ventura could be skating his way to the top.

Carroll, 13, says tennis is his favorite sport, and he’s playing a splendid game right now. Three victories in the past two days have put him into today’s semifinal round of the boys’ 14-and-under singles at the 95th Ojai Valley tennis tournament.

But tennis is not the only passion for Carroll, an avid skateboarder. He’s the type of kid who would ride his board to his private tennis lessons.

The board has gotten him into trouble at times. The Cabrillo Junior High eighth-grader has sprained an ankle and wrenched his back while doing tricks.

But Friday he was all business. First, Carroll knocked off national 12-and-under champion Nicholas Weiss of Tarzana, 6-7 (7-4), 6-2, 7-6 (7-5). Weiss had won the Copper Bowl, a national hard-court tournament, last fall.

After surviving a 3 1/2-hour marathon against Weiss, Carroll coasted against Travis Hasson of San Luis Obispo, 6-2, 6-3.

Fatigue wasn’t a problem for Carroll, a strong serve-and-volley player--especially after a mid-afternoon venue change.

Carroll and Weiss slugged it out at Ojai Valley School, a quaint and quiet little campus on the highway. When the 14-and-under draw got behind schedule, Carroll’s match with Hasson was moved to Libbey Park, Ojai’s “center court” facility.

“It pumped me up, playing in front of a bunch of people,” Carroll said. “It was kind of cool.”

It was cool to win. Carroll recently tried his first tournament--the Easter Bowl in Miami--and lost in the first round, albeit to the No. 3-seeded player. Phillip Nguyen beat him, 7-6, 7-6.

Weiss, who turned 12 in January, and Carroll battled tooth and nail until Weiss said he’d had enough and conceded a line call on match point.

Carroll, leading, 6-5, in the tiebreaker, hit a passing shot. Weiss signaled out but then said it was in after Carroll made an appeal to the line judge.

“It could have gone either way,” Weiss said. “The line judge said it was my call; he pretty much gave it to me. I gave (Carroll) the call. I don’t know why. Twenty-five people asked me why I did that.

“I was so dead. My feet were killing me. I couldn’t walk.”

Carroll, two victories away from a championship, praised his younger opponent.

“He’d be No. 1 if he was playing 12s,” Carroll said.