No Longer a Boy, Mann Overpowers Borenstein : Junior Tennis: He turns the tables on former nemesis in Southern California Sectional.

Scott Borenstein was longing for the good old days Friday. He was thinking of how he used to push Dylan Mann around on a tennis court.

Those days certainly seemed long ago when Borenstein of Santa Monica was routed by his friend from Canoga Park, 6-2, 6-1, in a quarterfinal singles match in the Southern California Junior Sectional tournament.

Times have changed, and so has Mann, the third-seeded player who advanced to today’s boys’ 16-and-under division semifinals at Los Caballeros Sports Village.

Mann, 15, is almost nine months younger than Borenstein, who turned 16 in January. Borenstein once used the age difference to his advantage. Not anymore.

Borenstein stands 5 feet 7 1/2 and weighs 120 pounds. Mann has shot up to 6-1, 160.

“He used to kill me,” Mann said. “He would just beat up on me when we were smaller. But I grew up and he pretty much stayed the same.”

Mann and Borenstein, who were doubles teammates in 1990, hadn’t faced each other in singles in three years.

Mann did the bullying Friday, with a serve-and-volley attack that overpowered Borenstein.

Mann broke Borenstein’s serve all four times in the second set with hard returns to the corners and slashing volleys that kept Borenstein on the defensive when it was supposed to be his turn to attack.

Borenstein could only shrug at the irony.

“I used to beat (Mann) almost every time we played,” he said. “He used to not volley that well.

“I was expecting a lot of what happened. I knew he was going to attack my backhand. I just couldn’t put it together. I had my chances.”

Borenstein battled Mann to deuce in each of the first three games of the first set. But he lost all of them.

“I made him miss a couple passing shots by coming to the net,” Mann said. “That set the tempo.”

By the second set, Borenstein often appeared helpless. Everything he hit was coming back hard and deep or slicing at sharp angles.

The set opened with three consecutive breaks, the last one coming on Mann’s crossing forehand volley. Mann then held serve.

Down, 3-1, and desperately needing to hold serve, Borenstein was frozen when Mann hit a screamer past him to break and lead, 4-1.

“Nice shot,” Borenstein would often say, after a grunt, a moan or a groan.

So dominant was Mann that at one point in the second set he fell behind, love-40, while serving but won five consecutive points to hold.

Borenstein was so flustered by the end of it, he double-faulted on match point.

“I’m sure his size helps him on the serve and his long legs help him get to the net,” Borenstein said. “No way I can serve and volley right now. I haven’t grown yet.”

Mann will face top-seeded Joseph Gilbert of Fullerton in the semifinals today at noon.

Mann is 0-2 against Gilbert, who beat No. 6 Robert Williams of Los Angeles, 6-4, 6-4, to advance.

Three weeks ago, Williams (Dorsey High) beat Mann (Taft) in a three-set, two-tiebreaker match for the City Section singles championship.

In boys’ 18 singles, second-seeded Derek Pope of Ojai beat No. 6 Vo Chu of San Diego, 6-3, 1-6, 6-0.

Pope will face third-seeded Philip Tseng of Los Angeles and Harvard-Westlake High in today’s semifinals. Tseng defeated David Chang of Diamond Bar, 6-2, 6-2.

In girls’ 18 singles, top-seeded Ania Bleszynski of Thousand Oaks breezed past Romy Mehlman of Beverly Hills and Harvard-Westlake High, 6-1, 6-0.

Bleszynski will face No. 7 Tu Dong of Long Beach in the semifinals today.

Second-seeded Krissy Hamilton of Agoura Hills defaulted her quarterfinal match to No. 6 Rosemary She of Cerritos because of a foot injury. No. 4 Violette Ahn of Los Angeles defeated unseeded Monique Allegre of Camarillo, 6-2, 6-1.

In girls’ 16 singles, top-seeded Alexandra Stevenson of San Diego downed No. 5 Jessica Kessler of Studio City , 7-5, 6-3, Amy Wax of San Diego beat No. 6 Kirsten Gross of Calabasas, 6-3, 6-7 (7-3), 7-6 (7-5), and No. 4 Mugette Ahn (Los Angeles) defeated No. 7 Brandis Braverman of Encino, 6-2, 6-3.