Esmero Tries to Set Double Standard

Melissa Esmero of Mater Dei is two victories away from pulling off a pretty impressive double--championships in the Southern California Junior Sectionals and the Southern Section individuals.

Esmero advanced to the semifinals of the section individuals by defeating Jenny Munroe of Newhall Hart, 6-2, 6-4, and Denni Sarohia of Pasadena Poly, 6-1, 3-6, 6-0, Thursday at the Racquet Club of Irvine.

“I’m so happy to be in the semifinals,” said the second-seeded Esmero, who lost in the quarterfinals as a freshman and in the round of 16 last year.

Esmero, who won the girls’ 16 sectionals this summer, won’t have any local company in the semifinal round, which begins at 9 a.m. today. The other five county players in the draw lost in the round of 16.

The county fared much better in doubles competition, where three of the four remaining teams are local. Second-seeded Adriana Hockicko and Danielle Hustedt of Woodbridge gained their second consecutive semifinal berth by losing just four games in two matches.

“We’re playing differently than we were last year,” Hustedt said. “We’re more aggressive. Last year we were pretty much baseliners. But we’re going to have to go to the net even more if we’re going to win this.”

The Woodbridge pair will play third-seeded Kate Romm and Amy Tranckino of Dana Hills, who reached their second semifinal in a row. Romm and Tranckino didn’t drop a set, though they were tested slightly in their 6-1, 7-5, quarterfinal victory over Margo O’Donnell and Rebecca Hunau of Simi Valley.

Romm and Tranckino, ranked third in Southern California in girls’ 16 doubles, say they have an edge over Hustedt and Hockicko.

“They’re very good singles players, but I think we have a little more experience in doubles,” Tranckino said.

The other semifinal will match Newport Harbor’s Audra Adams and Kristen Case against Palos Verdes Peninsula’s top-seeded team of Caitlin Blashaw and Christie Tjong. Case and Adams beat Carpinteria Cate’s Lori Stern and Jackie Okwueze, 2-6, 6-4, 6-1, and fourth-seeded Casey Cross and Fatoumata Keita of Palm Desert, 6-1, 7-5.

Adams and Case withstood a strong second-set challenge by Cross and Keita in the quarters. Keita’s big serves and Cross’ net play began to turn the momentum.

“We didn’t get tight, they just stepped it up,” Case said.

Adams and Case were amused by Keita and Cross’ huffing and puffing as they made contact with the ball.

“We just focused on the ball, not them,” Adams said.

Said Case: “It was fun. I got to hit all my shots. They made me step my game up. It felt pretty good.”

Unfortunately for Woodbridge, sophomore Susanna Lingman, who was expected to do well here, wasn’t able to step up her game. Lingman, who lost only two dual match sets all year, was beaten soundly by Agoura sophomore Brooke Borishoff, 7-5, 6-2, in her first match.

Saddleback sophomore Kim Nguyen, who reached the semifinals last year, couldn’t get by hard-hitting Luana Magnani of San Marino, who was seeded third and will play Esmero in the semifinals. Nguyen lost 6-2, 7-5, despite leading, 5-3, in the second set. Nguyen’s downfall was her serve, which was erratic all day.

“I tried kicking it, spinning it, nothing worked,” Nguyen said. Other local players who fell were Capistrano Valley junior Jenny Bailey, who lost to fourth-seeded Maureen Diaz of Pasadena Mayfield, 6-2, 6-0, Laguna Beach freshman Ashley Maddocks, who lost to Santa Barbara San Marcos Kelly Schmandt, 7-5, 6-2, and Corona del Mar’s Eva Baudenbacher, who lost to top-seeded Tiffany Brymer of Oxnard Rio Mesa, 6-2, 6-1.