Maddocks Wins League Title

Laguna Beach sophomore Ashley Maddocks is probably playing her last year of high school tennis, and she is making every match count.

Thursday at Costa Mesa Tennis Center, Maddocks disposed of Corona del Mar senior Nadia Vaughan in the Pacific Coast League semifinals, 7-6 (7-5), 6-1. Then she took care of Sea King freshman Anne Yelsey, 7-6 (7-5), 6-2, in the final.

Throughout the chilly afternoon, Maddocks played aggressively and controlled most of the points with her overpowering ground strokes.

“I thought to myself, ‘This is my last year, I’m winning this and I don’t care what it takes,’ ” said Maddocks, who plans to attend a tennis academy in Florida next year.

Maddocks and Yelsey played doubles together last year and finished third at the USTA National Hardcourts in Atlanta, but their friendship was as cold as the weather Thursday. They argued often over line calls and glared at each other throughout the two-hour match. After the first set, Yelsey was given a warning for language and racket abuse by tournament director John Tichy, coach of Costa Mesa High.

Tichy also replaced a Corona del Mar and a Laguna Beach player as line judges.

“She’s done it before with the calls,” said Maddocks, who lost the opening three games before rallying. “She kind of has a problem. I was stoked when we got a better umpire.”

Yelsey was also given a warning during her semifinal match with University freshman Aimee Kim, whom she beat, 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 6-0.

In the doubles final, fifth-seeded Leslie Damien and Kristen Griffith of Corona del Mar defeated their seventh-seeded teammates, Katie Tenerelli and Laura Claster, 6-2, 6-4. The singles and doubles finalists advance to the Southern Section individual tournament that begins Nov. 20 at four sites.