Yelsey Bounces Back to Reach Final

The weight finally lifted off her back, Anne Yelsey is making a stunning return to the court this week at the Southern California Junior Sectionals. Yelsey, who recently completed her freshman year at Corona del Mar High, reached the girls’ 16 singles final Saturday afternoon at Los Caballeros Racquet Club in Fountain Valley with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Lindsey Nelson of Orange.

Yelsey, unseeded, hadn’t played a tournament in six months because of a stress fracture in her lower back. The injury has plagued her for the last two years, but so far this week, there has been no pain.

“I’m so excited, I didn’t even plan on getting this far,” she said. “This was just supposed to be a tuneup for nationals. I can’t believe I’m in the finals and I can’t believe my body’s holding up.”

Yelsey, one of Southern California’s top-ranked 14-year-olds until her body began to break down, didn’t do anything spectacular against Nelson. But she kept the ball in the court, mixed up the pace and played efficiently when she got to the net.

“I liked the way I played today,” Yelsey said. “I like to be a serve-and-volley player, but she’s so good from the backcourt, that made it hard for me to do that.”

The unseeded Nelson, a 14-year-old playing up a division, was coming off upsets of top-seeded Lori Stern of Ojai and fifth-seeded Joanna Kao of Sunny Hills High. But Nelson didn’t have the legs to stay with Yelsey on the toasty hardcourts of Los Caballeros.

“I’m extremely exhausted,” said Nelson, who will be a freshman at Villa Park this fall. “I need to be in better shape against a strong player like Anne.”

Nelson said she couldn’t wait to get off the court.

“I tried to hit winners so I wouldn’t have to be out there very long,” she said. “You just can’t play that way and expect to win.”

Yelsey will play second-seeded Judith DeVera of Carson in the final at 11 a.m. today.

In the girls’ 14 semifinals, top-seeded Tracy Lin of Anaheim advanced with a 6-3, 6-1 victory over seventh-seeded Ivana King of Long Beach. Lin, who will play sixth-seeded Camelia Tordorova of La Jolla in today’s 12:30 final, has not lost a match in a Southern California Tennis Assn. event this year.

“Everybody expects me to win, so there is some pressure there,” Lin said. “I take it pretty hard when I lose.”

After she plays the USTA nationals, Lin will move up to the girls’ 16s.

“In the 16s there’s a lot better players, but you can play with no pressure and play your game,” she said.

In the boys’ 18 semifinals, Joseph Kao of Sunny Hills fell to second-seeded Paul Warkentin of Santa Barbara, 6-1, 6-4. Kao also lost to Warkentin in the Ojai semifinals two months ago. In the boys’ 14s, fourth-seeded Adam Loucks of Irvine fell to top-seeded Brandon Wai of San Diego, 6-4, 7-5.

In the boys’ 16s, third-seeded Aaron Yovan of University High defaulted his semifinal match with second-seeded Doug Stewart of Malibu because of a back injury.