Corona del Mar Loses Division I Semifinal

Cameron Ball and Hunter Jack, a pair of singles players playing doubles together for the first time this season, swept three sets at No. 3 doubles as the Corona del Mar boys’ tennis team attempted to stack its lineup against North Hollywood Harvard-Westlake.

But the Wolverines stacked up well too, and edged the Sea Kings on games, 82-76, after the teams tied, 9-9, in a Southern Section Division I semifinal match Thursday in Studio City.

Corona del Mar (21-7), the defending division champion, and Harvard-Westlake (25-3-1), in its first season at the Division I level after winning the Division II championship last year and Division III titles in 1997 and ‘98, entered the third round of round-robin play tied, 6-6.

Harvard-Westlake held a slim 53-50 edge in games after the second round and held on to the advantage through the third.

Despite the presence of Ball, the Sea Kings’ regular No. 1 player, and Jack, their No. 3 singles player, at third doubles, Corona del Mar won just one of three doubles sets in the third round.

Harvard-Westlake’s No. 3 team of David Frankel and John Rubenstein defeated Corona del Mar’s No. 1 team of Peter Kulmaticki and Mike Bean, 6-3, in a match that gave the Wolverines a 9-8 edge that looked for a while as though it might grow to 10-8.

Corona del Mar’s Brian Morton, playing No. 1 singles, rallied from a 4-1 deficit against Harvard-Westlake No. 3 Jesse Ferlianto and won, 7-6 (2) in the last set of the day to complete a three-set sweep and tie the match in sets.

But it wasn’t enough to make up the Sea Kings’ deficit in games.

“It was a tight one, just like we expected,” Corona del Mar Coach Tim Mang said. “I really thought my doubles would do better. You don’t like to lose the close ones, but it was a great match.”

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Boys’ Tennis Playoffs:

Individuals

When: Today, 1 p.m., round of 16 and quarterfinals; Saturday, 10:30 a.m., semifinals and finals.

Where: SeaCliff Tennis Club, Huntington Beach.

Defending champions--Singles: Phil Sheng, Thousand Oaks; Doubles: David Glieberman and Goh Futagaki, Palos Verdes Peninsula.

Top players--Singles: Phil Sheng, Thousand Oaks; Paul Warkentin, Santa Barbara San Marcos; Joseph Kao, Sunny Hills; Aaron Yovan, University; Rylan Rizza, Peninsula; Jeff Kazarian, Peninsula; Jack Li, University. Doubles: Goh Futagaki and Tiege Sullivan, Peninsula; Brian Swatt and Ryan Hermat, Beverly Hills; Michael Bean and Peter Kulmaticki, Corona del Mar; Chad Whidtfeldt and Derrick Klunchoo, Capistrano Valley.