Menlo Wins 92nd in a Row at Expense of Dana Hills

Atherton Menlo’s winning streak will live to see another day. The two-time Northern California girls’ tennis champions escaped with a 5-4 victory over Dana Hills in the quarterfinals of the National High School All-American tournament. Menlo’s winning streak is 92 after it broke a 3-3 tie by winning two of three doubles matches Friday at Newport Beach Tennis Club.

The clinching set came on Court 1, where Nancy Mok and Michelle Leutzinger beat Dana Hills’ No. 1 team of Kady Pooler and Lauren Calton, 6-3.

“It was so nerve-racking there at the end, knowing you’re the last match on and everything is riding on it,” Pooler said. “Lauren and I played well, but give them credit. They both had good ground strokes and they could volley.”

Pooler said the match was probably won an hour earlier, when Menlo’s No. 1 Ashley Lipton defeated Chelsy Thompson, 6-4. Lipton, ranked No. 1 in the Northern California 14s last year, played from the baseline and let Thompson force the action. Thompson saved one set point in the 10th game, but the set ended when she hit a cross-court forehand that Lipton called out. Thompson argued the call, but only briefly.

“That one bad call was a big one,” said Pooler, who won her singles set, 6-3, over Mok. “It really turned the match in their favor. If we win that set, we go up 4-2.”

Thompson and her doubles partner, Catie Reames, got a little revenge as they defeated Lipton and Katie Hudson, 6-3. But the Dolphins, second-ranked in Orange County, could not get another doubles point. Their No. 3 team of Kristen Wilson and Kristin Bronowicki lost to Tiffany Lee and Caitlin Looney, 6-1.

Menlo Coach Bill Shine tried to downplay the importance of his team’s 3 1/2-year winning streak.

“We don’t spend too much time worrying about it,” said Shine, whose team beat Canyon, 8-1, in the first round. “These girls didn’t start it. We don’t want to put too much pressure on them because it’s going to end someday. We’re more into winning titles.”

Menlo (17-0), a private school of 500 students located near Palo Alto, might have its streak end today at 11 a.m. in the semifinals against Palos Verdes Peninsula. The defending Southern Section Division I champion dropped only one set in beating Edison and Pleasanton Foothill on Friday.

Pooler, whose team’s seven-match winning streak ended, said she wasn’t sure how significant Menlo’s winning streak is.

“They’re from Northern California,” Pooler said. “So you don’t know how good the competition is up there.”

In the other semifinal, top-ranked Corona del Mar (7-1) will play Beverly Hills at 11 a.m. Corona del Mar defeated Granite Bay, 9-0, and third-ranked Troy, 7-2.

The semifinals and final will be held today at the Balboa Bay Club Racquet Club. The final is scheduled for 5 p.m.