Fine CIF start for Burroughs
BURROUGHS HIGH — Burroughs High’s boys’ tennis team was definitely not at full strength in its opening CIF Southern Section Division II match Wednesday.
Along with losing a key doubles player to grades, Pacific League singles runner-up Calvin Fox was sidelined with a foot injury and three-year contributor Michael Whelan was playing with an injured wrist.
Despite the hardships, the Indians shuffled around their lineup and received maximum results. Burroughs captured eight of nine sets in singles to dispose of the Spartans, 14-4, in a first-round contest at home.
The win puts the Indians (11-2) — the runner up from the Pacific League — into a second-round matchup with Valencia — the Foothill League champion — at 3 p.m. Friday at a site to be determined.
The Vikings defeated South Hills, 15-3, in their opener Wednesday at home.
“We had to move some players around in different spots,” Burroughs Coach Roy Bernhardt said. “Calvin just couldn’t play at all, but Michael said that he could play doubles even though his wrist was bothering him.”
Whelan was able to play well alongside partner Wen Yao Lin at No. 2, as the pair swept, 6-0, 6-0, 6-0.
“Playing doubles, I don’t have to hit as many shots as I normally would playing singles,” Whelan said. “Also in doubles, I don’t have to serve as much. I just didn’t want my wrist to get any worse playing singles. But I would have liked to play singles if I could.”
The Indians also received a sweep in doubles at No. 1 by the league-champion duo of Phillip Lam and Kevin Hoang, 6-1, 6-1, 6-0. The team’s No. 3 doubles of Zach Maina and Jacob Kim also came through with a solid effort, winning two, 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 7-6 (7-3).
As has been the case all season, Burroughs’ No. 1 singles player Garrett Auproux, the two-time league champion, swept his sets in easy fashion by 6-0 scores.
Freshman Sawyer Patterson was part of a Burroughs doubles team that placed third in the league tournament last week. However, he was pressed into service as the squad’s No. 2 singles player against Rio Mesa (15-3), which placed second in the Pacific View League. Patterson had a fine showing, earning a sweep, 6-2, 6-1, 6-0.
“It’s a nice break from doubles to be able to play singles,” Patterson said. “I like playing singles better than I like playing doubles. But I felt pretty good today.”