Corona del Mar boys’ tennis earns No. 2 seed in Open Division

The Corona del Mar High boys’ tennis team has had a remarkable season, and hopes to play for the CIF Southern Section Open Division title at the Claremont Club on May 13.

Before possibly traveling up to Claremont, though, the Sea Kings will welcome Claremont High’s squad to Orange County.

No. 2-seeded CdM (19-2) hosts Claremont (14-0) in the first round of the Open Division playoffs on Friday, it learned when the section released playoff brackets on Monday.

Five other local teams also advanced to the postseason. They include Sage Hill and Laguna Beach (Division 1), Marina and Huntington Beach (Division 2) and Costa Mesa (Division 4).

Surf League champion CdM has lost just once in a dual match all season, to University 13-5 on Feb. 16 in a nonleague season opener. The former league rival Trojans (23-0) earned the top seed in the eight-team Open Division.

CdM sophomores Niels Hoffmann and Jack Cross were the Surf League doubles champions, while seniors Logan Friedman and Max Krykunenko are also key players.

Laguna Beach’s Ian MacLaughlin runs down a forehand in his match against Edison on April 25.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

San Joaquin League champion Sage Hill (13-4) hosts Pacific Coast League No. 4 Northwood (9-6) in a Division 1 first-round match Wednesday. League singles champion Grant Gallagher and league doubles champions Shaan Sakraney and Tyler Peters, all juniors, are key players for the Lightning.

It’s a tough draw for Sage Hill, which lost 16-2 to Northwood in a nonleague match on April 19.

Also in Division 1, Wave League runner-up Laguna Beach (8-8) visits Big VIII League champion Riverside King (18-4) in a first-round match Wednesday. League singles finalist Ian MacLaughlin leads the Breakers.

Wave League champion Marina (15-5) hosts Foothill League No. 3 Santa Clarita Hart (11-8) in a Division 2 first-round match Wednesday. Wave League singles champion Peter Liang, as well as doubles champions Bradley Gallo and Trevor Nguyen, are key players for the Vikings, who advanced to the Division 3 semifinals last year.

Huntington Beach (10-9), an at-large team from the Surf League, plays at Hacienda League champion Diamond Bar (13-3) in another Division 2 first-round match Wednesday.

Orange Coast League champion Costa Mesa (12-2) earned a home match to begin the Division 4 playoffs. The Mustangs will host tough competition in No. 2-seeded Long Beach Poly (7-6), the Moore League runner-up.

League singles champion Ryan Taylor, as well as doubles champions Spencer Manning and John Simco, lead the Mustangs.

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