Girls’ Tennis: CdM gets past Bullard

At the end of a long girls’ tennis season, the CIF USTA Southern Regional Girls’ Tennis Championships provide a nice change of pace.

“I think the best part about regionals is the fact that it’s a different format and, if you’re lucky enough, you get to play against teams you haven’t played before from different areas,” Corona del Mar Coach Brian Ricker said.

Ricker’s No.5-seeded Sea Kings played host to No. 10-seeded Fresno Bullard in the first round Tuesday, a team that CdM had never played before.

Of course, it’s nice if you get to play at home in the first round, too. Bullard made the 540-mile round trip to Corona del Mar High only to get blitzed by the Sea Kings, 6-1.

CdM advances to the regional quarterfinals Friday at noon at The Claremont Club, against No. 13 Laguna Beach. The Breakers topped No. 4-seeded Palisades, 4-3, in another first-round match Tuesday.

CdM beat Laguna Beach, 11-7, earlier this year in a nonleague match. Should the Sea Kings win again in the regionals Friday in Claremont, a regional semifinal match more than likely against top-seeded defending champion Palos Verdes Peninsula would follow at 2:30 p.m.

In the regionals format of four singles players and three doubles teams, best two out of three sets, CdM had clinched the match against Bullard in just more than an hour. The Sea Kings swept the three doubles sets.

Siena Sharf and Riley Gerdau got past Bullard’s Clare Malley and Zoe Vargas, 6-3, 6-2, at No. 1 doubles. CdM’s Taylor Fogarty and Camellia Edalat were victorious, 6-4, 6-0, over Ravi Aulakh and Breana Yang at No. 2 doubles. And the Sea Kings’ Paige Kenerson and Erica Chen topped Anna Kevorkian and Siera Morizono, 6-0, 6-1, at No. 3 doubles.

The extended singles format allowed senior Shelby Anderson, who has played in doubles most of the year, to play at No. 4 singles. She enjoyed the match, earning a “double bagel” 6-0, 6-0 win over Bullard’s Amity Vasconcellos.

Anderson said she also enjoyed playing in the SoCal Regionals.

“It’s great,” Anderson said. “We’re just trying to get as far as possible, do the best that we can. I’d say every time, we’re just as excited to get the win.

“You’re a little wary. You don’t know how the people are going to play. It takes a little bit of time to figure out what their style is. But it’s nice to play different people, and to meet new people too.”

At No. 1 singles, CdM freshman Danielle Willson rallied for a 6-1, 4-6, 6-0 victory over Bullard’s Chelsey Ruiz, this year’s CIF Central Section Individuals singles champion. Ruiz’s sister, Tatiana, won the lone set for Bullard, rallying for a 3-6, 7-5, 6-1 win over CdM’s Jasie Dunk at No. 2 singles. Tatiana Ruiz and Malley combined for Bullard to win the Central Section Individuals doubles title.

CdM’s Elena Fish had little trouble at No. 3 singles, earning a 6-0, 6-1 victory over Kate Swartfager.

If the Sea Kings can win their match Friday morning, they would advance to the regional semifinals for the first time in the tournament’s brief three-year history. CdM did not qualify in 2012 and lost to Torrey Pines in the quarterfinals last year.

A match against Peninsula would obviously be tough in the semifinals. The Panthers topped the Sea Kings, 15-3, last week in the CIF Southern Section Division 1 semifinals on their way to their second straight Division 1 title.

“It’s always fun to play them,” Anderson said. “You get better by playing the good people, so that’s always nice. Hopefully we can pull out a win in the morning [on Friday].”