Hamlet Nalbandyan
GLENDALE -- The Hoover High boys' tennis team has no time to celebrate
its first-round victory. Today, the Tornadoes will have probably their
toughest match of the season.
Lynn Santamaria's squad will have to go up against Mission League
champion and the No. 2-seed in CIF Southern Section Division I
Harvard-Westlake School, which advanced by beating Oxnard, 18-0, on
Tuesday.
The Tornadoes advanced by defeating Redlands on the road in games,
79-75, on Tuesday. Today's second-round match will be at 3:15 at Hoover.
"Our kids know what they're up against," Santamaria said. "We've
played Harvard-Westlake a couple of times in the past and haven't been
very successful."
The Wolverines come into the match with a 22-3-1 record. They went
undefeated in Mission League play at 12-0.
Harvard-Westlake's top player is Andrew Rosenfeld, who plays singles.
Because of the strength at singles for the Wolverines, Santamaria will
stack up on doubles.
She said she might move her No. 1 and 2 singles players Boris Tong and
Eddie Kim to doubles to try to score some points.
"Harvard-Westlake has nine really good players and they have someone
that is equally as good that they could put in there," said Santamaria,
whose team is 9-8.
"But we had a good practice today and the kids are looking forward to
the match. They want to see how they do and where they are."
Other doubles players that need to contribute for Hoover are Marat
Akopian and Arsen Arabyan. The two went 2-6, 6-2, 6-1 against Redlands.
The team of Ahmed Diab and Carl Webber went 7-5, 6-0, 6-0 against
Redlands.
"Our doubles teams are going to be our point makers," Santamaria said.
