Charles Rich
Their emotions spilled from the tennis court to a basketball court
after one of the stranger endings to a tennis match.
The boys' tennis players from Glendale and Crescenta Valley didn't
plan on playing a game of two-on-two after host CV completed a 10-8
Pacific League victory Thursday.
The emotional flashpoint came during a six-minute discussion
between two coaches and four doubles players on a nearby basketball
court over a point-scoring system during the match's most important
moment.
*--*
BOX SCORE
*--*
*--*
Glendale 8
Crescenta Valley 10
*--*
*--*
SINGLES
Chang (CV) lost to Youn, 6-0; lost to Mazmanyan, 6-3, lost to Khovakimyan, 6-3; Ueo (CV) lost 6-3, 6-2, won, 6-3; Sung (CV) lost to Youn, 6-0, def. Khovakimyan, 6-3; Wu (CV) lost to Mazmanyan, 6-0.
DOUBLES
Boyadjian/Carrico (CV) def. Postadzhyan/Chiriboga, 6-0, def. Avetisyan/Nazaretian, 6-1; Boyadjian/P. Dilanian (CV) def. Vartan/Al-Saiegh, 6-4; Lee/Jon. Hong (CV) won, 6-4, 6-1, 6-2; E. Dilanian/Joe Hong (CV) lost to Postadzhyan/Chiriboga, 6-3, def.
Vartan/Al-Saiegh, 7-6 (7-4); Kim/Oh (CV) def. Avetisyan/Nazaretian, 6-1.
*--*
CV (8-3, 2-0 in league) won the dispute, which further agonized
Glendale (7-5, 2-2).
The state of confusion began with the Falcons clinging to a 9-8
lead late in the match's final doubles set between Arbi Vartan and
Shant Al-Saiegh of Glendale and Ara Boyadjian and Patrick Dilanian of
CV.
With CV serving at 15-30, Boyadjian hit a forehand shot that
appeared to hit the edge of the baseline. Vartan and Al-Saiegh
successfully argued that the ball was out, giving the Nitros the
point.
Glendale Coach Bob Davidson told the athletes to stop play so he
could speak to CV Coach Sarah Wiggins about the point. However,
Wiggins was arguing with two people playing basketball near the
tennis court.
Boyadjian apparently didn't hear Davidson call time out and served
the ball, which was returned into the net to make it 30-40. On the
next serve, CV made it deuce before Boyadjian hit another forehand
shot to clinch the victory.
"It's a very crazy ending," Davidson said. "You hate to lose in a
situation like that.
"We should have corrected the [scoring situation] when it was
15-40 and 30-40. I told them to hold it up, but the points stood."
Here's Wiggins' explanation about the incidents: "I got
everybody's story about what the players were discussing, and they
accepted the score at 30-40. At 15-40, you can't change the score
because Ara served, and, unfortunately, I got in an argument with
those guys playing basketball.
"It's a win that I don't feel good about because you don't want
discrepancies with the players going all out on the court."
Controversy aside, Glendale needed to win one of its last three
doubles sets to topple CV.
Boyadjian, a No. 1 doubles player, and his teammates made sure
that wouldn't come to fruition. Nothing came easy for Boyadjian, who
lost partner Braeden Carrico to a sprained left ankle after Carrico
was playing Hacky Sack.
"I'll remember this match," Boyadjian said. "I had a new partner,
and we were confident we could win.
"The four of us had our own huddle and everybody agreed with the
scoring at 30-40."
Glendale won seven of nine singles sets.
