Doubles dispatched

Duos from Corona del Mar and Newport Harbor fall in the quarterfinals of the CIF Southern Section Individual Tournament. SEAL BEACH -- Doubles teams from Newport Harbor High and Corona del Mar won their round of 16 matches, but fell in the quarterfinals of the CIF Southern Section Girls’ Tennis Tournament at the Seal Beach Tennis Center on Thursday.

Newport Harbor’s team of Sasha Dunlap and Chrissy Schwartz eliminated Troy’s Samantha Nadres and Stefanie Villajuan, 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-5), before losing to Thousand Oaks’ Jenna Ritz and Lauren Ritz, 6-1, 6-3.

Corona del Mar’s Haley and Miranda Young met a similar fate, ousting Redlands’ Claudia and Paloma Vazquez, 7-5, 7-5, before being knocked out by Peninsula’s Tania Mahtani and Akane Kitamura, 6-1, 6-3.

Dunlap and Schwartz went the distance in their first match, rallying twice and winning tiebreakers against Nadres and Villajuan.

The duo rallied from a 4-1 deficit in the opening set, sending it to a tiebreaker. In the tiebreaker, they trailed again, 4-1, before winning six of the final seven points to claim the first set.

The Tars’ twosome trailed, 3-1, in the second set before winning once again in a tiebreaker, 7-5.

“We’re always better in the close matches,” Schwartz said. “It’s like we play better with the match close.”

“It’s like a nervous energy, plus Chrissy keeps me pumped up,” Dunlap said.

The Youngs had their difficulties against Redlands’ duo, but were able to avoid going to tiebreakers.

In the first set, The Sea Kings duo took a 4-1 advantage before the Vazquez sisters came back to tie the set at 5-5. The Youngs pulled away again and won the opening set after Claudia Vazquez hit a shot that landed wide of the baseline.

“We really should have closed that match out earlier,” Haley Young said after match.

For both local teams, the end came in the next round. Dunlap and Schwartz made a stand in the second set, scoring their final point after eight deuces. The point extended their season one more game before the Thousand Oaks duo -- the No. 2 seeds in the tournament -- closed out the match.

The Young sisters didn’t have any better luck against Peninsula’s Mahtani and Kitamura, the No. 3 seed in the field. The Youngs ended their season with a 56-3 record.

Both coaches heaped praise on their players.

“These two [Hayley and Miranda Young] had a terrific season,” Corona del Mar Coach Brian Ricker said. “They have gotten much, much better from the beginning of the season to the end.”

“They were a rock for us. After we lost two of our top singles players [Jill Damion and Ali Walters], I wouldn’t believe you if you told me would be 20-4. Hayley and Miranda helped keep the team together.”

Newport Harbor Coach Fletcher Olson said she was also impressed with her players.

“They have came a long way from the beginning of the season,” Olson said. “They are a scrappy pair.”

CIF Southern Section

Girls’ Individual Tennis

Tournament

Quarterfinals

Doubles -- H. Young-M.Young (CdM) lost to Mahtni-Kitumara (Pen), 6-3, 6-1; Dunlap-Schwartz (NH) lost to J. Ritz-L. Ritz (TO), 6-1, 6-3.

Round of 16

Doubles -- H. Young-M. Young (CdM) def. C. Vazquez-P. Vazquez (Red), 7-5, 7-5; Dunlap-Schwartz (NH) def. Nadres-Villajuan (Troy), 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-5).

20051202iqujtqknMARK DUSTIN / DAILY PILOT(LA)Newport Harbor’s Chrissy Schwartz watches her backhand return Thursday. 20051202iqujsjknMARK DUSTIN / DAILY PILOT(LA)Corona del Mar’s Haley Young rips a forehand return during doubles play on Thursday afternoon.