First published in the April 30 print issue of the Burbank Leader.
The Burbank High School varsity boys’ tennis team sent nine athletes to compete in the Pacific League individual prelims and finals on April 25-28. The singles championship match between Burbank No. 1-seeded Adam Ridaoui and No. 2-seeded Amrith Kodumuri concluded with Ridaoui emerging victorious, 6-7, 6-4, 10-4.
Ridaoui, a junior, breezed through the competition, starting with an opening round sweep over Pasadena’s No. 16-seeded singles player, 6-0, 6-0, followed by a second round victory over Crescenta Valley High’s No. 9-seeded singles player, 6-0, 6-0. After his third match, Ridaoui still hadn’t lost a game by defeating Arcadia’s No. 4 seeded singles player 6-0, 6-0 before meeting his junior teammate in the championship round.
Kodumuri, a freshman, opened the first round with a 6-0, 6-0 sweep over Crescenta Valley’s No. 15-seeded player, followed by a victory over Arcadia’s No. 7-seed 6-0, 4-0. He advanced to the championship round against his freshman teammate by defeating Arcadia’s No. 3 seed 6-2, 4-6, 13-11.
Burbank’s No. 10 seed, David Kerimyan, lost his first round matchup to Arcadia’s No. 7 seed, 6-0, 6-2.
Meanwhile in the doubles competitions, the No. 2 seed duo of Adonis Basco and Yash Desai defeated Burroughs’ No. 15-seeded team of Miles Howell and Niyanth Mahesh, 6-2, 6-0, followed by a 7-6, 6-1 victory over Crescenta Valley’s No. 7-seeded tandem. The pair was defeated in the third round of competitions on Wednesday, April 27, falling to the No. 3 seeded Arcadia team 6-3, 6-4.
The No. 6 seed team of Christopher Krikorian and Mark Lin earned a first-round victory over Pasadena’s No. 11 seeded duo, 6-0, 6-0, but lost their second-round matchup to Arcadia’s No. 3 seeded team, 6-0, 6-2. The No. 10 seed tandem of Simon Akopyan and Dominic Aleman lost their first round opener to Crescenta Valley’s No. 7-seeded team, 3-6, 6-2, 4-10.
Burbank will learn its team postseason fate when the CIF-SS brackets are released on Monday, May 2, at 11 a.m.
BURROUGHS
The Bears sent nine athletes to compete in the Pacific League individual prelims and finals from April 25-28.
The No. 5 seed singles player Markos Mkrtchyan wicked up a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Crescenta Valley High of La Crescenta’s No. 12 seed, before falling to Arcadia’s No. 4 seed in the second round, 6-1, 6-1. The No. 6-seeded singles player Bernard Woods won his prelims opener over Glendale’s No. 11 seed, 7-5, 6-2, before falling to Arcadia’s No. 3 seed in the second round, 6-1, 6-0. The No. 8 seed singles player Michael Fraser lost his first round opener to Crescenta Valley’s No. 9 seeded singles player 3-6, 6-4, 6-10.
Meanwhile in doubles play, the No. 9-seeded team Zion DuMonde and Kaian Bates claimed a first-round victory by defeating Crescenta Valley’s No. 8 seeded duo 7-5, 7-6, but lost their second round matchup to the No. 1 seeded Arcadia tandem, 6-2, 6-1. The No. 12-seeded duo of Bevan Maxwell and Vivek Bhakta dropped their first round match to Arcadia’s No. 5-seeded team, 6-0, 6-3, while the No. 15 seed tandem of Miles Howell and Niyanth Mahesh lost in the first round to Burbank’s No. 2 seeded duo of Adonis Basco and Yash Desai, 6-2, 6-0.
JBHS will learn its team’s postseason fate when the CIF-SS brackets are released on Monday, May 2, at 11 a.m.
