Newport Beach resident Kaes Van't Hof defeated Jordan Delass, 6-4,
7-5, helping lead top-seeded Southern California to a 4-3 victory
over Southern in Monday's semifinals of the 22nd Wachovia Junior
Davis Cup tennis tournament on the University of South Carolina
campus in Columbia, S.C.
Southern California, which also features Corona del Mar High
senior-to-be Carsten Ball, faces second-seeded Texas in the final at
noon today at the Sam Daniel Tennis Center.
Southern California claimed four of five singles sets Monday to
seal the victory while Southern took both doubles matches. Ball fell
to Southern's Monte Tucker, 6-2, 6-0.
Texas, which advanced to today's final with a 5-2 win over
Missouri Valley, and Southern California combine to have six of the
top 20 boys 18s players in the United States. Both teams are also the
only squads in a field of 17 which brought the top six players from
their respective sections.
Van't Hof, who will attend USC this fall after starring at Mater
Dei, and Ball are ranked Nos. 5 and 6, respectively, in the United
States Tennis Association national point standings for boys 18s
singles.
The Junior Davis Cup features 100 of the top boys 18s players
representing teams from each of the USTA's 17 sections.
