CdM’s Feeley ousted in quarterfinals

NEWPORT BEACH — Kelli Feeley outlasted her past teammates on the tennis court.

The incoming senior at Corona del Mar High found it hard to go further in singles action.

Feeley’s run at the 20th annual Balboa Bay Club Junior Tournament ended in the quarterfinals. Hazuki Onaga of El Segundo beat Feeley, 6-1, 6-3, in the girls’ 18-year-old division at The Tennis Club Thursday afternoon.

Training for the Sea Kings’ season is in late August. Feeley, normally a doubles player, began hers early.

She reached new heights at the tournament also called the War by the Shore. Opting to compete in singles, rather than doubles, Feeley made her first quarterfinal appearance at the tournament she said she’s participated in a handful of years.

After bowing out to Onaga, the 17-year-old Feeley looked to the future.

“I was actually going to sign up for more [tournaments] with my dad later,” Feeley said. “I’m hoping to play more.”

Onaga, the No. 9 seed, stopped Feeley from advancing to the semifinals today.

Onaga forced Feeley to chase balls, never allowing her opponent to find a comfortable pace. Trying to keep the ball in play proved difficult for Feeley.

“She has a really good forehand,” Feeley said. “She was able to keep the ball in play better than I was. It didn’t really come down to serves. More or less, it was more of who can keep the ball in play.”

Onaga won the battle, but Feeley came away feeling good about her performance.

Teammates from last year’s CdM team finishing runner-up in the CIF Southern Section Division playoffs lost in the division’s opening round. Karen Ishii, Paige Polizois and Danielle Kaiden have graduated, leaving Feeley to help the Sea Kings return to the section championship match for a fourth straight year.

The past two years the Sea Kings have finished second. When they won the title in 2006, Feeley played on the junior varsity team.

Getting back to the championship is CdM’s goal.

“We wanted it this [past] year,” said Feeley, who saw the Sea Kings in 2008 fall for the first time, losing to Dana Hills for the second straight season in the championship. “We have a really solid singles [lineup for this upcoming season]. We have Hailey Hogan, Melissa Matsuoka and Katelyn Nguyen, so we’re pretty stacked.