Prep Boys
Tennis Playoffs
This was not the way Michael Duong wanted to end his high school tennis career.
But when the injury to his right hip worsened during the semifinals of the Central Coast Section singles tournament, he had to call it quits.
"His hip was really hurting him," said Eagles coach Cuong Duong, who is also Michael's uncle. "It was so bad he just couldn't play."
Michael retired in the third set of last Thursday's match at Imperial Courts in Aptos. At the time, he was trailing 5-1 to Carlmont's Mike Meyer.
Duong, seeded second in the tourney, cruised to a 6-2 win in the first set.
No. 5 Meyers reversed that score in the second set, though, as Duong started to feel pain in the hip he injured weeks before.
"He was taking medicine for it, but it started to wear off," coach Duong said.
Duong's teammate, freshman Jonathan Wong, had the misfortune of meeting top-seeded Chris King of York in the opening round. Wong, who was not seeded, fell 6-1, 6-2.
"(Wong) played pretty well," coach Duong said, "but the other guy was clearly better."
Another unseeded freshman, Gunn High's Shane Templeman, made it to the quarterfinals of the tournament. He surprised No. 8 Carlos Gonzalez of Woodside Priory 2-6, 6-4, 7-5 in the first round and then lost to King 6-3, 6-1.
In doubles play, St. Francis High's R.J. Bates and Ngon Huynh made it to the semifinals before losing to Mike Pfeiffer and Matt Chatham of Robert Louis Stevenson.
Bates-Huynh, seeded sixth, fell 6-3, 6-2 to top-seeded Pfeiffer-Chatham.
"R.J. and Ngon played well together," St. Francis coach Gary Dinneen said. "They complimented each other well."