Morgan Hill – Seeded No. 2 going into the Tri-County Athletic League Tournament on Friday, Live Oak’s No. 1 singles player, Eric Matsumoto earned a first round bye.
On Saturday at Chamisal Tennis Club in Salinas, Matsumoto took on the TCAL No. 1 seed Bryan Pybas of Salinas. Pybas is a two-time TCAL champion. Matsumoto fell in the singles championship match, 6-0, 6-0, making Pybas the singles champ for the third year in a row.
However, due to Salinas High School being on probation, Matsumoto, as the runner up, will be the TCAL’s representative to the Central Coast Section’s Boys Tennis Individual Tournament later this month.
Matsumoto battled through cramps and two tough competitors to advance to the TCAL final against Pybas.
In the second round Matsumoto defeated Frank Maceira of Salinas, 7-6, 6-3. Matsumoto seemed in control through the first set, but Maciera put some pressure on him. Down 5-3 to Matsumoto, Maciera came back and won three straight games to take the lead 6-5. Matsumoto held off Maciera however to take the set 7-6 in a tiebreaker and won the second set 6-3.
Following a long break, Matsumoto had to battle cramps throughout his semifinal match with Daniel Coffey. Matsumoto found himself down in the first set, 5-3, but despite the cramps he was able to win the first set, 7-5 and easily took the second set, 6-3, to advance him into the TCAL final.
Two Acorns’ (5-5 TCAL) doubles teams also competed in the TCAL Tournament.
Live Oak’s Jimmy Shedden and Danny Smith won their first round match against San Benito’s Mark Tobias and Michael Brigantino, 6-0, 6-2, in the freezing cold in Salinas on Friday. Shedden and Smith were then beaten in the semifinal match by Salinas’ No. 1 doubles team.
Jake Plafker and Scott Alexander also won their first round match of the TCAL tourney. Plafker and Alexander defeated Sobrato’s Andrew Le and Casey Schenkelberg, 6-2, 6-2, but fell in their semifinal match to be knocked out of the tournament.
Matsumoto (8-2 TCAL) will now represent Live Oak at the CCS tournament later this month and according to coach and mom Miki Matsumoto, he is very thankful for the opportunity, especially given his survival through the previous quarterfinal and semifinal matches.
