Palisades High Tennis Players in City Semifinals

The Palisades High boys tennis team remains on course for a clean sweep of the City Section's team, singles and doubles titles. The Dolphins have two players left in singles and two doubles teams still alive at the Individual Tournament in Encino.

Senior , the No. 1 seed in the 24-player singles draw, advanced to the semifinals with an easy 6-0, 6-2 win over Nicholas Koretsky of El Camino Real on Thursday and sophomore teammate , the No. 5 seed, pulled off a surprisingly easy 6-0, 6-1 upset of fourth-seeded William Chung of Granada Hills.

Thornton and Silvers are on the same side of the draw, meaning they will play each other in an all-Palisades semifinal next Wednesday at 1 p.m. at Balboa Sports Center. Thornton has dropped three games in two matches so far and Silvers has lost just two games in his two matches. 

On the bottom half of the bracket, Palisades' , the No. 3 seed, was upset in the second round Tuesday, 6-2, 6-4, by Mauricio Rosales of Grant.

"Max played poorly and the other kid played very well," Palisades Coach  said. "Max had several chances to win the second set but hit really easy shots into the net. It just wasn't his day."

Thornton and Licona each lost in the semifinals last year and Licona won the third-place match by default when Thornton couldn't play with an ankle injury.

In doubles, top-seeded  and  secured their spot in the semifinals with a 6-1, 6-1 rout of Eagle Rock's Kenneth Li and Trevor Nelson. The Dolphins' duo plays its semifinal match next Wednesday at 1 p.m.

Second-seeded  and  eliminated Dolphins teammates  and , 6-3, 6-1, in another quarterfinal Thursday. Rogers-Halliday and Schiffer were seeded seventh out of 24 teams.

Kling is used to seeing his players have to face each other deep in the City Individual tournament, primarily because so many Dolphins qualify. Unlike in singles, however, Palisades' remaining duos are on opposite sides of the draw and won't meet until the finals.

"You always like it when you have two from your own team because you know that no matter what, Palisades will win," Kling joked. "I just wish we could have two all-Pali finals. We can't, but we have still have a shot at the sweep, which is what we want."

Palisades had two other teams in the doubles draw, but both lost second-round matches Tuesday. and  lost to fourth-seeded Harris Choe and Roger Carnow of Granada Hills, 6-4, 6-3, and  and  lost to third-seeded William Thi and Aaron Alcarez of Eagle Rock 6-1, 6-2.

Last year, Palisades seniors  and won the doubles title, 6-3, 6-1, over Anthony La and Joseph Cho of Narbonne.

The Individual singles and doubles finals have been moved back five days to June 6 at 1 p.m. at Balboa Sports Center.