Saddleback’s Saba Advances to Main Draw

FULLERTON — Steve Saba of Saddleback College defeated Kelly Nygaard of Grossmont, 6-0, 6-4, Friday in a third-round qualifying match of the 19th Intercollegiate Tennis Coaches Assn. Holiday Tournament at Sunny Hills Racquet Club. Saba became the only community college player to reach the main draw in the men’s singles division.

Paul Tracey joined five UC Irvine teammates in the 32-player main draw, qualifying with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Lawrence Casas of Mesa (Colo.) State.

Neel Grover and Charles Wheeler of Irvine reached the men’s doubles semifinals, ousting two California teams: Kevin Erickson and Jorge Hallon, 6-2, 6-2, and Steve Lappin and Tommy Phanco, 6-1, 6-4. Grover and Wheeler are the tournament’s top seeds.

Brett Hansen-Dent and Jon Parker of UC Irvine, seeded fourth, lost a quarterfinal match to Devin Bowen and Jeff Giesea of Texas Christian, 7-5, 4-6, 6-4.