Corley, Yohannes roll in finals
Academy’s Hootman brothers continue to overwhelm foes
Eldorado’s Ivana Corley and Albuquerque Academy’s Abraham Yohannes won singles titles Saturday at the Albuquerque Metro Tennis Championships at the Academy.
The University of Oklahoma-bound Corley, a two-time Class 6A state champion and in her senior season, was leading Manzano’s Giulia Bentivegna 6-1, 1-0 when Bentivegna, a foreign exchange student from Italy, retired with a back issue.
Bentivegna had endured a grueling semifinal with Albuquerque High’s Maddie Chavez in the semifinals earlier in the day, winning 7-6, 5-7, 6-3 in a match that lasted nearly 3½ hours. Corley in her semifinal match blitzed Academy’s Rachel Homan, 6-0, 6-0.
“I kind of knew she would be tired, so I just wanted to be steady and not overthink it,” said Corley, who remained unbeaten in singles this season. “(I did not) want to give her hope.”
Because the tournament calendar was suspended Tuesday due to high winds, it became necessary to contest both the semifinals and finals on Saturday this year.
Yohannes, last year’s Class 5A state runner-up, thumped defending 6A state champion Mike Mounho of Eldorado 6-1, 6-1 in the semifinals.
Yohannes took a tough first set from Eldorado freshman Georgio Samaha in the final, and went on to post a 7-5, 6-0 victory.
“I was playing some pretty solid tennis (this week),” said Yohannes, a junior. “There were a few moments where I was a little bit shaky, but otherwise it was really solid.”
Yohannes, who is undefeated this season, broke Samaha’s serve to capture the first set. Samaha had beaten La Cueva’s Julian Lee in the semis, surrendering just two games.
“I just overpowered him, I think,” Yohannes said.
■ The Hootman brothers from Academy, Coleton and Hunter, dropped only four games the entire week and capped their tournament with a resounding 6-2, 6-2 win over Charger teammates Graham Collis and Ben Hwang.
The Hootmans, junior twins and threetime defending state champions, have never lost a doubles match to anybody from outside the Academy.
Ivana Corley’s younger sister, Carmen, teamed with Allison Romero to win girls doubles, routing Albuquerque High’s Nena Dorame and Cienna Chavez, 6-0. 6-2.
■ Academy’s dynamic boys and Albuquerque High’s girls were the team champions.
The unbeaten Chargers — so dominant this year that they have lost only two singles matches the entire season — scored 23 points, with Eldorado (20½) the runnerup and La Cueva (15½) third.
AHS, competing without head coach Becky Lee. who is on the East Coast to watch her daughter Chloe play tennis at Rutgers, scored 17½ points. Eldorado (14) and Academy (11½) followed.
The state tournament runs May 2-5 in Albuquerque.