COSTA MESA SUMMER JUNIOR CLASSIC:Something to yell about

COSTA MESA — Dante Saleh was dominating the first set, and that pumped him up.

Not that the talkative Newport Beach resident needed a lot to pump him up this week at the 15th annual Costa Mesa Summer Junior Classic.

“One point for 5-2,” Saleh said late in that first set Friday, in the boys’ 12 singles championship match. “Five-two, baby, 5-2!”

Then Saleh hit a solid serve, came in and hit a nice volley, getting to 5-2.

His opponent, Jack Ventura-Cruess of Placentia, could only smile on the changeover.

“Good enthusiasm,” Ventura-Cruess said to Saleh’s parents.

Good everything from Saleh, the No. 1 seed who won the tournament with a 6-2, 1-6, 6-3 victory over No. 2-seeded Ventura-Cruess at the Costa Mesa Tennis Center.

Saleh’s mouth could make up for his height. The home-schooled 12-year-old, who advanced to the boys’ 12s semifinals at last week’s War by the Shore tournament, stands just 4-foot-8.

Ventura-Cruess, who will turn 13 next month, is 5-7.

“Five-foot-seven!” Saleh exclaimed when he heard that. “That’s as tall as my mom! She’s 5-8.”

But Saleh definitely stood tall in the match. He took the first set relatively easily, breaking Ventura-Cruess’ serve four times in the set.

Ventura-Cruess then came back more determined, storming out to a 5-1 lead in the second set. At that point, Saleh said he made a decision.

He decided to save his energy for the impending third set.

“To try to come back from 5-1 and lose it anyway, that’s pretty tough,” Saleh said. “To, say, get to 5-4 and then lose that game, you’re real tired. And then you have to play a third set.”

The strategy seemed solid, especially in the hot mid-afternoon sun. Saleh jumped out to a 4-1 lead in the third set and hung on. With Ventura-Cruess at the net, Saleh won some crucial points by utilizing an effective topspin lob.

“He started to come in a lot, so I thought I was just going to lob him,” Saleh said. “I was just surprised that most of those lobs went in. It’s kind of hard to lob a guy that tall. I mean, he’s that tall, and he also has his arm length plus his racquet to reach up.”

Ventura-Cruess, who won the boys’ 12 singles title at the Chapman University junior tournament last weekend, bemoaned the fact that he couldn’t do more at the net.

“I thought I was serving pretty good,” he said. “I just needed to stick my volleys and improve my overall game.”

Saleh eventually won the set and the match when he broke Ventura-Cruess’ serve again.

With that, he almost threw his hat in the air in celebration, but Saleh thought better of it when he saw a tournament official standing nearby.

Still, it was reasonable for Saleh to get excited. Even as the tournament’s No. 1 seed, he said he takes nothing for granted.

“That’s cool, but it doesn’t really make that big of a difference,” Saleh said. “Some kids think it’s a big deal, but to me it’s not a big deal. I know some kids are probably like ‘Oh this kid’s the No. 1 seed; I’m not going to win.’ But you know what? I just kind of forget about it.”

Friday’s win, though, was something to remember.

MATT SZABO may be reached at (714) 966-4614 or at [email protected].