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Men’s Open finalists Karue Sell and Connor Hance with Manhattan Parks and Rec manager Jessica Vincent and Tournament Director and Parks and Rec supervisor Michael Hudak. Photo courtesy of Manhattan Beach Parks and Rec Dept.
UCLA-bound Peninsula High tennis star Connor Hance and former UCLA tennis star Karue Sell made the men’s finals of the 50th annual Manhattan Beach Tennis Open one of the closest in the tournament’s history — at least through the first set of the match, which was held Sunday afternoon on center court at the Manhattan Country Club.
The tall, hard hitting Sell won the first game. The quick-footed Hance won the next three games by running down balls and returning them with what his Peninsula High coach Mike Hoeger calls his Andy Murray-backhand. Sell, on the strength of several aces finally prevailed in a tiebreaker, 7-5.
Their second set was memorable for a different reason. Prior to the second set, Sell told a friend it would be over in 20 minutes. Sell made good on his prediction by not losing a game.
Afterward, Hance denied being tired, but he looked it. He had placed second, with partner Joey Rotheram, of Manhattan Beach, in the men’s doubles just 30 minutes prior to returning to center court for the men’s singles. (Hance and Rotheram won the men’s doubles in 2016).
“I felt a little looser and started ‘going for it,’ a bit more,” Sell said following his victory. “But other than that, I played the second set like the first set. I could see Connor wasn’t going after the ball quite as hard as he did in the first set,” Sell said.
Sell had a 30-6 record at UCLA in 2015-16. The native Brazilian now lives in Redondo Beach and works for Tennacity, a tennis workout, and lifestyle brand.
Hance, a Torrance resident, led Peninsula High to its first CIF-Southern Division championship in 2016.
