Yok Jing Ma and Mike Lopez’s quest for a Sac-Joaquin Section Division II Tournament doubles title was a delayed for a day after the opening rounds rained out at Johnson Ranch Racquet Club in Roseville on Thursday.

On Friday, they waited some more.

With the tournament field thinned out because one league didn’t send any doubles teams, Manteca High’s all-senior tandem was awarded a first-round bye before finally facing off with Western Athletic Conference runner-up Juan Jimenez and Dennis Phommalinh of Ceres.

Ma and Lopez won 6-0, 6-0, and just like that they were on their way home. They’ll compete in the semifinals next Thursday starting at 10 a.m.

“Our guys were just far superior to their opponents today,” Manteca coach Frank Fontana said.

Manteca is still in the running for the Division III team championship. The Buffaloes host Tri-County Conference champion River City on Monday. The final round is scheduled for Wednesday.



Coed tournament

Southern League girls doubles champions Mariah Alger and Amber Lingley were last local players still standing after Day 1 of the SJS Individual Coed Tournament at Oak Park in Stockton.

The Ripon Christian teammates swept in their quarterfinal match 7-6 (3), 6-2 on Thursday but lost to the eventual champions from Placer on Friday. The result was unavailable as of press time. Ripon Christian also had three singles qualifiers — Lauren Herbert, Makenna Koslosky and Jake Van Vuren — and two doubles teams: Avery Veilleux-Hannah Lockwood and Nick Van Vliet-Mark Ozenbaugh.

Ripon had three section qualifiers. Nik Lengert eked out a three-set victory over an opponent from Bear River in the first round before falling to top-seeded Calaveras freshman David Jackson. Shannon Wesley and Maddison Flanders competed in doubles and lost in three sets. Their season is still ongoing with the SJS coed team playoffs resuming Monday at home against Sonora.