Palihi Tennis Nets Top Seed in City Playoffs

It was a foregone conclusion that would be seeded No. 1 for the City Section boys' tennis playoffs and on Monday, a panel of administrators and coaches made it official.

As expected, the defending champion Dolphins are the top seed in the 12-team draw and have a bye in Wednesday's first round. Palisades will host either No. 8 North Hollywood or No. 9 Carson in the quarterfinals at 1 p.m. Friday at the Palisades Tennis Center.

"No surprises, except that Eagle Rock got seeded No. 2 ahead of Granada Hills," Palihi Coach said. "They're on the bottom half of the bracket, though, so we wouldn't meet the winner until the finals."

If seedings hold, Palisades will take on No. 4 El Camino Real, the West Valley League runner-up, in the semifinals next Tuesday at in Encino. The final is scheduled for 1 p.m. next Thursday, May 12, at the same site.  

Palisades is the only team in the City Championship division. Northern League champion Eagle Rock is No. 2 and also has a first-round bye along with No. 3 Granada Hills (the West Valley League winner) and ECR. 

The Dolphins are vying for their third consecutive section crown and their 19th under Kling, who took over the program in 1979.

In 2009, Palisades destroyed Granada Hills in the final, 26 1/2 to 3, and last spring they crushed Eagle Rock, 28 to 1 1/2, in the most one-sided final since the City switched to round robin scoring back in the 1980s.  

Singles and doubles draws for the have been reduced from 48 to 24 spots and seeding will be determined at the conclusion of the team playoffs. 

If they go by USTA junior rankings, on paper would be No. 1 and would be No. 3 in singles," Kling said. "That doesn't mean it's the way they'll be seeded, though, because the team tournament is factored in."

Click here to view the complete City and Invitational division brackets.