Tennis: CdM product gains royal win

Former Corona del Mar High tennis standout Taylor Dent captured the

$50,000 men’s international challenger circuit grass-court event in

Surbiton, Great Britain, by defeating South African Neville Godwin, 4-6,

7-6 (3), 6-2.

For Dent, who won the Powder Byrne Trophy, it was his first

challenger-level title on the Association of Tennis Professionals Tour.

The victory last week also continues Dent’s success on grass. Last

year, after winning three qualifying matches at Wimbledon, Dent took the

opening set in his first-round match against Andre Agassi, before

retiring in the fourth set with an injured right knee.

Dent, who trains out of Costa Mesa Tennis Center, won the 1996 CIF

Southern Section singles championship for Coach Tim Mang’s Sea Kings.

-- by Richard Dunn