CBL tennis players compete in CIF Southern Section singles and doubles preliminaries

The top two singles and doubles players from the Citrus Belt League competed in three rounds of the CIF Southern Section tennis preliminaries on May 21 (Thursday) but did not make it out of the second round.

Laith Bannout of Redlands High, the 2026 CBL singles champion and 2025 CBL doubles champion with partner and Duke University freshman Prubgeet Singh, had a bye in the first round of the area singles matches at Andulka Park Tennis Center in Riverside.

Bannout lost in the second round 2-6, 6-3, 10-7 to Koji Cephas of Riverside Poly. Bannout previously scored six of his Redlands High team’s seven points in an 11-7 loss in CIF team tennis to Whitney High of Cerritos.

In doubles action, the Redlands High duo of Advaith Kidambi and Aidan Aldosoro won their first round match over Aadin Green and Aidan Nuno of Beckman High of Irvine, 6-4 and 6-3.

In round 2, Kidambi and Aldosoro lost to Sameer Grewal and Landon Li of Beckman High, 6-1, 6-1. University of Redlands hosted three rounds of CIF preliminary tennis on Thursday, May 21.

In single action, Citrus Valley High senior Hayden Hinkleman, the two-time CBL singles runner-up, defeated Chase Dawson of Grand Terrace High, 6-0, 6-1. In the second round, Hinkelman lost to Shane Hines of El Segundo High, 6-1, 6-1.

In doubles action, the CBL champion duo of Alex Benegas and Braxton Foley defeated Jet Kim and Justin Liu of Colony High in Ontario, 6-3, 6-0. In round two, Benegas and Foley lost to Everett Somerville and Justin Lim, the Empire League champions from Tustin High, 6-1, 6-0.

The tournament continues on May 27 at Biszantz Family Center in Claremont for the round of 32 through the quarterfinals in both disciplines followed by the semifinals and finals on May 28 at the same site.

The CIF announced its final boys tennis rankings for 2026 in the Southern Section – Riverside Poly (33), Redlands (61), Redlands East Valley (111), Citrus Valley (119), Yucaipa High (121), Cajon (144) and Beaumont (248).

In earlier CIF team tennis involving CBL teams, REV beat Laguna Hills 10-8 in the first round of Division 5 but then lost to La Quinta High 11- 7 and was eliminated.

Also in Div. 5, Yucaipa High won its opener 10-8 over Burroughs of Burbank but lost Aliso Niguel 13-5 in round two. Cajon downed Liberty High 13-5 in round one but lost 14-4 to El Toro High in round two.