University doubles team makes most of opportunity and wins CIF title

University’s SangHyuk Im (left) and Konrad Walter-Wu won the doubles title. (Photo courtesy Im family).

The University High School doubles team of sophomore SangHyuk Im and senior Konrad Walter-Wu completed a spectacular tennis season with a CIF championship in an unusual scenario, according to Trojans’ Coach John Kessler.

“The boys actually finished third in the ultra-competitive PCL doubles tournament but were granted a spot in the CIF post-season tournament when fellow teammates freshmen Winner and Champion Okey gave their spot to Wu so he could compete in his final year,” Kessler said.

Im and Wu sailed through the first four rounds of play reaching the semi-final against the top seeded team from Valencia on Wednesday at The Whittier Narrows tennis center.  Im and Wu eventually won 7-5, 7-6 for a hard-fought victory. 

The Trojans duo then defeated Corona del Mar’s Nils Hoffman and Jack Cross to become only the third University team to win this tournament, according to Kessler. Kona Luu (UC San Diego) and Drew Dawson (Notre Dame) won in 2011 and Eric Tseng (UCSD) and Arash Hafezi won back to back titles in 2013 and 2014, the coach added.

“Im and Wu have played doubles for the past two years only losing four sets while regularly playing the highest level of competition in the nation,” Kessler said. “Wu will be attending Case Western Reserve University next year.”

It was a memorable year for Coach Kessler and his players, who captured the CIF open division title.