Congratulations to winners and finalists of the 2017 USTA NorCal 10s Orange Ball and Green Ball Winter Sectionals that took place January 28-29, at Saint Mary’s College!

Thank you to all the players, coaches and parents on making this a great weekend!

Picture on the left from L-R: Finalist – Alexander Steele; Winner Owen Kim. Picture on the right from L-R: Finalist – Natalie Tan; Winner – Isabel Geghamyan.

Picture on the left from L-R: Finalist – Josh Ruiz; Winner – Ajinkya Karnataki. Picture on the right from L-R: Finalist – Caitelyn Huang; Winner – Ali Maguy.

The post Section Champions Crowned at 2017 10s Orange and Green Ball Winter Sectionals! appeared first on USTA NorCal Junior Tennis.

Congratulations to Katie Volynets, from Walnut Creek, CA, on being selected to represent the United States at three ITF tournaments in Paraguay and Brazil; Asuncion Bowl, Banana Bowl, and Campeonato Internacional Juvenil de Tenis de Porto Alegre.  The tournaments will take place from January 30^th through February 19^th.  Congratulations to the players selected to participate in these ITF Tournaments!

You can see Katie’s results here.

USTA National Coaches: Erik Kortland and Jamea Jackson

The post Katie Volynets Goes to South America appeared first on USTA NorCal Junior Tennis.

Aidan Mayo, 13, from Roseville, CA, was selected on team USA to compete in two 14s premier events starting with the Nike Junior International Teen Tennis Championships in Bolton, England, followed by Les Petits As, in Tarbes, France.

It was a unique opportunity for Aidan to play for his country and to play against the top players in the world in his age category. “It is really different over there because it is more like a pro tournament with a bigger crowd and it’s louder,” Aidan explained. These differences didn’t affect Aidan as he made history, along three other American players, in Bolton. All four semifinalists were American, which hadn’t happened in all 23 years that the tournament exists. “We didn’t even know until after the tournament but it was great to be a part of that.” It was a positive tournament for Aidan, advancing to the semifinals in singles against eventual winner, Toby Alex Kodat. Aidan also went on to reach the finals in doubles with Martin Damm, falling in the final match against the #2 seed team 3-6 5-7. “I played really well in England, I beat a player in the quarterfinals I lost to before, so it helped me understand how I had to play.” One of the main differences Aidan saw in these bigger tournaments are the size of the players. “A lot of the kids are bigger than me, so they don’t let you play aggressively, which is something I had to get used to,” Aidan acknowledged. For a complete summary of the tournament, click here.

Aidan Mayo being interviewed by local media at Les Petits As.

Team USA at Les Petits As.

Congratulations Aidan on representing team USA so well, and making NorCal proud. Go Team NorCal!

The post Aidan Mayo reflects on his European Experience appeared first on USTA NorCal Junior Tennis.

As part of Team USA for the second time in her life, Katie Volynets, a 15-year-old phenom from Walnut Creek, CA, traveled to Paraguay and Brazil early in February to take part in three International Tennis Federation (ITF) tournaments. Still jet-lagged from her trip home, Volynets took the time to talk about her experience overseas.

Playing abroad for the first time as part of Team USA and competing against older girls could have easily been overwhelming for Katie. But she was excited for the adventures ahead. “It was a very good experience for me. I learned a lot and saw some new games so it was great to be around that,” Katie said. The different cultures, languages and way of life in South America were no problem for Katie, who embraced it all. “It was a little bit harder to communicate in Brazil because they spoke Portuguese, but we figured it out,” Katie recalled with a laugh. “In Paraguay they spoke Spanish so it was easier because some team members spoke Spanish. Also, they didn’t have any transportation so we had a five-minute walk to go to the sites, which is different from the US since we drive a lot.” But all these differences didn’t faze Katie whose focus was on tennis.

Katie Volynets at the Campeonato Internacional Juvenil de Tenis de Porto Alegre.

Although she was playing against older and more experienced players, Katie went to South America with one goal: winning. Her focus is undeniable and it led her to two quarterfinals in doubles with teammate Chloe Beck at the 37th Asuncion Bowl and the 47^th Banana Bowl. Along with these great results, Katie had a couple of strong wins in singles. “Overall, I’m happy with these few weeks because I played the right way and I saw that my game was right up there with theirs. Now, I just need to keep gaining experience because the big difference is that these girls never go away mentally, no matter what the score is.” She might have not come back with a trophy, but Katie returned to the United States with a lot more experience. “That was another goal of mine for that trip, which was to get used to these stronger games and players so it will help me in future tournaments.”

After almost a month overseas, Katie is back at home training for her next tournaments. Her first stop will be at the Newport Beach Bowl ITF in mid-March, followed by the USTA International Spring Championships in Carson, and the Easter Bowl Championships in the Girls 18s. It might seem like a packed schedule, but Katie wouldn’t have it any other way.

The post Katie Volynets Talks Trip to South America appeared first on USTA NorCal Junior Tennis.

February was a very busy and successful month for Team NorCal. Here’s a look at some of the results from our junior players:

It was an all-NorCal final in the Boys 12s Singles Division as John Kim of Sunnyvale took home the title against Raghav Jangbahadur of Palo Alto. Kim had another all-NorCal match when he played Kurt Miller of Los Gatos in the semifinals. Miller put up a strong performance in the playoff match to finish in third place. In the Boys 12s Doubles Division, Liam Carpenter of Greenbrae and Patrick Toman of Pleasant Hill reached the semifinals and took home third place against Kurt Miller and Vasyl Yazadzhiev of Santa Barbara, CA. Carpenter also won the Consolation bracket in Singles. In the Girls 12s Singles Division, Priya Nelson of Sacramento had a great showing as she advanced to the semifinals and then defeated Paisha Douglas of Las Vegas, NV, in the playoff match for a third place finish. Nelson partnered with Madison Weekley of Alamo in the Girls 12s Doubles Division, and took home fourth place.

Aryan Chaudhary of Santa Clara, continued his incredible start to the year by sweeping the singles and doubles draws in the Boys 14s Division. Chaudhary and partner Timothy Li of Valley Village, CA, formed the No. 1 seed and won 6-1 in the finals. In that same division, Alexander Chang of Berkeley made it all the way to the semifinals and took home fourth place. In the Girls 14s Singles Division, Vivian Ovrootsky of San Jose, extended her winning streak by overcoming fellow NorCal player Yuu Ishikawa in the finals. Ishikawa also had a successful tournament in doubles with partner Kimberly Hance of Torrance, CA, as they finished in third place. Team NorCal showed up in full force in the Girls 14s Doubles Division with four more players making it to the semifinals. Amber Lee of Orinda and Avantika Willy of Dublin made it to the championship match but lost a tough battle 7-6 (5). Shreya Ravilla of Fremont teamed up with Alexis Johnson of Fair Oaks and finished fourth, after retiring in the playoff match due to injury.

Picture on the left: Aryan Chaudhary with his trophies. Middle picture: Aryan Chaudhary and doubles partner Timothy Li. Picture on the right: Vivian Ovrootsky.

At the USTA National Level 2 Tournament in Tucson, AZ, Luke Casper of Santa Cruz advanced to the semifinals in the Boys 14s Singles Division and won the doubles draw as the No. 2 seed with Philip Martin of Los Altos. In the Girls 12s Doubles Division, all-NorCal pair Sofia Daryaie of Los Gatos and Anya Murthy of Fremont, was the only unseeded pair in the semifinals. They fell to the No. 2 seed and eventual winners Lamijja Avdic and Zehra Suko.

Picture on the left: Luke Casper (red shirt) and Philip Martin on his right. Picture on the right L-R: Luke Casper and Nishanth Basavareddy.

At the San Antonio National Level 2 presented by John Newcombe Tennis Academy, Carolyn Campana won her second doubles title in a row in the Girls 18s. She partnered with Kolie Allen from the Midwest Section to form the No. 2 seed. Campana also reached the quarterfinals in singles, falling to eventual finalist Madeline Meredith. The Campana family didn’t stop there as Anna Campana finished third at the USTA National Level 2 in Austin, TX. 

Picture on the left: Anna Campana in Austin, TX. Picture on the right L-R: Kolie Allen and Carolyn Campana in San Anotnio, TX.

The post NorCal Juniors Honor Roll: February 2017 appeared first on USTA NorCal Junior Tennis.

Congratulations to Andrew Ton and Sara Choy who have been chosen as part of the Junior Leadership Team!

Launched by the USTA last year, this initiative is a player recognition program meant to recognize and reward junior players who have best exemplified positive qualities and behaviors on and off the court.

ANDREW TON:

• Ranked No. 4 in NorCal in the Boys 18s
• Has won 3 Gold Balls, 2 Silver Balls and 1 Bronze Ball in Doubles.
• He will be playing next year for the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.

SARA CHOY:

• Ranked No. 12 ^{in the US in the Girls 18s and was ranked No. 1 in the Girls 16s in 2016}
• Has won 1 Gold Ball, 1 Silver Ball and 1 Bronze Ball in Singles, and was the 2016  US Open NorCal Sectional Singles Champion
• 2014 Easter Bowl Girls 14s Doubles Champion

Congratulations to both of them!

The post Junior Leadership Team Announced! appeared first on USTA NorCal Junior Tennis.

Carolyn Campana caught the tennis bug early on while watching her Dad and two brothers play. Her younger sister, Anna, is following in the family’s footsteps as well. Now 17 years old, Carolyn is earning national recognition after back-to-back national titles in doubles, and talks about the keys to her success.

Growing up playing with her Dad (Mark) and brothers (Peter and Matthew), “I had no choice but go to the net,” Carolyn explains. “I knew I couldn’t win from the baseline so I learned quickly how to play at the net,” with a giggle in her voice. For Carolyn, having to figure out how to play against her father, and brothers, explains her love of the net and her good results in doubles. So, even though she had never played with either doubles partners she won her national titles with, she felt their games would be compatible with hers because they both liked to move forward. “I had great chemistry with both my partners so that really helped. But most importantly, I knew they were both aggressive and liked going to the net, which made it a lot easier.” Carolyn also attributes her success on and off the field to her family. “Anna and I compete with each other all the time but I wouldn’t be the player or the student I am without her, and I’m close to my brothers who taught me to enjoy tennis and not stress too much.”

Picture on the left: Carolyn, Peter, Matthew and Anna. Picture on the right L-R: Matthew, Carolyn, Adele (in the back), Anna, Mark and Peter.

But sometimes pressure sneaks in and relaxing is easier said than done. Carolyn had never won a Gold Ball before the USTA National Winter Championships, so closing out that title match was definitely a test. “There was a little bit of pressure at Winter Nationals to win that Gold Ball but we pumped each other up. When we finally won, we both went crazy and hugged each other because we were both getting something we’ve been wanting for so long.” Another test came at her next national event in San Antonio. Coming off her best result and being a national champion, the pressure was different. She now was the person other players were chasing. But Carolyn thrives on pressure and enjoys these situations. “It made me want to win even more because I love the pressure and now I had to prove that I earned that first championship,” Carolyn explains.

Picture on the left L-R – At the 2017 USTA National Winter Championships : Ivana A. Corley and Carolyn Campana. Picture on the right – at the San Antonio National Level 2 presented by John Newcombe Tennis Academy: Kolie Allen and Carolyn Campana.

Following her success earlier this year in doubles, Carolyn acknowledged that it helped her confidence in singles as well. Another factor to her success is the structure she has in place. She trains three weeks a month at the IMG Academy in Florida, and one week at home in the Bay Area. “IMG is flexible and accommodating, which helps me organize my homework and my tournament schedule since my parents are the ones traveling with me.”

Picture on the left: Carolyn at 6 years old. Picture on the right: Carolyn at 16 years old at the USTA National Championships – Easter Bowl.

When asked what her future holds, Carolyn replied with enthusiasm: “I want to play college tennis for sure; it’s a dream of mine.” As far as where this dream might take place, we’ll have to wait for that answer. One thing is sure, whatever Carolyn decides to do, she will pour her heart into it, just like she rushes to the net to beat her siblings.

The post The Net Approach appeared first on USTA NorCal Junior Tennis.

Imagine a 67-year-old man across the net from a 16-year-old junior. At first glance, you would think that the older player has no chance against the young junior with fresh legs and powerful strokes. But in this case, the man facing the young junior is USTA NorCal’s very own formidable Steve Cornell. While more than 50 years apart in age, junior player Rishi Bhakta and Steve were very close in skill level – and this is the great thing about the Generation Gap tournament.

Players who competed in the Willow Glen Gen Gap tournament hosted in May were matched up against each other not based on their ages but on their levels of play. Using the NTRP and UTR ratings systems, players ranging from 3.5 to 5.0 NTRP and 5 to 10 UTR were matched against each other in Round Robin competition. While the tournament did not award any points towards rankings, it offered a unique experience where players were able to play against people of both various ages and styles of play reflective of the era which the player grew up in.

L-R: Ronald Miller and Steve Cornell

Born in Oakland, Steve went on to play for the UCLA Men’s Team alongside Jimmy Connors and on the ATP Pro Tour for a period of time. Reflective of his era, Steve employed a traditional serve-and-volley, chip-and-charge style of tennis against Rishi, a rising junior player. “I think he was not used to seeing a player like me serve and volley and chip and charge off of returns so I think this threw him off. But he was a very promising junior and it would be interesting to see how much he develops and grows as a player. And I think that’s one of the great things about this tournament. You can say that you’ve played against a player when he was only 16 and then later on see him mature into this great player. And it was a very competitive match. I’m just glad I was able to win beat him while I still can.”

A number of the parents mentioned to USTA NorCal Adult Tournament Coordinator, Michelle Wilson, how great Gen Gap tournaments are and how playing adults give juniors a very valuable experience of playing against different types of players.   Playing against different styles made players learn to adapt quickly to styles they were not used to.

Craig Pasqua, the host and referee of the tournament shared a few thoughts on the friendly atmosphere and well-mannered spirit of competition that are not always on display at Junior-only or Adult-only events. “It was nice to be able to just sit and watch most of the matches. Most of the junior tournaments I’m being called out to a single match frequently.  There was none of that at this tournament and that was great to see. It was a very relaxed and easy going environment.”

Help spread the word about this among friends and family and come out and join us at our next event on July 1-2, 2017 at Willow Glen High School to have the chance to play in this unique level-based play across all ages!

Click Here for more information regarding Gen Gap Tournaments

Congratulations to all the players from the last tournament!

Picture on the left – Men’s A Singles Champion: Ryan Loke. Picture on the right – Men’s A Singles Finalist: Myles Uyema.

Picture on the left – L-R: Kamila Wong and Lisa Miller. Picture on the right – Annie Woodbury, Liz Moore, Lisa Miller, Stephanie Ren, Ria Bhakta, Lauren Joyce and Kamila Wong.

The post Bridging the Gap appeared first on USTA NorCal Junior Tennis.

Even though the weather hasn’t been too cooperative in the last couple of months, our NorCal players still competed extremely well!

During the USTA National Spring Team Championships, Randy Cory from Salinas, CA, helped his team, the Patriots, take home the silver medal by going undefeated in doubles and 2-2 in singles. Randy also got a sportsmanship award, along with his mother! At the USTA National BG 12 Spring Team Championships L1, NorCal had a strong showing with three players finishing in the top four. Kurt Miller of Los Gatos placed second with Team Fun Dip, while Julien Simonian of Redwood City took third place with Team Cracker Jack. Julien also earned a sportsmanship award! Maxim Sorokin of Cupertino rounded up the boys’ side by finishing fourth with Team Mike & Ike. In addition to these great results, Emily Novikov received the Boys and Girls Team Spirit Award with her team, the Now & Later.

Picture on the left – USTA Spring Team National Championships: Back row: Nicholas Garcia, Florida, Randy Cory, NorCal, Coach Matt, Leighton Allen, Texas. Front row: Baylor Sai, Tennessee, Kevin Zhu, Texas, Connor Krug, Florida. Middle Picture L-R: Randy Cory and Kevin Zhu. Picture on the right – Team Mike & Ike: Brett Keeling, Maxim Sorokin, Daniel Pries, Stephen Coffman, Thomas Lynch, Marco Mesarovic. Coach Mark O’Neil .

 Katie Volynets of Walnut Creek had another solid performance during the Newport Beach Bowl ITF. Katie triumphed in the girls’ 18s singles division, winning 6-0, 6-0 against Lauren Stein of Paradise Valley, AZ, in the finals.

At the USTA International Spring Championships, Vivian Ovrootsky of San Jose continued to impress, finishing as the runner-up in the girls’ 16s singles division. She unfortunately had to retire in the finals. In the boys’ 16s division, Stefan Leustian of Mather, was a semifinalist in singles and doubles. Seeded No. 8 in singles, Stefan fell to No. 6 seed Andrew Dale in the singles semifinal. Stefan and his doubles partner, Zachery Lim of Fairfield, unfortunately had to retire in the doubles semifinals.

Picture on the left – Newport Beach Bowl ITF: Katie Volynets. Middle picture – USTA International Spring Championships G16s: Vivian Ovrootsky. Picture on the right – USTA National Championships – Easter Bowl B12s: Landon Ardila, Nishesh Basavareddy, John Kim and Brock Anderson.

The USTA National Championships – Easter Bowl and the Easter Bowl ITF Tennis Championships took place simultaneously at the end of March, with Indian Wells Tennis Garden being the host site. Seven other sites hosted matches in Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert, and Cathedrale City, CA. Both tournaments were extremely positive for Team NorCal, coming home with a couple of titles, amongst other terrific results.

First, the USTA National Championships – Easter Bowl.

In the boys 12s division, John Kim of Sunnyvale reached the finals in the Doubles Draw with Brock Anderson from Pacific Northwest. John and Brock fought hard but eventually fell to Landon Ardila of Texas and Nishesh Basavareddy of Midwest, 6-3, 7-6(4). In the girls 12s singles division, Priya Nelson continues to play extremely well, winning the title against Eleana Yu of the Midwest 6-1, 6-3. She also received a sportsmanship award!

In the boys 14s singles division, Aryan Chaudhary, the No. 2 seed, kept his impressive start to the year going with a runner-up finish, only falling to Alexander Bernard 6-4, 6-2. In the doubles draw, Aryan reached that last step, winning with his regular doubles partner, Timothy Li of Valley Village, CA. They defeated Martin Damm of Florida and Roseville resident Aidan Mayo, 7-5, 6-1. In the girls 14s singles division, Connie Ma of Dublin advanced to the semifinals, falling to Charlotte Owensby 6-3, 6-3, the eventual winner, but finished third overall. Connie beat the No. 4 seed Emma Jackson of Midwest en route to her semifinal match.

USTA National Championships – Easter Bowl. Picture on the far left L-R: Alexander Bernard, Lo Kuhle, Aryan Chaudhary. Picture on the left L-R: John and Priya Nelson. Picture on the right L-R: Aidan Mayo and Martin Damm. Picture on the far right L-R: Sedona Gallagher and Jillian Taggart.

In the boys 16s singles division, Ryder Jackson of Tiburon won five matches to reach the semifinals and eventually finished in fourth place. In the girls 16s doubles division, Jillian Taggart of Fair Oaks teamed up with Sedona Gallagher of Intermountain, and won a nail biter final against Gabriella Cusano and Jayci Goldsmith of Texas 7-6 (6), 6-7(3), 7-6(5)! Jillian and Sedona were unseeded and beat the No. 2 and the No. 4 seeds on their way to the title.

Finally, we also want to recognize the three NorCal players who reached the Easter Bowl ITF Tennis Championships quarterfinals in doubles. Jenson Brooksby of Carmichael teamed up with Sebastian Mermersky of Washington, DC, Keenan Mayo of Roseville with Timothy Sah of San Diego, CA and Austen Huang of Elk Grove with Ryan Seggerman of Coronado, CA.

Congratulations to all our junior players who competed this past month! And we can’t wait to see what April brings.

The post NorCal Juniors Honor Roll: March 2017 appeared first on USTA NorCal Junior Tennis.

Congratulations to Team NorCal , the 2017 Maze Cup Champions!!!!!!

It was another wild finish at the 44^th Maze Cup, which took place at the Stockdale Country Club in Bakersfield, CA, during the weekend of April 7-9. NorCal edged SoCal 12 (points) to 8, claiming the Maze Cup for a fourth time in five years. Team NorCal had to fight until the end to bring home the Cup for the second consecutive year.

To make that happen, NorCal had to be united to overcome its opponent. “The players fought extremely hard for every match, their unity and spirit did a lot of the heavy lifting. We were very proud of them and their performance,” Beth Workeneh, USTA NorCal Player Development Specialist, said. Byron Nepomuceno, one of two Maze Cup’s coaches, could not contain his excitement as well. “I was really proud of the way everybody got along and the chemistry that formed. Everybody had a hand in the victory, from the girls sweeping their matches to the boys’ clutch doubles.”

Looking at the scorecard, it is easy to understand the fight these rivals put up. With seven three-set matches, it is clear each team gave their all. “Even though a few players couldn’t make the trip, everybody stepped up,” Nepomuceno proudly explains. “I want to personally thank Sara Choy who cancelled her college visits back East to play when she learned I was coaching the team. Another crucial player was Connie Ma, who is 13 years old and was playing in her first Maze Cup. She acted like she had been there before and beat girls that were way ahead of her,” Nepomuceno says with a laugh. Workeneh also mentioned Connie as a valuable player: “The players unanimously felt like she was a monster on the court. A secret weapon, indeed,” she joked.

When asked to describe what her experience was like, Connie was quick to say how much fun it was. “It was a really good bonding experience and I was excited to play with my teammates and for NorCal!” Although representing her section is nothing new to Connie, the rivalry between SoCal and NorCal brought more pressure to the competition. “I was a little bit nervous playing for NorCal because it’s a big rivalry and I know it would be really competitive,” Connie said. “The score was 8-8 when we started our last round so there was more pressure on us, but the cheering from my teammates helped a lot during these tensed moments.”

From the outside looking in, the pressure didn’t seem to faze any of the girls as they swept their matches to clinch the victory, stopping SoCal’s comeback in the process.

Thank you to everyone who came to cheer on Team NorCal! It was a great team effort from all involved. Go Team NorCal!

The Maze Cup is a prestigious annual team competition featuring Northern and Southern California’s top juniors. It includes both boys’ and girls’ 16 and 18 divisions. The event is played using a 5-match Davis Cup/Federation Cup format, singles and doubles (four singles and one doubles). On court coaching is allowed. The site of the competition rotates between Northern and Southern California.

The Maze Cup is named after George Maze, Sr. A tireless volunteer for both the Southern California Tennis Association and Northern California Tennis Association. He originated the idea of bringing the top juniors from both sections for practice and to compete against each other before they headed East for all the summer USTA National Junior Championships. Maze Cup’s participants, while strictly a California event, have gone on to enjoy storied professional tennis careers. Pete Sampras, Lindsay Davenport, Michael Chang, Brad Gilbert, Robert Kendrick and Bob Bryan have all participated in this rivalry.

For more history on the event, click on: Maze Cup History, Results and Past Participants

The post The Maze Cup Stays Home! appeared first on USTA NorCal Junior Tennis.

NorCal Junior Vivian Ovrootsky of San Jose and her father Val talk about the tennis journey from ,”I want to try that sport” to her now being one of the most promising prospects in tennis at only 12 years of age.

In recent years, the USTA has been running Early Development Camps (EDC) to recruit and assist our most promising young athletes in the age range of 6- to 10-years-old. The incentive is aimed to help grow the talent pool of junior players to create a new wave of world-class tennis professionals in the years to come. Similar to the Olympic Team USA Sectional Training Camps, our National Coaching Staff continually evaluate and identify the most promising young prospects to invite a limited number of participants who display exceptional work ethic, commitment, and attitude.

USTA NorCal was lucky enough to find and invite Vivian Ovrootsky, a 5-star Blue Chip recruit, to one of the Green Level EDC events when she was only 7 years old. And most recently, Vivian took home Gold Ball trophies at the 12s Winter Nationals in Tucson. We talked with Vivian about her early stages of tennis and to her current participation at many USTA National tournaments.

At the age of 3, Vivian first started off youth sports by playing soccer. But, she remembered not having too much fun with the sport. “I looked over to the tennis courts one day and thought, ‘I want to try that sport.’ I was extremely bad at first and couldn’t even hit a ball, but my dad and I worked for several hours each day until I finally could.” While many would choose to quit because of the lack of immediate results, Vivian persevered and trusted in her process instead of her results.” Losing, while painful, is not a bad thing. It is an opportunity to improve and learn, and wins will come. And most importantly… enjoy the process, it is, while sometimes hard, brings a lot of positives to your life.”

Playing a huge role with her positivity is Vivian’s circle of support that she has gained through tennis. “People often say tennis is a lonely sport, but only if you make it that way. If you have a team and many friends behind you, I would say it’s amazing.” One of Vivian’s most memorable moments from her participation in the EDC events was making new friends that she still stays in touch with. “I believe I was about 7 when I got invited to my first camp. It was truly a precious moment because not only would it help my game, it would aid me in making friends… I also met new friends whom I keep in touch with and see at National tournaments all the time now.”

Vivian’s father, Val, shared a few thoughts about the early stages of Vivian’s tennis career. “Vivian got invited to the camp by USTA NorCal. We both felt it was an honor and approached it this way. I told Vivian that she has to be very appreciative but at the same time proud that she was selected. I remember it was a lot of fun and very informational for me as well. I believe camps are great opportunities for kids to find new friends and have fun and even more so it is a great place for parents to learn as well. Especially when your kids are just starting to play, it’s a great way to meet other parents and talk to coaching professionals.”

The USTA continues to find new ways, while refining current methods, to help young players navigate from the humble beginnings of tennis to the high-performance National levels. The EDC events designed for players aged 6-to 10-years-old are one of the most successful programs that we continue to promote to both players and parents. Vivian’s younger sister Shana, now 8, who was also involved in tennis at the early age of 3 through Red, Orange, and Green balls, we now look forward to seeing her progression. Val says he will “definitely enroll her to USTA EDC Green camps if given the chance. We do appreciate opportunities given to us by USTA NorCal and National over the years and look forward to more collaboration in the future.”

To help us spread the word about the EDC programs so that players will have the chance to experience what players like Vivian have, encourage potential parents and players to look into the events. Find out more at http://www.norcal.usta.com/juniors/development/edc/.

The post From Early Development Camps to Nationals appeared first on USTA NorCal Junior Tennis.

Team NorCal kept busy in April by competing in National Level 3 tournaments and International Tennis Federation (ITF) tournaments!

The Darling Memorial Tennis Center USTA National Level 3 Tournament was a very successful tournament for Team NorCal with six players reaching the semifinals or better. Herrick Thomas Legaspi of Sacramento advanced to the semifinals in the boys’ 14s singles division, falling to Akhil Gupta of Intermountain 7-6(5), 6-2. He bounced back during the playoff match and took home third place against Aman Sharma of Eastern 6-3, 6-4. Herrick capped it off with a runner-up finish in the boys’ 14s doubles draw, teaming up with Nicholas Chen of Oakland. They lost a tough battle against Alan Matyjas and Akshay Saluja of Midwest 9-7. In the boys’ 16s singles division, Sima Pesic of Del Rey Oaks reached the semifinals before being stopped by Theo Winegar of Florida, with a score of 6-2, 6-4. He finished in fourth place, losing a heartbreaker against Emilio Nava of Southern California 6-2, 6-7(3), 7-5. In the girls’ 14s singles division, Makenna Thiel of Piedmont had a very successful tournament as well, making it all the way to the final where she fell to Caroline Wernli of Texas 7-6(3), 2-6, 6-3. Makenna was able to get over that last hurdle when she won the girls’ 14s doubles division with Emily Flowers of Southwest. They defeated Taylor Cataldi of SoCal and Olivia Mikkelson of Intermountain 8-3. Monica Stratakos of Saratoga advanced to the semifinals of the girls’ 16s singles division but couldn’t get past Amanda Chan of Southern California with a final score of 6-1, 6-0. Monica took home fourth place, following a loss toJennifer Kida of Southern California 6-3, 6-3. Finally, Randy Cory of Salinas reached the semifinals in the boys’ 18s doubles division, teaming up with Henry Patrick Cacciatore of Florida. Taking it all the way to a tiebreaker, Randy and Henry fell to Soh Kuyama of Intermountain and Nilos Makino of New England 9-8(6), and finished in fourth place due to a default in the playoff match. Randy also won the consolation bracket without dropping a set!

Darling Memorial Tennis Center USTA National Level 3 Tournament, Las Vegas, NV – Picture on the left: Randy Cory. Picture in the middle: Monica Stratakos with her fourth place trophy. Picture on the right: Herrick Thomas Legaspi with his third place trophy.

At the USTA National Level 3 Tournament in Lakewood, CA, Nitzan Ricklis of Sunnyvale had a strong showing, placing fourth overall in the boys’ 18s doubles division. Nitzan partnered with Evan Fortier of SoCal, but they couldn’t defend their chance in the semifinals or playoff match due to injury.

USTA National Level 3 Tournament, Long Beach, CA – Aryan Chaudhary with his second and fourth place medals.

 Aryan Chaudhary seems unstoppable these days. He participated in his first national tournament in the boys’ 16s division at the USTA National Level 3 Tournament in Long Beach, CA, and already made his mark. Aryan reached the final and barely lost against Matthew Mu of La Jolla, CA, taking it to a third set for a final score of 1-6, 6-3, 7-5. He also made it to the semifinals in doubles with regular doubles partner Timothy Li of Valley Village, CA, where they met all-NorCal pair James Bell of Fremont and Daniel Papacica of Carmel. The latter team prevailed with a score of 8-6. James and Daniel unfortunately had to retire in the finals due to illness but came home with a nice runner-up finish. Illness struck again with Aryan and Timothy and they unfortunately had to retire in the final, finishing as the runner-ups.

Lastly, congratulations to Marcus McDaniel who qualified for Team USA National Junior Team! Marcus is one of eight players who made it out of the Team USA National Junior Team playoff. We also would like to recognize Ryder Jackson who was selected to participate in this event!

Well done to all our junior players who are playing their heart out week in and week out.

The post NorCal Juniors Honor Roll: April 2017 appeared first on USTA NorCal Junior Tennis.

If you told 14-year-old Aryan Chaudhary two years ago that he would have a Gold, Silver, and Bronze Ball, he would have never believed you. Introduced to tennis at 6 years old by his dad, Aryan is now ranked No. 1 nationally in the boys’ 14s division and doesn’t show any sign of slowing down.

Although he decided to be serious about tennis only two years ago, his achievements are already impressive. His first breakthrough performance took place at the 2015 Junior Sectional Championships in the boys’ 12s division where he swept both singles and doubles’ draws. “At that tournament, I realized I liked winning a lot,” Aryan said laughing. “After that, I became a lot more serious in my training and thought I could really do well in tennis.” Aryan first started taking lessons at the Cupertino Sports Center when he was eight years old, and then started to train with Lu Tang at 10 years old. “I love working with Lu, I wouldn’t be at the level I’m at if it weren’t for him.” Ever since that tournament, Aryan has been on the fast track. He swept the boys’ 16s Summer Junior Sectional Championships last year, and has since won several national titles.

This past January, Aryan burst into the national scene, winning a Bronze Ball at the USTA National Winter Championships, in February swept the boys’ 14s division at the USTA National Level 2 Tournament in Claremont, CA. His biggest achievement to date took place in March, winning a Silver Ball at the Easter Bowl, in Indian Wells, CA, in the boys’ 14s singles division, and a Gold Ball in the doubles division with Timothy Li. When asked about his experience there, Aryan quickly replied, “The Easter Bowl was the best experience ever! It was my first time playing in it and seeing Indian Wells. It was unreal to see so it gave me extra motivation.” This past month, Aryan played in the USTA National Level 3 Tournament in Long Beach, CA, his first National tournament in the boys 16s. That was no problem for Aryan who reached the final in singles and took fourth place in doubles with Timothy. “It was definitely a new experience for me, a little bit scary at first, but I got more comfortable and was ready for whatever was coming at me.” Before entering a National tournament, Aryan played in several local boys’ 16s tournaments. “The size and the power are really different, it’s a big jump from the 14s, so I had to get used to it. It’s a whole different level.”

Picture on the left: Aryan Chaudhary with his Bronze Ball at the Winter National Championships this past January. Picture on the right: Aryan Chaudhary with his Silver and Gold Balls at the East Bowl in March 2017.

L-R: Ranvir Singh, Meha Chaudhary, Anshita Jurel, Aryan Chaudhary.

To get to that point, Aryan has leaned on his family for support, which includes his Dad Ranvir, his Mother Anshita Jurel, and his sister Meha. Originally from India, his Dad has been a huge figure in his tennis life and “he has helped me a lot,” Aryan said. “I want to thank him for everything he has done for me. This has been such a great bounding experience for us; it has really brought us closer.” Another important figure in his rise has been his coach Lu Tang. “I take private lessons from him and I think the work we’ve done on my mental game and patience has been a big part of my results.” Wise beyond his years, it almost seems like nothing fazes Aryan. “I just try to ignore the pressure and focus on myself,” Aryan explained. Easier said than done, right? His passion for tennis allows him to apply these two principles. “I enjoy going on the court every time and I thrive every time I step on it.”

Although tennis takes a huge amount of his time, Aryan still goes to school like every other teenager. Currently attending Archbishop Mitty High School, in San Jose, CA, balancing both is no easy task, but Aryan finds a way to make it work. “It’s not easy to juggle school and tennis but my grades are good and the teachers have been great and extremely helpful.” The summer break is almost there, freeing a lot of time for Aryan to fully focus on his tennis. “I will definitely play at the Junior Sectionals this summer and will enter the big national tournaments as well.”

If the beginning of the year is any indication, we are sure to see a few more trophies around Aryan’s house when school is back in session!

If you have a juniors player from NorCal that you would like to recognize, please contact mukhar@norcal.usta.com.

The post On the Rise appeared first on USTA NorCal Junior Tennis.

You will find all the links to register for the Junior Sectional Championships:

Register Now: 

Register Now:

Register Now:

Register Now:

The post Junior Sectional Championships Registration Links appeared first on USTA NorCal Junior Tennis.

Congratulations to all the winners from the 2017 Spring Junior Team Tennis 10U Orange and Green Ball Spring Sectional Championships! The event took place May 13, at the Bay Club SF Tennis, with 16 teams and 97 players competing for the Section title!

We would like to recognize all of the JTT Section Championship winning teams, as each team has their own unique story. The Euro School of Tennis – 10U Orange Ball team won another back to back Section title, after previously winning their division/flight at the 2016 Fall JTT Section Championships. NorCal Tennis Academy added to their Section Championship titles by fielding three teams at Sectionals this year, and bringing home two Section titles at the 10U Orange and 10U Green division.  The Evergreen Sparks – 10U Green Ball team entered the Section Championships as wildcard, but ended up taking home a Section title in a closely contested 10U Green Ball division!

Thank you to all the players, coaches and parents for making this weekend so special!

Division Winners

10U Orange Ball Sportsmanship Winners

Lexi Xu

10U Green Ball Sportsmanship Winners

Aaron Sharma

The post Meet your 2017 Spring 10U Orange and Green JTT Section Champions! appeared first on USTA NorCal Junior Tennis.

This past weekend, Diamond Hills Sports Club and Spa played host of the USTA NorCal JTT Spring Section Championships for the 12U Green ball, 12U Yellow ball, and 14U Coed divisions.

With temperatures reaching 100+ degrees throughout the weekend, 28 teams and 175 players competed for the coveted Section Championship title.  After the last point was played, 7 teams emerged from the event as a Section Champions.

Congratulations to all of the winning teams on a great achievement, attained through so many different paths!

Marin Country Club made their first trip to Sectionals in the 12U Green ball division and ended up winning their flight. “The team played great with a lot of heart,” Rocky Pierson, Marin Country Club Captain, said. “The kids really stepped up and played some great tennis.” Kimberly DesJardine, mother of Marin Country Club player Mason Bruce, enjoyed the competition as much as the players did. “It’s a great experience for the kids and an opportunity to do their best. I think the emphasis on sportsmanship made it really special.”

The other 12U Green ball Section Champions hailed from Lifetime Tennis, who sent two teams to Sectionals and came back home with two division titles. “This is the first time we won the 12U Green ball division, so I’m really happy with how the team performed,” Michael Leopold, Lifetime Tennis Captain, said with a smile up to his ears. “One of our proudest achievements is to make sure the players respect the game and hearing the other coaches say they felt our players were really respectful was fantastic.”

In the 12U Yellow Ball division, Arora Tennis won a title for the East Bay by going undefeated in both local league play and at JTT Sectionals, finishing the season with a 7-0 record.  “It was a great first JTT experience for me and our players. Arora Tennis is looking forward to putting more teams together next season,”Danny Furman, Arora Tennis Captain stated. Morson Performance Tennis qualified four different teams for Sectionals and had their highest finish in the 12U Yellow ball division, winning 1^st place overall for their flight. “The Spring sectional weekend is a great opportunity for all our players, both advanced and intermediate to gain match experience, work as a team, and have lots of fun,” Jenno Morson, Morson Performance Tennis Captain said.

Eight teams competed in the Coed 14U division across two different flights, based on their rating level. With three out of eight teams having competed previously at the JTT National Championships, there was little room for error if your goal was to win a title.  After the last point was played, two teams emerged victorious. In Flight A, the California Tennis Club won a closely contested division by 2 games over McLaren Park.  “I’m really proud of our team, when we were down we were able to fight our way back into a lot of matches,” Matt Berry, the California Tennis Club Captain, said. “I was really impressed with our resiliency and toughness throughout the tournament.” Flight B was won by the Almaden Valley Athletic Club Wild Cats, celebrating another 14U championship and winning back to back season championships.

Congratulations to all the players, parents and coaches who braved the heat to make this a successful weekend.

Check out the pictures from the event here.

Sportsmanship Winners

12U Green Ball – Flight A Sportsmanship winners

12U Green Ball – Flight A Sportsmanship winners

12U Green Ball – Flight B Sportsmanship winners

12U Green Ball – Flight B Sportsmanship winners

12U Green Ball – Flight C Sportsmanship winners

12U Yellow Ball – Flight A Sportsmanship winners

12U Yellow Ball – Flight A Sportsmanship winners

12U Yellow Ball – Flight B Sportsmanship winners

14U Coed – Flight A Sportsmanship winners

14U Coed – Flight A Sportsmanship winners

14U Coed – Flight B Sportsmanship winners

The post The 2017 JTT Spring 12U Green 12U Yellow Ball and 14U Divisions Now in the Books appeared first on USTA NorCal Junior Tennis.

For the second year in a row, the St. Ignatius High School Boys’ Tennis Team took home the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) USTA Regional Tennis Championship title, beating Menlo High School 4-3.

Back Row L-R: Craig Law, Josh Belandres, Josh Anagnostou, Marshall Leung, Kris Churton, Ryder Jackson, Daniel Landa, Ethan Smith, Daniel Begovich, Jack Carroll, Ed Grafilo, James Greig. Front Row (L-R): Max Belandres, Cambell Nakayama, Michael Hymowitz, Daniel Boudagian, Diego Morales, Jonah Briskin, Mason Fung, Ryan Ali

As a rematch of the Central Coast Section (CCS) Championship, Menlo had at heart to even out the scores. However, a strong doubles display by St. Ignatius who swept all three matches, Menlo had a huge task at hand. With four out of seven matches going to three sets, both teams put up a huge fight. St. Ignatius was able to get the one win they needed at the No. 2 singles with Campbell Nakayama beating Brandon April, giving St. Ignatius a spotless record of 55-0 over the last two years. “This record is amazing, I mean 55-0 over two seasons, I’m so proud of my guys for what they’ve accomplished,” Craig Law, St. Ignatius Head Coach, said.  “The team played great, you want to go into a tournament with momentum and we did by winning the CCS. At the end of the day, for any team, it’s all about depth and leadership, and having ten different players I can rotate makes a big difference.”

Under a very hot afternoon, the two teams met in the finals of a major tournament for the third time in a year, “We played them last year in the finals of the 2016 CIF USTA Regional Boys Tennis Championships also, and a week ago in the Central Coast Section Championships finals,” Law said laughing. “But Menlo is a dynasty so any chance we get to play them is good. It was a rematch in the true sense of it as both teams had the exact same line-up as the week before.”

We are sure that we will see plenty of both teams as the years go on with more rematches along the way. Congratulations to the St Ignatius team on an amazing season and to the Menlo High School team for reaching the finals two years in a row!

The post St Ignatius two-peat at the CIF USTA Regional Boys Tennis Championships appeared first on USTA NorCal Junior Tennis.

Team NorCal has been hard at work on the courts, once again bringing home some excellent results in May.

On their home turf at the National Level 2 Ranking Tournament in Roseville, CA, the NorCal players showed why it was their territory as 22 players reached the semifinals or better. Emon van Loben Sels of Sacramento finished in fourth place in the boys’ 12s single division, falling to NorCal fellow player Patrick Toman in the semifinal 6-4, 6-3. Patrick swept the division by winning the singles title 6-4, 6-3 against Domonique Rolland of Southern California and captured the doubles titles with Payton Young of Alamo 6-5, against all-NorCal pair of Raghav Jangbahadur of Palo Alto and Emon. Raghav and Emon prevailed in the semifinals against Matteo Antonescu of Mountain View and Alex Fuchs of Los Altos 6-0. Matteo and Alex finished in fourth place falling to Nathan Blakey and Nathan Tam of Southern California.

Congratulations to Luke Casper of Santa Cruz who took home the title in the boys’ 14s singles, overcoming Hugo Hashimoto of San Jose in a hard fought final won 2-6, 6-2, 7-6(4). It was an all-NorCal affair in the boys’ 14s division as Luke defeated John Kim of Sunnyvale in the semifinals 6-3, 6-2, while Hugo beat Kurt Miller of Los Gatos 6-3, 6-2. Hugo didn’t stop there and triumphed in the boys’ 14s doubles division with partner Max Fardanesh of Albany. The pair overcame Luke Casper and Philip Martin of Los Altos in a close final won 7-6(4). Luke and Philip defeated Isaac Smith of Intermountain and Jake Vassel of Danville in the semifinals 6-3 who took fourth place, having to withdraw against Sebastian Gorzny and Rithvik Krishna of Southern California.

National Level 2 Ranking Tournament in Roseville, CA – Picture on the left (L-R): Patrick Toman, Payton Young, Emon van Loben Sels and Raghav Jangbahadur. Middle picture: Patrick Toman. Picture on the right (L-R): Luke Casper and Hugo Hashimoto.

On the girls side of the tournament, Martina Marica of San Jose and Kamila Wong of Palo Alto reached the semifinals in girls’ 12s doubles division, falling to Iris Bermand and Madelaine Jessup of Southern California 7-5. They placed fourth overall, battling against Caroline Lemcke and Meg McCarty of Intermountain for a final score of 6-3.

In the girls’ 14s division, Vivian Ovrootsky of San Jose continues her very successful year, winning the girls’ 14s singles division against Mountain View resident Yuu Ishikawa 6-2, 1-0 Ret. (inj). Yuu reached the finals after a close set against Makenna Thiel of Piedmont won 7-6(5), but Makenna had to retire because of injury. Yuu reached that last step in the girls’ 14s doubles with partner Kimberly Hance of Southern California, winning in the finals against Vivian and Anushka Khune of Palo Alto 6-2. Vivian and Anushka made the finals by being victorious over Annissa Mu of Saratoga and Pastel Schway of San Jose who finished third, beating Emmie Moore and Madison Smith of Intermountain 6-3.

National Level 2 Ranking Tournament in Roseville, CA – Far left picture: Yuu Ishikawa. Picture on the left (L-R): Yuu Ishikawa, Kimberly Hance, Vivian Ovrootsky and Anushka Khune. Picture on the right (L-R): Vivian Ovrootsky and Anushka Khune. Picture on the far right: Vivian Ovrootsky.

At the USTA National Level 2 in Surprise, AZ, Katie Volynets once again showed her good form as she advancedto the semifinals in the girls’ 18s singles division. Due to illness, Katie retired while down 6-2, 3-1 against Sedona Gallagher of Henderson, NV. Katie was able to comeback for her playoff match and won 7-5, 6-4 against Toni Nelson of Buckeye, AZ, taking home third place overall. However, she had to retire in the semifinals of the doubles due to illness as well. Lastly, Niluka Madurawe of Sunnyvale prevailed in the girls 18’s doubles, playing with Lauren Stein of Paradise Valley, AZ. They overcame Jillian Taggart of Fair Oaks and Sedona Gallagher of Henderson, NV, 6-2.

Congratulations to all the NorCal players who competed this month and we look forward to see you on the courts next month!

The post NorCal Juniors Honor Roll: May 2017 appeared first on USTA NorCal Junior Tennis.

In a blazing heat wave that took over the entire Bay Area, our NorCal Juniors still managed to battle it out during the Individual Section Championships that took place June 10-11 & 17-18, in Sacramento, Sunnyvale, and Fresno.

In the Boys’ 12s singles division that took place at the Sunnyvale Tennis Center, Raghav Jangbahadur of Palo Alto had a very successful tournament, winning the title without dropping a set. Raghav beat Mason Nguyen of El Dorado Hills 6-0, 6-2. But Mason didn’t let that affect him, as he took the title home in the Boys’ 12s doubles division with Lleyton Okada-Alonzo of Marina. Mason and Lleyton got the better of Mitchell Lee of Oakland and Julien Simonian of Redwood City, 6-4, 6-2. In the Girls’ 12s singles division, the hierarchy was respected as No. 1 seed Ria Bhakta of Saratoga triumphed in the finals against Lauren Joyce of Lodi 6-4, 6-1. The singles final opponents became partners, teaming up to win the Girls’ 12s doubles division. Lauren and Ria overcame Caroline Beard of Santa Rosa and Anya Murthy of Fremont in a three set battle 7-6(11), 6-7(6), 1-0(8)!

Sunnyvale Tennis Center – Boys’ 12s singles finalist Mason Nguyen and winner Raghav Jangbahadur. Boys’ 12s doubles winners: Lleyton Okada-Alonzo and Mason Nguyen. Girls’ 12s singles winner Ria Bhakta and finalist Lauren Joyce. Girls’ 12s doubles winners Ria Bhakta/Lauren Joyce and finalists Anya Murthy/Caroline Beard.

In the Boys’ 14s division that happened at the Arden Hills Club and Spa, Brian Chong of Cupertino overcame Max Fardanesh of Albany in the singles draw, 7-5, 3-6, 1-0(10). In the Boys’ 14s doubles, the non-seeded team of Luvdeep Ball of Yuba City and Brian Bilsey of Belmont, created the surprise by taking out the No. 1, 2, 4, and 5 seeds on their way to the title. They triumphed over Max Fardanesh and Jake Vassel of Danville in the title match 8-5. In the Girls’ 14s singles draw, Anushka Khune of Palo Alto secured the championship over home favorite Priya Nelson 6-1, 6-1. In the Girls’ 14s doubles division, Tara Chilton of Reno, NV, and Karis Kim of San Ramon completed their unbelievable tournament by being victorious over the No. 3 seed Audrey-Marie Rafols of Vallejo and Isabel Santiago of Hayward 8-3. They also prevailed against the No. 4 seed and the No. 1 seed! Congratulations to you both!

Arden Hills Club and Spa – Boys’ 14s singles winner Brian Chong and finalist Max Fardanesh. Boys’ 14s doubles winner Luvdeep Ball and Brian Bilsey. Girls’ 14s winner Anushka Khune. Girls’ 14s doubles finalists Audrey-Marie Rafols/Isabel Santiago and winners Karis Kim/Tara Chilton.

The boys’ 16s and 18s divisions both took place at the Natomas Racquet Club. In the Boys’ 16s singles division, No. 1 seed Aryan Chaudhary of Santa Clara took care of business with a straight set win over Daniel Papacica of Carmel 6-3, 6-3. In the Boys 16s doubles division, Brandon Aprill of Mountain View and Zachery Lim of Fairfield were crowned section champions with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Marshall Leung of Tiburon and Andrei Volgin of Fremont. In the Boys’ 18s singles division, under a burning heat reaching over 100 degres, it took over 3 and a half hours for Ryder Jackson of Nicasio to triumph over Siddharth Chari of Sarataga 4-6, 7-6(2), 7-6(4). In the Boys’ 18s doubles division, Stevie Gould of Corte Madera and Issa Yoshida of Campbell took home the title thanks to a 7-6(4), 6-3 win over Nitzan Ricklis of Sunnyvale and Dean Stratakos of Saratoga.

Natomas Racquet Club – Boys’ 16s doubles winners Brandon Aprill/Zachery Lim and finalists Marshall Leung/Andrei Volgin. Boys’ 16s singles winner Aryan Chaudhary. Copper River Country Club – Girls’ 16s doubles finalists Yuu Ishikawa/Avantika Willy. Girls’ 16s singles winner: Vivian Ovrootsky.

The Girls’ 16s and 18s divisions occurred in Fresno at the Copper River Country Club. In the Girls’ 16s singles division, Vivian Ovrootsky of San Jose, who turns 13 next month, beat the competition to earn the title. She prevailed against Avantika Willy of Dublin 6-0, 6-1 in the finals. In the Girls 16s doubles division, the Zamarripa’s twins , Maribella and Allura who live in Saint Helena, were crowned section champions with their 8-2 victory over Yuu Ishikawa of Mountain View and Avantika Willy. In the Girls’ 18s singles division, Ashley Yeah of Los Gatos defeated Rachel Eason of Union City 6-4, 6-1 to claim the crown. Lastly, in the Girls’ 18s doubles division, the Campana sisters, Anna and Carolyn of Hillsborough, teamed up to win the title 8-4 against Jillian Taggart of Fair Oaks and Elena Van Linge of Menlo Park.

Natomas Racquet Club – Boys’ 18s winner Ryder Jackson and finalist Siddharth Chari. Copper River Country Club – Girls’ 18s finalist Anna Campana. Girls’ 18s doubles winners: Anna and Carolyn Campana.

Congratulations to all the juniors who participated in the Section Championships and good luck during the summer!

The post NorCal Juniors Honor Roll: June 2017 appeared first on USTA NorCal Junior Tennis.

In a beautiful setting overlooking the water and a bright blue sky, UC Santa Cruz was the host to the USTA NorCal 10 and Under Orange Ball and Green Ball Individual Sectional Championships on June 24-25. With 66 players battling for the Section title, the tennis was intense but the competition fair and fun!

Congratulations to all the winners and players who competed over the weekend.

Picture on the left L-R: Calado Fazal (4th), Alexander Steele (3rd), Andre Popa (finalist), Eidan Antwoine Mercado (winner). Picture on the right L-R: Shloka Chawla (finalist), Katie Qin (winner),  Teagan Ngo (3rd),  Meghan Rowley (4th),  Nikka Besch-Lobastov (5th),  Jadyn Laranang (7th).

Picture on the left L-R: Magnus Weng (3rd), Vihaan Chakravarthy (4th), Samuel He (finalist), Noah Balough (winner). Picture on the right: Gabrielle Casper (4th), Olivia Guo (winner), Erika Olson (finalist), Ayaka Darroch (3rd).

The post 10U Orange and Green Ball Individual Sectional Championships appeared first on USTA NorCal Junior Tennis.