The holiday season might be starting, but Team NorCal isn’t taking any time off. Playing through Thanksgiving, our junior players traveled to Bradenton, FL, for the Eddie Herr International tournament, then in various states for the USTA National Indoor Championships. Finally, some players headed to Plantation, FL, for the Orange Bowl International Tennis Championships.

Taking place from November 21, through December 2, the Eddie Herr International tournament saw two of our rising stars make the top four. In the Boys’ 12 singles division, Rudy Quan of Roseville, CA, ended his season just like he started it: on a high note. Rudy reached the semifinals against American Maximus Dussault, pushing Maximus to a third set, but falling 5-7, 6-2, 10-6. In the Boys’ 14 singles division, John Kim of Sunnyvale, CA, also advanced to the semifinals, losing a tight two sets match against Togan Tokac of Turkey 7-6(6), 6-4.

Direction Manchester, MA, where the Girls’ 12 divisions of the USTA National Indoors Championship took place. Any Murthy of Fremont, CA, had a great showing, winning the consolation draw in singles. After an easy 6-2 first set, Anya had to battle in the second set, going to a tiebreak. In the end, she beat Polina Krumkachev of Southwest, 6-2, 7-6(6). Anya also had a great result in doubles, teaming up with Thea Latak of Midwest. After easily getting through the finals, Anya and Thea were stopped by Patricia Grigoras of Eastern and Mariana Shulman of New England 6-4, to claim a tremendous runner-up finish.

USTA Girls 12s National Indoors Championships – Manchester, MA. Picture on the left: Any Murthy and Thea Latak. Picture on the right: Anya Murthy.

Held in Chicago, IL, the Boys’ 14 divisions also saw NorCal players excel. Herrick Thomas Legaspi (unseeded) of Sacramento, CA, beat the No. 4, No. 7, and No. 2 seeds on his way to the finals. There, he met the No. 8 seed, Evan Wen of Morristown, NJ. After a fantastic run, Herrick had to concede against Wen 6-2, 6-2. Herrick didn’t stop there and made it to the semifinals of the doubles draw with Cooper Williams. Once again, Herrick had to face Evan Wen, who partnered with Nicholas Godsick of Chagrin Fall, OH. Unfortunately the result was the same with Evan and Nicholas winning 6-3. On the other side of the draw, Nicholas Chen of Oakland, CA, and Payton Young of Alamo, CA, also reached the top four. The NorCal pair pushed their opponents John Lasanajak of Lawrenceville, GA, and Waleed Qadir of Grenville, NC, to a tiebreak but lost 7-6(5). In the third/fourth playoff match, Herrick and Cooper had to battle against their friends but claimed the third place with a 7-6(4) win.

USTA Boys 14s National Indoors Championships – Chicago, IL. Picture on the left: Nicholas Chen, Herrick Thomas Legaspi, Cooper WIlliams, Payton Young. Picture on the right: Payton Young and Nicholas Chen.

Finally, in the Boys’ 16 singles division, Aryan Chaudhary of Santa Clara, CA,  made his travel to Wayland, MA, worth his time. Aryan won three three-set matches in a row to get to the final match, where he met Quinn Vandecasteele of Murray, UT. Aryan had an easier time in the finals, winning 6-3, 6-2 to claim another national title!

USTA Boys 14s National Indoors Championships – Wayland, MA. Aryan Chaudhary.

Lastly, the Boys and Girls age 16-18 years old, flew to Plantation, FL, to participate in the Orange Bowl International Championships. India Houghton of Belvedere Tiburon, CA, didn’t waste anytime getting to the finals of the Girls’ 16 singles draw, winning her first four matches in straight sets. On route to the title match, India made quick work of the No. 3 seed, Tara Malik of the U.S.A., winning 6-2, 6-3. India met her match in the finals, but not before putting up a fight. No. 4 seed from the U.S.A., Madison Sieg claimed the title in three sets, 2-6, 6-4, 7-5. Congratulations India on a fantastic runner-up finish!

Orange Bowl International Tennis Championship – Plantation, FL. Picture ont he left: Madison Sieg and India Houghton. Picture in the middle. India Houghton. Picture on the right: India Houghton and Lew Brewer, Tournament Director.

Congratulations to everyone on a fantastic November and we look forward to closing out the year strong. Go Team NorCal!

The post NorCal Juniors Honor Roll: November 2018 appeared first on USTA NorCal Junior Tennis.

Between September and December 2018, USTA NorCal invited 48 players ages 6-to-10 years-old to attend the Early Development Camps (EDC). The event is divided into 24 orange ball players and 24 green ball players. This year, the camps were held in Marin County and Oakland, CA.  The camps aim to help grow the talent pool of junior players to create a new wave of world-class tennis professionals.

Take a look back at this year’s camps and learn about all the benefits of attending! Thank you to everyone who participated in the camps and made it a great learning experience.

If you want more information, please go to this page,  or contact USTA NorCal Player Development Specialist, Beth Workeneh.

The post Early Development Camps: for Players and Parents appeared first on USTA NorCal Junior Tennis.

To say that getting the CIF/USTA Regional Girls Tennis Championship done was a struggle would be an understatement. “This was the season that wouldn’t end but finally ended,” Troy Rondeau, the Tournament Director, said laughing. “Between the smoke, Thanksgiving, and the rain, it was never ending.”

Originally scheduled for November 16-17, at Broadstone Racquet Club in Folsom, CA, the event was postponed due to the Camp fire. Then, set to happen Friday, November 30-Saturday, December 1, the final match had to be rescheduled due to the rain. Besides all this chaos, the finalists, Los Gatos High School and Cupertino High School, made the best of it. “The Cupertino team was extremely classy,” Byron Nepomuceno, the Los Gatos Girls’ Head Tennis Coach, said.

Los Gatos High School team: Standing: Byron Nepomuceno, Caroline Zapecki, Fiorella Chen, Remi Snouffer, Natalia Korpela, Annie Kettmann, Anjali Mogili, Seraphina Vossen, Yana Gurevich. Kneeling L-R: Emily Lombardi, Liz Ilnitskaia, Meera Keswani, Gabby Suorsa, Maya Kurani, Ashley Yeah.

Coming off a third straight Central Coast Section title earlier, the Los Gatos team was the favorite. However with all the schedule changes, retaining the USTA/CIF Regional Championship title was not going to be an easy task. “Because it was rescheduled, I wasn’t going to be there, along with half of my team,” Nepomuceno said laughing. “That first day, only half of my regular team was there, so I called up some of the Junior Varsity girls.” In order to have someone on the sidelines, Nepomuceno was able to count on Ken Perroti, his Athletic Director. “I can’t thank him enough for taking over and leading the team to two wins and getting us to the finals.”

In the quarterfinals, Los Gatos won 6-1 against Orland High School, before barely surviving a battle against the Conference outright champions, St. Francis High School.  The returning champion kept their hopes for a two-peat alive with a 4-3 win against their rival. On the other end of the draw, Cupertino High School scrapped a 4-3 win against Rocklin High School, followed by another close victory against Miramonte High School, 4-3. With the rain crashing the party, the final was postponed to Thursday, December 6. “Both teams were from the CCS, so they decided to play at Cupertino High School to get the match done,” Rondeau explained. “We switched the order of the matches on the court to make it a more even playing field.” By then, Nepomuceno was back, along with a full team. “Ashley Yeah, our number one player, is really good friends with their top player Kate Duong, who is the only player she lost to this year, so we were anticipating this match.”

Cupertino High School, Cupertino, CA. Picture on the left: Winner – Los Gatos High School team. Picture on the right: Finalist – Cupertino High School team.

In the end, the Los Gatos team pulled out a 5-2 win, earning back-to-back titles! “I want to recognize our Senior Ashley Yeah, who caps off her senior year with two team titles and a CCS singles title,” the proud coach told us. “I also want to mention our senior Yana Gurevich and freshman Anjali Mogili, who won the CCS Doubles title and, were key during this tournament. You could see the passing of the torch from our seniors to our freshman, and I’m anticipating a bright future with them.”

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It was a fun-filled night as we celebrated junior tennis on December 16, at Dave & Buster’s in Milpitas, CA. Before it was time to hand out all the award recipients their trophies, players, parents, and coaches were treated to a delicious buffet made of macaroni and cheese, sliders, pizza bites, and chicken strips. There were also plenty of games to enjoy such as hair hockey, basketball, videos games, just to name a few.

It was then time to recognize all the junior players and coaches for an another incredible year with awards being handed out by USTA NorCal Executive Director, Steve Leube. The turnout was amazing with standing room only.

Check out  our video below to see all the fun!

Thank you very much to everyone who has contributed to a great year of tennis in NorCal, and we can’t wait to see you back in 2019.

The post 2018 Junior Awards – Player Party appeared first on USTA NorCal Junior Tennis.

Team NorCal started 2019 with a bang! Our NorCal players celebrated the New Year by dominating the USTA National Winter Championships that happened in Tucson, AZ, and Orlando, FL.

Rudy Quan of Roseville, ended the year just like he started it: winning! Played December 9-18, in Coral Gables, FL, the 57th Junior Orange Bowl International saw Rudy blazing through the draw. Rudy didn’t drop a set all tournament, winning 6-1, 6-4 in the finals against the American Santiago Muhala. Congratulations on a very impressive year!

57th Junior Orange Bowl International – Coral Gables, FL: Rudy Quan

At the USTA National Winter Championships, Team NorCal combined for five singles titles out of the eight offered December 27, 2018-January 4, 2019. Staying in Florida for the BG 16s and 18s, Luke Casper of Santa Cruz, CA, claimed the title in the Boys’ 16 singles against Quinn Snyder of Middle States, 7-6(5), 6-4. John Kim of Sunnyvale, CA, also reached the last four but lost to Snyder 6-3, 6-0. John had to retire in the playoff match, taking fourth place. On the Girls’ side, Yuu Ishikawa of Mountain View, CA, advanced to the semifinals in doubles with partner Bridget Stammel of Texas. Bridget and Yuu forced a third set, but Carrie Beckman and Emma Charney of Southern, advanced to the finals 3-6, 6-3, 6-3. Yuu and Bridget claimed a fantastic third place with a 7-5, 6-1 victory over Nadejda Maslova of Eastern, and Nastasya Semenovski of New England.

USTA National Winter Championships BG16s – Orlando, FL. Picture on the left: Quinn Snyder and Luke Casper. Picture in the middle: Luke Casper. Picture on the right: Bridget Stammel and Yuu Ishikawa.

In the Boys’ 18 singles draw, the final match came down to two JMG Tennis Academy players (Sacramento, CA). Ishaan Ravichander, originally from New Jersey, came out victorious against Zachery Lim of Fairfield, CA, 7-6(2), 6-3. On the Girls’ side, 15-year-old phenom Connie Ma of Dublin, CA, breezed through the draw to claim another big title. She took down the No. 3 seed Alana Wolfberg of Florida, 6-4, 6-0. Connie doubled down, winning the doubles title with fellow NorCal player, Anna Campana of Hillsbrough, CA. The pair defeated Allie Gretkowski and Anna Ross of Southern 6-4, 6-2. Starting the year on a high note, India Houghton of Belvedere Tiburon, reached the semifinals, losing to Wolfberg. India took fourth place following a 7-6(4), 7-5 loss to Carly Briggs of Southern.

USTA National Winter Championships BG18s – Orlando, FL. Picture on the left: Zachery Lim. Picture in the middle: Zachery Lim. Picture on the right: Connie Ma.

On their end, the BG 12s and 14s competed in Tucson, AZ. In the Boys’ 12, Mason Nguyen of El Dorado Hills, CA, came home with the gold, winning 6-4, 7-5 against Maxwell Exsted of Northern. Natasha Rajaram and Aspen Schuman joined Mason amongst the last four. A Los Altos native, Natasha beat the No. 2 seed on her way to the semifinals, but fell to Kinley Vanpelt of Missouri Valley 7-6(6), 6-7(10), 6-2. In another tough battle during the playoff match, she conceded to Bianca Molnar of Southern California 7-5, 6-4. Natasha also reached the semifinals in doubles with Olivia Manson of Midwest. They lost to Annika Renganathan of Pacific Northwest and Amber Yin of Missouri Valley 6-4, 6-0. They claimed an impressive third place with a 6-4, 6-1 win against Bella Payne and Thalia Smith of Southern. Aspen Schuman of Menlo Park, CA, earned a tremendous runner-up place with Bianca Molnar. The Californian duo couldn’t resist Renganathan and Yin, who claimed the gold 6-4, 6-4.

USTA National Winter Championships BG 12s- Tucson, AZ. Picture on the left: Mason Nguyen. Picture in the middle: Natasha Rajaram . Picture on the right: Natasha Rajaram and Olivia Manson.

Finally, the Boys and Girls 14s! For his first tournament in the 14s, Rudy Quan wasn’t fazed a bit, making his way through the semifinals with wins against the No. 3 and 15 seeds. Stopped by the No. 2 seed Sebastien Gorzny of Southern California, 6-1, 6-0, Rudy earned a great fourth place, losing to Evan Wen of Eastern,6-1, 7-5. Ethan Quinn of Fresno, CA, also reached the semifinals, in doubles. Playing with Brayden Michna of Texas, the pair started well but Noah Hernandez of Midwest and Marko Mesarovic of Texas, came back, winning 6-7(3), 6-2, 7-5. The duo secured the third place trophy with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Nico Jamison of Intermoutain and Lawrence Li of Texas. Lastly, in the Girls’ 14s, Madison Weekley of Alamo, CA, had a great showing, advancing to the semifinals of the doubles draw. Teaming up with Matilyn Wang of Southwest, they were stopped by Alice Otis and Piper Charney of Southern, 6-1, 6-3. They took fourth place after a 6-4, 6-2 loss to Isabella Brilliant and Emmie Moore of Intermountain. Finally, Ria Bhakta of Saratoga, CA, made quick work of Kinaa Graham of Texas, winning 6-0, 6-0 in the singles’ finals!

USTA National Winter Championships BG14s – Tucson, AZ. Picture on the left: Rudy Quan. Picture in the middle: Matilyn Wang and Madison Weekley. Picture on the right: Ria Bhakta.

HUGE congratulations to all the players who showed tremendous dedication throughout the entire year. To an even better 2019. Go Team NorCal!

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The beginning of 2019 started just like 2018 ended: winning trophies! Team NorCal traveled to Irvine, CA, and Scottsdale, AZ, in January to compete in Level 3 National tournaments.

First, let’s go east to Scottsdale, AZ, where three of our rising stars delivered strong performances Jan. 19-21. A resident of Larkspur, CA, Luke Neal came back in the spotlight thanks to his impeccable run to the Boys’ 16 singles title at the USTA National Level 3 Saguaro Shootout. After three flawless matches, Luke had to battle against fellow NorCal player Brian Chong of Cupertino, CA, to have a shot at the title. Luke overcame Brian in three sets, 3-6, 6-4, 6-1, then won another nail-bitter in the finals against No. 1 seed Kian Vakili of Longwood, FL, 6-2, 6-7(7-1), 6-2. Congratulations Luke on a fantastic tournament!

Brian took third place in the singles draw after his opponent withdrew due to an injury. Brian continued his stellar tournament, winning the doubles draw with partner Jonathan Degtyaryov of Campbell, CA. In the finals, they beat Dylan Applegate of Park City, UT and Kyle Garner of Eagle, ID, 8-3, taking home the first place trophy!

USTA National Level 3 Saguaro Shootout – Scottsdale, AZ. Picture on the left L-R: Daniela Porges and Addison Ahlstrom. Picture on the right L-R: Jonathan Degtyaryov and Brian Chong.

Finally, a newcomer in our Honor Roll, Woodside resident Addison Ahlstrom, made the final four in the Girls’ 16 singles draw as well. Seeded fourth, Addison held her rank, easily reaching the semifinals. However, No. 8 seed Rimona Rouf of Phoenix, AZ, who had already beaten the No. 2 seed in the previous round, kept her hot streak alive, beating Addison 6-3, 6-0. In the playoff match, Addison couldn’t overcome Daniela Porges of Plantation, FL, losing 6-2, 6-0, but still taking a great fourth place.

USTA National Level 3 – Irvine, CA. Ethan Quinn

A week later, Team NorCal headed west to Irvine, CA, for the USTA National Level 3 tournament. Ethan Quinn of Fresno, CA, competed in the Boys’ 16 Singles draw, battling through three rounds to advance to the semifinals. However, he met his match, falling to eventual winner Shervin Dehmoubed of Cardiff, CA, 7-6, 6-4. After that, he rebounded in his playoff match, dominating Andy Hernandez of Fullerton, CA, 6-2, 6-2, to take a third place finish.

Congratulations to everyone and see you back here in a month! Go Team NorCal!

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February was another successful month for Team NorCal, bringing home a pair of first place trophies and more. Some of the members of Team NorCal traveled to Las Vegas, NV, to compete, while others decided to head south to Long Beach, CA.  

First, we head east to Las Vegas, NV, for the USTA National Level 2, February 16-18. Back on our honor roll, Daniel Papacica of Carmel, CA, won three rounds and beat two seeds to reach the finals of the Boys’ 18 singles draw. Daniel battled, but lost a tight 6-4, 6-4 match to Jett Middleton of Intermountain. But Daniel wasn’t the only one enjoying the desert, as Luke Casper of Santa Cruz, CA, advanced to the semifinals of the doubles draw. Teaming up with fellow NorCal player Philip Martin of Los Altos, CA, the pair lost a heartbreaker to Ander Gibbons of Pacific Northwest and Jett Middleton 8-7(3). In the playoff match, they continued to fight, but lost 8-6 to Callaway Clark of Texas, and Daniel Traxler of Southern California.

Nora Lee of Oakland, CA, did double duty, advancing to the final match of the Girls’ 18 singles and doubles. First, she put up a solid performance in the singles semifinals, beating fellow NorCal player Klara Kosan of Carmichael, CA, 6-2, 6-0. The finals were a different story, falling to the No. 1 seed, Abigail Desiatnikov of Intermountain, 6-2, 6-0. Playing with her friend Katherine Duong of Cupertino, CA, the pair unfortunately had to withdraw in the finals, but big congratulations to the duo on the runner-up finish!

Down south in Long Beach, CA, Team NorCal took the courts like they were their own, on February 16-18. To start off, Luke Neal of Larkspur, CA, asserted himself at the USTA National Level 2 tournament, winning the Boys’ 16 singles draw without dropping a set. On his way to the title, Luke beat the No. 1 seed, and Daniel Zhou of Southern California, the No. 2 seed, 6-0, 6-4 in the finals. In doubles, the NorCal duo of Brian Bilsey of Belmont, CA, and Brian Chong of Cupertino, CA, made it to the semifinals. They were stopped by Nicholas Chen of Oakland, CA, with his partner Sebastian Gorzny of Southern California, 8-2. The NorCal pair lost a heartbreaker 8-7(6) in the playoff match against Thomas Paulsell of Pacific Northwest and Daniel Zhou. Nicholas and Sebastien took on Kyle Kang and Noah Zamora of Southern California in the finals, but fell just short 8-5, after beating the No. 1 and 3 seeds, while being unseeded.

Last but not least, the Girls’ 16. Vivian Ovrootsky is back in the spotlight and in a big way! The 14-year-old San Jose resident breezed through the singles draw without dropping a set. In the finals, she overwhelmed Cami Brown of Southern California, 6-0, 6-0. She also made it to the finals in doubles, partnering with New England player Nastasya Semenovski. It was almost a full NorCal reunion in the finals, as Nastasya and Vivian took on Yuu Ishikawa of Palo Alto, CA, and Tomi Main of Seaside, CA. Yuu and Tomi overcame Nastasya and Vivian 8-4. Congratulations to Vivian, Yuu, and Tomi on a great tournament!

Congratulations on a fantastic month of February and see you back in March. Go Team NorCal!

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As we close the first quarter of 2019, we take a look back at one of the biggest junior tournaments of the year: the Easter Bowl in Indian Wells, CA. As a warm-up, Team NorCal also played at the USTA Southern California ITF Grade 4 in Irvine, CA.

During a Southern California swing, Team NorCal could be found on all the courts battling for more trophies. Aryan Chaudhary of Santa Clara, CA, made it one step closer to capturing the title at the Easter Bowl, reaching the semifinals in the Boys’ 16 singles division, after advancing to the quarterfinals in 2018. Aryan’s run was ended by Samir Banerjee of Easter with a 7-6(9) 2-6, 6-4 score. Aryan went up a set in the playoff match, but Thomas Paulsell of Pacific Northwest, came back to the take the match 6-3, 4-6, 6-3. He also made it to the semifinals in doubles, partnering with Timothy Li of Southern California. After winning three matches, the Californian team was stopped 6-0, 6-4, once again by Thomas Paulsell, who teamed up with Frank Thompson of Mid-Atlantic. Aryan and Timothy had another tough battle in their playoff match, falling 7-5, 6-2 to Jake Sweeney of Southern and Gavin Young of Northern. Congratulations on a fantastic tournament!

Natasha Rajaram of Palo Alto, CA, continues to make the news, claiming a fantastic runner-up place in the Girls’ 12 doubles division, with Thea Latak of Midwest. Natasha and Thea had a tough final, falling 6-3, 6-1 to Daniela Borruel and Rebecca Kong of Southern California, winning four matches to get there. In the same division, Aspen Schuman of Menlo Park, CA, paired up with Bianca Molnar of Southern California to advance to the semifinals. They matched up against the eventual winners, losing 6-3, 6-2 against Daniela Borruel and Rebecca Kong. In the playoff match, the duo came closer to victory but fell to Fiona Lee and Krisha Mahendran, also from Southern California, earning a great fourth place. Another regular figure on our honor roll, Ria Bhakta continues her winning ways, coming home with a Silver Ball in the Girls’ 14 singles division! The Saratoga resident won five matches before her good friend, Tsehay Driscoll of Southern California, stopped her 3-6, 6-1, 6-1. “We are good friends so we knew it was going to be a fun match before it even started,” Ria said. In the doubles’ draw, the NorCal pair of Lauren Joyce from Lodi, CA, and Madison Weekley of Alamo, CA, showed their fighting spirit to get to the semifinals but fell to Natalie Block and Lara Smejkal of Florida 6-4, 6-4. In the playoff match, Lauren and Madison left it all out on the court but Grace Levelston of Florida and Maddy Zampardo of Midwest came out victorious 7-5, 7-6(3).

Last but not least, Vivian Ovrootsky of San Jose, CA, continues her incredible beginning of the year as she wins her first Easter Bowl title in the Girls’ 16 singles division. She concluded her impressive run, which included a win over the No.1 seed, with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over DJ Bennett of Florida. It is worth mention also that Vivian earned the Sportsmanship award as well. Way to go!Vivian had a successful two weeks as she also took her first ITF title at the Irvine Grade 4 ITF. Just like in Indian Wells, she beat the No. 1 see on her way to the title, and beating fellow NorCal player India Houghton of Belvedere Tiburon, CA, in the finals 7-6(5); 6-4. India also had a great tournament in doubles, easily making it to the semifinals with Gianna Pielet of El Paso, TX. The pair came back from a set down to force a third set tiebreak, but Kimberly Hance of Torrance, CA, and Lauren Stein of Paradise Valley, AZ, turned things around to win 6-1, 2-6, 1-0(6).

They were joined by Ryder Jackson on Nicasio, CA, who reached the semifinals in the Boys’ 18 singles, pushing Micah Braswell, the eventual winner, to the end 2-6, 7-6(5), 5-4. Ryder also made it to the semifinals in doubles with Maxwell McKennong of Newport Beach, CA. The Cali pair was stopped by the No. 2 seeds, Leighton Allen of Austin, TX, and Jackson Ross of San Antonio, TX, 7-5, 6-4.

Congratulations to everyone on an incredible month of March and we’ll see you back here in April! Go Team NorCal!

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April was an exceptional month for Team NorCal, on the national and international level. Keeping it close to home, our rock star players traveled to Southern California and Nevada to compete.

First on the agenda, the coveted USTA International Spring Championships from March 20, to April 7, in Carson, CA. In the Girls’ 16 doubles division, Sofia Zaprianov of Walnut Creek, CA, reached the semifinals with Parker Fry of Southern California, following three wins. The Californian duo was stopped by Tsehay Driscoll of Southern California, and Ava Krug of Florida, 6-2, 6-1. In the Girls’ 18 singles division, regular Connie Ma of Dublin, CA, had another great run, finishing runner-up to Tyra Black of Florida, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3. In the Boys’ 16 singles division, Alexander Chang of Berkeley, CA, climbed that last step, winning in the finals against William Cooksey of Michigan, 6-2, 6-2. Alexander also advanced to the semifinals in doubles, with Cooper Williams of Connecticut. The pair fought hard but Lucas Brown of Texas and Alexander Karman of New York, overcame them 4-6, 6-3, 1-0(7).

Now heading to Las Vegas, NV, April 20-22, where Team NorCal showed up in force. In the Girls’ 12 singles, newcomer Penelope Wong of Mountain View, CA, made it to the semifinals, where she was defeated by Sasha Kilgour of Florida 6-2, 6-1. Penelope took an impressive third place, winning her playoff match easily 6-3, 6-2 against Atria Biria of Missouri Valley. She reached the finals in doubles with Campbell Ricci of Intermountain. The pair lost a close match against Sage Bergeson and Jessica Bernales of Intermountain, 8-6. On the Boys’ side, Masato Kato of Reno, NV, and Luke Stratakos of Saratoga, CA, reached the doubles semifinals but were stopped by Jon Gamble and Mark Lapko of Intermountain, 8-6, finishing fourth overall.

In the Girls’ 14 singles division, Anya Murthy comes back on the Honor Roll, with a third place finish. After winning against the No. 3 seed in the quarterfinals, Anya fell to the No. 2 seed Meg McCarty of Intermountain, 6-1, 6-4. Anya teamed up with another NorCal fellow player, Natasha Rajaram of Palo Alto, CA, for doubles, earning an impressive first place (first ever tournament played in the Girls’ 14s for Natasha). The pair won against Caroline Lemcke and Meg McCarty of Intermountain 8-1. On the Boys’ side, Mitchell Lee of Oakland, CA, had a perfect tournament, winning in straight sets, including in the finals, against the No. 1 seed, Adam Sun of Southwest, 6-1, 6-2. He also made it to the finals in doubles with Nathan Blakey of Southern California. The duo finished runner-up to Kane Kelley and Ivan Savkin of Southern California 8-5.

A new face on the Honor Roll, Parvathi Shanker of Napa, CA, made it to the semifinals in the Girls’ 16 singles draw, pushing Hailey Stelse of Southwest until the end, with a 7-5, 3-6, 1-0(7) score. Arushi Malik of Cupertino, CA, joined the semifinals party, falling to Anisha Apte of Texas, 6-1, 6-1. In an all NorCal playoff match, Arushi came out as a winner against Parvathi 6-3, 6-2. In addition, Ryan Torres of San Ramon, CA, and Herrick Thomas Legaspi of Sacramento, CA, were also in the final four in the Boys’ 16 divisions. Ryan pushed Tristan Messerli of Southern California to a third set tiebreaker, but lost 7-6(3), 2-6, 1-0(4). Ryan came back strong, winning his playoff match 7-5, 6-4 against Kyle Garmer of Intermountain. Herrick avenged Ryan’s loss, winning the title against Tristan, 6-1, 6-4. He also made it to the semifinals in doubles, teaming up with Nicholas Chen of Oakland, CA. The NorCal duo fought but lost to Dragos Andrei Juncu and Chase Kasday of Intermountain, 8-6, but won their playoff match 8-2 against Lucas Coriaty of Southern California and Cole Stelse of Southwest.

Last but not least, Nora Lee of Oakland, who is having a strong start in 2019, advanced to the semifinals of the Girls’ 18 doubles draw with Audrey Boch-Collins of Intermountain. The No. 1 seeds battled through the end but fell 8-6 to Katherine Krueger and Samantha Remis of Missouri Valley.

Congratulations to everyone on a very strong month of April! We look forward to seeing the momentum continue in May.

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In May, Team NorCal traveled to Florida and Southern California to battle on the national level and on the ITF tour.

Team NorCal started the month by heading to Delray Beach, FL, from April 29, to May 4, at the Delray Beach ITF. It is exciting to have Stefan Leustian of Mather, CA, back on the Honor Roll, as he claims the doubles trophy with Hunter Heck of New Brighton, MN. The pair beat Matthis Ross of Great Britain and Nikolas Tvedt of Norway, in straight sets 6-3, 6-2. On the girls’ side, Maribella Zamarripa of St. Helena, CA, won all her matches in straights set as a Wild Card, but had to retire in the semifinals against Gianna Pielet of the U.S.A. Maribella teamed up with Allura in doubles to also reach the semifinals. The sisters gave it their all but fell to Ava Catanzarite and Gianna Pielet of El Paso, TX, 6-1, 4-6, 1(12). It is worth noting that Aidan Mayo reached the quarterfinals in singles as a Wild Card.

Back on the west coast in Anaheim, CA, Team NorCal competed at the USTA National Boys’ 16 Level 3 tournament May 4-6. Jake Vassel of Danville, CA, held up his ranking as the No. 1 seed of the tournament in doubles, winning his four matches alongside Ryan Morgan of Pasadena, CA. In the final, the California pair took on the No. 5 seed, Conrad Brown and Rithvik Krishna of Irvine, CA. After a close match, Jake and Ryan overcame the American duo 8-5.

Making their way back to Florida to participate in the J4 Coral Gables ITF May 6-11, Team NorCal continued to prove their good form since the beginning of the year. India Houghton of Belvedere-Tiburon, CA, and Gianna Pielet of El Paso, TX took the first place trophy in doubles, fighting to overcome Allura Zamarripa of St. Helena, CA, and Annabelle Xu of Canada, 6-3, 7-6(5). India swept the competition as she also took the singles title in an all-NorCal final against Allura. India got up to a fast start, winning the first set 6-1. However, Allura came back strong in the second set, evening things out at one set all 6-1, 3-6. India found her form again to take the final set 6-2. A week later, India continued her winning streak, reaching the quarterfinals in singles of the ITF Plantation in Plantation, FL. She advanced to the semifinals in doubles, paired up with Ava Hrastar of the U.S.A. After a fantastic battle, India and Ava had to concede to Ayshe Can and Karly Friedland of the U.S.A., 4-6, 6-4, 1(3). Congratulations to India, who is having a very impressive year.

Congratulations to everyone who participated in tournaments this month, and we look forward to seeing what June brings. Go Team NorCal!

The post NorCal Juniors Honor Roll: May 2019 appeared first on USTA NorCal Junior Tennis.

Under a bright blue sky and 90-degree weather, 12 teams and roughly 100 players took the courts at the Laguna Creek Racquet Club in Elk Grove, CA, June 28-30, for the 2019 Junior Team Tennis (JTT) Coed Section Championships.

This year, two divisions were offered with Coed teams in the 14U Intermediate and 18U Intermediate battling it out for a chance to go to the USTA Junior Team Tennis National Championships this November in San Antonio, TX. By the last match of the second day, three teams in each division were still in the running for the title. “Even with a lot to play for, the teams handled the pressure extremely well and all of the teams displayed a high level of sportsmanship throughout the weekend,” Darren Wenger, USTA NorCal Junior Team Tennis Specialist commented.

As the third day started, all of the teams in contention were fully invested, with massive cheering, chest pumps and high fives all around. With a big crowd made up of friends, family and coaches watching the matches, it made for a perfect combination of fun but fierce competition. After six team matches in a round robin format, Bay Club Courtside accumulated the most games won in the 14U Intermediate division to punch their ticket to the National Championships. In the 18U Intermediate division, Stonegate Tennis Academy edged out all of their fellow competitors to win for the first in program history. “Congratulations to the Stonegate Tennis Academy 18U team and the Bay Club Courtside 14U team on qualifying for Nationals and representing the USTA NorCal section on the national stage!” Wenger said with excitement.

We would like to thank all the players, coaches and parents who took part in this event, making it once again, a must-play tournament for players that want to compete in a team format.

For more pictures of the event, click here, and for all the results, click here.

If you want more information about Junior Team Tennis, you can visit our page or contact Darren Wenger.

The post New Teams Take the Reigns at the 2019 JTT Coed Section Championships appeared first on USTA NorCal Junior Tennis.

As it’s the case every year, NorCal junior players compete against each other in June for the NorCal Junior Sectional Championships. Located in Stockton, Sacramento and Folsom, the Sectionals Championships took place June 8-9, and June 15-17.

To start, let’s check out the Boys’ and Girls’ 12 age division. On the Boys’ side, Jack Satterfield of Lafayette, CA, lived up to his No. 1 seed in the singles and doubles draws. Losing only one set all tournament, Jack took the singles title by beating Arnav Bhandari of San Ramon, CA, 6-2, 6-2. He continued to dominate, sweeping the competition by winning the doubles title too. Partnered with Arnav, they took on Julian Morris of Alameda, CA, and Leo Terman of Palo Alto, CA, and won 8-4. In the Girls’ singles draw, Bianca Brown of Folsom, CA, survived a scare in the quarterfinals to then easily top the No. 1 seed Georgia McDougall of Redwood City, CA, 6-3, 6-3 in the final. Opponents became teammates when the finalists paired up in doubles. Just like on the Boys’ side, we had a sweep for the girls. Bianca and Georgia handled their business against Annika and Kristina Penickova of Campbell, CA, winning 8-3.

Let’s move on to the Boys’ and Girls’ 14 age division. A newcomer on the Honor Roll, Cyrus Ahmad of Fremont, CA, didn’t lose a set on his way to the title. He beat Mitchell Lee of Oakland, CA, 6-1, 6-1 in the final. No sweeping the competition in the Boys’ 14 as Alex Fuchs of Los Altos, CA, and Lleyton Okada-Alonzo of Marina, CA, went home with the trophy. They overcame Kris Arora of San Jose, CA, and Rithvik Katpelly of Fremont, CA, in a thriller 6-3, 3-6, 1-0(8) match. In the Girls’ singles draw, Anya Murthy of Fremont, CA, continues her excellent year, with a convincing 6, 4, 6-4 win against Ava Martin of Menlo Park, CA. Ava climbed that last step in doubles, earning her first place trophy with Natasha Rajaram of Cupertino, CA. After an easy first set, they battled in the second for a final score of 6-1, 7-6(2) against Caroline Beard of Santa Rosa, CA, and Priyanka Shanker of Napa, CA.

Moving up to the Boy’s and Girls’ 16 age division, Ryan Torres of San Ramon, CA, defended his No. 1 seed. He fought his way through the draw with two three-set matches, defeating Dylan Tsoi of El Dorado Hills, CA, 6-2, 6-2 to take the title. Teaming up with Nicholas Chen of Oakland, CA, Ryan also triumphed in doubles, to go home with his hands full. The pair won against Aadarsh Tripathi of Pleasanton, CA and Emon van Loben Sels of Sacramento, CA, 6-2, 6-2. On the Girls’ side, Makenna Thiel won several three-set matches to take the singles’ trophy. She overcame Alisha Chulani of Los Altos, CA, 6-4, 4-6, 6-1 in the final. She also reached the finals in doubles with partner Madison Weekley of Alamo, CA. However, Maryia Hrynashka of Rancho Cordova, CA, and Tomi Main of Seaside, CA, were too strong that day and won 6-2, 6-3.

Last but not least, the Boys’ and Girls’ 18 age division. Luke Casper of Santa Cruz, CA, took over the Boys’ 18 division. Coming back from a set down, Luke had the last word, winning 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 in the final against Theodore Dean of Livermore, CA. But it wasn’t enough for Luke who also prevailed in doubles, teaming up with Philip Martin of Los Altos, CA. Luke and Philip won all their matches in straight sets, winning the final 6-2, 6-3 against Karl Collins of Richmond, CA, and Theodore. On the Girls’ side, Katherine Duong of Cupertino, CA, had a great comeback to overcome Amber Marie Lee of Orinda, CA, 1-6, 6-4, 6-3. But Amber passed the last hurdle in doubles, winning with Sofia Zaprianov of Concord, CA. The pair took down Aanya Goel of San Ramon, CA, and Avantika Willy of Dublin, CA, 6–4, 6-1 in the final match.

Congratulations to all the junior players who participated in the Sectional Championships on a fantastic tournament! Go Team NorCal and see you next month!

The post Seeing double at the Junior Sectional Championships appeared first on USTA NorCal Junior Tennis.

 Team NorCal showed tremendous fight and sportsmanship as they competed in the USTA Boys’ and Girls’ Intersectional Team Championships earlier this month. The Boys’ and Girls’ 14s traveled to Auburn, AL, from July 6-10, 2019, while the Boys’ and Girls’ 16s flew to Shreveport, LA, July 7-11.

Dale Evans coached the Boys’ and Girls’ 14s team, who dug deep to make it to the final. “They had a very solid first match against Mid Atlantic to start the competition,” Evans explained. This set up the momentum for Team NorCal, who won 7-0 against Missouri Valley the next day. Even though they won their third match 6-1, it wasn’t as easy as it looked on paper. “Middle State was by far the toughest match of the bracket,” Evans smiled. “Their boys were very solid so we did a really good job of getting ahead in matches.”

The chemistry between the players had a definite impact on the result. They hung outside of the matches, which was important as this was the first year that parents had to travel with the players, the Claremont Resort and Spa Coach explained. A last-minute lineup change in the semifinal against Florida didn’t faze the players one bit. “Kurt Miller and Priya Nelson switched to mixed doubles while Emon van Loben Sels played No. 3 singles,” Evans recalled. Team NorCal qualified for another final 5-2 and another classic match against friendly rival Southern California awaited.

The teams went back and forth during the entire final. “Payton and Dillan lost for the first time but Lauren and Priya came up huge,” the proud coach said. “Dillan won his singles in straight sets after being down a set point. Kurt clinched first place with a big win against Learner Tien, coming back from a set down.” For the second time in three years, Team NorCal won the USTA Boys’ and Girls’ 14 Intersectional Team Championships. “Kurt secured the package,” Evans laughed, explaining this became the slogan of the week. “The team exhibited very timely etiquette, found the right moment to show team spirit and competitiveness but also found the right moment to give the benefit of the call to the opponent.” To top it all off, Team NorCal also won the Sportsmanship Award, sweeping the awards. What an accomplishment!

 On the Boys’ and Girls’ 16s’ side, Team NorCal also had a very strong showing. “It was my first time coaching Intersectionals and I had a lot of fun,” Morten Christensen said smiling. Even though it was extremely humid and the temperatures reached a screeching 107 degrees, the players managed it well. “Two of our opponents retired because of the heat, but I think our kids prepared well for it.” A Tennis Director at the Berkeley Tennis Club, Christensen shared that he was very pleased the team got out of the toughest group. “We won our group ahead of Texas and Southern California, which are two tough sections.”

  Playing Southern in the semifinals, Team NorCal was right there with them, but a rain delay shifted the momentum. Four matches went into a decider, showing how close the teams were. In the end, Southern overcame Team NorCal 5-2. In the last match of the competition, Team NorCal “played by far the best match for us,” the delighted coach told USTA NorCal. And indeed it was. Playing Florida, Team NorCal swept the East Coast team to win 7-0 and make it onto the podium. “I am really happy with the way we competed, all of them played until the end. The kids understood it was a team event and they drew a lot of energy from each other.”

Congratulations to the players, coaches, and parents on a fantastic tournament! Go Team NorCal!

The post Team NorCal Aces the 2019 Intersectionals appeared first on USTA NorCal Junior Tennis.

July is the month where the best in the U.S. battle on the Clay Courts all over Florida during the USTA Boys’ and Girls’ National Clay Court Championships. And it is no exception that Team NorCal is traveling across the country to compete for titles.

So let’s dive right into it. In the Boys’ 14 category played in Fort Lauderdale, FL, July 14-21, Dylan Tsoi of El Dorado Hills, CA, made it all the way to the finals, falling to Nishesh Basavareddy of Midwest 6-1, 6-0. Dylan beat the No. 2 and 4 seeds on his way to his runner-up finish, claiming his first ever National Ball! Dylan also had a great run in the doubles draw, reaching the semifinals with Dylan Charlap of Southern California. The Californian pair was stopped by the No. 1 seed Nicholas Godsick of Midwest and Joseph Phillips of Southern 6-4, 6-1. However, “The Dylans” came back in the playoff match, winning a hard-earned Bronze Ball 2-6, 6-2, 6-4 against Andy Nguyen and Alan Ton of Southern California.

Making their way to Delray Beach, FL, the Boys’ 16 draws were played that same week. Luke Casper of Santa Cruz, CA, came out victorious in the singles draw, thanks to a hard-fought 3-6, 7-6, 7-6 victory against Samir Banerjee of Basking Ridge, NJ. Luke earned a Gold Ball by beating the No.1 seed and favorite in the finals. With that win, Luke had the privilege to do a coin toss during the Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic for the Victoria Azarenka – Harmony Tan match. USTA NorCal caught up with Luke after the coin toss, check out what he had to say HERE!

Lastly, Team NorCal also showed their presence in the Boys’ 18 draws. Aryan Chaudhary of Santa Clara, CA, shone throughout the entire tournament, advancing to the semifinals in singles. Even though Aryan left it all out on the court, Leighton Allen of Austin, TX, got the best of him 6-4, 4-6, 6-3. But he finished in a fantastic fourth place, as Evin McDonald of Bethesda, MD, won 6-3, 6-3. However, Aryan kept fighting in doubles, coming home with a Gold Ball with partner Logan Zapp of Fleming Island, FL. The No. 17 seeds overcame the no. 1 seeds, Luke and Quinn Vandecasteele of Murray, UT, 6-4, 6-2. The pair also beat the No. 6, 14 and 8 seeds on their way to the title! To make it even sweeter, Aryan’s sportsmanship was recognized when he was awarded the Sportsmanship Award for the Boys’ 18 tournament. Way to represent NorCal!

A few days after, some members of Team NorCal went down to Ojai, CA, to show off their skills in front of college coaches at the New Balance High School Tennis Championship. Kamila Wong of Palo Alto, CA, paved her way to the finals, only being defeated by Pavitra Parikh 7-5, 3-6, 6-0. Kamila had the chance to play with pro player and former Stanford standout Nicole Gibbs. That’s pretty cool!

Please, join us in congratulating all the players on an outstanding month of July! Don’t miss the August Honor Roll for a full review of the USTA National Hard Court Championships. Go Team NorCal!

The post NorCal Juniors Honor Roll: July 2019 appeared first on USTA NorCal Junior Tennis.