UPDATED 3/9/21:
In Mobile, #4 seed Sebastian Gorzny advanced to the quarterfinals of the Level 1 USTA Spring Individual Championships, facing #5 Gavin Young of Minnesota. Young dispatched the SoCal native in straight sets, 6-4, 6-4 to advance. Young later moved into the final and earned the championship in Boys 18s.
Manhattan Beach’s Quang Duong was in the hunt in Boys 16s, but fell in the quarters to #9 David Saye of North Carolina, who then withdrew from his subsequent match. Duong had upset the #4 seed to advance.
In Rome, two SoCal favorites reached the semifinals of Girls 12s. Valley Village’s Maria Aytoyan fell in three sets to top seed Nicole Okhenberg of Florida. In the second semi, Thea Frodin of Woodland Hills fell in straights to #2 Kayla Moore of New York. Moore advanced to upset the top seed for the title.
3/5/21: Juniors on the road for tourney play across the US
Play begins today in Alabama and Georgia for many of the nation’s top juniors, including many representatives of #TeamSoCal. With tournaments gaining momentum across the country, the events are precursors to some of SoCal’s major upcoming events.
First in Mobile, Ala., Sebastian Gorzny is among the top seeds in Boys 18s, while Katie Codd and Tsehay Driscoll compete in the Girls’ draw. In Girls 16s, Mika Ikemori is the #3 seed entering the event, and William Hsieh is slated for the Boys draw. Elena Zhao and Rachel Lee compete in Girls 14s. Look for Jagger Leach and Mario Garcia among those in the Boys 14s draw.
In Rome, Ga., Liam Alvarez is the #6 seed in Boys 12s, along with Kai Abarca. Sydney Barnhart and Ava Penn are among those in the Girls 12s draw.
Play begins Saturday in both locations, with concluding matches on Monday. The events feature some of the talent headed to Southern California for the International Open of Southern California beginning March 20, as well as this summer’s SoCal Junior Sectional Championships.