Four survive Monday’s action

Patrick Laverty

While the top seeds await the round of 32 later this week, many other

young tennis players have begun playing at the 101st Annual Southern

California Tennis Association Junior Sectional Championships.

With boys and girls competing in six different divisions, the

competition has been fierce with up to 256 players in each field and

eight local players felt the brunt of that competition, falling out

of the field Monday, while only four advanced.

The draw has already claimed Newport Beach’s Charlie Farmer and

Tyler Deck in the boys 18-and-under singles competition, while Kaes

Van’t Hof awaits a round of 32 match Wednesday against Stanley

Sarapanich at 12:30 p.m. at Los Caballeros in Fountain Valley.

All three players will also compete in the doubles competition,

which begins today. Farmer’s match is scheduled for 2 p.m. as is that

of Deck, who will team up with Blake Meister.

Van’t Hof will pair up with Chase Muller as the sixth-seed in the

doubles competition, also playing a 2 p.m. match and Costa Mesa’s Wes

Burrows and teammate Ryan Sandburg face second-seeded Jason

Mossembekker and Jonathan Sanchez.

In boys 16-and-under singles, Carsten Ball of Newport Beach is

slated for a 9:30 a.m. match on Wednesday in the round of 32. Among

those hoping to join him were his Corona del Mar High teammate

Spencer Reitz of Newport Coast, who defeated Kellam Webb, 6-0, 6-4,

and Winston Park, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, before facing off against Jonathan

Greenberg Monday, as well as Burrows, who faced off against Justin

Knysh after defeating Andrew Segal, 6-1, 6-4, Zac Tsai (retired,

illness) and Calvin Chan, 6-3, 6-4, over the weekend.

But only Burrows advanced, posting a 6-0, 6-0 shutout of Knysh.

Reitz took the first set, 1-6, but Greenberg came back to win the

final two, 6-3, 6-4.

Robert Khoury, the Sea View League singles champion as a freshman

last spring at Newport Harbor High, was the only other area

competitor in the division to escape the weekend action. He defeated

Chris Koudouzian in the second round, 6-4, 6-4, and then advanced

with a victory over Callen Fraychineaud, 6-0, 6-3. He then joined

Burrows as one of the few locals to advance with a 6-1, 6-1 victory

over Troy Aiken Monday.

Among the weekend casualties in the 16-and-under division were

Sean Pham of Newport Coast, Patrick Daniel of Newport Beach and

Robert Koury of Corona del Mar. Nicholas Gingold or Corona del Mar

and Justin Shomaker of Newport Beach both won their first matches

before dropping out of the competition. Matthew Chou of Newport Coast

picked up two victories, before falling to Jamie Smith, 3-6, 6-4,

6-1.

In the boys 14-and-under competition, eighth-seeded Fabian

Matthews, third-seeded Jake Fleming and Ryan Caughren, all of Newport

Beach, will begin action in the round of 32 on Wednesday.

Corona del Mar’s John Leonard had a chance to join those three

after victories over Taylor Bank, 6-1, 6-1, and Julian Arnold

(withdrew, injury). But Leonard couldn’t get by Evan Lee Monday,

losing, 6-1, 6-0.

Costa Mesa’s Bradley Fischer and Newport Beach’s Andrew Singer

each won their first match before losing their second, while Newport

Beach’s Henri Chomeau lost in the first round.

Costa Mesa’s Charlie Alvarado is slated to take part in the boys

12-and-under round of 32 Wednesday. Those with opportunities to join

him were Omeed Ghassemi of Corona del Mar and Daron Arnold of Newport

Beach. But both players faltered Monday to drop out of the

competition.

Others in that age bracket included Newport Beach’s Chris Damion

and C.J. Chomeau, both of whom lost in the first round, and Connor

Curry of Newport Beach, who won, 6-1, 6-1, over Aaron Bellack in the

first round, but fell to Ian Brown, 6-1, 6-2, in the second round.

In the girls 18-and-under competition, Brittany Holland of Corona

del Mar, Vanessa Dunlap of Newport Beach and Diana Khoury of Newport

Beach all advanced to the third round Monday.

But Holland was the only winner in the third round, posting a 6-0,

6-0 victory over Sarah Koudouzian.

Not as fortunate were Juliet Mutzke of Newport Coast, who dropped

a 6-1, 6-2 verdict to Carla Tamborini, Newport Beach’s Amanda

Rubenstein and Bonnie Adams, both of whom fell in the second-round

after posting first-round victories. Amber Ray of Newport Beach also

lost in the first round.

Mutzke will return to action today in the doubles competition,

teaming with Alex Jurewitz to battle the Newport Beach combo of

Dunlap and Khoury.

Only one local advanced to Monday in the girls 16-and-under

division. Jill Damion of Newport Beach faced off against Kristin

Strimple after posting consecutive 6-2, 6-0 victories over Khlahan

Veth and Blair Brzeski. Strimple got the better of that matchup, 6-3,

7-5.

Other competitors in the division included Newport Beach’s Carly

Adams, Katie McKitterick of Corona del Mar, Jamison Steele of Newport

Beach, Brittanny Sturgess, also of Newport Beach and Megan McKay from

Newport Beach.

Jillian Braverman awaits the round of 32 in the girls 14-and-under

main draw, while Miranda Young and Alexandria Walters had a chance to

join her. Walters succeeded in that quest with a 6-1, 7-5 victory

over Rachel Miller Monday. Young fell to Brenda Koffi, 6-1, 6-1.

In the girls 12s main draw, top-seeded Nelly Radeva will begin

play Wednesday. Melissa Matsuoka and Hailey Hogan will have the

opportunity to join her in the round of 32 should they prevail in

matches today.

Matsuoka faces Sophie Bursulaya after posting a pair of victories

and Hogan, also a victor in the first two rounds, matches up with

Michelle Dokic.