Braverman shines in her 16s debut

Steve Virgen

The 2003 version of the War by the Shore junior tennis tournament had

plenty of highlights and an extraordinary amount of drama at the

Balboa Bay Club Racquet Club Friday.

Jillian Braverman, a 13-year-old who will be a freshman at Corona

del Mar High in the fall, completed a sensational debut in the girls

16s singles. It wasn’t her debut in the tournament, rather it was her

first time playing up in the 16s singles. She did so in thrilling

fashion, as she overcame a 4-1 deficit in the first set and won 11 of

the next 12 games.

Braverman, the No. 2 seed, defeated Shelly Ijejikian of Pasadena,

6-4, 6-1, to win her first girls 16s singles title.

“That’s a good way to start off in the 16s,” Braverman said. “This

is my favorite tournament. I’ve playing in it since I was 7.”

Ijejikian, the No. 5 seed, defeated the No. 1 seed Kendra Ivey,

6-1, 6-2, and the No. 3 seed Stephanie Hammel, 6-3, 6-2, to reach the

final. But Ijejikian self-destructed and Braverman took advantage

with her consistent play.

“Momentum is a big deal in tennis,” Braverman said. “And, I had

the momentum.”

Spencer Reitz, who will be a sophomore at CdM in the fall, also

won a championship in the War by the Shore tournament. He defeated

Shimpei Suzuki of Irvine, 6-2, 6-4, to win the boys 18s singles

title.

Joshua Lorentzen of Newport Beach battled with Christopher Naamani

of Irvine to win the boys 12s singles title. In one of the more

exciting matches of the day, Lorentzen defeated Naamani, 7-5, 4-6,

6-2.

In other singles finals, Cierra Gaytan-Leach of Corona del Mar

lost to April Bisharat of El Cajon, 6-4, 6-2. In the boys 10s singles

final, Newport Beach’s Joseph Di Giulio lost to Jonathan Huang, 6-0,

6-0.

Di Giulio, who is 8 years old, defeated mainly 10-year-olds to

reach the final. He said he learned a lot and that the tournament was

challenging. Overall, the experience was important for his ultimate

quest, which is, “to be a pro,” Di Giulio said.

In doubles action, Newport Harbor High seniors Bonnie Adams and

Vanessa Dunlap defeated Ariana Fahrney and Laura Robinson in the

longest match of the day, 7-6, 4-6, 7-6.

Dunlap and Adams won the first-set tiebreaker, 7-5, but then

dropped the second set. However, in the final set, Dunlap and Adams

pulled out the victory in the tiebreaker, 7-4.

The doubles championship was a bit of redemption for Dunlap, who

could not find any type of rhythm and lost to Estafania Serrano of

Las Vegas, 6-1, 6-0, in the girls 18s singles final. Serrano,

originally from San Francisco and who was in Orange County practicing

with a friend, displayed moments of dominance, yet Dunlap was not her

typical self.

Dunlap committed several errors and double faults to fall deeper

in her hole. She said it was one of the worst matches she had ever

played. But, less than two hours later, she teamed up with Adams to

win the girls 18s doubles title.

In the boys 12 doubles final, Costa Mesa’s Charlie Corum and Romel

Orpiano won the championship after defeating Daron Arnold of Newport

Beach and Junya Yoshida of Irvine, 6-4, 6-2.

Gaytan-Leach and April Bisharat of El Cajon won the girls 12s

doubles title. They defeated Jeanette Losaria and Stefanie Villajuan

of Rancho Santa Margarita, 6-3, 6-0.

The Newport Beach duo of Michelle Atkins and Christina Schwartz

and Michelle Atkins nearly pulled off a comeback in the first set,

but eventually lost to Brooke Bartleet and Alyssa Nafarrete, 7-5,

6-2, in the girls 14s doubles final.