'The Ojai' returns this week for local boys' tennis standouts

Corona del Mar's Max Krykunenko will compete in doubles at "The Ojai."

By Matt SzaboStaff Writer

April 19, 2022 4:06 PM PT

The Ojai Valley Tennis Tournament, better known as simply “The Ojai,” is one of the highlights of the high school boys’ tennis season in Southern California.

The tournament, first held in 1896, is steeped in tradition, with many future professionals first hitting the court at Libbey Park downtown.

Several local boys’ tennis players will be heading north to Ojai this week, as the tournament returns from a two-year absence due to the coronavirus pandemic.

High schools can have a singles player and doubles team entered in the CIF divisions, for a total of three players. Corona del Mar, ranked No. 2 in CIF Southern Section Division 1, will bring a trio of standouts — Niels Hoffmann, Max Krykunenko and Logan Friedman — to the tournament, which has sites at tennis courts all around town.

All CIF singles and doubles round of 64 matches are scheduled for Thursday at the tournament, which runs through Saturday.

Hoffmann will start his tournament by facing Rodan Tellez of Inglewood in the singles round of 64, while Krykunenko and Friedman play Tyler Proctor and Rishab Bora of Carlsbad.

Alan Ton, shown competing in 2020, will play in "The Ojai" this week.

Sage Hill’s Grant Gallagher opens in singles Thursday against Ian McGowan of Great Oak, while the Lightning’s Ian Jiang and Shaan Sakraney face a team from Los Angeles Birmingham.

Fountain Valley’s Alan Ton starts his tournament by playing Ethan Gomulka of Arrowhead Christian, and the Barons’ Jared Nguyen and Ninh Nguyen open in doubles against a team from the Sherman Oaks Center for Enriched Studies.

Marina, ranked No. 4 in Division 2, also has three players in action. In singles, the Vikings’ Peter Liang starts Thursday against Caden Lee from Beckman. In doubles, Marina’s Trevor Nguyen and Bradley Gallo open against a duo from Palos Verdes.

Laguna Beach also has Ian MacLaughlin and Peter Durand competing in doubles. The Breakers duo will face a team from Chino Hills Ayala in the round of 64.

The Ojai also will concurrently hold a Level 5 juniors tournament this weekend. Top-seeded locals include Perry Di Giulio of Newport Beach in boys’ 16-and-under singles, and Jessica MacCallum of Laguna Beach in girls’ 18-and-under singles.

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