Youth Tennis: Hoffmann wins title
Corona del Mar High senior Bjorn Hoffmann finished off his high school tennis career this year by winning the CIF Southern Section Individuals singles title.
On Thursday at The Tennis Club Newport Beach, his younger brother got in on the act.
Niels Hoffmann won the boys’ 10 singles title at the 27th annual The Tennis Club Junior Open Tournament. Niels beat George Hakopian of San Clemente, 5-7, 7-5, 10-6, to capture the championship in the only age division to have its final match on Thursday.
Other local players will play for titles Friday at the tournament better known as the “War by the Shore.” In the boys’ 18s, Newport Beach resident Adam Langevin will play No. 4-seeded Gilbert Chung of Los Angeles at 11 a.m. Langevin upset No. 3-seeded Jacob Lee of Yorba Linda, 6-2, 6-0, in the semifinals.
Newport Beach’s Diego Fernandez del Valle will face No. 2-seeded Justin Cheun of Irvine in the boys’ 16s final at 11 a.m. after besting No. 5-seeded Reini Igna of Irvine, 6-2, 6-0, in the semifinals.
In the boys’ 12s, top-seeded Perry Di Giulio of Newport Beach beat No. 4-seeded Jerry Chen of Irvine, 6-4, 6-2, in the semifinals. Di Giulio will play Alan Ton of Fountain Valley in the title match, also at 11 a.m.
The other local playing for a singles title is Audrey Kranson of Newport Beach, in the girls’ 10s. Kranson, who had a semifinal bye in the three-player draw, plays Tianmei Wang of San Marino.
In doubles, there will be three Corona del Mar High players in the girls’ 16s final. The top-seeded duo of CdM’s Camellia Edalat and Brooke Kenerson will play CdM’s Roxanne Mackenzie and her partner, Shayee Sharif of Huntington Beach, in the final at 1 p.m.
In the boys’ 18 doubles final, CdM’s Jacob Cooper and Ryan Wessler will face top-seeded Hikaru Kasai of Rolling Hills Estates and Mikael Purne of Rancho Palos Verdes at 1 p.m.
The top-seeded boys’ 12s doubles tandem of Logan Friedman of Newport Beach and Caleb Saltz of Indio will play Ton and Grant Gallagher of Irvine in the final at 1 p.m.
Other locals who lost in singles semifinals Thursday included Nicole Knickerbocker and Jasie Dunk (girls’ 18s), Edalat (girls’ 16s) and Reece Kenerson (girls’ 14s),
— Matt Szabo