The best of the best junior tennis players in Southern California will converge in Malibu next week for the inaugural Final 8 Junior Masters Championships, scheduled for November 16-17 at Malibu Racquet Club and Pepperdine University.
This inaugural event will spotlight many of the region’s most accomplished players in Boys’ and Girls’ divisions, ages 12-18. Players will compete in round robin pools on Saturday in hopes of advancing to Sunday’s championship matches at Malibu Racquet Club.
“The Final 8 is a showcase of our finest talent in the Section,” says Trevor Kronemann, Director of Junior Tennis at USTA Southern California. “Every match will feel like a tournament final. These boys and girls are on a course to compete in college ranks and on professional tours. They are the future of American tennis, starting to make a name for themselves right here in Southern California.”
Play begins at 9am on Saturday, with round robin action at Pepperdine University and Malibu Racquet Club. On Sunday morning, a final round of preliminaries will conclude before each age division plays its championship match. Players and guests can expect a highly elevated experience, including a complimentary Sunday “Brunch BBQ.”
Reigning Sectionals champion Alexander Petrov (Irvine, Calif.) leads the field in Boys’ 18s. Petrov swept all twelve sets en route to the title at Southern California Sectionals in June. Jean-Baptiste Badon and Max McKennon are among those competing in the 18s field.
Jordyn McBride (Valencia, Calif.) leads the Girls’ 18s division. McBride, who has committed to the University of San Diego, won the “War by the Shore” tournament at Laguna Niguel Racquet Club in July. Cassie Wooten, Camille Kiss, and Sectionals champion Maya Pitts are among the names slated for the highly competitive Girls 18s division.
Lawee Sherif (Huntington Beach, Calif.) headlines Boys’ 16s at the Final 8, after a summer of strong finishes at the Mary Brymer Memorial, J.P. Yamasaki Tournament, and USTA Junior Sectionals. Sebastian Gorzny, the Junior Sectional 16s champion, makes a much anticipated return to action after a lengthy illness and will join Masato Perera among other entrants.
Lucinda Gatsiounis (Los Angeles, Calif.) is atop the Girls’ 16s field, following wins at the Brymer Memorial and USTA Level 3 Nationals, where she won all ten sets at the tournament title. Kaia Wolfe and Mika Ikemori are among those competing for the Girls 16s win.
Steve Nguyen (Anaheim, Calif.) will highlight the Boys’ 14s. Coming off a USTA Level 3 Nationals win at Lakewood in September, Nguyen also posted an unblemished record in USTA Zonals play in July. Franklin Liu, Zhengqing Ji, and William Hsieh are also slated to compete.
Quin Brady (Hermosa Beach, Calif.) leads a very competitive Girls’ 14s draw. Brady won two Level 3 events in 2019 and reached the final of a third. She will face tough competition from a field that includes Emily Ing, Daniela Burruel, and Stacey Samonte.
Rishvanth Krishna (Irvine, Calif.), a USTA National Level 3 winner at Ventura, will lead the pack in Boys’ 12s among a talented field that includes Jagger Leach, Gray Kelley, Nahaniel Suh, and Ford McCollum.
Elena Zhao (San Diego, Calif.) headlines Girls’ 12s following three straight tournament titles in July, during which she dropped only one set and garnered a Level 3 National title. Alyssa Ahn and Sectionals top seed Tianmei Wang are among the challengers in Girls’ 12s.
Players were eligible based on their finish in qualifying events in Southern California, including the Woody Hunt Tournament, USTA SoCal Sectionals, Mary Brymer Memorial, War by the Shore, Santa Barbara Level 3, Los Caballeros Level 3, Northridge Level 3, and J.P. Yamasaki Tournament.
Final 8 Junior Masters Championships – Complete Roster
November 16-17, 2019
Malibu, California
Final 8: Boys 18s Division
Alexander Petrov (Irvine)
Jean-Baptiste Badon (Sunland)
Maxwell McKennon (Newport Beach)
Rithvik Krishna (Irvine)
Kai Brady (Redondo Beach)
Ali Amiri (Irvine)
David Arkow (Los Angeles)
Cody Ray Emery (Ventura)
Final 8: Girls 18s Division
Jordyn McBride (Valencia)
Casie Wooten (Torrance)
Camille Kiss (Redlands)
Jenna Sabile (Fullerton)
Maya Pitts (Inglewood)
Anne Lutkemeyer (Irvine)
Peyton Dunkle (Arroyo Grande)
Tsehay Driscoll (La Canada Flintridge)
Final 8: Boys 16s Division
Lawee Sherif (Huntington Beach)
Sebastian Gorzny (Fountain Valley)
Marcus Sebastian (Woodland Hills)
Rohan Murali (San Diego)
Alexander Stafford (Rancho Santa Fe)
Martin Mazev (Yorba Linda)
Masato Perera (Santa Barbara)
Luca Lovrich (Woodland Hills)
Final 8: Girls 16s Division
Lucinda Gatsiounis (Studio City)
Mika Ikemori (Huntington Beach)
Kaia Wolfe (Rancho Mission Viejo)
Amani Shah (San Diego)
Ginger Foster (Los Angeles)
Marissa Markey (Torrance)
Jasmine Tolmoyan (Glendale)
Polina Jorniak (Arcadia)
Final 8: Boys 14s Division
Steve Nguyen (Anaheim)
Franklin Liu (San Diego)
William Hsieh (Midway City)
Perry Di Giulio (Newport Beach)
Justin Chung (Yorba Linda)
Mason Bui (Yorba Linda)
Tyler Li (La Jolla)
Zhengqing Ji (La Jolla)
Final 8: Girls 14s Division
Quin Brady (Hermosa Beach)
Emily Ing (Hacienda Heights)
Daniela Borruel (Buena Park)
Anne Yang (Irvine)
Stacey Samonte (Whittier)
Krisha Mahendran (Oak Park)
Ariana Liu (Thousand Oaks)
Audrey Park (Valencia)
Final 8: Boys 12s Division
Rishvanth Krishna (Irvine)
Gray Kelley (Tarzana)
Nathaniel Suh (Redondo Beach)
Ford McCollum (Los Angeles)
Jake Presser (Rancho Mirage)
Kristian Sharma (Porter Ranch)
Vartan Tolmoyan (Glendale)
Jagger Leach (Laguna Beach)
Final 8: Girls 12s Division
Elena Zhao (San Diego)
Alyssa Ahn (San Diego)
Haley Tran (Garden Grove)
Amy Lee (Beverly Hills)
Maria Aytoyan (Valley Village)
Iva Jovic (Torrance)
Layla Reyes (Santa Ana)
Tianmei Wang (San Marino)
