The 120th USTA SoCal Junior Sectionals concluded Sunday at Los Cab Sports Village in Fountain Valley.
A stunner in Girls 12s, where top seed Julia Seversen cruised through the early rounds with ease before coming up against #3 Shaya Jovanovic in the championship final. Jovanovic captured the momentum in the first set with 6-2 advantage and turned back the top seed’s challenge to claim the title 7-5 in the second.
Irvine’s Kaiden Somaratne needed overtime in both his semifinal and final nailbiters, but on both occasions he emerged victorious in Boys 12s. Somaratne, the #3 seed, overcame the challenge from #5 Andy Deng to claim the Sectionals crown on Sunday, 6-4, 3-6, (10-7).
Another upset on stadium court between Julieta Pareja and Sophie Suh, the top two seeds in Girls 14s respectively. Suh, the #2 see from Orange, took full control of the third set in a lively and entertaining final, 6-4, 4-6, 6-0.
The match between #2 David Wu and #4 Roshan Santhosh was another marathon that ultimately favored Santhosh. The Newbury Park native dropped only two sets in the Boys 14s tournament, including the opener Sunday against Wu, but Santhosh captured the second and emerged from a dramatic third set tiebreaker to earn the Sectional title, 6-7(4), 6-2, 7-6(5).
In Girls 16s, South Pasadena’s Nicole Weng was impressive in a 6-2, 6-2 win over #4 Ariana Liu. It’s Weng’s third tournament victory in a row following titles at Woody Hunt and Roseville. The #3 seed did not drop a set throughout the Sectional draw.
It took overtime to determine the Boys 16s champion, where #4 Brody Nejedly Krall defeated Tobias Luo in a third set tiebreaker to claim the win. Nejedly Krall, of Rancho Mirage, opened strong with a 6-2 first set advantage, only to have Luo respond with the same. In the end, Nejedly Krall emerged 6-2, 2-6, 7-6(4).
The Boys 18s final between #1 Hudson Rivera and #2 Masato Perera reflected last year’s 18s final, as the two top seeds battled for bragging rights and the final junior title of their young careers. Rivera, of Rancho Santa Fe, proved too strong on Sunday, roaring out to a 6-0 start in the first before Perera settled in and evened the match at a set apiece. In the third, any opportunities carved by Perera were quickly extinguished, leaving Rivera in the driver’s seat and ultimately holding the Sectionals crown, 6-0, 4-6. 6-1.
The Girls 18s title went to San Diego’s Alyssa Ahn, the #4 seed, in a walkover opposite #2 Kaila Barksdale.
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