Joshi Reaches Semis at Ojai

By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor

Palisades Charter High School sophomore Neel Joshi advanced to the semifinals of the Boys’ 16-and-Under Singles division at the 121st Ojai Valley Tennis Tournament last weekend in Ventura County.

Seeded fourth in the 32-player draw, the Topanga resident won his first match 6-3, 6-4 against Josiah Jenkins of Ventura on Friday morning at Ojai Athletic Club, then won his round of 16 match 6-0, 6-2 in the afternoon against Chase Walkey of Palm Desert.

In the quarterfinals Saturday morning at Weil Tennis Academy he swept Jack Dermenjyan of Burbank 6-2, 6-0 to set up a semifinal matchup versus top-seeded Mario Garcia of San Diego.

Joshi’s run ended in a 6-2, 6-3 defeat to the eventual runner-up, but he got further than he did a year ago when he lost in a super tiebreaker in the round of 16.

In the Boys’ CIF Singles division, Palisades’ top player Jex Frankel won his first match against Simon Catanazaro of Santa Monica 6-2, 6-2 at Thacher School but lost in three sets in the round of 32 to Jayce Spurgiasz of Irvine Woodbridge.

In the Boys’ CIF Doubles division, the Pali High duo of Todd Valkov and Aidan Adham lost their first-round match 6-3, 6-3 Thursday morning to the San Marino tandem of Aaron Lee and Ethan Nguyen at Villanova Prep School.

Also in the Boys’ CIF Doubles bracket, Palisadian Braun Levi and Loyola High teammate Cooper Schwartz advanced to the round of 16, downing George Roznetinsky and Roen from Sherman Oaks CES 6-0, 6-1 and David Chen and Austen Orrantia of Santa Margarita 7-5, 6-1 on Thursday at Ojai Valley School before falling to Derek Shiffer and Darius Tamaddon of Calabasas 6-3, 6-4 on Friday at Libbey Park.

In the Girls’ 18-and-under singles bracket, Pali High senior Jade Finestone (who helped the Dolphins repeat as City team champions in the fall) lost a two-hour marathon to No. 7-seeded Armira Kockinis of La Habra Heights in the round of 32. Kockinis prevailed in a super tiebreaker, 7-5, 4-6, 10-6.

Finestone was back on court Friday evening at Ojai Athletic Club for her Girls’ 18-and-under doubles round of 16 match with partner Nicole Weng of South Pasadena and lost another nailbiter, this time to Audrey Harrington of San Juan Capistrano and Morgan Arnott of Trabuco Canyon, who prevailed 2-6, 7-6 (7-5), 10-7. Finestone’s younger brother Tai lost to Garcia in the first round of the Boys’ 16s draw.

Pali High alum Joseph Silvers, who played No. 1 singles and notched the decisive point in a 15.5-14 victory over El Camino Real in the City Section finals in 2012, competed in the Men’s Open Singles division and won his first two matches 6-0, 6-2 and 6-3, 6-3 to qualify for the main draw before falling in the round of 32 to Philip Bester, 6-1, 6-1, on Thursday morning at Ojai Valley Inn.

Seventeen-year-old Simone Kay, who attends New West Charter School and trains at The Riviera Country Club, entered the Women’s Open Singles draw and beat Madison Damond of San Francisco 6-0, 6-1 before falling in straight sets to top-seeded and eventual champion Chanel Simmonds of San Diego in Friday’s quarterfinals.