Palisades High’s Michael Kaplan Makes Round of 16 at Ojai Tennis Tournament

The Ojai Valley Tennis Tournament was back last week on courts throughout Ventura County  and several Palisadians participated in the 120th edition of the prestigious event.

In the CIF singles division, Palisades High’s No. 1 player Michael Kaplan advanced to the round of 16, where he lost 6-4, 6-1 to top-seeded Andy Nguyen of Long Beach Millikan. In the first round, Kaplan beat Michael Chang of Arlington, 6-3, 6-1 and in the second round he ousted Carpinteria’s Austin Stone, 1-6, 6-1, 6-2. In the CIF doubles bracket, the Dolphins’ duo of Noah Zaret and Jex Frankel won their first match against Cathedral Catholic’s Daniel Imas and Peter Georges, 6-3, 6-3, but lost to Granada Hills’ David Tinajero and Rocco Melendez in three sets in the second round.  The coveted Griggs Cup went to University of Irvine, after the Warriors’ SanHyuk Im and Omar Khayat reached the finals in doubles while teammate Conrad Brown won the CIF singles championship.

In the Boys 14-and-under singles division, Pali High freshman Tai Finestone made the quarterfinals after edging Isaiah Parra from Los Angeles 11-9 in a third-set tiebreaker while Palisadian Alexander Brown made the round of 16. In the Boys 16s singles draw, Pali High’s Neel Joshi lost in a super tiebreaker in the round of 16. Pali High’s Jade Finestone lost her opener in the Girls 18s singles and fourth-seeded Palisadian Simone Kay fell in three sets in the quarterfinals. Former Pali High player Landon Cronin won his first match in Men’s Open Singles, 6-3, 2-6, 10-8.