Palisadians Make Deep Runs at SoCal Section Tournament

The United States Tennis Association’s Southern California Junior Sectional Championships were last week in Orange County and while no Palisadians emerged victorious, several advanced far in their respective age divisions.

Jake Sands, seeded seventh in the Boys 14 singles draw, won his first three matches without dropping a set before falling in the quarterfinals to second-seeded Brandon Nakashima of San Diego.

In the Boys 12s, Lincoln Bellamy won his first match in a third-set tiebreaker but had to default his round of 32 match with an injury.

Playing up a division, Roscoe Bellamy reeled off four straight victories to win the consolation title in the Boys 16s division. Lucas Bellamy lost in the round of 64. An intriguing first-round matchup in that division pitted Palisades High’s Ben Goldberg against fellow Palisadian Derek Vincent of Loyola High. Goldberg won and went all the way to the round of 16. RJ Sands lost in the round of 64.

Goldberg also competed in the Boys 18 doubles division and got to the round of 32 with partner Connor Rapp of Rancho Mirage. Jackson Kogan of Windward School and partner Jonathan Star of Calabasas were ousted in two tiebreakers in the same round.

Brandon Michaels of Brentwood School, Kogan and Daniel Rozovsky of Pali High all lost in the round of 64 in the Boys 18s, but Michaels reached the quarterfinals of the consolation draw.

In the Girls 14s, Chloe Bendetti won her first match in straight sets, then lost in the round of 32. Caroline Vincent and Caroline Goldberg also lost in the round of 32.

In the Girls 16s, Pali High’s Morgan Swan had to withdraw from her first qualifying match with an injury.

After losing in the round of 64 in the main draw of the Girls 18 singles, Malibu High’s Ilana Oleynik advanced to the consolation quarterfinals. In doubles, she and Yuki Asami of Irvine made the round of 16. Sophie Bendetti of Oaks Christian High paired with fellow Palisades Tennis Center trainee Sofia Booth and the two won their first-round match in a super tiebreaker in the Girls 18 doubles division.