Bay Area's Volynets, Greenwald win big titles

Katie Volynets, who will turn 15 on Dec. 31,
won the girls 16 title in the Eddie Herr Inter-
national Championships. 2015 photo by
Paul Bauman

   Katie Volynets of Walnut Creek in the San Francisco Bay Area added another big singles title to her resume today.
   The seventh-seeded Volynets, who will turn 15 on Dec. 31, outclassed fourth-seeded Victoria Hu of Northborough, Mass., 6-3, 6-2 in the 16s on a hardcourt in the Eddie Herr International Championships in Bradenton, Fla.
   Volynets, ranked No. 2 nationally in the 16s behind Nicole Mossmer of San Diego and No. 1 in the 14s, lost only one set in the tournament. She beat 11th-seeded Angelica Blake of Boca Raton, Fla., 0-6, 7-5, 6-2 in the quarterfinals.
   The Eddie Herr is one of the most prestigious junior tournaments in the world. Past competitors include Roger Federer, Andy Roddick, David Nalbandian, Maria Sharapova, Jelena Jankovic and Ana Ivanovic.
   Herr, the father of international junior tennis, died in 2000 at 93.
   Volynets also won the USTA National Championships last year in the 14s, saving five match points in the semifinals, and two years ago in the 12s. She reached the semifinals this year in the 16s in San Diego.
   Volynets' parents, Andrey and Anna, emigrated from Ukraine 20 years ago. Anna was a top swimmer there.
   In next week's prestigious Orange Bowl on clay in Plantation, Fla., the unseeded Volynets is scheduled to play qualifier Makayla Mills of Wilmington, N.C., in the first round.
   USTA National 40 Hard Court Championships in La Jolla, Calif. -- In an all-Bay Area matchup, sixth-seeded Jeff Greenwald of San Anselmo won the title over fourth-seeded Oren Motevassel of San Jose by walkover.
   Motevassel, 49, pulled out with a right knee injury.
   Greenwald, 50, equaled Motevassel with two singles titles in the tournament. He also won in 2009. Motevassel triumphed in 2011 and 2012.
   Since winning the title in 2009, Greenwald had met Motevaseel in the tournament on four occasions, including three times in the semifinals, and lost each encounter.
   Chase Helpingstine of San Francisco teamed with Ronald Keiger to capture the grandfather-grandson title. Seeded third, they demolished unseeded Bob Hoffman of West Hempstead, N.Y., and Christopher Schwab of Massapequa, N.Y. (Jerry Seinfield's hometown) 6-0, 6-0.

No. 2 Miller, No. 5 Hu upset in NorCal Girls Sectionals

No. 2 seed Alaina Miller, who has a two-handed
forehand, lost to Katya Tabachnik at Arden Hills
in Sacramento. 2014 photo by Paul Bauman

   No. 2 seed and defending champion Alaina Miller and No. 5 seed Sarah Hu were ousted Saturday in the 18-and-under round of 16 in the NorCal Girls' 18 & 16 Sectional Championships at the Arden Hills Resort Club & Spa in Sacramento.
   Katya Tabachnik of San Francisco edged Saratoga's Miller, who uses two hands on both sides, 0-6, 6-4, 7-5. Seriana Saltzen of Cameron Park downed Hu, from Oakland, 6-4, 6-7 (2), 6-2.
   Tabachnik will meet fifth-seeded Jessi Muljat, playing on her home courts, today at noon in the quarterfinals. Muljat crushed AiMarie Asai of Saratoga 6-0, 6-0.
    Saltzen will face fourth-seeded Rachel Eason of Union City at 1:30 p.m. Eason dismantled Lise Swain of Greenbrae 6-0, 6-1.
   At 12:30, No. 1 seed Camille Favero of Sacramento will play No. 5 Allison Chuang of Albany, and No. 3 Darya Possokhova of San Francisco will meet No. 5 Jenna Friedel of Mill Valley.
   In the girls 16-and-under round of 16, Anna Campana of Hillsborough dismissed No. 5 Jessica Tsukiji of San Jose 6-3, 6-4. Campana will take on fourth-seeded Jillian Taggart of Fair Oaks today at 11:30 a.m. in the quarterfinals.
   Meanwhile, in the boys 18s at Sacramento State, Mayson Xue of San Ramon followed his upset of No. 1 seed Lane Leschly of Atherton by eliminating No. 9 Dominic Barretto of Tiburon 3-6, 6-1, 6-1 in the round of 16.
   Also, No. 9 Jayson Fung of San Francisco oulasted No. 5 Ajai Shekhera of Campbell 6-2, 4-6, 6-3.
   Today's quarterfinal matchups (8 a.m.) are Xue vs. No. 5 Gabriel Owens of Los Altos, No. 4 Riley Scott of Salinas against No. 5 Paul Barretto of Tiburon, No. 3 Austen Huang of Elk Grove vs. No. 5 Amit Batta of Los Altos, and Fung against Mitchell Iwahiro of Granite Bay.   
   In today's boys 16 semifinals at 9 a.m., No. 1 Andrew Ton of Milpitas will face No. 5 Chethan Swanson of Folsom, and No. 2 Daly Meinert of Fresno will play No. 3 Keenan Mayo of Roseville.

NORCAL 14 JUNIOR SECTIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

At Fremont Tennis Center

Today's singles semifinals

Boys (10:30 a.m.)

   Aditya Gupta (1), Los Altos, vs. Stefan Leustian (3), Mather.
   Aidan Mayo (4), Roseville, vs. Ryan Ali (5), Mill Valley, or Zachery Lim (9), Fairfield.

Girls (11:30 a.m.)

   Jennamarie Gordon (1), Saratoga, vs. Muskan Mahajan (5), San Ramon.   
   Connie Ma (2), Dublin, vs. Katherine Duong (9), Cupertino.

NORCAL 12 JUNIOR SECTIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

At Sunnyvale Tennis Center

Today's singles semifinals

Boys (10:30 a.m.)

   Luke Casper (1), Santa Cruz, vs. Max Fardanesh (3), Albany.
   Aryan Chaudhary (2), Santa Clara, vs. Alexander Chang (4), Berkeley.

Girls (noon)

   Vivian Ovrootsky (1), San Jose, vs. Maryia Lucia (6), Roseville.
   Claire Galerkin (2), San Francisco, vs. Tiffany Boudagian (3), South San Francisco.