The CIF Boys’ divisions at the 116th Ojai commenced Thursday and the leading contenders made their presence known on Thursday. In the CIF Boys’ Singles tournament, Jacob Brumm from Torrey Pines High downed La Canada’s Lucas Chmielewski, 6-2, 6-1, and knocked off Redlands’ Patrick Cachipero, 6-2, 6-2, in the first two rounds. Brumm is the top player from one of the nation’s best high school tennis programs. Torrey Pines is the reigning CIF-San Diego Section Division I champion and won the 16-team National All-American Team Invitational in March 2015. A couple years ago, Torrey Pines’ roster included Taylor Fritz, who is now 18, finished 2015 as the world’s top-ranked Junior player after winning the U.S. Open Junior Championship, and is currently ranked No. 69 in the world.
Corona del Mar High senior Bjorn Hoffmann reached last year’s CIF Boys’ singles final at The Ojai and is again a leading contender to win Southern California’s most prestigious and competitive high school tournament. He advanced from the first round in a walkover before defeating Andrew Leahy of Claremont, 6-3, 6-2, in the second round. Peninsula’s Connor Hance, a 2015 CIF Boys’ Singles quarterfinalist, advanced to Friday’s Round of 16 with a 6-1, 6-0 trouncing of Beverly Hills’ Adriano Saitta.
The CIF Boys’ Doubles draw welcomed back both of its finalists from 2015 on Thursday. Palm Desert High doubles team Bradley Cummins and Alex Kuperstein opened their title defense with a pair of wins and a berth in Friday’s Round of 16. Cummins and Kuperstein did not surrender a game in three of their four sets, and beat Agoura’s Max Derensteyn and Benjamin Lustgarten, 6-2, 6-0, in their second and final match of the day. In the bottom of the draw, Point Loma’s Keegan Smith and Ivan Thamma advanced to Friday’s third round with a pair of wins – 6-0, 6-2 over Claremont’s Christian Settles and Jason Weisman in the first round, and 6-2, 6-1 against Matthew Diamond and Bennett Williams of Bonita in the second round.
For the junior draws, click here:
http://tennislink.usta.com/Tournaments/TournamentHome/Tournament.aspx?T=173898#&&s=7