By Steve Pratt, special to USTA.com
CARSON, Calif. – Following up a strong semifinal performance at this event one year ago, Long Beach’s Kiah Generette pulled off another big upset on Tuesday in the girls’ 16s division during the second day of the seventh annual USTA International Spring Championships.
Feeling right at home on the Home Depot Center courts she has played on so many times, Generette proved a very unwelcome host to Houston’s Maria Smith, the No. 5-seeded player, winning her second-round match, 4-6, 6-1, 6-3. Smith won the USTA Winter Nationals 14s just four months ago.
The unseeded Generette will next face No. 12 seed Dasha Ivanova, a 6-1, 6-3 victor against unseeded Mary Closs, in the third round of the 64-player draw ITF Grade 1 event.
Last year, Generette won four matches, including wins over three seeded players, before falling to eventual champion Alyssa Smith in the semifinals. On the way to the final four, she beat this year’s 16s top-seeded player Katrine Steffensen, giving up just four games.
On Tuesday, Steffensen made her way into the round of 16 with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Alexis Rae Valenzuela, 6-1, 6-2.
There was another big upset in the girls’ 16s, as No. 3 Julia O'Loughlin was beaten by Maia Magill, 6-1, 6-4.
In the boys’ 16s, top-seeded Luca Corinteli and No. 2 Spencer Papa both moved on easily, but No. 3-seeded George Goldhoff was eliminated by Deiton Baughman, 3-6, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (0).
The top-seeded player in the boys’ 18s advanced easily, as Bjorn Fratangelo downed Ernesto Escobedo, 6-2, 6-4.
"It was good to get out here and get my first win," said the Pittsburgh native Fratangelo, the No. 17 ITF world-ranked junior. "The courts were a little fast, so you’re always just eager to get out there and get that first win."
In other 18s boys’ matches of note, No. 8-seeded Connor Farren survived a scare against Southern Californian Brendan McClain, 6-4, 5-7, 7-6 (4), while another SoCal player, No. 3-seeded Alexios Halebian, advanced against Andrew Scholnick, 7-6 (5), 6-4.
In the girls’ 18s, two former Carson champions and fellow Southern Californians were eliminated, as Laguna Niguel’s Alyssa Smith fell to No. 5-seeded Ellen Allgurin of Sweden and Ranch Santa Fe’s Gabriella De Simone was forced to retire up 5-2 in the first due to injury against Mexico’s Alejandra Cisneros Gomez.
For more information on the tournament, including scores and draws, log onto the website at
www.usta.com/isc.
TUESDAY’S SINGLES RESULTS:
Note: All singles players from United States unless if noted.
Boys’ 18s First Round
Richard Del Nunzio def. Brendan Aguilar 6-2, 6-2
Edward Nguyen, Canada, def. Alexander Petrone (16) 6-3, 6-3
Mitchell Krueger (6) def. Denis Nguyen 6-3, 6-1
Thomas Pura def. Stefan Menichella 4-6, 6-3, 6-0
Bjorn Fratangelo (1) def. Ernesto Escobedo 6-2, 6-4
Henry Craig def. Ricardo Medinilla, Mexico, 6-2, 7-5
Connor Farren (8) def. Brendan McClain 6-4, 5-7, 7-6(4)
Austin Smith def. Anthony Tsodikov 6-3, 6-1
Alexios Halebian (3) def. Andrew Scholnick 7-6(5), 6-4
Boys’ 16s Second Round
Nikko Madregallejo (6) def. Taylor Cramer 6-3, 6-1
Justin Butsch (8) def. Kenny Gea 6-3, 7-5
Luca Corinteli (1) def. Tyler Lu 6-3, 6-2
Deiton Baughman def. George Goldhoff (3) 3-6, 7-6(5), 7-6(0)
Spencer Papa (2) def. William Griffith 6-2, 6-2
Ciro Riccardi def. Nicholas Reyes (9) 6-2, 6-2
Stephen Watson (10) def. Adrian Ortiz, Mexico, 7-5, 6-2
Joseph Di Giulio (4) def. Oliver Landert 6-3, 6-4
Noah Rubin (14) def. Logan Smith 6-0, 6-4
Stefan Kozlov def. Gregory Garcia (11) 6-3, 6-2
Daniel Kerznerman (7) def. Jake De Vries 6-2, 6-1
Martin Redlicki (13) def. Yancy Dennis 6-0, 6-3
Javier Restrepo def. Masayoshi Ono, Japan, 6-2, 6-1
JC Aragone (12) def. Jake Klein 6-4, 6-2
Stefan Doehler def. Eduardo Nava 6-2, 6-0
William Chiu def. Aidan Talcott (15) 4-6, 7-6(6), 6-2
Girls’ 18s First Round
Kriszina Kapitany (14), Hungary, def. Katya Vasilyev 4-6, 6-3, 7-5
Naomi Totka, Hungary, def. Jessica Wacnik 6-0, 2-6, 6-2
Taylor Townsend def. Peggy Porter 6-1, 6-0
Ellen Allgurin (5), Sweden, def. Alyssa Smith 6-4, 6-4
Janet Liu def. Lauren Chypyha, Canada, 1-6, 6-3, 6-2
Rio Kitagawa (8), Japan, def. Alexandra Morozova 6-2, 6-4
Mayo Hibi, Japan, def. Sarah Lee 6-0, 6-3
Alejandra Cisneros Gomez, Mexico, def. Gabriella De Simone (15) 5-2 Ret (inj)
Stephanie Nauta (9) def. Nicole Long 6-4, 6-2
Camila Fuentes def. Melissa Kopinski 6-1, 6-1
Kelsey Laurente def. Tamitha Nguyen, Philippines, 6-0, 6-2
Brooke Austin def. Giuliana Olmos, Mexico, 6-2, 6-2
Chalena Scholl def. Lorraine Guillermo 7-5, 6-0
Joanna Smith def. Rongrong Leenabanchong, Thailand, 6-2, 6-0