War by the Shore returns Monday

Plenty of Costa Mesa and Newport Beach youth tennis players are threats to take home titles as the 22nd annual The Tennis Club junior tournament starts Monday at The Tennis Club Newport Beach.

Draws were released Friday and the tournament, also known as the “War by the Shore,” features a full array of boys’ and girls’ singles and doubles players. That includes several locals who are seeded.

Costa Mesa resident James Zillman is the top seed in the boys’ 16s. Zillman, who opens the tournament in the round of 32 on Monday evening, advanced to the boys’ 16s semifinals last year.

Newport Beach resident Chloe Jolliff is the top seed in the girls’ 18s. Jolliff, who will be a junior at Capistrano Valley Christian, opens her tournament in the round of 16 on Tuesday at 5 p.m. against another Chloe – Chloe Pham of Irvine.

Newport Beach resident Danielle Wilson is the No. 3 seed in girls’ 12s singles. She plays fellow Newport resident Nicole Knickerbocker in the round of 16 at 11 a.m. Tuesday.

The only other seeded boys’ player is in boys’ 12s singles, where Newport Beach resident Austin Di Giulio is the No. 5 seed. He opens his tournament Monday at 11 a.m. in the round of 32, against Arash Hafezi of Irvine.

The girls’ 18s draw also includes locals like No. 3-seeded Kalika Slevcove, a recent CdM graduate. Slevcove will play her former CdM teammate, Caroline Larsen of Newport Beach, in an all-local round of 16 clash Tuesday at 5 p.m.

The draw also includes Newport Beach’s Caroline Beck, as well as Newport Harbor doubles players Mindy Wheeler, as well as the twins of Christina and Robin Young.

Newport Harbor’s Blake Bakkila and Megan Bathen, Lauren Thaxter of Corona del Mar and Liana Korber of Sage Hill are among those in the girls’ 16 singles draw.

Logan Friend and Matthew Searcy of Newport Beach will be playing in boys’ 18 doubles. All-local girls’ doubles teams include Samantha Ludes and Sabrina Sanchez of Newport Beach (14s), as well as Paige Kenerson and Mackenzie Worsnop of Newport Beach (14s).

All Newport teams in the girls’ 16s doubles include Mollie Friend and MacKenzie Ludes, as well as Claire Farmer and Carly Searcy. Alexa Desantis and Caroline Graham is another all-Newport tandem in girls’ 16s, as are Robin Caston and Gigi Gill, as well as Morgan Gainey and Audry Rimland.

Play continues through the week, with all division championship matches scheduled for Friday.