It has been a bustling few months for SoCal players at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. From kicking off the year with the inaugural Southern California Open, to swiftly moving into the BNP Paribas Open Masters 1000 just a month later, alongside the FILA International Junior Championships and culminating with the FILA Easter Bowl, it’s been an action-packed period for #TeamSoCal in the desert.

The FILA Easter Bowl, serving as the USTA National Spring Championships, concluded in Indian Wells last weekend with junior singles and doubles competitions, highlighted by an electrifying performance from Rancho Palos Verdes’ Andy Johnson.

Johnson, a familiar face at the prestigious Easter Bowl, previously teamed up with Tustin’s Tyler Lee in 2022 to secure the Boys’ 12s doubles title. Fast forward two years, and both SoCal natives triumphed once again, each claiming well-deserved titles in their respective divisions.

Having enjoyed a successful run over the past few months, including wins at the Junior Orange Bowl and the 14s Winter Nationals, Johnson showcased sheer dominance in the 14s division at the 56th edition of the FILA Easter Bowl. He achieved the double Gold feat by capturing both the singles and doubles titles without dropping a set.

Throughout the tournament, Johnson conceded a total of just 15 games over five matches while maintaining a flawless record. He clinched the Boys’ 14s singles title with a commanding 6-0, 6-2 victory against No. 4 Izyan Ahmad from New Jersey. Later in the day, Johnson and Ahmad, as top seeds, defeated No. 3 Paxton Au from Manhattan Beach and Gadin Arun from Arizona with a score of 6-1, 6-1, securing the doubles Gold.

Southern California boys’ dominated the doubles competition, bringing home the top title in three of the four age groups.

In an all-SoCal showdown for the Boys’ 16s doubles title, Tyler Lee, who boasts three consecutive Final 8 titles and the 2023 Bryan Bros Doubles Race championship, teamed up with Irvine’s Brayden Tallakson to secure victory. The two followed a similar fashion to Johnson and Ahmad, defeating the fifth-seeded pair of Adrien Abarca from Chula Vista and Justin Riley Anson from Laguna Niguel, in straight sets, 6-2, 6-2.

The top-seeded duo of James Borchard, aged 10, hailing from Thousand Oaks, and Taiki Bortolin from Ventura, showcased their formidable partnership once more after their previous semifinal run in last year’s Easter Bowl. Their history together extends back to the 2023 Mixed 12s championships at Junior Doubles Sectionals, where they faced each other as competitors.

This year, they teamed up as the youngest participants in the draw, aiming for a stronger performance. Their opportunity came against SoCal natives Daniel Gardality from San Diego and Andy Wu from Diamond Bar. Earlier in the week, Borchard had already proven his mettle by defeating Gardality in their singles match, 6-4, 6-2, where Gardality held the fifth seed and Borchard the fourth.

With their sights set on victory, Borchard and Bortolin seized the moment and emerged triumphant, overpowering the second-seeded duo with a decisive 6-4, 6-2 victory to secure the coveted 12s doubles title.

The boys aren’t the only ones who showed dominance in the doubles divisions this year. Following her remarkable performance last summer, which saw her clinch the Billie Jean King Girls’ National 18s doubles championship and secure a wild card entry into the 2023 US Open Women’s doubles main draw, Olivia Center from South Pasadena showcased her doubles prowess once more in the Girls’ 18s doubles final. Teaming up with Sophia Webster, a Vanderbilt commit from Bonita Springs, Florida, Center claimed yet another doubles title. The duo emerged victorious in a thrilling three-set battle, defeating fellow SoCal competitor Maren Urata from La Canada and partner Sabrina Lin from Saratoga, North Carolina, with a final score of 6-1, 3-6, 7-5.

Similar to Borchard and Bortolin, it’s safe to say that Los Angeles’ Shaya Jovanovic and Julia Seversen of Trabuco Canyon know each other’s game quite well after encountering each other at major events such as the Girls’ 12s Junior Sectionals final and the 14s Junior Doubles Sectional final. This time, however, the two found themselves on the same side of the court, where they secured the Silver Ball in the Girls’ 14s doubles final.

After a grueling three and a half-hour semifinal against No. 2 Addison Lanton from Elgin, Illinois, Daniela Borruel of Buena Park secured her spot in the Girls’ 18s singles Sunday final. Borruel, who previously won the Easter Bowl Girls’ 12s doubles title and was a singles finalist in 2019, recently committed to USC after graduating from Sunny Hills High in Fullerton. 

Meanwhile, No. 9 seed Tianmei Wang of San Marino had a much easier time, displaying her dominance in the semifinals by clinching a 6-0, 6-3 victory against No. 5 Claire Hill from North Carolina, to move into the final.

In an all-Southern California showdown, Wang faced off against Borruel. Wang, who triumphed at the USTA Girls’ 18s National Winter Championships in 2023 at just 15 years old, continued her winning streak by defeating Borruel in straight sets, 6-4, 6-0.

Reflecting on her victory, Wang, who turned 17 the week prior to her victory, expressed her joy over the win: “After placing third two years ago in the 14s, winning the title feels incredible, especially against a formidable opponent like Daniela.”

This victory marked Wang’s third USTA Gold ball, and she is set to continue her tennis journey at Harvard University.

In a remarkable upset during the youth divisions of the tournament, Los Angeles’ Beau Bronson Foster defeated the top-seeded Smyan Thuta from San Jose with a commanding 6-3, 6-1 victory in the round of 16. Aged just 12, Foster expressed satisfaction in avenging his recent loss to Thuta at the Clay Court Nationals. Proceeding to the quarterfinals, Foster encountered fellow Southern California player Nathan Lee of Tustin in a highly anticipated rematch of their Brewer Cup Spring Team 12s finals clash, which Foster had won just three weeks earlier in Arizona. However, this time, Lee emerged victorious, securing his own sweet redemption.

#TeamSoCal celebrated another fantastic achievement with two Silver Balls in the 12s singles division! Unseeded Nathan Lee displayed outstanding skill in his close finals match against No. 2 Jiarui Zhang from Texas. Despite falling short with a score of 2-6, 5-7, Lee’s determination and effort were commendable, showcasing the bright future ahead for this talented player.

After a thrilling victory over the no. 2 seed Nadia Poznick from Michigan in the Girls’ 12s singles semifinal, 6-3, 6-4, La Jolla’s Savannah Schmitz showcased incredible talent. Although she ultimately fell to the top seed Nikol Davletshina of Boca Raton, Florida in the final, Schmitz’s remarkable journey was inspiring.

Congratulations to all of the Southern California juniors who competed in this prestigious event. See the list of top finishers below.

Girls 18s Singles
Tianmei Wang (San Marino) — CHAMPION
Daniela Borruel (Buena Park) — Finalist

Girls 16s Singles
Alexandra Wolf (Pacific Palisades) – QF

Girls 14s Singles
Julia Seversen (Trabuco Canyon) — 3rd place
Kingsley Wolf (Pacific Palisades) — 4th place

Girls 12s Singles
Savannah Schmitz (La Jolla) — Finalist
Isabelle Nguyen (San Gabriel) — 4th place

Boys 16s Singles
Andrew Li (San Diego) – 4th place
Liam Alvarez (Long Beach) — 5th Place; QF
Gray Kelley (Chatsworth) — QF
David Wu (San Diego) — QF

Boys 14s Singles
Andrew Johnson (Rancho Palos Verdes) — CHAMPION

Boys 12s Singles
Nathan Lee (Tustin) — Finalist
James Borchard (Thousand Oaks) — 4th place
Daniel Gardality (San Diego) — 6th place; QF
Beau Bronson Foster (Los Angeles) — QF

Girls 18s Doubles
Olivia Center (South Pasadena) / Sophia Webster (Florida) — CHAMPIONS
Maren Urata (La Canada Flintridge) / Sabrina Lin (NorCal) — Finalists
Kenzie Nguyen (Irvine) / Emily Deming (Fallbrook) — 4th place
Tianmei Wang (San Marino) / Eva Oxford (Texas) — QF

Girls 14s Doubles
Shaya Jovanovic (Los Angeles) / Julia Seversen (Trabuco Canyon) — Finalists 
Raina Kim (Santa Monica) / Madeleine Bridges (Missouri) — 3rd place
Ariana Morris (Laguna Beach) / Janae Preston (Nevada) — QF

Boys 18s Doubles
Cassius Chinlund (Los Angeles) / Dylan Jaen (South Carolina) — 3rd place
Niels Hoffmann (Newport Beach) / John Cross (Newport Beach) — 4th place
Nischal Spurling (Los Angeles) / Shaurya Bharadwaj (North Carolina) — QF

Boys 16s Doubles
Tyler Lee (Tustin) / Brayden Tallakson (Irvine) — CHAMPIONS
Adrien Abarca (Chula Vista) / Justin Riley Anson (Laguna Niguel) — Finalists

Boys 14s Doubles
Andrew Johnson (Rancho Palos Verdes) / Izyan Ahmad (New Jersey) — CHAMPIONS
Paxton Au (Manhattan Beach) / Gadin Arun (Arizona) — Finalists
JiHyuk Im (Irvine) / Atticus Kim (Illinois) — QF

Boys 12s Doubles
James Borchard (Thousand Oaks) / Taiki Bortolin (Ventura) — CHAMPIONS
Daniel Gardality (San Diego) / Andy Wu (Diamond Bar) — Finalists 
Beau Bronson Foster (Los Angeles) / Noah Bouzoubaa (San Diego) — QF
Chris Deng (Alhambra) / Seth Nguyen (Camarillo) — QF

Two of the eight Sportsmanship Award winners were from Southern California.

• Girls 12s: Isabelle Nguyen (San Gabriel)
• Girls 16s: Kara Garcia (Sylmar)