The Maze Cup is a distinguished annual team competition featuring the top juniors from Northern California and Southern California. The site of the competition rotates between Northern and Southern California each year. Northern California is hosting the 48th edition of the Maze Cup on April 21-23 at the Alpine Hills Tennis Swim Club in Portola Valley. It includes both boys’ and girls’ 18 and 16 divisions. The event is played using a five-match Davis Cup/Billie Jean King Cup format, singles and doubles (four singles and one doubles). 

#TeamSoCal is looking to defend its title after clinching the win last year at the 47th annual Maze Cup. It truly was a battle of the sections last year with a 6-6 tie going into the finals. However, Team SoCal showed its strength when David Duong of Fountain Valley won straight sets and Santa Barbara’s Masato Perera brought it home in the final match. The overall score was SoCal 12, NorCal 8.

This year’s team will feature: 

Cassius Chinlund (Los Angeles)

• Currently #1 ranked player in the country in B18s
• Winner of 2023 L1 Easter Bowl in the B18 Singles
• Member of 2022 L1 Battle of the Sections SoCal Team

Zhengqing (Jim) Ji (La Jolla)

• Finalist of 2023 ITF J300 San Diego Doubles
• Winner of B18 Doubles at 2022 L3 USTA SoCal Junior Doubles Sectionals 
• Member of 2022 L1 Battle of the Sections SoCal Team

Emily Deming (Fallbrook)

• Finalist of G18 Singles at 2023 L2 San Diego
• Finalist of Women’s Open Singles at 2023 Malibu SoCal Pro Series Pre-Qualifier
• Winner of Girls 18 Doubles at 2022 ITF J5 San Diego with Alyssa Ahn
• Winner of Mixed 18s at 2022 L3 USTA L3 SoCal Junior Doubles Sectionals

Isabella Chhiv (Irvine)

• Winner of Women’s Open Singles at 2023 Rancho Santa Fe SoCal Pro Series Pre-Qualifier
• Winner of G18 Doubles at 2023 L2 San Diego
• Winner of G18 Doubles at 2022 L3 USTA SoCal Junior Doubles Sectionals

Nathaniel Suh (Orange)

• Winner of B16 Singles at 2023 L3 Henry Talbert Junior Championships
• Winner of Mixed 16s at 2022 L3 USTA SoCal Junior Doubles Sectionals 
• Winner of B16 Doubles at 2022 L3 USTA SoCal Junior Doubles Sectionals 
• Member of 2022 L1 Battle of the Sections SoCal Team

Roshan Santhosh (Newbury Park)

• Winner of 2023 L1 Easter Bowl in the B14 Singles
• Winner of 2023 ITF J60 Las Vegas Doubles
• Winner of B14 Singles at 2022 L3 USTA SoCal Junior Sectionals

Simon Cantanzaro (Santa Monica)

• Member of 2022 L2 Pacific Cup SoCal Team
• Finalist of B18 Doubles at 2023 L5 Dudley Cup

Alyssa Ahn (San Diego)

• Winner of Girls 18 Doubles at 2022 ITF J5 San Diego with Emily Deming
• Winner of G16 Singles at 2022 L1 USTA National Championships
• Member of 2022 L1 Battle of the Sections SoCal Team
• Winner of G18 Singles at 2022 L3 USTA SoCal Junior Sectionals

Rachel Lee (San Diego)

• Finalist of Women’s Open Singles at 2023 Rancho Santa Fe SoCal Pro Series Pre-Qualifier
• Finalist of G18 Doubles at 2023 L2 San Diego
• Winner of G16 Doubles at 2022 L3 USTA SoCal Junior Doubles Sectionals

Sophie Suh (Orange)

• Finalist of G16 Singles at 2023 L3 Henry Talbert Junior Championships
• Member of 2022 L2 Pacific Cup SoCal Team
• Winner of G14 Singles at 2022 L3 USTA SoCal Junior Sectionals

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George Maze, Sr., a devoted volunteer for both the Southern California Tennis Association (SCTA) and Northern California Tennis Association (NCTA), was the namesake and brainchild for what has turned into one of the most prestigious and long-standing team events in the country. It all started as a way to bring players together from both sections to practice, prepare, and compete against each other before the East Coast summer National events way back in 1974. 

Born and raised in Modesto, George was always a California man and tennis enthusiast. He graduated from the University of California at Berkeley in 1940. After serving in the Navy as a lieutenant during World War II, George Maze, Sr. settled in Bakersfield where he entered the farming business like his father. George and his tennis-playing wife soon joined the Bakersfield Racquet Club and became die-hard tennis players with George serving on the Board of Directors with a term as president. 

Described as a “tireless volunteer” for the USTA Southern California Section, the couple in the late 1960s made the move to the East Bay because of a job change and the Maze’s became members of the Berkeley Tennis Club, the same club where George Maze Sr. played during his days attending the University of California at Berkeley. 

They had three children: George Jr., Joan, and Bill. It would go without saying all three were introduced to tennis as soon as they were able to walk. They rapidly progressed through the local tournament scene and played all the tournaments in the Southern California sanctioned circuit.

George was probably the most enthusiastic, motivated, creative tennis parent that ever came out of the Bakersfield area. His ideas and determination to make them happen was a leading factor in the success of the Junior Development program in that community.

His youngest son, Bill, became an extremely gifted player who showed signs of talent at an early age. He was at the top of the heap from the 10’s on in the SCTA tournaments. Unfortunately for Bakersfield, George had a change of occupation in the late 60’s and the family moved to Northern California.

The elder Maze always had the idea of a section-vs.-section team event modeled after the Davis Cup format. He first got the idea for a friendly junior competition between the two sections having watched players like Erik Van Dillen and Jeff Borowiak from NorCal, and Stan Smith and Bob Lutz from SoCal. Bill, with his father present, won the USTA Boys’ 16 National singles title at Kalamazoo, Michigan. Two years later, he went on to be a finalist in the 18s’ singles. Sadly, Maze Sr. passed away from a heart attack while playing tennis at the club in 1973. 

Upon his untimely death in 1973, the two sections created the Maze Cup. USTA Northern California President Peter Herb and SoCal President Joe Bixler put plans in place for the first Maze Cup to take place in the spring of 1974 in Fresno as a way to honor the legacy of George Maze. 

Bill Maze, who was a nationally ranked junior and just 17 at the time, participated in the inaugural event, playing for the NorCal team. Although the event was emotional for Bill, he still managed to win one singles match. Bill is proud of the event and believes his father would be too.

Since 1974, the Maze Cup has grown to be one of the most prestigious and exciting junior events in the country. Pros like Pete Sampras, Lindsay Davenport, Michael Chang, Brad Gilbert, Cici Bellis, and many more have played in the event. 

“It seems like the juniors have always enjoyed it,” said Bill Maze, who is in his 28th year of coaching the women’s tennis team at the University of California at Davis. “The team stuff is always so much more fun than the individual tournaments.”

The Bakersfield Racquet Club has been proud to host the event each year the Maze Cup has been played in Southern California. The Maze family has continued its close association with tennis and have been ardent supporters of the Maze Cup. George Maze Jr., an attorney in the Bay area, is a past president of the Northern California Tennis Association, Joan is a realtor in San Francisco, played four years for the Cal Berkeley tennis team and continues to compete in USTA League tennis, and Bill Maze is the Women’s Tennis coach of University of California at Davis.