Trevor Svajda and Eryn Cayetano Capture Singles and
Doubles Titles at SoCal Pro Series in Lakewood

Playing with supreme confidence and the knowledge that they had been there before, San Diego’s Trevor Svajda and Los Angeles’ Eryn Cayetano added more SoCal Pro Series hardware to their mantels with close straight-set wins over a pair of UCLA qualifiers on Sunday at the Lakewood Tennis Center, the final day of Week 5 of the seven-week series.

The unseeded Svajda, 19, captured his third career ITF pro title – and second this summer – with a 6-4, 6-4 win over lefty Spencer Johnson, 22, of Ladera Ranch in the men’s singles final. The former USC All-American Eryn Cayetano, the No. 2 seed, beat Anne-Christine Lutkemeyer, 6-3, 7-5, in an entertaining women’s singles final.

It was the sixth career ITF pro singles title for Cayetano, who, just like Svajda, also won the doubles title on Saturday. It was the second straight week Cayetano won both singles and doubles trophies, giving her a total of four SoCal Pro Series titles in the past seven days.

“I’m super proud of myself and the work I’ve put in,” said Cayetano, who grew up nearby in Long Beach and was cheered on by a dozen or so friends and family members. “I remember last year here losing in the second round (after beating Lutkemeyer in the first round), and so to come back a year later and taking it all the way home just shows how much I’ve developed my game mentally, physically and emotionally.”

It was Cayetano’s fourth career win over the UCLA senior Lutkemeyer, once in college and three times on the pro level. Cayetano will try to keep her 10-match SoCal Pro Series winning streak going this week as she will play singles only in the Jack Kramer Club event in Rolling Hills.

“I don’t ever think of the numbers,” Cayetano said of her dominance over Irvine’s Lutkemeyer. “I see her coming to the net more and her game has really developed since I played her last.”

Cayetano, who won her first title back in 2022 in her pro debut at the Jack Kramer Club, said she is excited to go back there. “These are all home matches and it’s been super nice to have my parents and friends come to my matches,” she said.

This is Lutkemeyer’s final SoCal appearance this summer as she will head off to China to play in some ITFs. Sunday was her first ITF pro final. Back in 2023 as a qualifier she made it to the Lakewood semis and also qualified at Rancho Santa Fe last year losing to her teammate Kimmi Hance in the semifinals.

The SMU junior Svajda will also skip Kramer and take a week off before heading to Dallas to play an indoor $25K Futures hosted by his college before traveling to Germany for an individual collegiate team event.

“It feels great,” Svajda said. “I think my serve has really developed over the last few months. It just makes this sport a lot easier when you’re serving well. Returning went really well too and just my composure on the court. I think I’ve changed my attitude too, so I’m happy about that.”

Last year’s quarterfinals appearance at Jack Kramer Club was the farthest Johnson has gone in a pro event, and he will receive a special exemption and go right to the main draw this week not needed to use the USTA wild card he was granted. “I felt some nerves because it’s the first time I’ve been in this situation, but I slept good and was ready to play,” said Johnson, who missed 10 weeks of the college season due to a stress fracture in his left elbow.

In the women’s doubles final on Saturday, the top seeds Cayetano and Haley Giavara beat former University of San Diego player Jordyn McBride and current Torrero Kristina Nordikyan, the No. 3 seeds, 6-0, 6-1. McBride is from Thousand Oaks and Nordikyan Panorama City. It was the ninth career ITF pro doubles title for Cayetano and fourth in the SoCal Pro Series. For Giavara it was her 11th doubles title, fourth on the SoCal Pro Series have previously won the Week 1 Barnes Tennis Center event.

In the men’s doubles final Svajda and Kyle Kang from Fullerton took out top-seeded Alfredo Perez and Jamie Vance, 4-6, 6-3, 10-4.

Match of the Week

Emon van Loben Sels warmed up his UCLA teammate Johnson and cheered for him on Sunday at Lakewood, thinking what might have been if he could have taken out No. 5 seeded Dane Sweeny of Australia, who came back to win the second-round match, 5-7, 6-4, 7-6(3). Van Loben Sels had two match points in a long deuce game up 6-5 in the third with Sweeny serving. “I just got a little too excited,” he said. “I hope to see him again this week.”

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