By Billy Lam

City Parks Foundation held a youth intermediate tennis tournament last week, from February 20^th to February 24^th. A United

States Tennis Association sanctioned event, the matches were split by gender an

d divided into three age groups: 12 and under, 14 and under, and 16 and under. With ranking points at stake, the players face others of similar level in a test of skill, determination, and a little luck.

Jennifer Yu vs. Sydney Katz in the Girls' 14 Singles Final

CityParks Indoor Junior Tennis Championship is a staple of New York City, drawing kids from all over the metropolitan area for the past twenty years. Ninety entries were registered this year originating from all five boroughs, in which six participants emerged victorious in their representative age groups.

In Boys’ 16 Singles, Joshua Freud and Kevin Valdez faced off for two sets, with Freud ultimately claiming victory (6-2, 6-1). Adam Borak and Dan Negru showed a strong match, extending into a seventh game in the second set, but Borak got the upper hand winning Boys’ 14 Singles (6-4, 7-5). Boys’ 12 Singles finals were played by Derrick Mu and Neeraj Sakhrani, with Mu as the winner of our youngest male age group (6-4, 6-1).

: Neeraj Sakhrani, Derrick Mu (W) / Middle: Dan Negru, Adam Borak (W) / Bottom: Kevin Valdez, Joshua Freud (W)

Alexus Gill emerged the winner of the Girls’ 16 Singles when she defeated Vania Savic in a 6-3, 6-2 match. In the Girls’ 14 Singles finals, Jennifer Yu of Forest Hills and Sydney Katz of Manhattan took to the courts, where Yu was ultimately the victor in a 6-2, 6-1 match. Finally, Jean Soo and Dakota Fordham showed an impressive bout in the Girls’ 12 Singles finals, but Soo pulled through and claimed the two sets necessary to win (7-5, 6-3).

Top: Jean Soo (W), Dakota Fordham / Middle: Jennifer Yu (W) / Bottom: Alexus Gill (W), Vania Savic

“[The tournament] is a great way to test your tennis skills in a competitive arena,” said Josette Apostolo, the tournament director. “You can learn a lot of life’s lessons on the court.” View more information about tennis tournaments organized by City Parks Foundation.

A full overview of the scores is shown below: