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    University’s James MacDonald, Woodbridge’s Tallakson brothers win titles at Ojai tennis tournament
    • April 30, 2023

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    The Pacific Coast League showed its strength once again at The Ojai Tennis Tournament on Saturday at Libbey Park.

    University, however, is moving toward its own class.

    Senior James MacDonald captured the CIF boys singles title and the doubles team of senior Ani Gupta and junior SangHyuk Im reached the semifinals to lead the Trojans to their third consecutive Griggs trophy as the team champion at the prestigious event.

    Woodbridge brothers Avery and Brayden Tallakson claimed the doubles title by defeating Rex Harrison and Aden Dorros from The Bishop’s of La Jolla 6-4, 6-2 in the finals of the 121st edition of the tournament.

    The Tallaksons beat Gupta and Im in the semifinals 6-2, 6-0 in the semifinals.

    Avery Tallakson is committed to New Mexico and Brayden is a freshman.

    University has won the Griggs trophy nine times, second all-time to Santa Barbara (14), one of the oldest high schools in the state.

    MacDonald, the No. 2 seed, defeated No. 1 Niels Hoffmann of Corona del Mar 6-4, 6-2 in the final to become the third consecutive University player to claim singles title.

    The Harvard-bound MacDonald joined University’s Conrad Brown, now at UC Santa Barbara, and Aditya Gupta, now at Penn, as past Ojai singles champions.

    The Trojans’ success arrives after an undefeated run in the Pacific Coast League, which includes Woodbridge, and a runner-up finish to Punahou of Hawaii at the All-American tournament in March.

    “It is crazy what we are doing,” University coach John Kessler said. “Just historical stuff.”

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    Earlier this season, the USC-committed Hoffmann defeated MacDonald during one of the teams’ nonleague matches.

    MacDonald has said he hopes to walk-on at Harvard, ranked 12th in the nation.

    Orange County swept the singles and doubles titles in Ojai for the second consecutive season. Last April, Brown and Valencia’s doubles teams of Warren Pham and Advik Mareedu produced the county’s first sweep since 2013.

    The county has won four straight singles titles in Ojai overall. Stefan Dostanic of Woodbridge, now at USC, won the championship in 2018.

    ​ Orange County Register 

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