This past weekend, 200 junior tennis players from Southern California competed in the 39th Annual Knowlwood Tournament in Santa Barbara.
While there were many top ranked juniors that competed, Briggs Peus, Spencer Simon, and Annette Goulak were the standouts in the tournament.
Peus, the No. 1 seed in the boys 10’s division, dominated throughout, winning 7-5, 7-5 in the final. Peus, a local player coached by Jerry Hatchett at Knowlwood, played Connor Sheinberg of Santa Barbara in the final.
Having just come off a doubles and singles win at an ITF in Aruba, Spencer Simon decided to compete in the boys 18’s draw. Simon won his first match 6-1, 6-0, but it was his second match that was closer than expected. Mitch Krems, the No. 3 seed from Thousand Oaks, kept Simon on his heels for the first few games of the match before he fell 6-2, 6-1. Simon went on to win the final against unseeded Bryce Beisswanger, 6-1, 6-0.
Annette Goulak of Oak Park followed a trend similar to Simon. The No. 3 seed breezed through all of her matches, winning the final 6-0, 6-1 against Antje Worring of Oxnard.
The annual summer tournament is an event that shouldn’t be missed. The tournament has now been designated at a higher level, attracting a more competitive range of junior players.
