Akasha Urhobo photo credit: USTA
After receiving first-round byes, top-seed Akasha Urhobo of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and second-seeded Julieta Pareja of Carlsbad, Calif., posted impressive straight-set victories on Monday to advance to the Girls’ 18s third round at the 2025 USTA Billie Jean King Girls’ 16s and 18s National Championships.
Playing under bright, sunny skies on Stadium Court at Barnes Tennis Center, Urhobo breezed past unseeded Lily Bazemore of Bayside, Calif., 6-0, 6-2. She will meet 33rd seeded Lyla Messler of Largo, Fla., on Tuesday at 3:30 p.m.
“It feels really good. I wasn’t expecting the top seed. My main focus is just to come out here and play my best tennis and prove that I deserve the number one seed,” Urhobo said after her second-round victory. “It would mean the world to me to win this tournament. The US Open is one of my favorite Grand Slams to watch. Earning a place there would mean so much to me.”
Later in the day, Pareja, the number-one ranked junior in the world, dismissed unseeded Shravani Chennamsetty of Weston, Fla., 6-2, 6-2 on Court No. 1 and is scheduled to take on unseeded Aya Manning of Irving, Texas on Tuesday at 5 p.m.
In other Girls’ 18s second-round singles matches, third-seeded Monika Ekstrand of Delray Beach, Fla., made a strong comeback after dropping the opening set and eliminated Cassandra Li of Saint Paul, Minn., 5-7, 6-1, 6-1. Fourth-seeded Kristina Penickova of Campbell, Calif., also advanced with a hard-fought 7-6 (2), 6-2 win over Addison Cassidy of Mason, Ohio.
To view singles and doubles draws for each age division, click here.
Nearly 400 of the top junior tennis players in the country, aged 16 and 18 and under, are competing for the title of National Champion. In addition, wild cards for direct entry into the 2025 US Open will be awarded to the tournament’s top finishers.
Admission is free each day of the tournament and there is no charge for parking at Barnes Tennis Center. Matches are scheduled to begin each day at 8 a.m. (Starting times subject to change) To view the official tournament website, please go to: www.ustagirlsnationals.com.
Early-round tournament matches will also be played through Wednesday August 6 at Balboa Tennis Club, 2221 Morley Field Drive, San Diego, CA 92104 and University of San Diego, 5998 Alcala Park, San Diego, CA 92110.
Admission and parking is free at both sites.
About USTA Billie Jean King Girls’ 16s and 18s National Championships – The USTA Billie Jean King Girls’ 16s and 18s National Championships are the premiere hard court tennis tournaments for amateur and professional American girls aged 16 and 18 and under in the United States. Tournament participants, who represent nearly every state in the United States, have been endorsed by their respective USTA Section or have received USTA special exemptions based on their results in qualifying tournaments, junior rankings, or results on the WTA Tour or International Tennis Federation. This year marks the 107th Anniversary of this historic event.
The Girls 18s singles champion will receive a wild card for direct entry into the 2025 US Open at Flushing Meadows, New York. The 18s singles runner-up will receive a wild card into the qualifying draw of the US Open. The 18s Doubles Champions will receive a wild card into the main doubles draw of the US Open and the winner of the Girls 16s Championships will receive a wild card for direct entry into the Junior US Open.
About Barnes Tennis Center – Barnes Tennis Center is a three-time award-winning multi-racquet sports facility in San Diego.
USTA Billie Jean King Girls’ 16s & 18s National Championships
Barnes Tennis Center
San Diego
Monday’s Results
Girls’ 18s Singles
Second Round
Akasha Urhobo (1), Fort Lauderdale, Fla., def. Lily Bazemore, Bayside, Calif., 6-0, 6-2
Julieta Pareja (2), Carlsbad, Calif., def. Shravani Chennamsetty, Weston, Fla., 6-2, 6-2
Monika Ekstrand (3), Delray Beach, Fla., def. Cassandra Li, Saint Paul, Minn., 5-7, 6-1, 6-1
Kristina Penickova (4), Campbell, Calif., def. Addison Cassidy, Mason, Ohio, 7-6 (2), 6-2
Victoria Osuigwe (6), Bradenton, Fla., def. Josephine Lombardi, Houston, 6-3, 6-2
Alyssa Ahn (7), San Diego, def. Daria Budko, Frisco, Texas 6-0, 6-2
Kate Fakih (10), Pasadena, Calif., def. Athena Orzechowski, Katonah, N.Y., 6-0, 6-1
Thea Frodin (12), Woodland Hills, Calif., def. Elle Warren, Canton, Ohio, 7-6 (4), 6-7 (1), 6-0
Thara Gowda (16), Rochester Hills, Mich., def. Camille Allegre, Aliso Viejo, Calif., 6-3, 6-2
JoAnna Kennedy (17), Englewood, Colo., def. Berklie Simering, Fort Meyers, Fla., 6-1, 6-1
Alexandra Wolf (33), Pacific Palisades, Calif., def. Virginia Crocker, Metairie, La., 6-3, 6-1
Isabelle DeLuccia (33), Livingston, N.J., def. Piper Johnson, Atlanta, Ga., 6-2, 6-4
Alyson Shannon (33), Plano, Texas, def. Sobee Oak, New York, 3-6, 7-5, 6-1
Kori Montoya (17), Austin, Texas, def. Skylar Kasday, Tulsa, Okla., 6-4, 4-6, 6-4
Lyla Messler (33), Largo, Fla., def. Gabriella Slovak, Jamestown, N.C., 6-2, 5-7, 6-3
Valerie Shue (17), South Salem, N.Y., def. Anqi Mei, San Diego, 6-2, 6-0
Claire An (33), New York, def. Ariana Gilbert, Brookhaven, Ga., 6-2, 7-5
Maria Aytoyan (33), Van Nuys, Calif., def. Olivia Cutone, Kennebunkport, Maine, 6-1, 7-6 (2)
Blair Gill (33), Lynchburg, Va., def. Lily Revak, Buffalo Grove, Ill., 6-0, 6-0
Kay Moe (33), Avon, Conn., def. Kylie Liu, San Diego, 6-3, 6-1
Tianmei Wang (17), San Marino, Calif., def. Skye Madatali, St. Louis, 6-2, 6-2
Leena Friedman (17), Quogue, N.Y., def. Lani Brotman, Carrollton, Texas, 6-3, 7-5
Calla McGill (15), Alexandria, Va., def. Brooke Wallman, Centerport, N.Y., 6-0, 6-4
Margaret Sohns (33), Cooperstown, N.Y., def. Reagan Mulberry, Marietta, Ga., 6-3, 6-1
Sara Shumate (33), Bradenton Beach, Fla., def. Danielle Young, Cary, N.C., 6-3, 6-4
Jordyn Hazelitt (33), Henderson, Nev., Raegan Farm, North Bend, Ore., 6-4, 6-4
Christasha McNeil (11), Massapequa, N.Y., def. Ahona Chowdhury, The Woodlands, Texas, 6-0, 6-3
Kennedy Drenser-Hagmann (33), Bloomfield Hill, Mich., def. McKenzie Shelton, Kennesaw, Ga., 6-2, 6-2