Michael Chervenkov Captures Boys’ 14s Title
Michael Chervenkov delivered a dominant performance to capture the Boys’ 14-and-under title at the 58th Annual Easter Bowl Presented by adidas, completing a flawless run through the draw without dropping a set.
The No. 2 seed from Canton, Ga., capped his week with a hard-fought 7-6(2), 6-3 victory over top-seeded Ishaan Marla of Mason, Ohio, in a championship match that lived up to its billing. After dropping the first two points of the opening-set tiebreak, Chervenkov responded by winning seven straight points to seize control. He showed equal composure in the second set, battling back from 0-40 while serving for the match before closing it out.
The win marks Chervenkov’s first USTA Gold Ball at a National Level 1 event and serves as redemption after past disappointment at the Easter Bowl.
“Whenever I’m playing, I don’t want to show my opponent I’m tired—I just keep grinding,” Chervenkov said. Reflecting on previous years, he added, “I’ve had some tough losses here. To finally come out with the win is really special.”
With the title secured, Chervenkov also earned the right to choose the family’s celebratory dinner spot.
“I like a nice steakhouse,” he said. “And it’s my choice.”
Pranav Vignesh of Sunnyvale, Calif., claimed the Bronze Ball in the Boys’ 14s, defeating No. 3 seed Nathan Lee of Tustin, Calif., 7-6(4), 6-3.
Girls’ 14s
Top seed Nadia Poznick of Ann Arbor, Mich., captured her third career Gold Ball with a 7-6(2), 6-0 victory over No. 9 Violetta Mamina of Henderson, Nev. Isabelle Nguyen of San Gabriel, Calif., earned the Bronze.
Girls’ 12s
Top-seeded Chloe Anthony of Lakeville, Mass., secured her first career ball with a 6-3, 6-3 win over No. 4 Lindy Zhou of Glendale.
“I just stayed confident and knew I could do it,” Anthony said.
Zhou, just 11 years old, showed strong improvement from last year’s event. “I feel like I’m playing more consistently,” she said.
Cordelia Skye of West Hollywood, Calif., earned the Bronze Ball with a 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 win over Valentina Singh Carvajal.
Boys’ 12s
Top seed Dmitriy Flyam of Hallandale Beach, Fla., claimed the title with a 7-5, 2-6, 6-3 victory over No. 9 Milan Nair of Alpharetta, Ga., marking his second consecutive USTA national title following his Winternationals win.
Flyam credited a unique mental strategy for his success, working with a sports psychologist to “flush away” negative energy by switching his racket between hands after missed shots.
Jesse Goldman of Paradise Valley took home the Bronze Ball after Thomas Gamble of Newport Beach, Calif., retired due to injury.
Doubles Champions
In Boys’ 12s doubles, Miguel Valencia and Milan Nair captured the title with a 6-1, 6-3 win over Yifan Nie and Thomas Gamble.
The Boys’ 14s doubles title went to Wyatt Markham and Max Smith, who edged Evaan Mohan and Nathan Lee in a thrilling 7-5, 2-6, 7-6(2) final.
Grace Malhotra and Ayenxavia Calugay claimed the Girls’ 12s doubles title, rallying for a 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 win over Alara Buyukuncu and Catherine Chan.
In Girls’ 14s doubles, Natalia Martinez and Reese Ellingson defeated Ava Chu and Gwyneth Britton, 6-4, 6-2, to earn the Gold Ball.
16s and 18s Quarterfinals Set
Quarterfinal matchups were set in the 16s and 18s divisions.
In the Girls’ 18s, top seed Ellery Mendell advanced, while No. 2 seed Calla McGill was upset by San Diego’s Yilin Chen. Armira Kockinis also recorded a notable upset and will face No. 3 Alyson Shannon next.
In the Boys’ 18s, top seed Alexander Suhanitski and No. 2 Omar Rhazali advanced, with Rhazali set to face San Diego’s David Wu.
The Girls’ 16s draw saw No. 9 Enya Hamilton upset No. 5 Olivia Lin, while top seed Sylvana Jalbert continued her strong run. Tanvi Pandey and Mingyue Deng will meet in an all-SoCal quarterfinal.
In the Boys’ 16s, top seed Eli Kaminski and No. 3 Piotr Gradzki advanced, while unseeded players Alexander Totoian and Anay Kulkarni will face off in the quarterfinals.
Sportsmanship Award Winners
- Boys’ 14s: Michael Chervenkov (Canton, Ga.)
- Girls’ 14s: Violetta Mamina (Henderson, Nev.)
- Boys’ 12s: Jaden Joyner (Tarzana, Calif.)
- Girls’ 12s: Cordelia Skye (West Hollywood, Calif.)
