Amritraj Climbs to No. 3 in Doubles

Stephen Amritraj, a senior at Crespi High, has won doubles titles at two International Tennis Federation tournaments in the past two weeks to become the highest-ranked American junior doubles player in the world at No. 3.

Amritraj, ranked No. 73 in ITF junior singles, teamed with Craig Evans of Great Britain to claim the 24th International Casablanca Tennis Junior Cup 2002, played Dec. 24-29 in Mexico City. Amritraj and Evans beat Canadians Frank Dancevic and Hiroud Akhavan, 6-4, 3-6, 6-2, in the final match.

Amritraj, a Calabasas resident, teamed with Rafael Abreu of Venezuela to win the 38th Copa del Cafe Coffee Bowl, played Jan. 1-6 in Costa Rica. They beat Luis Flores and Antonio Ruiz of Mexico, 7-6 (3), 7-5, in the championship match.

Amritraj and Glendale High junior Robert Yim have been selected to a six-member U.S. Tennis Assn. boys’ 18 division player development team that will play in two events, including the Australian Open junior tournament, over the next two weeks.

Yim is ranked No. 23 in the world in ITF junior singles.

De Vera Moves Into San Diego Final

Carson High junior Judith De Vera, the City Section singles champion, will play Capistrano Valley junior Lauren Jones in the girls’ 18 division final of the 32nd San Diego Junior Tournament today at the Barnes Tennis Center.

The top-seeded De Vera defeated Celia Durkin of Calabasas, 6-4, 6-4, in the semifinals Saturday, and sixth-seeded Jones beat Carol Erickson of San Diego, 6-2, 7-6.

Third-seeded Cameron Ball of Corona del Mar and Kenneth Brown of Los Angeles will play in the boys’ 18 division final. Ball beat Irvine University’s Jack Li, the top seed, 6-4, 7-6. Brown advanced with a 6-1, 3-6, 6-0 victory over fourth-seeded Eric Riley of Rancho Santa Fe.