Tennis: Ojai competition begins on Thursday

The 115th Ojai Tennis Tournament begins Thursday in Ojai. The high school singles and doubles divisions sports a bracket of 64 entries and finishes Saturday at Libbey Park in Ojai.

Founded in 1896 by William Thacher, The Ojai is North America’s oldest and largest amateur tournament taking place at the same location.

Stanford-bound Harvard-Westlake senior Michael Genender goes into the singles draw as the headlining favorite among a short list of contenders. Genender defeated Austin Rapp (now a freshman at UCLA) to win the 2014 Southern Section individual tournament and avenge his three-set loss to Rapp in last year’s final at The Ojai. It’s the only high school defeat for Genender.

Primary contenders to the singles crown are two Palos Verdes-area products – Peninsula sophomore Connor Hance and Palos Verdes junior Brandon Holt, who is the son of past Ojai and U.S. Open (1979 and 1981) champion Tracy Austin and won last year’s doubles championship.

More contenders are San Marino senior Danny Gealer, Corona del Mar junior Bjorn Hoffmann, big-serving Los Alamitos junior Riley Smith, Torrey Pines sophomore Jacob Brumm and Palm Desert’s Ryan Marker. Los Alamitos fields a strong doubles entry through senior Kyle McCann and junior Vatsal Bajpai

Newport Harbor senior Reese Stalder, committed to TCU, has chosen to forego the CIF divisions in favor of competing in the Men’s Open Division singles and doubles draws at The Ojai.

Twitter:@LATSondheimer