TENNIS : Globe-Trotting Paris of Calabasas Would Settle for an East Coast Venue

Alison Paris of Calabasas has traveled to the Netherlands, West Germany and Sweden to play tennis, but in the future she would like to cut down the distance she has to travel for her matches.

She just wants to go to the East Coast and play for an Ivy League school.

Alison, 17, and her younger sister Tracy, 15, were two of 13 members on a team of U.S. junior players that played in several of Europe’s top tennis tournaments for teen-agers in July.

The elder Paris performed admirably, advancing to the finals of the Pirelli Cup in Frankfurt, West Germany, and the Havsbadsspelen Cup in Sweden. She lost in both finals but enjoyed the change in scenery--both on and off the court.

“The courts we played on in Europe were clay, and it was neat,” Paris said. “It was hard to get used to it. I lost in the first round of the first tournament we played (International Championships of the Netherlands), but I got used to it after that. I have a backcourt game, so the slower clay courts worked to my advantage.”

The meets in Europe also will help prepare her for her senior season at Calabasas High, where she is the No. 2 singles player behind Natasha Pospich. Paris is hoping for another good showing this season that will help enable her to attend an Ivy League school, such as Brown or Princeton.

If her tennis doesn’t get the attention of admissions officials back East, her grades probably will; Paris has a 4.0 grade-point average.

Teamwork: Several teams from the region will compete in the Volvo Recreational League sectionals Aug. 17-19 at Los Caballeros Sports Village in Fountain Valley.

The Volvo League uses the National Tennis Ratings Program ratings system to rank players in the different skill levels. The highest skill level in the sectionals is 5.0. Teams at the 4.5, 4.0, 3.5, 3.0 and 2.5 levels also will participate. In the match-play format, the teams play five matches, three doubles and two singles, with the winner of three matches advancing. It is a double-elimination tournament.

The three women’s teams are the Racquettes (3.0) of Woodland Hills, the Domino’s (3.5), and the Net Gals (4.0), both from Porter Valley Country Club of Northridge. The men’s teams are the Loving Aces (3.5) of Northridge, Toluca Lake (4.0) and the Just Say Out team from Mountain Gate Country Club (4.5).

Eight teams from Ventura County will compete. Women’s teams include Ojai (3.0), Westlake Tennis and Swimming Club (3.5), the Camino Strings of Ventura (4.0), and Sunset Hills Racquet Club (4.5). A men’s team from Sunset Hills also will compete at the 4.0 level. The other three men’s teams are Ventura (3.5), the Cabrillo Racquet Club (4.5) and Malibu (5.0).

Dueling events: Area juniors had their choice of two K-Swiss Summer Grand Prix events this week.

Closest to home is the 20th Thousand Oaks Racquet Club tournament, which began with a field of 173 players--mostly from the Valley and Ventura County. The finals in eight age divisions of singles play and four doubles divisions will be played today and Saturday.

Also this week, the 42nd National Public Parks tournament is under way at El Dorado Park Tennis Center in Long Beach. The tournament in Thousand Oaks lured many of the Valley’s best players from the Long Beach event. Only one seeded player in any age bracket is from the Valley--Lulu Aydin of Thousand Oaks, who defaulted in the first round of the age-16 bracket.

Add tournaments: The Volvo Tennis/Los Angeles Open qualifying tournament will begin play at UCLA this weekend. Opening-round matches will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday, with play continuing Sunday at noon.

Admission is free.

In conjunction with the Los Angeles Open, a clinic will be held Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to noon at the Sunset Recreational Courts. The advisory staff from Wilson Sporting Goods will be on hand. The clinic is free.