Phebus, Sargsian Favored in Ojai Tournament

The 96th-annual Ojai Valley tennis tournament, featuring 1,600 players in 34 divisions, begins today at courts throughout the area.

Keri Phebus, a UCLA junior, is top-seeded in the Pacific 10 Conference women’s singles bracket. Ranked No. 2 in the nation, she opens against Stephanie Lansdorp of Arizona State, today at 8 a.m. at the Ojai Valley Inn.

Another notable entry in the Pac-10 women’s singles tournament is No. 54 Sandra De Silva, a Stanford sophomore who won last year as a substitute entry.

Top-seeded Sargis Sargsian of Arizona State, ranked first in the nation, is favored in the Pac-10 men’s singles. He lost in last year’s final to USC’s Wayne Black.

Since arriving at Arizona State from Yerevan, Armenia, two years ago, Sargsian has won three Intercollegiate Tennis Assn. grand slam events, tying him for the record with Georgia’s Mikael Pernfors.

Joseph Gilbert of Sunny Hills High is the top-seeded player in the boys’ 18-and-under singles, and Krissy Hamilton of Agoura Hills High is the top-seeded player in the girls’ 18-and-under singles.

In the community college doubles, Lucy Dettmer, 74, will play for Desert College with partner Nancy Morales. Dettmer won the national 70-and-over hard-court championships in singles last year and is ranked No. 32 in the community college singles’ rankings.

The semifinals and finals of every division will be played at Libbey Park on Saturday and Sunday, except for the Big West Conference divisions, which will be at the Ojai Valley Racquet Club.