Newport Beach’s Braverman Upsets Top-Seeded Watanabe

Unseeded Brandis Braverman of Newport Beach upset top-seeded Jolene Watanabe of Arcadia, 6-3, 6-1, in the first round of the U.S. Tennis Assn. Challenger of Newport Beach tournament Tuesday at the Newport Beach Marriott.

Keri Phebus of Newport Beach was one of four players who advanced into the main draw with victories in Tuesday’s qualifying. Phebus posted a 7-5, 6-2 victory over Jessica Steck of South Africa and will play Emmanuelle Gagliardi of Monaco today.

Phebus, who won the 1995 NCAA singles championship as a junior at UCLA, also defeated Anne Mall, a former Dana Hills High player who lives in San Diego, 6-1, 6-2.

Brie Rippner of Chico won, 6-0, 6-2, over Surina de Beer of South Africa. Lihini Weerasuriya of Sri Lanka defeated Shannan McCarthy of Atlanta, 7-6 (7-4), 6-4. Paige Yaroshuk of Miami, defeated Mashona Washington of Delray Beach, Fla., 6-4, 5-7, 6-3.