Locals perform well

Newport Beach residents Garrett Kurtz, Max Pham, Lynda Xepoleas, Mazy Watrous, Meredith Xepoleas and Kate Knight are participating in the United States Tennis Assn. National Championships this week across the country, as is Sage Hill School graduate Julia Blakeley.

Each tournament is an USTA Level 1 tournament.

Kurtz and Pham are competing in the boys’ 12s in Little Rock, Ark.

Lynda Xepoleas, Blakeley and Watrous are at the girls’ 18s/16s tournament in San Diego, while Meredith Xepoleas and Knight are at the girls’ 14s tournament in Peachtree City, Ga.

Kurtz, who will be an eighth grader at Carden Hall and is ranked No. 6 in Southern California in boys’ 12s, advanced to the round of 32 at nationals.

Kurtz won his first two matches before falling Monday to No. 16-seeded Taylor Fritz, 6-0, 6-2.

Pham, ranked No. 4 in Southern California in boys’ 12s, lost his first match, but has won two subsequent matches, including Monday’s 6-2, 6-1 victory over Chase Schupp.

Both players remain alive in the consolation draw and have matches today.

Lynda Xepoleas, ranked No. 5 in Southern California in girls’ 18s, is seeded No. 17 at nationals.

She won her first match over Crystal Leung, 6-0, 6-0, to get to today’s round of 64.

Blakeley, who is headed for George Washington University, is also in the round of 64. She advanced that far after a 6-1, 6-1 victory over Julia Casselbury.

Watrous, ranked No. 17 in the SoCal girls’ 16s rankings, has won her first two matches as well to advance to the round of 64 at nationals.

She beat Olivia Sneed, 7-5, 6-4 on Monday.

Meredith Xepoleas, ranked No. 12 in Southern California in girls’ 14s, advanced to the round of 64 in Georgia before falling to No. 4-ranked Kenadi Hance, 7-6, 2-6, 6-2.

But Xepoleas is still alive in the doubles with partner Maia Magill of Studio City. Xepoleas and Magill will play today in the quarterfinals.

Knight fell in her opening singles match.