You can tell summer is here as the 2025 Bobby Curtis Junior State Championships for 16s and 18s took place at the USTA National Campus. USTA Florida’s most prestigious junior tournament drew in hundreds of athletes.
It was an exciting few days, as tons of great tennis was played. Let’s take a look at how the four divisions played out and who was crowned Bobby Curtis Champions!
Boys’ 16s
Dhakshish Aryan (Left) Aiden Phoebus (Right)
The competition was intense over the five-day tournament as players were battling all the elements, leaving everything on the courts.
Dhakshish Aryan and Aiden Phoebus brought their A-game this week as they were the top performers in the Boys’ 16s. Dhakshish looked great in his first few matches, only dropping 10 games across the six sets that were played. His back was against the wall in the quarterfinals but he bounced back from a set down to win that match and cruised to a win over the top-seeded Ivan Rybak in the semifinals.
On the other side of the draw, Aiden was taking down athletes left and right, battle after battle. He was being tested early with tons of close matches in his first three rounds, but he answered the call every time. The second seed would face a huge challenge in the semifinals against Chase Bowden. Aiden took the first set in a tiebreaker but dropped the second set. In the third-set tiebreaker, he edged out an insanely close 10-8 win to move onto the finals.
The championship between Dhakshish and Aiden was controlled by Dhakshish as he took the first set 6-2 and then battled his way to an intense 7-5 win to become the Bobby Curtis Champion.
Championship: Dhakshish Aryan (Parkland) d. Aiden Phoebus (Orlando) 6-2, 7-5
Third/Fourth Place: Chase Bowden (Palm Beach Gardens) d. Ivan Rybak (Palm Coast) 6-4, 2-6, 10-2
Fifth/Sixth Place: Juan Benite (Weston) d. Abner Yu (Bradenton) 6-4, 6-3
Consolation Final: Ivan Urbanovich (Winter Garden) d. Adrian Baerga-Torres (Hollywood) 6-1, 0-6, 10-6
Girls’ 16s
*No Winner Photo was Taken
Nikol Daveltshina, at just 12 years old, was making a name for herself. Entering the Girls’ 16s division this year after winning the Girls’ 12s title back in 2023, she was ready to make another run. She dominated her first two matches, but was tested in the third round, where she won a close 6-4, 7-5 match over Mehar Kaur. In the quarter sand semis, she once again dominated her opponents, winning both matches 6-0, 6-1 to reach the finals for the second time in her young career.
On the other side, the top-seeded Gabriella Harper was rolling early on, taking down some tough players in her first three matches. In the quarterfinals, Victoria Alekseykina took the opening set, but Gabriella bounced right back taking the finals two sets. She carried that momentum into the semifinals and dominated her match, winning 6-2, 6-3.
The championship between Nikol and Gabirella was a one-sided affair, as the 12-year-old had complete control of the match. Nikol won 6-0, 6-0, becoming one of the youngest to win the Girls’ 16s division in the history of the event. This also marked her second career Bobby Curtis title.
Championship: Nikol Davletshina (Boca Raton) d. Gabriella Harper (Boca Raton) 6-0, 6-0
Third/Fourth Place: Chernor Abie Barrie (Bradenton) d. Isabella Porto (Key Biscayne) 6-3, 6-0
Fifth/Sixth Place: Payton Seidle-Lubowitz (Weston) d. Sanjana Sashidhar 6-2, 6-2
Consolation Final: Ashley Narath (Orlando) d. Mehar Kaur (Boca Raton) 6-4, 6-4
Boys’ 18s
Alex Feies (Left), Matthew Shapiro (Right)
Over in the Boys’ 18s, some of the best tennis was being played. Alex Feies and Matthew Shapiro emerged as the top competitors, but their path to the finals wasn’t easy. In the second round, Alex was matched up against Bardo Bucknell, who pushed him all the way to a third-set tiebreaker. In the quarterfinals, Alex was tested again, this time against the defending Boys’ 16s champion, Gabriel Valdes, but Alex was able to take the tiebreaker set 10-2. However, he found his comfort and rolled in his semifinals match, winning 6-4, 6-0.
On the other side, Matthew dominated early, winning his first three matches by a set total of 36-6. In the quarterfinals, Brayden Campion would give him some pushback as the second set went to a tiebreaker. However, Matthew was too strong and won 10-8 to win the match. In the semifinals, he matched up with State Champion, Caleb Chow, but once again Matthew was in control, winning 6-3, 6-3 to advance to the finals.
In the championship, Alex was able to keep his composure, despite the great tennis that Matthew had been playing all week long. Alex jumped out with an early break and took the opening set 6-3. He carried that into the next set and won that 6-2 to secure his first Bobby Curtis title.
Championship: Alex Feies (Orlando) d. Matthew Shapiro (Boca Raton) 6-3, 6-2
Third/Fourth Place: Caleb Chow (Miami) d. Alessandro de Bernardo (Seminole) 2-6, 6-3, 11-9
Fifth/Sixth Place: Brayden Campion (Boca Raton) d. Joaquin Blanco (Delray Beach) Wo.
Consolation Final: Diego Paternostro (Parkland) d. Noah Bayon (Gainesville) Wo.
Girls’ 18s
Lyla Messler (Left), Shravani Chennamsetty (Right)
For the top Girls’ division, defending champion, Shravani Chennamsetty, entered with high hopes of a repeat, while the 2024 Consolation Bracket winner, Lyla Messler, was looking to take the step and win the main draw. Shravani was in control of her early matches, winning her first three with a game total of 36-13. However, she would be tested in the quarterfinals, where Isabella Pisarczyk would split the opening two sets with her. In the third-set tiebreaker, it was one-sided as Shravani found her groove and took it 10-3. She carried that momentum into her semis match, where she took down Kira Farrakhova in a 6-2, 7-5 match.
Lyla, who entered as the top seed, was dominant as well early on. She won her first three matches rather easily, only dropping 14 games and didn’t drop a single set. Lyla cruised through her quarterfinal match, winning 6-0, 6-1, but in the semifinals against Maria Navarro, she was tested. Lyla jumped out quickly, winning the first set 6-2, but Maria answered right back with a quick 6-0 set win of her own. In the tiebreaker, it was back-and-forth, and neither would give an inch. In the end, Lyla found a few points in a row and took it 10-8.
The final was set as defending champion, Shravani, looked for the repeat and Lyla had her eyes on redemption. The match was insanely close, and neither would back down. It went to a tiebreaker for the first set, where Lyla squeaked out a 7-5 win. The second set was much of the same as the two girls kept battling. Eventually, Lyla was able to find a break and win 7-5, to take down the defending champ and become the winner of Bobby Curtis.
Championship: Lyla Messler (Largo) d. Shravani Chennamsetty (Weston) 7-6, 7-5
Third/Fourth Place: Maria Navarro (Palm Beach Garden) d. Kira Farrakhova (Boca Raton) 6-4, 6-4
Fifth/Sixth Place: Emily Morgan (Boca Raton) d. Saanchi Dalal (Zephyrhills) 6-2, 4-6, 10-4
Consolation Final: Anastasiya Muravia (Boynton Beach) d. Tatiana Martinez (Miami) 7-6, 6-3
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2025-06-12 18:53:16