USTA SoCal Pro Series Players Have Their Eyes On The Pre-Wimbledon Grass

Mallorca, Spain and Roehampton, England seem like a world away from the Lakewood Tennis Center, but for a few players taking part in the fifth of seven USTA SoCal Pro Series events, following the results of friends and family overseas hit very close to home on Wednesday.

After a practice session with her Tier 1 Performance teammates on Tuesday night, La Habra’s Armira Kockinis texted ATP world-ranked No. 67 Learner Tien of Irvine asking him if she’d seen the coach they share in Eric Diaz. Learner texted back that he’d be on the lookout for Diaz, and then mentioned he had just beaten world No. 10 American Ben Shelton on the grass in Mallorca. “I didn’t believe him at first,” said the 15-year-old Kockinis. “He said he was serious, and we all started screaming.”  

The reigning Easter Bowl Girls’ 16s singles champion, Kockinis also lost in the first round last week in her ITF pro-level debut and will be seeking her first WTA ranking point next week as the series moves to the Jack Kramer Club. “I’ll play one more next week and hoping the third time’s a charm,” she said.

Just one year ago, Tien won the Lakewood title and has now beaten three top 10 players in the world. He could face good friend and former SoCal Pro Series (twice in the summer of 2022) doubles partner Alex Michelsen of Aliso Viejo in the semis if the two can each win another round.  

Last week’s SoCal Pro Series singles and doubles champion and former USC All-American Eryn Cayetano said it was great playing back in her “hood” as she recalled winning junior titles as a young junior in Lakewood. “This is where my dad first started tossing me balls and where my love for tennis came,” said Cayetano.

It was back in 2022 that Cayetano won the SoCal Pro Series Jack Kramer Club singles and doubles titles – both incredibly as a wildcard – in her first career pro tourney. The player she beat in the singles final was also a wildcard entry, Torrance’s Iva Jovic, playing in her first pro event at the age of 14. On Thursday Jovic, 17, will play in the final round of qualifying at Wimbledon.

The 24-year-old Cayetano, who also trains at Tier 1 Performance, said she loves driving home each night to her downtown Los Angeles apartment where she is greeted each night by her cats Oscar and Indy, who she rescued from a local pet shelter during her senior year at the University of Southern California (USC).

Cayetano said the recent political unrest and protests were close to her home. “I did see some stuff and it was pretty close to my apartment,” Cayetano said. “But the protests were pretty peaceful.”  

Two weeks ago, SMU’s Trevor Svajda captured his second career pro title in the SoCal Series. The unseeded Svajda had an interest in the happenings over at Wimbledon as the 2022 two-time SCPS singles winner and Trevor’s older brother Zach was playing in the second round of qualifying at Roehampton, falling in a close match to top-seeded Márton Fucsovics. Trevor said he hadn’t spoken to Zach, but followed the match on his phone earlier in the morning.