TEMPLETON, Calif., September 30, 2026 (by Steve Pratt)

Julieta Pareja and Thea Frodin have spent the past few years training and playing doubles together, even advancing to the Wimbledon Junior final in the summer of 2025. Both just 17 years old, they are considered the “Future of American Tennis” and potential WTA stars.

On Tuesday, the familiar foes faced off against each other in the first round of the Central Coast Tennis Classic, a $100,000 ITF World Tennis Tour and USTA Pro Circuit women’s tournament taking place at the Templeton Tennis Ranch.

Carlsbad’s Pareja, unseeded this week and ranked No. 261 in the WTA rankings, exacted some revenge and beat the USTA wild card Frodin of Woodland Hills, 5-7, 6-4, 6-1. Just last month, Frodin beat Pareja in the semifinals of the USTA Billie Jean King Girls’ 18s Nationals in San Diego in two close tiebreak sets. Frodin went on to win the tournament, and a main-draw wild card into the US Open where she fell to eventual champion Elena Rybakina.

Former CCTC singles champion Madison Brengle, the No. 8 seed, opened up with a three-set comeback win over Mimi Xu from Great Britain, and currently playing for Duke, 2-6, 7-5, 6-1.

Another up-and-coming American 17-year-old was in action on Tuesday as USTA wild card Annika Penickova from Northern California fell to No. 5 seed Akasha Urhobo, 6-2, 6-3. Penickova, ranked No. 548 in the WTA, will play doubles on Wednesday with her twin sister Kristina.

In final-round qualifying action, UCLA junior Kate Fakih beat Anita Sahdiieva from Ukraine, and formerly of LSU, 6-1, 7-5.

Last year’s champion Kayla Day opens up her CCTC singles title defense when she faces qualifier Amelie Van Impe of Belgium on Wednesday in the third match on Stadium Court. Top-seeded German Tatjana Maria takes on Lucciana Perez Alarcon from Peru.