Tennis is adopting a coed format so boys, girls can both play.
Canyon Crest Academy’s Zack Pellouchoud should be right at home with the advent of coed play in San Diego Section high school tennis this spring.
For years, the current Ravens junior regularly practiced with his older sister, Britney, a 2017 section singles finalist, representing Westview. Although she now attends Cal, where she plays club tennis, they still face off occasionally.
“She used to beat me when I was younger,” Zack said. “Even now, she plays closely even while practicing so little. She just knows how to play.”
In prep tennis, the younger Pellouchoud can now partner with a girl in mixed doubles as part of the coed format adopted to allow both boys and girls to resume play after the pandemic curtailed most of the boys season last spring and all of the girls schedule in the fall.
Competition started last week, with matches including boys and girls singles, boys and girls doubles, and mixed doubles in separate rounds. Individuals can vie in two of the three rounds in each match.
“It’ll be fun to try mixed doubles and play singles,” said Pellouchoud, who reached the Round of 16 in the last boys section tourney two years ago. “I’m really open to play whatever. I just like to play.”
Such sentiments are shared by Ravens junior Asha Gidwani, who reached the girls section singles finals early last school year.
“I’m just looking forward to it, and I’m excited,” Gidwani said. “I really want to play singles and try mixed doubles with boys. Especially as a girl, imagine if you beat them, it’d feel really, really good.”
Gidwani also helped lead the Ravens girls to their second straight Open Division girls crown last season. The boys reached the finals in their last playoffs in 2019.
The combination of the Canyon Crest boys and girls stands best in the nation
based on the Universal Tennis Ranking, or UTR, heading the season. The boys are ranked second and the girls third, heading into this season.
Among the other Ravens standouts are girls Lyna Fowler and Elina Shalaev, and boys Praneet Varade and Russell Soohoo.
The national top 10 also includes Bishop’s, rated fifth for boys and sixth for girls.
San Diego’s coed format draws on an example of such prep play in Texas, and there’s even been input from Billie Jean King, who promotes World Team Tennis with coed squads.
“It’s going to be lot of fun,” said Canyon Crest coach Christopher Black, referencing the prep tennis revival. “For me, these kids deserve a victory, and I don’t mean a (section) championship. I mean just to get out and return to some semblance of normalcy.”
Since tennis readily allows social distancing, players have been practicing and playing junior tournaments as much as possible during the pandemic.
“The main thing that I improved a lot is my mental game,” Gidwani said.
“Previously, I was very emotional, but now I’m enjoying the time on the court.”
Likewise, there’s been progress by Pellouchoud.
“This pandemic, oddly, shaped me into a better player because I didn’t get to practice as much as I would have liked,” he said.
“But when I did go to practice, it was more quality practice.”
Making him even more at home on the courts for coed play.