Failla family racks up tennis awards
In the same weekend that Failla sisters Jessica and Julia played in a sectional tennis tournament, their entire family was awarded Tennis Family of the Year by the San Diego District Tennis Association.
“It’s really tough to get Tennis Family of the Year,” said Katrina Failla, mother of the two girls. “It was a real honor to get that.”
Tennis genes run through the family. Katrina and her husband, Greg, were CIF tennis singles champions in high school in the 1980s and earned Division 1 scholarships. He played for Long Beach State and she played for Trinity University. In addition, they both played professional tennis, and teach the sport, mainly at Riviera Oaks Racquet Club in San Diego Country Estates, and conduct summer tennis camps.
Jessica, a 17-year-old high school senior, has been awarded a scholarship to University of Southern California. Besides Julia, her other siblings, Joshua, 14, and Joel, 10, play tennis, although Joel is choosing mountain biking over tennis for the high school spring season.
Because the family was in Palm Desert for the girls’ tournament when the San Diego District Tennis Association gave the award on Jan. 16, Greg’s parents, Don and Nancy Failla of Ramona, accepted it for them at the La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club.
At the Henry Talbert Junior Championships at Palm Valley Country Club in Palm Desert, Jessica won the girls’ 18 and under singles championship with scores in the final round of 6-4, 6-3.
Competing against top players from Southern California, Jessica said some of her toughest matches were against younger players, including a girl in eighth grade. In her first round, she won 6-1, 6-1; in the second round she lost her first set 6-4 and came back to win 7-5, 6-3. She won her semifinal match 6-3, 6-1.
Julia, 11, is starting out in the girls’ 12 and under.
“She’s a very strong player,” said grandmother Nancy Failla.
Julia made it to the finals of the consolation round. Both girls will play in another tournament this weekend in Fullerton.
Jessica will also be playing the singles and doubles in the $25K Tournament in Surprise, Ariz., beginning Feb. 16, having pre-qualified Jan. 23-25 in the $25K Wildcard Opportunity Tournament.
“I’ll be playing against girls who are a lot older and it will be a great opportunity,” said Jessica.
To win the singles pre-qualifier, Jessica had to beat Ena Shibahara, a competitor she had lost to five times before. The two tennis players will likely face each other in college as Shibahara will be playing for University of California Los Angeles.
Jessica teamed up with Shibahara to win the doubles tournament.
“She’s a really good doubles player,” said Jessica.
The week after, Feb. 22, will find Jessica competing in another $25K pro tournament in Rancho Santa Fe. She will head to Mexico City at the end of March to play two more professional tournaments.