Home Boys' Lists Girls' Lists Men's Teams Women's Teams News Photos Contributors Links Help Sign-UpOnline Store
Latest News | Categories | Authors | News Archives
 
 

News & Features

Tournament Summary
Liu Earns Second Easter Bowl ITF Title, Ayeni Breaks Through to Claim Boys Championship
Share:    

As a former champion and top seed, expectations were high for Claire Liu at the adidas Easter Bowl Championships, and she met them, defeating Ellie Douglas 6-1, 6-2 to claim her second title. Boys champion Alafia Ayeni was in unchartered territory once he advanced to the semifinals, but he emerged with his first ITF Grade 1 title, beating Sebastian Korda 6-4, 0-6, 7-5 in a tense and entertaining championship match.

adidas Easter Bowl Singles Champion Claire Liu
© Zoo Tennis
Liu's biggest challenge during the week came in the third round, when No. 16 seed Elli Mandlik forced Liu to three sets in the third round. Mandlik, the daughter of tennis great Hana Mandlikova, was up 6-4, 1-3 when winds exceeding 50 mph caused play to be postponed until the following day at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, home of the BNP Paribas Open.

Liu rebounded for a 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 victory, and lost only five games in her quarterfinal and semifinal wins over No. 6 seed Caty McNally and No. 3 seed Whitney Osuigwe.

"The first couple rounds in any tournament are really tough," said the 16-year-old from Thousand Oaks California, playing in her sixth consecutive Easter Bowl. "I think getting through Elli in that really tough match gave me confidence to be more free with my shots and just trust myself, and I think I played a lot better in the last three matches."

In the final, Liu dropped serve to open the match, but then won six straight games, as the fourth-seeded Douglas struggled to find the form she had displayed in her quarterfinal win over No. 10 seed Hurricane Tyra Black and her semifinal win over No. 2 seed Taylor Johnson.

"I was pretty nervous," said Liu, who accepted a wild card into the event after missing the entry deadline. "Every match I was pretty nervous, but that's kind of what I was here for. I wanted to come here to deal with my nerves, be able to keep playing well even though I had pressure, and I think I did pretty well."

This Article Is Available Only to Recruiting Advantage members
 
Please log in to access premium TennisRecruiting.net content.
LOG IN
NOT REGISTERED?
Register Now For Free!
  • Content Updated Daily
  • Complete Rank Lists
  • Exclusive Articles
  • Recruit Interviews
It's Quick, Easy, and Free!
 

 
 MIZUNO
 
Enforce Your Will: Mizuno Wave Enforce Tour AC
 
Designed for the advanced baseliner, the all-new WAVE ENFORCE TOUR AC provides high energy return, plush cushioning, professional-level stability and maximum durability without sacrificing agility ...
 
See More
 
RECENT COMMITMENTS
3/16 Sofia Cantu chooses Dallas
3/15 Jack McGary chooses Cal Poly
3/15 Aiden Sin chooses Hope
3/14 Michelle Pugh chooses OUAZ
3/14 Linda Ziets-Segura chooses Virginia Tech
3/14 Gavin Nichols chooses Nebraska Wesleyan
3/14 Bradley Gallo chooses Riverside
3/14 Sue Yan Tan chooses BYU
3/13 Sanai LeSure chooses Xavier (LA)
3/13 Chloe Qin chooses Brown

Full Listings: Boys' Commits & Girls' Commits

 
 

Page updated on Monday, March 11, 2024
Contact our web team with any corrections