News & Features

The Eddie Herr International is a virtual United Nations of junior tennis, but this year it was the United States dominating the competition, taking four of the eight singles titles, including victories in both the boys and girls 18s championships - the first time in history that a country has swept both titles in the same year.

Alex Domijan and Lauren Embree made history in style, as neither lost more than seven games in their six straight-set victories.

Domijan, a 6-foot-6 right-hander from Wesley Chapel, Fla., was a finalist at the Eddie Herr in 2007, so equaling that showing a year later was no surprise for the 14th seed. But his opponent on the cool and windy grounds of the IMG/Bollettieri Tennis Academy, unseeded Julen Uriguen of Guatemala, was making an unexpected debut in his first ITF Grade 1 final.

Uriguen, a 17-year-old who had disposed of No. 5 seed Borut Puc, No. 4 seed Chase Buchanan and No. 16 seed Denis Kudla, used a big serve and excellent variety to subdue his more highly ranked opponents. But in the final, the windy conditions and Domijan's consistently deep and penetrating ground strokes kept him from finding his range, leading to a 6-3, 6-4 victory for Domijan.

"I think he got affected by the wind more than I did," said Domijan, who trains at the Saddlebrook Academy.