15-May-2013
Sanford, Oosterbaan Capture National Open Titles
Unseasonably cold temperatures didn't stop Midwesterners Anna Sanford
and Paul Oosterbaan from capturing the singles titles at the USTA 18s
National Open at the Canepa Tennis Center in East Grand Rapids,
Michigan. Sanford defeated Alexis Nelson 1-6, 6-1, 6-2, while
Oosterbaan edged Tom Fawcett 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(4).
9-May-2013
Ramp It Up - New Academy Opens in Southern California
The Home Depot Center in Carson, California, site of the USTA Training
Center-West, has a new source of activity this spring with the
opening of the RAMP Tennis Academy.
3-May-2013
April Aces
April's aces are centered on the two major Southern California junior
events, with the ITF Grade 1 International Spring Championships and
the Easter Bowl responsible for nine of the juniors featured here. Yet
juniors from around the world also made their mark on the ITF
professional circuit, with four of them picking up their first titles
at that level.
26-Apr-2013
Hance and Daniel Take 14s Easter Bowl Titles; Bellis and Kumar Earn 16s Championships
Connor Hance and Jaeda Daniel both came from behind to collect USTA
Spring Nationals Easter Bowl 14s gold balls, while 16s champions CiCi
Bellis and Sameer Kumar posted straightforward wins in the finals, as
the historic tournament's 46th year came to a close earlier this month
in Rancho Mirage, Calif.
22-Apr-2013
Brymer and Hibi Earn Impressive Doubles at Easter Bowl ITF
Irvine, California can call itself the city of Easter Bowl champions
after residents Mayo Hibi and Gage Brymer claimed titles at the
International Tennis Federation Grade B1 tournament at the Sunrise
Country Club in Rancho Mirage.
12-Apr-2013
Hibi, Kozlov Claim ITF Grade 1 Titles at International Spring Championships
Mayo Hibi and Stefan Kozlov survived tough opening round matches at
the ITF Grade 1 International Spring Championships in Carson, Calif.
last week, using those wins as springboards for their first Grade 1
titles.
5-Apr-2013
March Aces
The first month of spring was packed with head-turning performances,
from the clay courts of South America to the hard courts of Mobile,
Miami and beyond.
29-Mar-2013
Countdown: Oosterbaan Heads South to Georgia
Looking up isn't something 6-foot-8 blue chip Paul Oosterbaan does
often, at least literally. But when the 17-year-old verbally committed
to the University of Georgia, he had two even taller national
champions serving as inspirations: 6-foot-9 John Isner, who led
Georgia to the NCAA team title in 2007, and his 6-foot-10 father J.P.,
a member of the University of Michigan's 1989 NCAA National
Championship basketball team.
22-Mar-2013
McCarthy Sweeps Titles, Orkin Claims First Gold Ball at USTA 18s National Spring Championships
A year after the Midwest section swept the boys and girls 18s National
Spring Championships' singles titles, the Southern section did the
same, with Elliott Orkin of Marietta, Georgia and Kaitlyn McCarthy of
Cary, North Carolina taking home what is likely the last gold balls
awarded by the tournament, in its ninth year at the Mobile Tennis
Center.
15-Mar-2013
Liang Wins Talbert Award, Looks Ahead to Harvard
Spencer Liang was recently named one of the four national winners of
the 2012 USTA Bill Talbert Junior Sportsmanship Award, an honor that
signifies how she's matured during her junior career. Next year, the
blue chip senior will take her talents to Cambridge, Mass., and
compete for the Harvard Crimson.
8-Mar-2013
Mobile Ready for Ninth USTA 18s National Spring Championships
When the Easter Bowl 18s went from a USTA tournament to an
International Tennis Federation Grade 1 back in 2005, a new event was
necessary to provide a fourth gold ball opportunity for that age
group. The Mobile Tennis Center filled that gap, and has been hosting
the 128-draw National Spring Championships for boys and girls ever
since, with the ninth edition scheduled to begin Sunday and run
through Saturday March 16th.
1-Mar-2013
February Aces
February may be a short month, but it was long on excitement, with
blockbuster finishes to the three ITA National Team Indoor
Championships. In addition to the college stars stepping up, young
players from the United States, Europe and South America had an impact
on the professional scene, including the ATP and WTA tours.
22-Feb-2013
Weatherholt Leads Nebraska to New Heights
Kansas City's Mary Weatherholt was not quite five years old when
Lindsay Davenport's Olympic gold medal in Atlanta inspired her to take
up the sport. Despite setbacks along the way, the Nebraska Cornhusker
senior has nurtured that initial love of the game, leading her team to
new heights while establishing herself as one of the nation's top
collegians.
15-Feb-2013
North Carolina Claims First National Team Title at ITA Women's Indoor Championships
The University of North Carolina Tar Heels arrived in Charlottesville,
Virginia last week for the ITA Women's Team Indoor ranked eighth in
the country. They left the Boar's Head Sports Club with wins over No.
4 Southern California, No. 3 Duke, and No. 2 UCLA in successive
matches, claiming the program's first national team championship and
the No. 1 ranking with a heart-pounding 4-3 victory over the defending
champion Bruins.
4-Feb-2013
January Aces
From the USTA Winter National champions to the outstanding
performances of young women like Madison Keys and Sloane Stephens at
the Australian Open, January provided many new players to watch in
2013. The thirteen aces below may not have been quite as visible, yet
their accomplishments are worth acknowledging too.
1-Feb-2013
Top Seeds Langmo, Kirkov, Mateas Take Tennis Plaza Cup Titles
The weather was outstanding and so were the top seeds at the USTA
Regional Level 3 tournament in Coral Gables, Florida, with six of the
eight No. 1 seeds winning titles in the three-day, 32-draw events held
at five sites in the Miami area.
30-Jan-2013
Miami Women Earn Trip to ITA Team Indoor
University of Miami's head coach Paige Yaroshuk-Tews knows her team
landed on the right side of a thin line Saturday, winning a tense and
unpredictable dual match with Arizona State 4-3 to earn a trip to the
ITA Team Indoor in Charlottesville, Virginia next month.
17-Jan-2013
Eight Intriguing Questions for 2013
Another year... and another edition of "Intriguing Questions" from
columnist Colette Lewis. Today, Colette poses eight questions about
junior and college tennis.
11-Jan-2013
Doyle Commits to Cardinal
Sixteen-year-old Caroline Doyle was born and raised in San Francisco,
so it's no surprise Stanford University was at the top of her list
when she began considering college tennis programs. She had visited
the Palo Alto campus many times while attending her cousin's
volleyball games, struck each time by its pastoral beauty.
3-Jan-2013
December Aces
The end of the 2012 junior tennis season and the beginning of 2013's
mean a crowded December calendar when the rest of the tennis world is
mostly dormant. Last month began with the ITF Grade 1 Eddie Herr
championships in Florida and ended in Mexico City, where the first
Grade A champions of 2013 got an early start to the year.
28-Dec-2012
Americans Mmoh and Desiatnikov Capture Junior Orange Bowl Titles; Lumsden, Oliel Post Historic Wins
Seven days of beautiful South Florida weather at the 51st Junior
Orange Bowl provided a perfect backdrop for three new champions and
one champion collecting a second title. Michael Mmoh of the United
States, the 2010 12s champion, added the 14s title to his resume,
while Abigail Desiatnikov of the US, Maia Lumsden of Great Britain and
Yshai Oliel of Israel received their first winner's bowl of oranges
last Sunday in Coral Gables, Florida.
21-Dec-2012
Magnus Norman Seeks to Boost Swedish Tennis at Good to Great Academy
When Magnus Norman retired from the ATP tour in 2004, he didn't pick
up a tennis racquet for three years. When he began to miss tennis,
Norman began coaching Sweden's Robin Soderling, who went from 37 to 5
in the ATP rankings while working with Norman. With his girl friend
expecting twins, Norman wanted to travel less, so he decided to
concentrate on developing a private high performance academy.
14-Dec-2012
Konjuh, Djere Cap Two Tough Weeks with Orange Bowl Titles; Rublev, Liang Take 16s
Croatia's Ana Konjuh and Serbia's Laslo Djere finished the ITF 2012
Junior Circuit with two weeks worth of outstanding tennis, following
their success at the Eddie Herr International with Grade A Orange Bowl
titles last week on the Har-Tru courts of the Frank Veltri Tennis
Center in Plantation, Florida.
7-Dec-2012
Konjuh, Garin Win ITF Eddie Herr Titles; Douglas, Norris Give US Girls Championships in 12s and 16s
At the end of a week of flawless tennis weather at the Eddie Herr
International Tennis Championships at the IMG Bollettieri Academy in
Bradenton, Fla., eight players from seven countries took home not just
the winners' trophies, but the knowledge that they can compete with and
beat the world's best.
30-Nov-2012
November Aces
The WTA and ATP may be in the midst of their brief off-seasons, but
November still provided performances worth noting on the junior,
collegiate and pro circuits, including the 14 young players below.
25-Nov-2012
Smaller Fields for 12s and 14s at 2012 Eddie Herr
For those starting out in international junior tennis, Florida's Eddie
Herr tournament is often their first look at the United States. This
year, with IMG taking over management of the tournament, the 12s and
14s main draws are smaller, going from 128 in the 12s and 112 in the
14s to 64, with the qualifying draws also limited to 64 players.
23-Nov-2012
Townsend, Rubin Aim for Eddie Herr ITF Titles
As in 2011, when the surface used for the 18s ITF Grade 1
tournament went from hard courts to clay courts, the 2012 version of
the Eddie Herr International at the IMG Bollettieri Tennis Academy has
some changes in store.
19-Nov-2012
Jenkins and Anderson Impress with USTA/ITA Indoor Titles
Jarmere Jenkins of Virginia and Robin Anderson of UCLA were hardly
prohibitive favorites at the start of the USTA/ITA Indoor
Intercollegiate Championships, held earlier this month at the USTA
Billie Jean King Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, NY. But both
competitors brought their "A" games to New York - both won titles
without losing a set.
9-Nov-2012
Juniors Shine at First USTA Collegiate Invitational for Women
Last year, the Napa Valley Classic featured eight USTA junior boys and
players from six men's college teams competing in a round robin
competition. Grant Chen, then Director of Tennis at UCLA, loved the
idea, and he wanted to organize a similar event for women. His efforts
came to fruition last weekend in Oregon, where college and junior players
participated in the USTA Collegiate Invitational, presented by Adidas.
2-Nov-2012
October Aces
The winners of last month's first collegiate majors and an important
ITF Junior event always appear on the list of October's top
performances, but teenage success on the many Pro Circuit events
across the globe also grabs the spotlight, as the fight for year-end
rankings adds urgency to every tournament result.
25-Oct-2012
Countdown: King, van Overbeek Mobilize Community
Michigan's Evan King and Florida's Bob van Overbeek thought that
proposed format changes to NCAA Division I tennis - including
super-tiebreaks in singles competition - were jokes. Once they
confirmed the proposed changes were real, the two started a Facebook
group. That group mobilized the community and led to a Twitter event,
online petition, and mainstream media coverage. The NCAA has since
rescinded the changes.
18-Oct-2012
Pan American Championships Go To Rubin, Abanda
Canadian success has been one of the top stories in junior tennis this
year, with that theme continuing last week at the ITF B1 Pan American
Closed in Tulsa, where three of the four singles finalists were from
the Land of the Maple Leaf. Francoise Abanda defeated compatriot Carol
Zhao in a marathon girls final 76(5), 4-6, 7-5, while 2011 Pan
American finalist Noah Rubin of the US prevented a Canadian sweep by
downing Hugo Di Feo 6-2, 2-6, 6-2.
10-Oct-2012
Virginia's Domijan Collects Second ITA All-American Title
After winning the 2010 IT All-American championship as a freshman,
the University of Virginia's Alex Domijan was unable to defend his
title last year due to injury. Teammate Mitchell Frank kept the trophy
in Charlottesville with his title last year, and there it will stay,
after Domijan defeated unseeded Ohio State Buckeye Peter Kobelt 7-5,
6-1 in the championship match.
5-Oct-2012
September Aces
September was a busy month, with considerable success dotting the
calendar for US junior girls. It began with two US Open junior
championships and ended with the United States capturing the Junior
Fed Cup in Barcelona. In addition, no fewer than six girls aged
18-and-under from around the world captured titles on the ITF Women's
Circuit, while former college stars also picked up championship
trophies.
21-Sep-2012
Host Illinois Provides Unique Atmosphere at Olympia Fields Invitational
Golf has always been king at the Olympia Fields Country Club in the
southern suburbs of Chicago, the home of the 2003 US Open. But with
the introduction of the Olympia Fields Invitational six years ago,
college tennis is now a new member of the royal box.
14-Sep-2012
Crawford, Peliwo Win US Open Junior Titles
Canada's Filip Peliwo had played in more junior slam finals than
American Samantha Crawford had entered, yet when a challenging weather
week in New York drew to a close, both had claimed US Open Junior
titles.
12-Sep-2012
Burdette Begins Pro Career After Stellar Summer
All-American Mallory Burdette wasn't convinced she wanted the life of
a professional tennis player until this summer, when the 21-year-old
from Jackson, Georgia played four professional tournaments in a period
of four weeks in July and August. Shortly after her third-round loss
in the U.S. Open to Maria Sharapova, Burdette decided to forego her senior
season at Stanford and turn pro.
5-Sep-2012
August Aces
With one exception, the USTA National champions, all of whom received
an article devoted to their victories last month on Tennis Recruiting
Network, aren't included in this month's Aces. But here's one last hat
tip to Vicky Duval, Kimberly Yee, Henrik Wiersholm, Sofia Kenin,
Taylor Fritz, Abigail Desiatnikov, and Roscoe Bellamy for their
championship runs as we look back on the other outstanding
performances in August.
30-Aug-2012
Four Juniors Seek Second Slam Title at US Open
When the US Open Junior Championships kick off Sunday, two boys and
two girls will be seeking their second junior slam singles title and
with it, a boost toward the coveted year-end title of ITF World Junior
Champion.
24-Aug-2012
The Case for a Junior Davis Cup Team
Tennis has undergone many changes in the years since Michael Chang,
Andre Agassi, Jim Courier and Pete Sampras were playing junior tennis
in the mid-80s. Few will shed a nostalgic tear for the short shorts
and mullets in fashion back then, but one institution of that era is
still spoken of in revered tones - the USTA Junior Davis Cup team.
17-Aug-2012
Novikov Earns First Gold Balls, Wild Cards in 18s
Dennis Novikov has been a top junior since the 14s age group, but a
USTA gold ball had proved elusive until last weekend's USTA Boys 18
National Championship in Kalamazoo, when he collected two. Those two
had added luster, courtesy of the main draw US Open wild cards he
received for claiming the singles title over Alexios Halebian 7-6(3),
2-6, 6-3, 6-4, as well the doubles title a day earlier.
16-Aug-2012
Wiersholm Sweeps 16s Titles in Kalamazoo Debut
When a tournament has 70 years of history, chances are any
accomplishment has a precedent. But to find a player younger than
15-year-old Henrik Wiersholm who swept both singles and doubles titles
at the USTA Boys 16 Nationals at Kalamazoo, you would have to go back
to 1971, when 14-year-old Billy Martin, the current men's head coach
at UCLA, won both championships.
3-Aug-2012
Krueger, Stewart Headline Kalamazoo's 70th Year
Seventy years of competition produces a long list of champions, with
Kalamazoo's honor roll including such grand slam winners as Rod Laver,
Stan Smith, Jimmy Connors and Michael Chang. Two Mitches hope to join
them this year, with 18s top seed Krueger and 16s top seed Stewart
heading their divisions when the 70th edition of the USTA National
Boys 18 and 16 Championships begins today at Kalamazoo College and
Western Michigan University.
1-Aug-2012
July Aces
July saw the crowning of the eight National Clay Court champions, but
they don't appear among last month's 14 aces due to the extensive
coverage of the Clays last week on the Tennis Recruiting Network.
Instead, the focus is on Canadian and European juniors, as well as
current and former college players having great results last month.
27-Jul-2012
Collins Claims Girls 18s Clay Court Championship
With her focus on senior activities and graduating with her class at
Northeast High in St. Petersburg, Fla. in June, Danielle Collins
didn't play a tournament for five months. When Collins did return to
the Girls' 18 Clays, she showed few signs of rust, claiming her third
singles gold ball in the 18s division with a 6-1, 6-4 win over
fourth-seeded Jamie Loeb in the final.
18-Jul-2012
Brian Baker's Comeback Captivates US Juniors
Ten years ago, Brian Baker was playing the Wimbledon Juniors with
hopes and dreams for a professional tennis career. But a series of
health issues dashed those dreams. Just over a year ago, at age 26,
Baker finally felt ready to take another shot at professional tennis.
After some early successes, Baker went through qualifying at Wimbledon
without dropping a set, then won three more matches to bring his ATP
ranking to 76.
12-Jul-2012
Bouchard and Peliwo Claim Canada's First Junior Slam Championships at Wimbledon
When the Wimbledon Junior Championships began, Canada was still
seeking its first singles title in junior grand slam history. When the
cool and damp week of continual rain delays was over, Canada had two,
with Eugenie Bouchard defeating Elina Svitolina for the girls title,
and Filip Peliwo downing defending champion Luke Saville to claim the
boys title at the All England Club.
4-Jul-2012
June Aces
The transition from clay to grass marks the beginning of summer in the
tennis world, with many of the May aces handling that change without
losing their momentum. Led by the tennis story of the year, June gave
us accomplishments from recent and former collegians, as well as
teenagers who are climbing up the professional and junior rankings.
28-Jun-2012
Wimbledon Juniors: Saville Aims for Second Wimbledon Boys Title, Townsend Top Seed in Girls Draw
The world's top two juniors have contrasting histories as they
approach the Wimbledon Junior Championships, which begin Saturday at
the All England Club. Eighteen-year-old Australian Luke Saville is the
defending champion, winning the first of his two junior slams there
last year, while 16-year-old American Taylor Townsend has never played
a match on the world's most famous grass courts.
22-Jun-2012
An Interview with Lisa Stone, The Tennis Mom Behind the Parenting Aces Blog
A banker, a stockbroker, a fitness instructor and tech-savvy
entrepreneur, Lisa Stone has had a variety of experiences in her
working life. Yet tennis has been a constant companion since her
childhood in Louisiana, with her latest venture, the blog Parenting
Aces, created in response to the challenges she and her husband faced
in navigating the junior tennis world with their son Morgan.
13-Jun-2012
The Target is Always the Top: An Interview with Florida Women's Coach Roland Thornqvist
Colette Lewis had an opportunity to talk with Florida Head Coach
Roland Thornqvist in Athens, Ga. last month, just a few days after his
team's 4-0 victory over UCLA in the final. In this question and answer
segment, he reveals what he looks for in a recruit, how a bad year by
Florida standards led to two NCAA team titles, and the one thing that
college tennis needs.
6-Jun-2012
May Aces
May revolves around college tennis for me, and five of last month's 14
aces emerged from Athens, Ga., the site of the NCAA Division I
championships. But from Thailand to Hilton Head, from Brazil to
Sweden, there were juniors making waves in the minor leagues of
professional tennis, taking on challenges and succeeding despite their
relative lack of experience.
1-Jun-2012
Johnson, Gibbs Claim NCAA Titles at Historic NCAA Division I Championships
After the drama of the team tournament, the individual portion of the
2012 NCAA Division I championships wasn't expected to approach those
impressive heights. But the singles and doubles tournaments somehow
found a way to equal it with one unprecedented accomplishment after
another in the steamy, midsummer-like conditions at the Dan Magill
Tennis Complex in Athens, Ga.
25-May-2012
USC Men Claim Fourth Straight NCAA Team Title, while Florida Women Go Back-to-Back
Winning one NCAA team title is difficult. Only 21 programs have
managed to do it in over six decades of competition in Division I
collegiate tennis. But the USC men and Florida women are making a
habit of it, with Trojans collecting their fourth in row with a 4-2
win over Virginia and the Gators going back-to-back with a 4-0 victory
over UCLA Tuesday in Athens, Ga.
14-May-2012
Bolender Leads Michigan over Texas A&M for Sweet 16 Berth
On a cloudy afternoon in Ann Arbor, sophomore Brooke Bolender put the
15th-seeded Michigan Wolverines in the Sweet 16 for the third
consecutive year. The home crowd erupted on every point in the final
set, as Bolender defeated Nazari Urbina of Texas A&M 2-6, 6-4, 6-2
at No. 2 singles for a 4-3 victory.
10-May-2012
Todd Martin Embraces Teaching Role
Two-time Grand Slam finalist Todd Martin retired from the ATP tour in
2004, but he never left the game. Among other things, Martin has
served as a coach to both Mardy Fish and Novak Djokovic, and he has
competed on the two major senior tours. In the coming months, Martin
plans to organize his own junior academy at a club in Florida. Colette
Lewis recently had the chance to chat with Martin.
3-May-2012
April Aces
The epicenter of April's aces is always Southern California, where the
two major ITF and USTA junior events produce ten champions. But a pair
of 12-year-olds picked up Spring National championships in Florida, a
17-year-old won two Pro Circuit events in Turkey, and a remarkable
comeback story unfolded in Savannah, Ga., one that will lead directly
to Roland Garros later this month.
23-Apr-2012
Higuchi and Blumberg Claim Easter Bowl 14s Titles; Broda and DiGiulio are 16s Champions
The 45th Easter Bowl USTA National Spring Championships had its share
of surprises. Only one No. 1 seed, Emma Higuchi in girls 14s, making
it through to the finals. Champions Higuchi, William Blumberg, Joe
DiGiulio and Brooke Broda overcame all the week's obstacles, leaving
Rancho Mirage with six gold balls in tow.
19-Apr-2012
ITF Easter Bowl Titles are Early Birthday Gifts for McDonald and Townsend
Mackenzie McDonald and Taylor Townsend were both born on April 16th,
one year apart. Last weekend, one day apart, they claimed ITF Easter
Bowl titles at the Rancho Las Palmas Resort in Rancho Mirage,
California.
14-Apr-2012
Krueger and Kiick Claim International Spring Championships in Carson
Top seed Mitchell Krueger and seventh seed Allie Kiick punctuated an
impressive week of tennis with superb performances in the finals at
the ITF Grade 1 International Spring Championships in Carson, Calif.
last week. Krueger downed 14-year-old Stefan Kozlov 6-3, 6-4, while
Kiick defeated longtime rival Chalena Scholl 6-0, 6-2 in the Easter
morning championship matches at the Home Depot Center.
11-Apr-2012
Spring Signing Week '12: Chi Goes West to Join Bears
It's not often a Floridian cites weather as a reason for relocating,
but blue chip senior Lynn Chi offers that as one of many reasons she
will be signing a National Letter of Intent to attend the University
of California-Berkeley this fall.
2-Apr-2012
March Aces
Although hard courts are never out of season and hosted the majority
of last month's top performances, red clay was not far behind. The ITF
junior South American circuit produced four March aces, including two
Americans who had breakout results on the unfamiliar surface, while a
former Roland Garros champion collected her first professional win on
clay courts in Tunisia.
23-Mar-2012
Austin, Schneider Give Indiana Sweep of Spring National Singles Titles
When Brooke Austin and Ronnie Schneider play their next practice set
in Indianapolis, expect the fiercely competitive pair to bring even
more intensity to their workout. After each captured a gold ball at
last week's USTA 18s Spring National Championships, that next set
could determine the overall champion among the 256 boys and girls who
competed in Mobile, Ala.
15-Mar-2012
No. 1 Schneider Commits to North Carolina for 2013
Ronnie Schneider, the top recruit in the class of 2013, had 24
colleges on his list when he started working through the process
during his sophomore year. After winning the 16s title in Kalamazoo
last August, that list was whittled down to 10, and last month there
was just one school remaining - North Carolina, which has received
Schneider's verbal commitment.
5-Mar-2012
Cavalier Freshman Frank Makes Quick Ascent to Top of Rankings
Less than a semester into his college career, University of Virginia
freshman Mitchell Frank had already put his name in the exclusive
company of James Blake, MaliVai Washington and Sargis Sargsian, the
only other collegians to have won both the ITA All-American and
USTA/ITA Indoor Intercollegiate Championships. Frank's titles
propelled him to the top of the Campbell/ITA national rankings, even
though he is now playing No. 3 for the star-studded Cavaliers.
2-Mar-2012
February Aces
With no major junior tournaments during the month, the spotlight falls
on the ITA Team Indoor championships, former collegians picking up
titles around the world, and teenagers claiming professional titles
from Mildura to Monterrey to Moscow.
23-Feb-2012
USC Edges Ohio State to Claim First ITA Men's Team Indoor Championship in 24 Years
Despite their position as three-time defending NCAA champions, the USC
Trojans were not overwhelming favorites for the ITA Men's Team Indoor
Championships, held last week at the Boar's Head Sports Club in
Charlottesville, Va. But thanks to freshman Yannick Hanfmann, top seed
USC battled to a 4-3 win over No. 3 Ohio State in the final,
delivering the storied program its first Team Indoor title since 1988.
16-Feb-2012
UCLA Downs Duke for First ITA Women's Team Indoor Title
In her 16 years heading the UCLA women's tennis program, Stella
Sampras Webster's teams had reached the NCAA finals three times,
winning the title in 2008. But the Bruins had not had the same success
at the ITA Team Indoor Championships. That all changed Monday, when
the contributions of its four outstanding freshmen culminated in a 4-0
UCLA victory over top seed Duke for the Bruins first Team Indoor
title.
6-Feb-2012
January Aces
January was a banner month for outstanding performances, especially by
young Americans. The eight gold ball winners from the Winter Nationals
kicked off the month, which ended with title sweeps for a pair of
American teens at two of the most prestigious junior events in the
world.
2-Feb-2012
Michigan Survives Yale to Advance to ITA Team Indoor
Although only a sophomore, Michigan's Brooke Bolender had already felt
the sting of losing the last match in an important dual contest. So
when she faced a tiebreaker against Yale's Blair Seideman Sunday at
No. 2 singles, with a place in the ITA Team Indoor Championships on
the line, Bolender was prepared. Michigan won the ITA Kickoff Weekend
in Ann Arbor to advance.
27-Jan-2012
Unseeded Wiersholm, Daniel Take Tennis Plaza Cup Titles
While many of the USTA Level 3 Regional Tournament Segments in other
parts of the country were plagued by rain last weekend, the Tennis
Plaza Cup in Coral Gables had nothing but warm temperatures and sunny
skies for its eight divisions, held at four different sites.
19-Jan-2012
World No. 1s Take Aim at Australian Open Junior Titles
The Australian Open Junior Championships, which begin Sunday, don't
regularly attract all the world's best juniors, with the long and
expensive trip Down Under a primary reason many opt for other
competitive options this time of year. But in 2012, ITF World Junior
No. 1s Irina Khromacheva of Russia and Luke Saville of Australia will
be competing in Melbourne, hoping to secure their places at the top
with an Australian Open title.
12-Jan-2012
Eight Intriguing Questions for 2012
Every January, columnist Colette Lewis of Zootennis takes time to
reflect on the state of junior and college tennis. She distills some
of her thoughts into a column that we are fortunate enough to run here
at TennisRecruiting.net.
5-Jan-2012
December Aces
The final set of aces for 2011 centers on the major international
junior events in Florida, where 14 different players collected
prestigious titles. The other two aces won smaller tournaments that
earned them a big prize, a place in the main draw at this year's
Australian Open.
30-Dec-2011
Stewart and Liu Claim Junior Orange Bowl Titles; Hong and Dubrivny Add to Championship Resumes
Celebrating its 50th Anniversary this year, the Junior Orange Bowl is
often the first international experience for the hundreds of 12- and
14-year-old competitors who flock to Miami in mid-December. Of this
year's champions, however, only one - girls 12s winner Claire Liu of the
United States - was new on the global junior tennis scene.
21-Dec-2011
Coach of Top Pros and Young Teens: An Interview with USTA National Coach Mike Sell
USTA Lead National Coach Mike Sell may have started playing tennis at
the relatively late age of nine, but in the thirty years since, he has
experienced just about everything the sport has to offer. A four-time
All-American for the Georgia Bulldogs, Sell went on to play five years
on the ATP tour before embarking on a career in coaching. Colette
Lewis sat down with Sell at the Junior Orange Bowl to discuss all
things tennis.
15-Dec-2011
Thiem and Kontaveit Take Grade A Orange Bowl Titles; Chung and Routliffe Win 16s Championships
The global nature of tennis was on full display at last week's Orange
Bowl, with Austria, Estonia, Korea and Canada claiming the four
singles titles, each one the country's first championship in that age
division.
9-Dec-2011
Thiem Makes History, Three Young Americans Take Titles at Eddie Herr International
Familiar faces and newcomers were among the eight champions crowned at
the Eddie Herr International last week, as over 2200 players descended
on the IMG/Bollettieri Academy in Bradenton Florida to test their
games against the world's best junior players.
2-Dec-2011
November Aces
The month began with the second of two collegiate fall majors, which
produced half of last month's standouts, and closed with the first of
the three big junior events that end the ITF year. In between, several
juniors picked up their first titles on the professional circuit,
always an achievement worth noting.
24-Nov-2011
New Twist for 18s Tournament at Eddie Herr International
Once again over 1000 junior tennis players will descend on the
IMG/Bollettieri Academy for the Eddie Herr International tournament,
but the 128 competitors in the Grade 1 ITF event will head for a
different part of the sprawling campus in Bradenton, Fla. The desire
for consistency with the A Orange Bowl has put the Eddie Herr 18s
tournament on clay for the first time.
14-Nov-2011
Virginia's Frank, SMU's Lesniak Capture USTA/ITA Indoor Intercollegiate Championships
The men's and women's USTA/ITA National Indoors shared the same dates
and venue, but the tournaments had strikingly different conclusions.
Both the men's singles and doubles titles went to October's ITA
All-American champions, with Virginia and Ohio State taking the titles.
On the women's side, SMU and USC earned their first-ever championships in
singles and doubles, respectively.
9-Nov-2011
Fall Signing Week '11: Top Recruit Hardebeck Chooses Stanford
Blue chip recruit Krista Hardebeck has faced several tough choices in
her life. A devoted piano student, she wasn't able to continue her
quest for mastery of that instrument when she began to find success on
the tennis court. Choosing between UCLA and Stanford also proved
difficult, but in the end, what she calls her "lifelong dream" to play
for Stanford won out, and she plans to sign a national letter of intent
to compete for the Cardinal.
3-Nov-2011
October Aces
Gold medal performances in Mexico lead off October's aces, followed
by noteworthy achievements from coast to coast in the United States,
including several in Tulsa. Toss in a few titles by teens in Europe,
Africa and Japan and you've got an autumn cornucopia of winners.
27-Oct-2011
Countdown: World Traveler Krueger Looks Close to Home for College
Blue chip recruit Mitchell Krueger has seen the world the past two
years, traveling to Malaysia, Australia and throughout Europe to
compete against top competition on the ITF junior circuit. Yet in
selecting a college, the 17-year-old from Aledo, Texas has narrowed
his choices to three schools close to home: Oklahoma, Texas A&M and
TCU.
20-Oct-2011
Krueger and Townsend Take Titles in Tulsa
Winning the ITF Grade B1 Pan American tournament is an important step
in securing entry to the junior slams for the following year. During
last week's tournament 17-year-old Mitchell Krueger and 15-year-old
Taylor Townsend set themselves up for trips to Melbourne, Paris,
London and New York in 2012, with impressive performances throughout
the week, culminating in straight-set wins over fellow Americans.
13-Oct-2011
Virginia Freshman Takes ITA Men's All-American Title for Second Straight Year
In 2010, University of Virginia freshman Alex Domijan used his ITA
wild card to sweep through the field to capture the fall season's
first collegiate major at the Men's All-American. Last Sunday at the
Michael Case Tennis Center on the campus of the University of Tulsa,
freshman Mitchell Frank matched his teammate, winning the title with a
6-1, 7-5 victory over University of Georgia senior Wil Spencer.
5-Oct-2011
September Aces
The top performers of September are heavy on the doubles end of the
sport with a 16-year-old winning her first title on the professional
circuit and a 38-year-old earning her 10th grand slam championship
trophy. The British boys also had an outsize impact during the month,
winning a grand slam championship, a Futures title and the Junior
Davis Cup.
30-Sep-2011
Andrews Wins All-Cal Final at Land Rover Napa Valley Tennis Classic
Rain on the final day couldn't dampen the prospects of the University
of California-Berkeley competitors at the 11th annual Land Rover Napa
Valley Tennis Classic. When the eight participants in the Wild Card
Shootout had been decided, three Bears had moved into the
quarterfinals, and in the final, it was senior Nick Andrews defeating
sophomore teammate Ben McLachlan 10-7 to claim the title and the Pro
Circuit wild card that goes to the tournament's champion.
23-Sep-2011
Bjorn Fratangelo Contemplates His Tennis Future
Until recently, college tennis was certainly the primary option for
top-ranked Bjorn Fratangelo. Although he had achieved great success
as a junior, he had experienced few breakthroughs on the international
or professional stage. Then Fratangelo, unseeded, became the first
American boy to win the French Open junior championship since McEnroe
in 1977. He followed up that performance with several strong Futures
performances, lifting his ATP ranking into the 700s.
16-Sep-2011
Min, Golding Oust Top Seeds in US Open Junior Championships
Frustrating, waterlogged, exhausting - the word association adjectives
for the 2011 US Open Junior Championships aren't particularly positive
ones. But champions Grace Min of the United States and Oliver Golding
of Great Britain conquered the multiple rain delays and compressed
match schedule to capture their first Grand Slam singles titles - Min
with a 7-5, 7-6(3) win over top seed Caroline Garcia and Golding with
a 5-7, 6-3, 6-4 decision over top seed Jiri Vesely.
7-Sep-2011
August Aces
With one exception, the National Champions aren't included in this
edition of monthly aces, so check Tennis Recruiting Network's Hard
Court Championship week coverage for more on their triumphs last
month. The ten aces below will also look back on August 2011 as a
special time in their tennis careers.
2-Sep-2011
Gavrilova Back to Defend US Open Girls Title; Vesely Hopes to Bookend Year with Second Junior Slam
While many eyes today are on names like Sock, McHale, and Falconi at
the Open, next week the juniors take the courts. Last year's finalists,
Gavrilova and Putintseva, return to challenge for the girls' title. For
the boys, all the big names internationally are in New York. Colette Lewis
of Zootennis previews the field.
26-Aug-2011
Q&A with Georgia's Manny Diaz
When Manny Diaz took over as head coach at the University of Georgia,
his task was a daunting one. He followed the legendary Dan Magill, who
put Georgia tennis on the map with two NCAA titles over 34 years.
Diaz was able to uphold those traditions and then some - winning four
NCAA titles while compiling a 533-114 record. Colette Lewis talks
with Diaz about a wide range of topics.
19-Aug-2011
Sock Repeats as National Champion
Jack Sock added USTA gold balls number 22 and 23 to his collection
last weekend, defending his 18s singles title with a 6-3, 6-0 victory
over Mitchell Frank while also capturing the doubles championship
during an aggravating 10 days of wet weather in Kalamazoo. Ronnie
Schneider won his first singles gold ball when he claimed the 16s
championship with a 5-7, 7-6(3), 6-2 win over Luca Corinteli, and he
too swept both titles - one indoors and one outdoors.
5-Aug-2011
Sock Returns to Kalamazoo to Defend Title
With his eye on a return trip to the US Open main draw, 2010 USTA Boys
18s champion Jack Sock is back in Kalamazoo this year, both to defend
his title and begin his professional career.
2-Aug-2011
July Aces
July's notable performances began on the grass courts of Wimbledon and
ended on the hard courts in the heart of the United States, with
current and former college players making up more than half of the
month's aces. The eight USTA Clay Court champions deserve hearty
congratulations as well, but are not featured here due to the
extensive coverage of the National Clay Courts last week on this site.
29-Jul-2011
Andrews Makes Herself at Home with 18s Title
Southern Californian Gabby Andrews is comfortable in Memphis, and not
just because she reached the semifinals of the USTA Girls 18s Clay
Court Championships in 2010 as a 13-year-old. Andrews calls Memphis,
where her father Mike grew up, her second home, and when the top seed
completed her 3-6, 6-2, 6-1 win over unseeded Denise Starr in the
final, many family members were on hand at the Racquet Club of Memphis
to witness the victory.
22-Jul-2011
Harrison Looks Toward College as First Step to Pro Career
Catherine Harrison knows what she wants from her college tennis
experience. The 17-year-old rising senior from suburban Memphis,
Tennessee is seeking a coach and a program that will prepare her for
a career in professional tennis. That's the easy part. The hard part is
deciding among her final three: Duke, Georgia Tech and Virginia.
15-Jul-2011
NCAA Champion Johnson Fulfills Dream as Practice Partner for USA Davis Cup Team
Most years, the Campbell/ITA's Players of the Year are recognized during
the second weekend in July. Cal's Jana Juricova, the NCAA champion
and women's player of the year, received her award at the ATP event in
Newport, Rhode Island. But the men's winner, USC's NCAA champion Steve
Johnson, couldn't make it. He was in Austin, Texas, serving as a
practice partner for the US Davis Cup team's quarterfinal tie with
Spain.
8-Jul-2011
Oosterbaan and Solovyev Capture Singles Titles at 16s National Open in Kalamazoo
Tournament director Tom Walker brought one of the Boys' and Girls' 16s
National Opens to Kalamazoo College's famous Stowe Stadium courts.
The boys got a preview of the venue where the USTA Boys' 16s and 18s
Nationals are played, and the girls got to compete there as well. Zootennis
blogger (and Kalamazoo local) Colette Lewis attended the event - and
she was nice enough to provide us with a wrap-up.
4-Jul-2011
June Aces
June is a month for both clay and grass, and hard courts are always in
season. Here are 13 aces who posted notable results last month on
those three surfaces.
1-Jul-2011
Twelve Tips for a Better Tournament Experience
Colette Lewis has attended quite a few tennis tournaments over the
years. During that time, she has seen the good, the bad, and the
ugly. Here is a list of twelve tips that players and parents should
keep in mind to foster the best-possible tournament experience for
everyone.
24-Jun-2011
College Panel Provides Pointers to Potential Student-Athletes
In conjunction with the NCAA Division I championships at Stanford
University last month, USTA Player Development and USTA Northern
California held a College Day at the NCAAs. Parents, junior
players and coaches heard nearly two hours of advice, facts, insights
and answers to their questions on college recruiting.
10-Jun-2011
Quigley, Tedjakusuma Win Midwest Sectional Event to Return to US Open National Qualifying Playoffs
Dream Big is the USTA's marketing slogan for its US Open National
Playoffs. Offering the prize of a US Open qualifying wild card, the
USTA established sectional tournaments throughout the country open to
all USTA members. Colette Lewis of ZooTennis.com took in the Midwest
event, where Eric Quigley and Romana Tedjakusuma advanced in their
pursuit of a coveted wild card.
6-Jun-2011
May Aces
The NCAA champions closed the month with some outstanding
performances, but the teenagers playing around the globe also stepped
up with some great play in May.
2-Jun-2011
Top Seeds Johnson and Juricova Capture NCAA Titles
The top-ranked players in Division I college tennis when the NCAA
individual tournament began, Southern California's Steve Johnson and
Cal's Jana Juricova proved worthy of those numbers on Monday when they
claimed NCAA singles titles at the Taube Family Tennis Center at
Stanford University.
27-May-2011
Florida and Southern Cal Win Thrillers to Claim 2011 NCAA Titles
The 2011 Men's and Women's Division I NCAA Championships was a
riveting event from start to finish. In two excruciatingly exciting
4-3 matches, the second-seeded Southern California men claimed their
third consecutive team championship over top seed and undefeated
Virginia, while the University of Florida women, also seeded No. 2,
avenged last year's heartbreaking loss to top seed and undefeated
Stanford, ending the longest home winning streak in NCAA history.
11-May-2011
Wilander's Words of Wisdom
Mats Wilander, a seven-time Grand Slam singles champion, has devoted
his life to tennis, and at age 46, says he still views himself as a
professional tennis player. He now runs a Winnebago-based traveling
clinic he conducts with former Naval Academy standout Cameron Lickle.
At last month's Easter Bowl, Wilander headlined the tournament's
annual seminar for coaches, parents and players. Here are some of his
comments.
6-May-2011
April Aces
The April aces always blossom like tulips in the spring, with the
major California and Florida junior events contributing most to the
bouquet. Several current and former collegians flowered last month
too, as well as a rising young professional.
2-May-2011
Northwestern Women Come From Behind Against Michigan to Claim 13th Big Ten Tournament Title
In the damp and gloom, behind 3-0 to a Michigan team that had beaten
her squad 6-1 last week for the Big Ten regular season title on the
same Ann Arbor courts, Northwestern women's head coach Claire Pollard
had ample reason to expect her team's Big Ten tournament title winning
streak would end at 12. But somehow she and the four remaining
Wildcats on the courts kept the faith, ran the table, and emerged with
a 4-3 win and their 13th consecutive Big Ten tournament title.
25-Apr-2011
Escobedo and Shishkina Win 14s, Brymer and Doyle Take 16s Titles at 44th Easter Bowl
The four singles champions in the 14s and 16s divisions at the 2011
Easter Bowl didn't come into the tournament as favorites; none of them
were seeded among the Top 4. Yet the quartet of Maria Shishkina,
Ernesto Escobedo, Caroline Doyle and Gage Brymer were able to overcome
the scorching temperatures and highly-ranked opponents to collect gold
balls at the Rancho Las Palmas Resort and Spa in Rancho Mirage, Calif.
22-Apr-2011
Giron's Streak Continues, McPhillips Claims Second Straight Title at ITF Easter Bowl
Two impressive streaks were on the line when Marcos Giron and Kyle
McPhillips took the court last weekend for championship matches at the
ITF Grade B1 Easter Bowl in Rancho Mirage, Calif. Giron had won 17
consecutive ITF junior matches, and McPhillips had won 17 straight
Easter Bowl matches. Those singles streaks will continue, as they
won the Easter Bowl titles.
16-Apr-2011
Giron and Crawford Claim First ITF Grade 1 Titles at International Spring Championships
There wasn't much international about the late stages of the ITF Grade
1 International Spring Championships last week, with Americans
claiming all four singles and doubles titles at the Home Depot Center
in Carson, Calif. In the 18s, unseeded Marcos Giron and wild card
Samantha Crawford took home the singles crowns, while Yuki Chiang
Noah Rubin won in the 16s.
15-Apr-2011
Spring Signing Week '11: Efferding Returns to Texas to Join Aggies
Jeremy Efferding left Texas for Florida several years ago, but the
blue chip recruit will be back in the Lone Star state for his college
tennis career, having chosen to join Texas A&M University this fall.
2-Apr-2011
March Aces
There's not an April fool among these dozen achievers, who started
spring with outstanding performances on clay and hard courts across
five continents.
30-Mar-2011
Countdown: Cypers Joins Amherst with Eye Toward Titles
Four-star recruit Jonathan Cypers has a variety of reasons for
selecting Division III Amherst for his higher education, with
location, academics, and friendship among them. But the first one the
18-year-old New Yorker mentions is the tennis dream of many college
players - a chance to win a national title.
23-Mar-2011
Floridians Sweep Titles at USTA 18s National Spring Championships
Three weeks ago, Danielle Collins and Zack McCourt had suffered early
losses at the National Open in their home state of Florida, so the
thought of taking home gold balls at the USTA 18s National Spring
Champions less than a month later seemed nothing more than a fantasy.
But the gregarious and talkative teenagers won titles over the
weekend, showing just how quickly fortunes can change in the sport of
tennis.
7-Mar-2011
Texas A&M Avenges Painful Loss with 5-2 Victory over Notre Dame
Two years ago the Texas A&M Aggies left Notre Dame's Eck Tennis
Pavilion stung by a comeback that saw the Fighting Irish win the final
four points. Last Friday, 18th-ranked A&M took another 3-0
lead, but this time they refused to let 24th-ranked Notre Dame back
in, taking a 5-2 decision from the home team.
4-Mar-2011
February Aces
As promised, the month of February produced the bulk of its aces from
current and former collegians, although there were several outstanding
performances by junior girls, including a new bright light from
Belgium.
25-Feb-2011
Capra Chooses Duke for Transition to Professional Career
Reaching the third round of the US Open is rarely considered a
problem for a teenager with a WTA ranking in the 300s. But Beatrice
Capra's success last year in New York presented her with an obvious
opportunity to reconsider her commitment to attending college. When
all was said and done, Capra signed a National Letter of Intent to
play for the Duke Blue Devils in 2011-12, where she aims to polish her
game while preparing for a career in pro tennis.
14-Feb-2011
Dow Corning Tennis Classic's Outreach Programs Touch Thousands of Midland-area Students Each Year
Thousands of youngsters benefit each year from the Dow Corning Tennis
Classic's outreach programs. The Dow Corning has the obligatory Kids
Day early in the tournament, but the Pros To Schools, Schools To
Matches, and Think Smart, Dream Big programs make youth outreach a
weeklong commitment.
7-Feb-2011
January Aces
Eight of January's aces are from Arizona, where, way back on January
1, the USTA Winter National championship matches were played. But
North America was joined by three other continents as sites of
noteworthy accomplishments, with South America, Europe and Australia
providing the backdrop for 2011's first outstanding performances.
2-Feb-2011
Michigan Women Survive USC Comeback to Reach Team Indoor Championships
Last Sunday at the Varsity Tennis Center in Ann Arbor, the University
of Michigan women's team appeared to have a tidy win over the
University of Southern California in its grasp in the final match of
the ITA's Kickoff Weekend. The road to a berth in the 16-team Indoor
Championships got bumpy however, before Michigan escaped with a 5-2
win.
28-Jan-2011
Townsend and Clark Capture Plaza Cup 18s Championships
The route was different, but the destination was the same for
14-year-old Taylor Townsend and 16-year-old Brett Clark: the 18s
singles championship at the USTA Regional Plaza Cup in Coral Gables,
Fla. The unseeded Townsend outlasted Allie Kiick 6-2, 2-6, 10-5 in the
girls final, while the sixth-seeded Clark cruised to a 6-4 6-1 victory
over Ognjen Samardzic in the boys championship match.
21-Jan-2011
USTA National Junior Team Edges Alabama Men
When the USTA National Junior Team's match with the University of
Alabama men came down to the last court Thursday, the competitive
fires were fully ignited. As the 14 other players surrounded the match
between 15-year-old Nikko Madregallejo and Alabama sophomore Ian
Chadwell, it suddenly became strikingly similar to every other
collegiate match that will be played over the next four months.
14-Jan-2011
Eight Intriguing Questions for 2011
Another year... and another edition of "Intriguing Questions" from
columnist Colette Lewis. Today, Colette poses eight questions about
junior and college tennis.
7-Jan-2011
December Aces
As we close out 2010, here's a final look back at the 15 different
major international junior tournament champions from last month, and a
junior officially graduating to professional ranks in 2011.
31-Dec-2010
U.S. Players Claim Three of Four Titles at Junior Orange Bowl
The weather was chilly in Coral Gables, Florida, the site of last
week's Junior Orange Bowl, but it didn't cool off the American girls.
Nicole Frenkel and Brooke Austin collected the 12s and 14s titles,
respectively, giving U.S girls all four titles in the December
competitions. Michael Mmoh won the boys' 12s for the U.S., while the
boys' 14s title went to Joshua Sapwell of Great Britain.
27-Dec-2010
From Player to Coach to Administrator: An Interview with Erica Perkins of the USTA
Erica Perkins of the USTA has experienced college tennis from the
perspective of a player, a coach, and now as an administrator. Senior
manager of junior and collegiate competition in the USTA's Player
Development department, Perkins describes her responsibilities as
"anything that pertains to college tennis within the USTA."
17-Dec-2010
Lauren Davis Rolls on at Dunlop Orange Bowl; Morgan, Kiick and Lokoli Collect Titles at Crandon Park
After three major ITF junior titles in three weeks, 17-year-old Lauren
Davis could finally put aside the competitor-speak and admit she was tired. But
even after squandering two match points in the second-set tiebreaker
against unseeded Grace Min, Davis didn't let discouragement or fatigue
derail her quest for an 18th straight junior win, emerging after three
hours and fifteen minutes with a 6-3, 6-7(7), 6-1 victory in the
Dunlop Orange Bowl girls 18s championship match.
10-Dec-2010
Davis, Thiem Capture Eddie Herr 18s Titles; Crawford and Lederman Give U.S. Sweep of 16s
With over a thousand tennis matches played at the 2010 Eddie Herr,
there were bound to be plenty of surprises when the eight singles
champions were crowned. With the exception of the boys 12s, none of
the winners were a top seed, with three unseeded players earning
titles.
3-Dec-2010
November Aces
The year is drawing to a close, but week after week, month after
month, notable performances in the college and junior tennis world
continue. November's aces include college champions, gold medal
winners and juniors earning titles in North America, South America and
Asia.
24-Nov-2010
Eddie Herr Preview
As the holidays approach, the professional tennis world takes a short
collective breath before next year's fresh start and first major. But
junior tennis is still going strong, with three of the year's most
important events coinciding with the Christmas shopping season. The
first of those, the Eddie Herr, begins this weekend, with nearly 2,000
junior tennis players converging on the Bradenton academy of legendary
coach Nick Bollettieri to compete for titles.
15-Nov-2010
Rhyne Williams and Maria Sanchez Claim Indoor Titles by Outlasting Defending Champions
The venue was new and so were the champions at the 2010 USTA/ITA
Indoor Intercollegiate Championships. Maria Sanchez of the University
of Southern California and Rhyne Williams of the University of
Tennessee captured their first collegiate majors the hard way - by
defeating the defending champions in the final.
10-Nov-2010
Fall Signing Week '10: Caroline Price to Wear Carolina Blue
Before Caroline Price made her decision to join the North Carolina Tar
Heels, she followed the advice of her father - she made several
unofficial visits during her junior year, then took official visits to
four schools this fall. I asked Caroline in email and phone
interviews about her recent decision to join the University of North
Carolina in fall of 2011.
4-Nov-2010
October Aces
From Tulsa to Turkey, Pacific Palisades to Puerto Rico and Venezuela
to Vietnam, October's 13 aces excelled at junior, college and
professional events throughout the world. The WTA and ATP tours may
be winding down for 2010, but there's plenty of tennis being played at
other levels this fall.
29-Oct-2010
Countdown: Blue Chip Turewicz Selects Blue Devils
When Monica Turewicz took an unofficial visit to Duke University in
May, she felt an instant bond. Although it was the first of three such
visits she was planning to make, her experience in Durham set the bar.
"They were really welcoming," said Turewicz. "They're all so together
and the team spirit's really good." In just a couple of weeks,
Turewicz plans to sign an NLI with the Duke Blue Devils.
21-Oct-2010
Keys and Peliwo Claim Pan American Closed Titles in Sunny Tulsa
Fifteen-year-old American Madison Keys and 16-year-old Canadian
Filip Peliwo took different routes to the championship of the ITF
Grade B1 Pan American Closed last week in Tulsa, Oklahoma, but in the
finals, they both turned in dominating performances.
14-Oct-2010
Domijan Dominates as Virginia Sweep D'Novo/ITA All-American Championships
It didn't take long for Virginia freshman Alex Domijan to shake up the
status quo in Division I men's college tennis. Given a wild card into
the D'Novo/ITA All-American championships as the country's top
freshman, Domijan drew No. 13 seed Javier Garrapiz of Georgia in the
first round of last week's tournament, played at the Michael D. Case
Tennis Center on the campus of the University of Tulsa.
6-Oct-2010
September Aces
September's aces include a few from this month, with several top
performances beginning in tournaments that started last month and
finished this past weekend. As summer slides into autumn, the final
junior slam and the Junior Davis and Fed Cups bracket a host of
accomplishments on the professional tour.
1-Oct-2010
Juniors Impress, but Collegians Finish on Top at Land Rover Napa Valley Tennis Classic
For nearly a decade, Cal-Berkeley's head coach Peter Wright had
invited three of the country's top teams to join his Bears at
Meadowood Resort to kick off the fall collegiate season. Yet this
year, Wright and Meadowood Director of Tennis Doug King were willing
to fix what wasn't broken in order to include USTA-selected junior
players in the field at the Land Rover Napa Valley Tennis Classic.
22-Sep-2010
Sock Weighs Options After Winning U.S. Open Boys Championship
"What are your plans for deciding between college and professional
tennis?" From his first U.S. Open press conference after an opening
round main draw loss to Marco Chiudinelli of Switzerland, through the
final press conference following his boys' singles championship 12
days later, Jack Sock has been asked over and over again about his
tennis future. Colette Lewis sat down with Sock in New York...
17-Sep-2010
Notes and Observations From the 2010 U.S. Open Junior Championships
With 18-year-olds Ryan Harrison and Beatrice Capra posting big upsets,
the stage was set for other young Americans to hold the spotlight in
the U.S. Open juniors. They didn't disappoint, with Jack Sock
defeating Denis Kudla in the first all-American boys final since Andy
Roddick beat Robby Ginepri in 2000, and Sloane Stephens capturing her
third consecutive junior Grand Slam doubles title. Check out a dozen
observations from New York.
8-Sep-2010
Flashback: Colette Lewis on the Grips Program
It was recently announced that Colette Lewis of ZooTennis.com won
second place in the annual US Tennis Writers writing contest for her
look at the Grips Program. That story - published in Racquet Sports
Industry Magazine in February 2009 - also ran right here at
TennisRecruiting.net. Today we republish that story in its entirety...
3-Sep-2010
Previewing the U.S. Open Junior Championships
Leading up to this year's U.S. Open there has been plenty of
discussion about the "wide-open" nature of the women's draw. But in
the world of junior tennis, that description can be applied to nearly
every slam. This year's U.S. Open junior championships will feature
all 10 of the top-ranked boys in the ITF juniors - and seven of the
girls in the Top 10.
1-Sep-2010
August Aces
Because their National Championship runs were covered so extensively
last month here at the Tennis Recruiting Network, the eight USTA Hard
Court winners will not be featured in this monthly review of top
performances. Instead, I'll focus on other newsmakers who excelled in
Europe, Asia and on the courts of the Billie Jean King National Tennis
Center in New York.
27-Aug-2010
Atlanta's Pasha Commits to Georgia Bulldogs
It wasn't the program's storied history of tennis excellence, or a
conversation with former Bulldog John Isner, currently in the ATP Top
20, that led to blue chip Nathan Pasha's verbal commitment to the
University of Georgia. Instead, it was the opportunity to be close to
his family while working toward a professional tennis career that had
the rising senior from Atlanta deciding to head to nearby Athens.
20-Aug-2010
Sock and Redlicki Crowned National Champions in Kalamazoo
Any USTA gold ball is special, whether it's the second or the 20th.
But a gold ball won at Kalamazoo has something extra attached - a
place on the long list of National Champions and a trip to New York to
play at the U.S. Open. Jack Sock, the 18s champion, and Michael
Redlicki, who triumphed in the 16s, survived a week of heat, humidity
and rain disruptions to finish atop the 192-player fields gathered for
the tournament's 68th year.
9-Aug-2010
Recruiting Profile: Katie Goepel
During her preteen years, five star recruit Katie Goepel found
contentment hitting tennis balls against the garage door of the family
home. Those countless hours have helped give the 17-year-old from
Chatham, New Jersey plenty of options. A straight-A student, Goepel
received a dozen or so calls from college coaches on July 1, and she
is now reviewing her list of possible schools.
5-Aug-2010
Jordan Cox, Shane Vinsant Top Seeds for USTA Boys 18 and 16 National Championships in Kalamazoo
Jordan Cox won the 2008 16s singles title in Kalamazoo, demonstrating
his ability to cope with the pressure and pomp surrounding a final at
the pinnacle of boys junior tennis in the United States. Can he do
the same in the 18s this year as the top seed? And in the 16s, top
seed Shane Vinsant has the highest ITF junior ranking in the field at
73 - closely followed by No. 2 seed Mitchell Krueger at 79. Colette
Lewis breaks down the field of the USTA Boys 18 and 16 Nationals.
3-Aug-2010
July Aces
The USTA National Clay Court champions usually dominate July's roster
of aces, but with the extensive coverage the Tennis Recruiting Network
put together last week, the focus instead will be on the juniors and
collegians past and present who collected other titles during the
month.
30-Jul-2010
Price Captures Girls' 18s Clays in Memphis
Living just minutes from each other in suburban Atlanta, 17-year-olds
Caroline Price and Whitney Kay had met many times throughout their
junior tennis careers. When they met in the final of the USTA Girls'
18 Clay Court Championships in Memphis, it was Price that
emerged victorious - capturing the title with a 6-3, 6-3 win.
15-Jul-2010
ITA Summer Circuit Fills Competition Gap for College and Junior Players
Last Saturday 128 players took to the Western Michigan University
courts with a variety of motives - to size up their games, stay sharp
over the summer months, prepare for the fall college season and test
their conditioning in two-a-day matches in the summer heat and
humidity. Colette Lewis of ZooTennis.com took in the ITA Summer
Circuit tournament - here she provides a wrap-up of both the
tournament and the program.
8-Jul-2010
Egger Will Join Washington Huskies in 2011
Emmett Egger is comfortable on the road - playing tennis on several
continents while living and training in Florida and Texas. But when
it came time to consider his college options, the Issaquah, Washington
native kept the University of Washington high on his list. Last
month, Egger verbally committed to join Matt Anger's Huskies in the
fall of 2011.
1-Jul-2010
June Aces
June marks the transition from clay to grass, so it's no surprise
there were junior aces from both surfaces last month. College tennis
was also in the spotlight, with recent stars demonstrating its role as
a stepping stone between junior and professional tennis.
24-Jun-2010
Adding to a Tennis Legacy: A Conversation with USC's Peter Smith
Peter Smith completed his eighth year as men's head coach at the
University of Southern California exactly the same way he finished his
seventh, leading the Trojans to the NCAA team title. Colette Lewis
sat down with the 2010 Wilson/ITA Coach of the Year to get his views
on some of the major issues in junior and college tennis.
17-Jun-2010
Mamalat, Lipman Bring Home Grasscourt Titles
Whether it was home cooking, family experience or simply games
that work well on grass, unseeded Anna Mamalat and Maxx Lipman made
their advantages work for them last week at the ITF International
Grass Court Championships at the Philadelphia Cricket Club.
10-Jun-2010
Herring Commits to Georgia for 2011
It was love at first sight for blue chip Lauren Herring when she
stepped on the campus of the University of Georgia last October. The
rising senior recently made a verbal commitment to the Bulldogs,
becoming Coach Wallace's first commitment for 2011.
5-Jun-2010
May Aces
Singles, doubles, red clay, green clay, hard courts, college, junior
and pro: May brought 13 aces from all kinds of places.
3-Jun-2010
Gullickson and Klahn Lead U.S. Sweep of NCAA Singles and Doubles Titles
For the second consecutive year, Americans claimed the men's and
women's singles titles at the NCAA Division I individual
championships, with U.S. players also capturing both doubles titles
Monday to complete the sweep.
28-May-2010
USC Wins Back-to-Back NCAA Titles with Win Over Tennessee
2009 in College Station, Texas... 2010 in Athens, Georgia... For the
second year in a row, the University of Southern California are NCAA
men's tennis champions after a 4-2 victory over Tennessee Tuesday
night at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex. The Trojans took out the top
two seeds in two days at college tennis' version of the Final Four.
27-May-2010
Stanford Women Earn 16th National Title with Thrilling 4-3 Victory over Florida
The Stanford Cardinal returned to the top of college tennis Tuesday,
claiming a dramatic 4-3 victory over the Florida Gators. After more
than four hours, the championship had come down to the No. 3 singles
match between freshman Mallory Burdette and Florida senior Marrit
Boonstra. Burdette broke Boonstra to serve for the third set at 6-5,
and then she sealed the 6-4, 6-7, 7-5 victory - starting a Cardinal
dogpile.
13-May-2010
Scout, Sponsor, Mentor, Technician: Wilson's Adam Schaechterle
As a poetry major at Northwestern University, Wilson's Adam
Schaechterle is as surprised as anyone to find himself Tour and Junior
Manager of the Americas after less than four years in the Racquet
Sports division of the global sporting goods company. Colette Lewis
caught up with Schaechterle at the Easter Bowl.
6-May-2010
April Aces
Although the majority of April's aces are from the two important
California junior hard court tournaments, many other teenagers
excelled on the clay, indicating their readiness to contend at the
upcoming spring majors in Europe.
22-Apr-2010
Fratangelo and Hardebeck Continue Winning Ways with Easter Bowl ITF Championships
Bjorn Fratangelo and Krista Hardebeck may be reigning Clay Court
champions, but they have shown their dominance extends to faster
surfaces too. Fratangelo followed up her USTA Spring National
Championships with a title last week at the ITF Easter Bowl.
Hardebeck joined him in the Easter Bowl winner's circle, less
than a week after capturing the International Spring
Championships.
16-Apr-2010
Southern California Wild Cards Kosakowski and Hardebeck Capture International Spring Championships
Krista Hardebeck and Daniel Kosakowski made the most of their wild
cards into the ITF Grade 1 International Spring Championships last
week at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., claiming their first
international junior titles without leaving their section.
14-Apr-2010
Spring Signing Week '10: Davis Signs with Seminoles
Blue chip Blake Davis looks back on last year's USTA Boys 18 Clay
Court championships as an important moment in his college search.
Unseeded in Delray Beach, Davis went on to reach the quarterfinals in
the main draw and the consolation final, results that confirmed both
the health of his surgically-repaired knee and his position as one of
the nation's top recruits. This week, Davis will sign a NLI to continue
his career with the Florida State Seminoles.
8-Apr-2010
Top Player to Top Coach: Georgia Tech's Bryan Shelton
Bryan Shelton's resume as a college and pro player is impressive. He
was an All-American at Georgia Tech, and he reached a career-high
ranking of 55 on the ATP tour. But since returning to his alma mater
to lead the women's program, his performance as a head coach has
eclipsed even the considerable accomplishments of his playing days.
1-Apr-2010
March Aces
No April Fools in this group of aces, who excelled not only in North
America, but in Europe, Asia and South America too. A special mention
goes to a pair of former college teammates who are winning Futures
doubles titles at a rate even the Bryan brothers would envy.
29-Mar-2010
Texas Tech Wins Thriller over Oklahoma to Claim Blue Gray Championship
The championship match in the 2010 Blue Gray National Tennis Classic
came down to a pair of Big 12 foes: #16 Texas Tech and #17 Oklahoma.
The final moved indoors - and the hotly-contested match ended after
four hours with Tech's Raony Carvalho clinching the 4-3 victory at No.
1 singles. Colette Lewis was in Mobile, Ala., to cover the event.
25-Mar-2010
Collins, Fratangelo Collect National Titles at Spring Championships
Mobile's azaleas hadn't yet bloomed, and for most of last week, the
USTA Spring 18 National Championships were played in weather more
reminiscent of November than March. But for champions Bjorn
Fratangelo and Danielle Collins, the chilly and breezy conditions
barely registered - a gold ball radiates a warmth all its own.
4-Mar-2010
February Aces
February's mid-winter aces always include those who excel on indoor
courts, collegiate and otherwise. However last month there was also
good news from the South American clay court circuit, where two young
Americans captured ITF junior titles on the surface known to present
the biggest challenges for them.
1-Mar-2010
Taney's Comeback Leads No. 8 Michigan Women Past Fifth-ranked Baylor
College dual matches can't be scripted. Too much can happen over the
course of three doubles and six singles matches. But last week the
Michigan women earned two 4-3 victories over visitors from Texas by
following a similar storyline - win the doubles point, then add
victories at the 4, 5, and 6 singles spots.
25-Feb-2010
Building a National Powerhouse
When Brian Boland arrived in Charlottesville in the fall of 2001,
Virginia had never won an ACC title or more than a round in the NCAA
team championships. Boland went to work, and the accomplishments are
piling up: three straight undefeated ACC seasons, two consecutive
undefeated regular seasons, two NCAA semifinal appearances, three NCAA
individual titles, and now three straight ITA Men's Team Indoor
titles. Here is Colette Lewis' conversation with Coach Boland.
18-Feb-2010
Virginia Tops Tennessee For Third Consecutive ITA Men's Indoor Championship
The Virginia Cavaliers won their first ITA Team Indoor championship
two years ago in Seattle and their second last year in Chicago. On
Monday, they claimed their third straight title, defeating Tennessee
4-1 at the sweetest of locations, their home courts at the Boar's Head
Sports Club in Charlottesville.
5-Feb-2010
January Aces
The bulk of January's 14 aces come from Arizona, where the USTA Winter
Nationals concluded on the first day of 2010. But Australia, England,
Mexico, South America and Florida were sites of outstanding
performances from other young competitors throughout the month, and an
exciting idea from the USTA also made the grade.
4-Feb-2010
North Carolina Earns Berth in ITA Team Indoor by Defeating Host Notre Dame
The North Carolina Women's Tennis Team travelled to South Bend,
Indiana to face Notre Dame on its home courts. On the line was a trip
to the ITA Team Indoor next week in Madison, Wisc., a trek every UNC
team has made for the past six years. That streak is now seven, with
the second-seeded Tar Heels posting a 5-2 win over top-seeded Irish.
28-Jan-2010
Talking About Your Tennis: Media Training for Juniors
Andy Roddick, Serena Williams and Melanie Oudin aren't professors, but
junior players at the USTA Training Center Headquarters learned
important lessons from the three American stars last fall at a media
relations session in Boca Raton, Fla.
21-Jan-2010
Sanon and Rinaldi Earn Tennis Plaza Cup 18s Titles
Top seed Bianca Sanon and unseeded Michael Rinaldi approached the
Tennis Plaza Cup in unsettled states of mind, yet the two Floridians
managed to focus on the task at hand to emerge with championship
trophies over the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend.
14-Jan-2010
Nine Intriguing Questions for 2010
2010 marks the fifth new year for TennisRecruiting.net - and the fifth
edition of "Intriguing Questions" from columnist Colette Lewis. Lewis
asks nine questions that may bear answers in the first year of the new
decade.
7-Jan-2010
December Aces
December's aces always center on the three major international junior
tournaments in Florida, and this year, for the first time since I
began covering these events, 16 different players claimed titles. The
other two aces are U.S. teenagers who claimed Australian Open wild
card berths with victories last month in the USTA's playoff
tournament.
31-Dec-2009
Chiang Topples Favorites to Claim Junior Orange Bowl Title
Unseeded Californian Yuki Chiang made her final 14-and-under
tournament a memorable one, defeating the top three seeds en route to
the Junior Orange Bowl girls 14s title last week. She finished with a
flourish, downing No. 1 seed Brooke Austin 6-3, 6-3 in the
championship match held at the University of Miami's Neil Schiff
Tennis Center.
17-Dec-2009
Mina, Dabrowski Win 18s Championships, Halebian and Addison Capture 16s Titles at Dunlop Orange Bowl
The summer-like heat and humidity in Miami last week proved no
obstacle to Dunlop Orange Bowl boys 18s top seed Gianni Mina of
France, who won the Grade A championship. Canadian Gabriela
Dabrowski, the girls 18s champion, was unseeded and ranked outside the
ITF Junior Top 40 coming into the tournament.
10-Dec-2009
American Champions Abound at 2009 Eddie Herr
At the 2008 Eddie Herr, Americans took home half of the singles
titles, with four champions calling the United States home. Last week
they improved on last year's impressive showing, taking six of the
eight titles and sweeping both the 12s and 16s age divisions.
4-Dec-2009
November Aces
There's no off season for aces, with November providing notable
achievements from those competing at the ITA Indoor early in the month
to the Eddie Herr at the end. And we're all thankful for the
contributions of a truly exceptional ace retiring after more than 30
years of service to junior tennis.
27-Nov-2009
Eddie Herr Preview: 16s and 18s
Yesterday, Colette Lewis previewed the younger age groups at the Eddie
Herr. Today she takes a look at the 16s and 18s divisions.
26-Nov-2009
Eddie Herr Preview: 12s and 14s
One of the pleasures of attending the Eddie Herr International
tournament year after year is the opportunity to watch the progress of
junior players from their pre-teen years through young adulthood. In
the first of a two-part preview of this year's tournament, I'll look
at some of the youngest competitors, most of whom are seeking the
thrill of their first major international championship.
16-Nov-2009
Pac-10 Sweeps Titles at ITA Intercollegiate Indoor Championships
With their regional competitions held outdoors, the Pac-10 players who
won entry into the ITA Indoor had to adapt quickly once they arrived
at Yale University. They did just that, with teams from Stanford
earning an unprecedented sweep of the doubles title, and Steve Johnson
of the University of Southern California and Jana Juricova of
California-Berkeley capturing the singles titles at the Cullman-Heyman
Tennis Center in West Haven, Conn.
11-Nov-2009
Fall Signing Week '09: Cercone Stays in Home State, Signs with Gators
Back when she was playing zonals and intersectionals for the Florida
section, Alexandra Cercone loved the team atmosphere at those junior
competitions. She treasured the bonds formed by the team t-shirts and
well-rehearsed cheers. And although college tennis may mean bigger
audiences for that team spirit, her decision to sign a National Letter
of Intent to join the University of Florida in 2010 will keep that
Florida pride in full view.
5-Nov-2009
October Aces
October's baker's dozen of aces range in age from 11 to 23, and posted
their wins in locations equally as diverse - Germany, Japan, Tulsa,
Okla., Bolivia and Curacao, to name just a few of the places where
these champions were crowned.
29-Oct-2009
Capra and Gibbs Join U.S. Fed Cup Team's Title Quest
An invitation to join the United States Fed Cup team as hitting
partners is exciting enough, but Beatrice Capra and Nicole Gibbs have
additional reasons to savor the experience: it's the finals, it's in
Italy, and they are going together.
22-Oct-2009
Bouchard and Bangoura Emerge as Pan-American Champions in Damp and Chilly Tulsa
The weather in Oklahoma felt more like December than October, but for
Eugenie Bouchard and Sekou Bangoura Jr. there were no gifts, nothing
to suggest a festive holiday. Instead, there were long days waiting
for an indoor court, grueling matches and frustrating moments. Yet
both handled every challenge last week, claiming their first ITF Grade
1 titles at the University of Tulsa's Michael D. Case Tennis Center.
15-Oct-2009
Smith Claims Two Titles for Volunteers at D'Novo ITA All-American Championships
The weather was damp and cool in Tulsa last weekend, but the dreary
conditions didn't faze Tennessee junior JP Smith, who became the first
player to sweep the singles and doubles titles at the All-American
Championships since Harvard's James Blake accomplished that feat in
1998.
8-Oct-2009
Davis Gains Stature in New York
Top-ranked sophomore Lauren Davis decided to defend her USTA National
Girls 16s title in San Diego this year - in part to return to the
biggest stage in U.S. tennis - Flushing Meadows, New York. Having played
only three ITF junior events in her tennis career, Davis needed the US
Open Junior wild card given to the 16s champion, and once she secured
it, without dropping a set in her seven victories, she was ready for
her second chance in New York.
1-Oct-2009
September Aces
The year's final major supplied our junior aces, but current and
former collegians also claimed the spotlight, excelling in competition
from Gainesville and Waco to Manila and Johannesburg, and nearly
everywhere in between.
24-Sep-2009
Capra Considers Options While Enjoying Junior Grand Slam Success
Blue chip senior Beatrice Capra loves to write, keeping a journal of
her experiences as she travels the tennis circuit. This summer, the
class of 2010's third-ranked player reached the final 16 in all three
junior slams, concluding with a quarterfinal appearance at the U.S.
Open. With that kind of success, writer's block isn't likely, and she
provided some of her impressions during a recent interview.
17-Sep-2009
Notes and Observations on 2009 U.S. Open
The final junior slam of the year is now history, and with Great
Britain's Heather Watson and Australia's Bernard Tomic capturing the
girls and boys titles, that makes eight different players claiming the
championships this year. This year's US Open provided plenty of drama
and surprises - here are a dozen impressions.
4-Sep-2009
US Open Junior Preview
India's Yuki Bhambri and France's Kristina Mladenovic will be the top
seeds in this year's U.S. Open Junior Championships, but they're
better off reflecting on their previous Junior Grand Slam titles than
on the past history of No. 1 seeds in the year's final major.
3-Sep-2009
August Aces
The aces of August include the eight USTA national junior champions,
three girls who couldn't play the nationals but captured a coveted
team title that same week, an award-winning coach and three
competitors who excelled on the ITF circuit.
27-Aug-2009
Where Are They Now? Paul Goldstein
Few Kalamazoo competitors are remembered as fondly as Paul Goldstein,
who won three consecutive singles titles at the USTA Boys Nationals,
winning the 16s in 1992, and the 18s in 1993 and 1994. Add a doubles
title with Scott Humphries in 1994, and his sportsmanship award in
1992, and it's little wonder Goldstein was welcomed like an old friend
when he returned to Kalamazoo several weeks ago for the professional
exhibition that opens the event.
20-Aug-2009
Buchanan and Austin Add Their Names to List of Kalamazoo Champions, Earn Invitations to US Open
Chase Buchanan marched along a very direct path to the 18s National
title at Kalamazoo College's Stowe Stadium, Gonzales Austin took a
more winding road in capturing the 16s championship, but both reached
their ultimate destination: Flushing Meadow, New York and the US Open.
6-Aug-2009
Alex Domijan and Jack Sock Top Seeds for USTA Boys 18 and 16 National Championships in Kalamazoo
For generations, Kalamazoo has welcomed the nation's top junior boys,
who converge on the courts of Kalamazoo College and Western Michigan
University not only for a chance to compete against the best in a
pressure-packed setting, but also for the festival of junior tennis
the tournament has become. This year, the tournament's 67th, top
seeds Alex Domijan and Jack Sock are expected to assume starring
roles.
5-Aug-2009
July Aces
The majority of July's aces come from the USTA Clay Court National
Championships, but beginning with the Wimbledon junior championships
and ending on the U.S. hard courts, there were other performances
during the month that put international juniors and U.S. collegians in
the spotlight too.
30-Jul-2009
Unseeded Hardebeck Captures Clay Court Title in First Girls 18s National Championship
Fourteen-year-old Krista Hardebeck faced all sorts of challenges in
her first National Championships in the 18s division. From an
unfamiliar surface, to bad weather, to an early round third-set
tiebreaker, she survived them all, and with a 6-2, 6-3 win over No. 17
seed Gabriella De Simone in the final, which was played indoors at the
Tunica National Tennis Club due to rain, Hardebeck made sure her first
USTA ball was a gold one.
23-Jul-2009
The Man Behind the Texas College Tennis Blog
Last spring, tennis bloggers welcomed a new website and a new voice in
college tennis world. During its first year of existence, the Texas
College Tennis blog had neither a name nor face attached to it. But at
the NCAAs in College Station, I met its creator, and he agreed to
answer the many questions I had about his connection with college
tennis in Texas and his decision to start a blog dedicated to it.
16-Jul-2009
Athletic DNA Launches Clothing Line with Juniors in Mind
When facing global sports apparel and shoe giants like Nike and
Adidas, how does a small startup hope to have an impact? For Athletic
DNA, a new Seattle-based company, the answer is simple: focus on
tennis, and start where the sport starts - in the juniors.
9-Jul-2009
Will Heads Florida's Way
Blue chip recruit Allie Will had two decisions to make during her
senior year. The 18-year-old from Boca Raton, Fla. was debating both
where and when she would attend college, deciding late last year on
the University of Florida, and early last month that she would not
take a year off, but instead join the Gators this fall.
2-Jul-2009
June Aces
June is the month when red clay gives way to green grass as the tennis
surface du jour. Here's a baker's dozen aces who have excelled in
Paris, London, and even on hard courts in the U.S.
25-Jun-2009
Sarmiento Keeping College Options Open
Raymond Sarmiento probably won't be answering his phone too often next
week, despite the many, many calls he'll undoubtedly receive from
college coaches interested in discussing his plans. The Fontana,
California native, who turns 17 next month, is in Europe the next
several weeks, competing in ITF Men's and Junior Circuit events.
18-Jun-2009
International Grass Courts Veteran Sarmiento and Rookie Davis Claim Titles in Philadelphia
Last week in Philadelphia, Raymond Sarmiento made his third appearance
at the ITF Grade 3 International Grass Court Championships and swept
both the singles and doubles titles. On the girls' side,
fifteen-year-old qualifier Lauren Davis earned the title in only her
third ITF-sanctioned event.
11-Jun-2009
Harvard Law or Decatur Futures?
When Blake Strode was growing up, he had two ambitious and unrelated
dream careers: pro tennis and law. Both are still vying for his time.
He finished his collegiate tennis career at Arkansas ranked #13 in
singles and reached the semifinals of last month's NCAA championships.
He graduated with a 3.97 grade point average and has been admitted to
Harvard Law School. Colette Lewis caught up with Strode at the NCAA
Championships and talked with him about his future.
4-Jun-2009
May Aces
The NCAA Division I Championships in College Station Texas produced
the majority of May's dozen aces, but several young pros and juniors
also excelled last month, on both the red and green versions of clay.
28-May-2009
Freshmen Britton and Cecil Earn NCAA Singles Titles
Two American teenagers with less than five months of college tennis
experience stayed cool under pressure in the Texas heat and humidity
Monday, leaving the George Mitchell Tennis Center on the Texas A&M
campus with three NCAA championship trophies between them.
21-May-2009
Duke Women and Southern Cal Men Claim NCAA Titles in College Station
It was the first for the Duke women, and either the fifth or the 17th
for the Southern Californian men, but regardless of the number, NCAA
championships are always the highlight of a collegiate career. Duke
claimed theirs with a 4-0 blanking of California-Berkeley Tuesday
evening, while USC downed Ohio State 4-1 in the afternoon contest at
the George Mitchell Tennis Center on the campus of Texas A&M
University.
14-May-2009
Fuller Makes Early Commitment to Georgia
Kate Fuller wasn't in a hurry. The 17-year-old high school junior had
planned to take all five of her official recruiting visits this fall.
A recent unofficial visit to nearby Athens, Ga., caused the Suwanee
resident to reconsider that timetable however, and Fuller has verbally
committed to the University of Georgia for the fall of 2010.
7-May-2009
April Aces
Most of April's aces distinguished themselves in the California junior
events, but the always geographically diverse tennis schedule produced
notable performances in India, Morocco and Cary, North Carolina too.
30-Apr-2009
Buckeyes Subdue Illini Again for Fourth Consecutive Big Ten Men's Title
For the sixth straight year the Big Ten Men's Conference Championship
came down to Ohio State and Illinois. The first of those two finals,
in 2004 and 2005, went to the Fighting Illini, but the past three had
belonged to the Buckeyes, and the country's third-ranked team was a
decided favorite in Sunday's contest, held at the University of
Michigan Varsity Tennis Center in Ann Arbor.
23-Apr-2009
King and McHale Win 2009 Easter Bowl ITF Titles
It was cool; it was hot; it was breezy; it was calm; it was dramatic;
it was routine. The 2009 Easter Bowl had a bit of everything last week
at the Rancho Las Palmas Resort and Spa in Rancho Mirage, California.
And when the last ball had been struck Sunday, there were both
veterans and rookies earning the coveted spring titles.
16-Apr-2009
Frank and Stephens Claim International Spring Championships
Mitchell Frank and Sloane Stephens came into the International Spring
Championships seeded ninth, but after a week of outstanding tennis,
they emerged with their first ITF Grade 1 titles And as an added
bonus, the two 16-year-olds enhanced their positions in the ITF World
Junior rankings for the upcoming Junior Slams in Paris and London.
9-Apr-2009
Spring Signing Week '09: Phillips Joins New Mexico's Lobos
Blue chip senior Jadon Phillips knows that life has a way of defying
expectations. Fully expecting to stay in the South, perhaps attending
Georgia Tech, Phillips took a recruiting visit to the University of
New Mexico in January. Despite initial doubts, he is excited to
announce he's heading west to Albuquerque to join coach Alan Dils's
team this fall.
2-Apr-2009
March Aces
The March aces are mostly of the junior variety, but add a couple of
pros and a college star, and it's a spring bouquet of tennis
excellence.
26-Mar-2009
Tennessee Beats Alabama to Win Blue Gray Tennis Classic
It has a tradition spanning 60 years, but Blue Gray Tennis Classic
chairman Paul Winn had no hesitation in putting this year's tournament
at the pinnacle. "It's probably the best weather we've ever had, the
best crowd we've ever had and the best support," an enthusiastic Winn
said of the annual invitational event that brings 16 top Division I
men's teams to Montgomery, Ala. In the championship match, the
Tennessee Volunteers defeated Alabama 4-2.
25-Mar-2009
Saba and Capra Capture USTA 18s Spring National Championships
As the rain of the first few days gave way to brilliant sun and ideal
playing conditions last week, the USTA 18s Spring National
Championships in Mobile, Ala. produced an expected winner, in girls
top seed Beatrice Capra, and a surprise one, in boys No. 11 seed
Frederick Saba.
12-Mar-2009
One Step at a Time
Chris Woodruff talks with Colette Lewis about the importance of
succeeding at one level before moving to the next.
5-Mar-2009
February Aces
This February's honors go not only to the 14-and-under "Small Aces"
crowned in France, but also to Intercollegiate Tennis Association Team
Indoor stars and high-profile juniors making their mark in the pro
ranks.
26-Feb-2009
Nine Questions with Julia Boserup
Seventeen-year-old Julia Boserup played only two ITF tournaments in
2008, the U.S. Open and the Dunlop Orange Bowl. At Key Biscayne, the
5-foot-11 right-hander demonstrated her game's considerable potential
by overcoming a strong field to capture the title. I
spoke with her at length after her Orange Bowl win, and she reflected
on her Fed Cup experience a few months later via email.
19-Feb-2009
Virginia Claims Second Consecutive ITA Men's Team Indoor Championship
The University of Virginia put an end to a long losing streak against
the University of Georgia, and in the process defended their ITA Men's
Team Indoor title posting 4-1 victory over the No. 3 ranked Bulldogs
Monday at the Midtown Tennis Club in Chicago, Ill.
12-Feb-2009
USTA Junior Team Defeats University of Miami Men in Exhibition
No one knew what to expect - not the USTA, not its young players, not
the University of Miami team or its coach. It was uncharted territory
when a veritable all-star team of juniors met a top Division I men's
program in the standard college dual match format last week. So
perhaps the juniors' 6-1 win over the 23rd ranked and injury-riddled
Hurricanes couldn't really be considered a surprise.
5-Feb-2009
January Aces
The month opened with eight gold balls being presented to the USTA
Winter National champions and closed with the awarding of Australian
Open junior championship trophies accompanied by stuffed wombats. But
regardless of the prize, these 15 aces kicked off 2009 with impressive
performances.
29-Jan-2009
Top Prospect: Rhyne Williams
Rhyne Williams' tennis compass has always pointed in the direction of
the University of Tennessee. But as the 17-year-old senior turns his
attention to the collegiate phase of his tennis career, Tennessee is
currently one of five options he is considering, along with Illinois,
Texas A and M, Duke and Vanderbilt.
22-Jan-2009
Laurente and Fratangelo Earn Tennis Plaza Cup Championships
The 2009 Tennis Plaza Cup, a USTA Level 3 event in its third year on
the national junior schedule, saw considerably more sunshine than the
2008 version, and it shone brightly on two young unseeded champions in
the 18s division, played on the green clay courts of Coral Gables,
Florida's Salvadore Park.
15-Jan-2009
Britton Bolsters Ole Miss for Dual Season
The University of Mississippi is currently ranked No. 9 in the country and
has the nation's top-ranked doubles team in Jonas Berg and Bram ten
Berge. But the Rebels bolstered their roster considerably for the 2009
season when blue chip recruit Devin Britton received the necessary
NCAA clearances to join the team for the spring semester.
8-Jan-2009
Eight Intriguing Questions for 2009
Another year, another "Intriguing Questions" article from Colette Lewis.
Lewis takes a moment to ask eight questions for the coming year.
2-Jan-2009
December Aces
December's junior swing produces aces galore, as young players from
around the globe descend on Florida, dreaming of capturing Eddie Herr
and Orange Bowl titles. This year 15 different competitors earned
those prestigious titles to end 2008 on a high note.
29-Dec-2008
Richmond Wins 14s Junior Orange Bowl Title
The Junior Orange Bowl has always been proud of its international
stature, and in 2008, the Coral Gables, Florida-based event for the
12s and 14s age groups showcased Korea as a country on the rise.
18-Dec-2008
Color the Orange Bowl Red, White and Blue
The success of U.S. juniors continued at the Dunlop Orange Bowl last
week, where Americans captured six of the eight titles contested at
the prestigious international tournament.
11-Dec-2008
U.S. Players Dominate at 2008 Eddie Herr
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.
4-Dec-2008
November Aces
November marks the end of the fall season for college players and the
final U.S. Pro Circuit events of the year. The junior tennis carousel
never stops, so here are last month's aces from those three sectors
and other parts of the globe too.
28-Nov-2008
Eddie Herr: The Junior Tennis World Converges on Bradenton
Sixteen different tournaments - boys and girls, 12s, 14s, 16s and 18s,
singles and doubles - all taking place simultaneously on one piece of
very famous property, the IMG/Nick Bolliettieri Tennis Academy, puts
the Eddie Herr near the top of junior tennis competitions.
17-Nov-2008
Miseviciute Repeats, Koniecko Wins Battle of the Buckeyes at ITA Indoor
Arkansas's Aurelija Miseviciute handled the pressure of defending her
ITA Indoor title, downing Clemson's Ani Mijacika for the second
straight year, this time by a 1-6, 7-5, 6-4 score, while Ohio State's
Bryan Koniecko survived a different kind of tension, winning his first
national title by defeating teammate Justin Kronauge 6-2, 5-7, 6-3.
12-Nov-2008
Fall Signing Week '08: Turvy Joins Big Ten Powerhouse
It's no surprise that blue chip recruit Kate Turvy entertained serious
thoughts of becoming a Buckeye, since her hometown of Dublin, Ohio is
a just a few miles from Columbus. But a trip to Evanston, Ill. last
month made such an impression that Turvy chose Northwestern instead.
6-Nov-2008
One-Day Showdown at Michigan State
No umpires, no T-shirts, no trophies, no ranking points. Sound like
something new in junior tennis competition? It is. Called Campus Match
Play One-Day Tennis Showdowns, the initiative was created by the
Intercollegiate Tennis Association and USTA to provide both college
and junior players an opportunity to interact in a low-cost, highly
concentrated day of competition on college campuses across the
country.
6-Nov-2008
Countdown: Evan King Goes Blue
Evan King can check off "learn school fight song" from his Things To
Do Before Heading To College list. His father taught him the
University of Michigan's famous fight song "Hail to the Victors" back
when King was many years away from being a much-pursued blue chip
recruit. This week, King made a verbal commitment to Bruce Berque's
Wolverine squad.
30-Oct-2008
October Aces
The month isn't even complete and already October's aces are as
abundant as campaign advertisements. Here are 16 achievers who get my
vote this month.
29-Oct-2008
Countdown: Kandath Casts Vote for Cardinal
Blue Chip Matt Kandath knew it wouldn't be easy. After official
recruiting visits to the University of Virginia, Duke, Princeton and
Stanford this fall, the Gansevoort, New York senior still had not made
a choice. But last week, he knew the time had come.
23-Oct-2008
Welcome Wins for Domijan and Capra at ITF Pan-American Closed
Alex Domijan and Beatrice Capra boosted their ITF world junior
rankings into the top 100 last week in Tulsa, capturing the
Pan-American B1 Closed titles. 11th-seeded Domijan defeated No. 4
seed Ryan Lipman 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 for the boys' title, while Capra scored
a 7-6(2), 6-2 victory over No. 1 seed Pamela Montez in the girls'
final.
16-Oct-2008
LSU's Venus Defeats Oklahoma State's Nedovyesov to Capture D'Novo All-American Title
The SEC has a reputation for outstanding football teams, but on a
breezy Sunday morning in Tulsa, it was tennis adding to the conference
glory, with Louisiana State's Michael Venus taking the singles crown
and Ole Miss's Jonas Berg and Bram ten Berge capturing the doubles
title at the D'Novo ITA All-American Championships at the Michael D.
Case Tennis Center on the campus of the University of Tulsa.
9-Oct-2008
A Look at the Grips Program
Southern California junior development coaches Craig Cignarelli and
Aaron Fox recognized a need for more structure and objectivity in
their teaching methods, which led them to create the Grips Program.
Colette Lewis explains the reasons for the program's popularity with
players, parents and coaches.
2-Oct-2008
September Aces
September began with an unexpectedly strong showing by Americans at
the U.S. Open junior championships and ended with the 16-and-under
teams capturing the Junior Davis Cup and Junior Fed Cup. So it's no
surprise that most of last month's dozen aces are either from the U.S.
or have strong connections here.
25-Sep-2008
Zsilinszka's Vietnam Experience
Reka Zsilinszka, a sophomore on the Duke tennis team, spent three
weeks this summer in Vietnam, as an ambassador for the newly created
Coach For College Program. Today, Zsilinszka provides this photo
album of her experience there.
18-Sep-2008
Top Prospect: Matt Kandath
Matt Kandath's two-handed forehand is like a two-dollar bill - it's
rarely encountered, but provides the value of more conventional
methods. The 16-year-old from Gansevoort, New York accrued noteworthy
results earlier this month at the U.S. Open junior championships and
in the next few weeks will circulate the country, taking the official
visits that will help determine his college choice.
