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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.

27-Mar-2013
Countdown: Hinsdale Central Claims First Championship
Twenty-four of the nation's top boys high school tennis teams competed in the prestigious Boys DecoTurf High School Tennis Team Championships this past weekend in Louisville, Ky. The finals saw Hinsdale Central (Hinsdale, Ill.) put on a dominating performance to defeat Barron Collier (Naples, Fla.) and win the title.

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.

20-Mar-2013
Countdown: DecoTurf Girls' HS Championship Wrapup
This past Saturday, the DecoTurf Girls' High School Tennis Team Championships drew to a close in Louisville, Ky. The Baylor Red Raiders (Chattanooga, Tenn.), who were two-time defending champions, came back from a 3-4 deficit to defeat the Jenks Trojans (Jenks, Okl.) and win the title for a third straight year.

13-Mar-2013
DecoTurf High School Tennis Team Championships Gets Underway Friday
The field of 40 is set for the 2013 DecoTurf High School Tennis Team Championships. The event will be hosted in Louisville, Kentucky for the seventh year with E.P. Sawyer State Park and Top Gun Academy hosting the championships for the third straight year. The girls will open tournament play on March 15-16 with the boys completing the 2013 event on March 22-23.

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.

11-Feb-2013
Previewing the DecoTurf High School Tennis Team Championships
DecoTurf High School Tennis Team Championships Tournament Director, Brandon Feusner, has been involved in high school tennis for nearly a decade gradually building one of the nation's top high school tennis tournaments. The seventh annual event will begin on March 15th in Louisville, Kentucky. In this Q&A we check in with Feusner to discuss what goes into hosting the tournament, as well as some of the challenges and his best memories.

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.

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.

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.

10-Dec-2012
Familiar Faces at JSM Champaign Challenger
Lots of familiar faces returned to the JSM Champaign Challenger at the University of Illinois' Atkins Tennis Center as the USTA Pro Circuit event welcomed players that had seen these courts during both college and junior events.

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.

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.

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.

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.

3-Oct-2012
Success for First Nesquik "Little Mo" Internationals in Forest Hills
It was once home to the U.S. Open Tennis Championships, but the West Side Tennis Center in Forest Hills, New York, served as the venue this year for the inaugural Nesquik "Little Mo" Internationals. The "Little Mo" Internationals in December have been such a big success that the Maureen Connolly Brinker Foundation decided to add this event in August - during the same time as the Qualifying of the U.S. Open Championships.

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.

9-Sep-2012
Past and Present College and Junior Players Storm U.S. Open Main Draw
While many focused on the veterans at the U.S. Open, such as Roger Federer and Maria Sharapova, some recent college players and teenagers were also garnering the spotlight at the U.S. Open. Some came and left quickly, while others made their names known to the tennis world.

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.

28-Aug-2012
College and Junior Players at the US Open Qualifying
The U.S. Open Qualifying showcased lots of young guns for the first year that the event was televised (on the CBS Sports Network). In the end, a few ended up making it all the way through, while others gave it their best shot.

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.

17-Aug-2012
Duval Takes Nationals & U.S. Open Wildcard
When it comes to San Diego, you can always count on the weather. Though it was a bit more hot and humid than expected, not a drop of rain fell on the George E. Barnes Tennis Center. What did fall were the seeds. It was survival of the fittest, and in the end, Victoria Duval was the last player standing among a host of Floridians.

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.

16-Aug-2012
Yee Sweeps Titles at Girls 16 Nationals
Kimberly Yee began her journey toward one of the most prestigious titles in junior tennis on Sunday, Aug. 5, on the Stadium Court of the Barnes Tennis Center in San Diego. Six days later, she returned to that same court to complete a brilliant week with a victory over Katerina Stewart of Miami to capture the 16s championship at the USTA Junior Girls Nationals.

15-Aug-2012
Taylor Fritz Sweeps USTA Boys 14 Nationals
The home of Taylor Fritz in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., is glittering with gold balls. Fritz won his third overall top prize by sweeping the singles and doubles titles at the USTA Boys 14 National Championships held Aug. 5-10 at San Antonio's McFarlin Tennis Center.

15-Aug-2012
Sofia Kenin Wins Sixth Gold Ball in Peachtree City
Sofia Kenin had to get through the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds last week to win the USTA Girls 14 Nationals in Peachtree City, Ga., but it brought the best out in the 13-year-old from Pembroke Pines, Fla. Kenin won the title. It was her sixth career USTA Gold Ball in singles and doubles.

14-Aug-2012
Roscoe Bellamy - 2012 Little Rock Champion
Top seed Roscoe Bellamy, pushed to a third set by a 17th seeded finalist, calmly set aside the heat, humidity, fatigue, doubts, hopes and emotions that accompany a Level-1 championship match. In doing so, he overcame a spirited challenge by Danny (DJ) Thomas 7-6, 3-6, 6-2 to win the gold ball at the 2012 Hardcourts in North Little Rock.

14-Aug-2012
Desiatnikov Wins First Gold Ball
Abigail Desiatnikov was the No. 1 seed last week at the Girls 12 Nationals in Alpharetta, Ga., but getting her first Gold Ball in singles was no easy sitter for the 11-year-old from Gates Mills, Ohio. Desiatnikov beat second-seeded Ellie Douglas of McKinney, Texas, 7-6, 6-4 in the final. That's the same opponent who trounced Desiatnikov 6-1, 6-2 in the Clay Court semifinals a month earlier.

6-Aug-2012
Texas Repeats at USTA Boys' 18 Team Championships
At the national level, all eyes are on the USTA National Championships taking place this week. But last week was a week for team competition. Marcia Frost took in the Boys' 18 Team Championships at the University of Illinois, where USTA Texas repeated as champions when they posted a come-from-behind 4-3 victory over the Midwest section.

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.

2-Aug-2012
Girls' 16 & 18 Nationals Set for San Diego
Past champions of the Girls' 16 & 18 Nationals in San Diego, Calif., include Lindsay Davenport, Lisa Raymond, Jennifer Capriati and Tracy Austin. More recently, 2011 finalist Nicole Gibbs went on to capture the NCAA singles and doubles titles. 2009 champion Christina McHale is ranked inside the Top 30 of the WTA and represented the U.S. at the Olympics in London. What new names will emerge from 2012?

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.

27-Jul-2012
Weather is the Real Winner at Boys 18 Clays
Summertime rain in Florida is not unexpected, but it certainly left its mark on the USTA Boys' 18 Clay Court Championships. Rain ended the final matches prematurely - which meant that the gold ball was awarded by coin flip. Singles finalists Jared Hiltzik and George Goldhoff were among several players who suffered that fate.

26-Jul-2012
Mia Horvit Wins First Gold Ball in 16s
The compelling matchup of birthday girls featured almost everything except a cake for the winner. No. 10 seed Mia Horvit of Parkland, Fla., earned her first U.S. Tennis Association gold ball, overcoming unseeded Francesca Dilorenzo of New Albany, Ohio, 1-6, 6-2, 6-3 to win the Girls 16 National Clay Court Championships.

26-Jul-2012
Stewart Takes Boys 16s Title at the Beach
Prior to the United States Tennis Association (USTA) Boys' 16s National Clay Court Championships, Mitch Stewart had a fairly small bucket list. He wanted to win a gold ball in a USTA event and he wanted to play tennis in college. Cross one of those off after the third-seeded Stewart dispatched 13th-seeded Baker Newman, 6-1; 6-2 at the Delray Beach International Tennis Center on July 22.

25-Jul-2012
Higuchi wins Battle of California in 14s
For years, Emma Higuchi and Angela Kulikov often talked or texted about playing in a final of a tennis tournament. This past weekend, the two best friends found themselves competing for a gold ball at the National Clay Court Girls' 14s Championships at the Veltri Tennis Center at Plantation Central Park.

25-Jul-2012
Zhu Takes Title at Boys' 14 Clays
Evan Zhu was the gold ball winner and star of the show at the Boys' 14 USTA National Clay Court Championship, but Johnathan Small was also front and center and he took home a trio of trophies.

24-Jul-2012
Victoria Emma Comes Back for More Gold
In 2011, Victoria Emma left the Girls' 12 USTA National Clay Court Championships with a plaque for winning the Gold Consolation. This year she came back to try again, and this time she left with a different gold prize. Emma defeated Ellie Douglas in the final by a score of 6-1, 6-7(2), 6-2 to claim her first national title.

24-Jul-2012
Georgia's Bryde Reigns Supreme in Winston-Salem
In the battle of wills and forehands between a pair of blue chips, Trent Bryde of Georgia emerged victorious over Californian Roscoe Bellamy in a dazzling display of grace, athleticism, sportsmanship and maturity from each competitor in the Boys 12s Clay Court National Championships.

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.

30-Jun-2012
Robbie Bellamy Captures Southern California 18s Title
Brilliant sunshine bathed the courts at Los Caballeros Racquet & Sports Club in Fountain Valley, Calif., for the final four days of the 110th annual Southern California Junior Sectionals, providing the perfect atmosphere for some spectacular and entertaining tennis.

29-Jun-2012
Southern California Sectionals Wrapup
This past Monday, the Southern California Section wrapped up its 110th annual championships. Twelve champions emerged from the 1,860 entries at nine sites across Orange County. Rhiannon Potkey talked with all of the newest champions.

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.

4-May-2012
Ojai Wrapup Part II: Whittle, Ho, and Brymer Win Titles
Every spring except one since 1899, the tradition-steeped Ojai competition - the nation's oldest amateur tournament - has attracted some of the country's finest tennis players. The 2012 edition was held last weekend with more than 1,500 participants. Eli Whittle, Alison Ho, and Gage Brymer are among the newest champions.

4-May-2012
Schaefer, Hafezi, and Pelletier Win Titles at The Ojai
Hardcore tennis competitors know it simply as "The Ojai," a rite of passage in American amateur tennis. Champions include names like King, Ashe, Connors, Austin, Chang, Sampras, and Davenport. This year, Dominique Schaefer and Arash Hafezi, and Jacqueline Pelletier can add their names to that list by winning junior titles.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

18-Aug-2011
Davis and Porter Take Top Prizes, Open Wildcards
The George E. Barnes Tennis Center in San Diego, California, was the home of the USTA Girls' 16 and 18 Nationals for the second straight year. 17-year-old Lauren Davis defeated familiar opponent Nicole Gibbs, 7-6(3), 1-6, 6-4, to take the 18s title and U.S. Open Wildcard, while Peggy Porter continued her winning ways with a 7-6, 6-4 match against Alyssa Smith to win the 16s crown.

17-Aug-2011
Bellis wins Northern California Final in 12s
Catherine "C.C." Bellis and Michaela Gordon brought a slice of Northern California to Alpharetta, Ga., last week at the USTA Girls' 12 Nationals. The girls - who occasionally practice together and live about 10 minutes apart in the Palo Alto area - reached the singles final, with Bellis winning 6-1, 6-1 at the Windward Lake Club.

17-Aug-2011
Klinger Wins Double Gold at USTA Boys' 14s
Cameron Klinger of San Jose, Calif., fought his way to two titles at the USTA Boys 14 National Championships Aug. 7-12 at McFarlin Tennis Center in San Antonio, Texas. Klinger won his first USTA gold ball in doubles with Tommy Paul of Greenville, N.C. The next morning, the second-seeded Klinger beat No. 14 Jake DeVine (Boca Raton, Fla.) 7-6 (8), 4-6, 6-1 to capture the top prize in singles in a two-and-a-half-hour match.

16-Aug-2011
Del Corral Plays Golden Encore in Little Rock
In the final stretch of a grueling 2011 summer schedule marked by record-breaking heat, Alexander del Corral emerged as the top 12-year-old boy in the U.S. by collecting his second consecutive Level 1 singles crown of the year. He defeated 2011 Clays doubles champion Nathan Perrone, 6-2, 6-2 in North Little Rock during a week of relentless rain.

16-Aug-2011
Second Time a Charm for Goodman in 14s
They say nobody remembers who finishes second. Lauren Goodman of Fort Wayne, Ind., can't forget the 2010 runner-up from the USTA Girls 14 Nationals - it was Goodman. Determined not to repeat the memory, Goodman, the No. 1 seed, defeated No. 6 Mia Horvit of Parkland, Fla., 6-2, 6-2 to claim her first Super National singles title.

8-Aug-2011
Texas Finally Takes Boys' 18 Team Championships
At the national level, all eyes are on the USTA National Championships taking place this week. But last week was a week for team competition. Marcia Frost took in the Boys' 18 Team Championships at the University of Illinois, where USTA Texas defeated the Southern section by a 4-3 margin.

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.

4-Aug-2011
Talented Field Heads to San Diego
What do Tracy Austin, Lindsay Davenport and Jennifer Capriati have in common with Christina McHale and Melanie Oudin? Each one has been a highly-ranked American tennis player, but they share something else in common - they have all picked up trophies at the Girls' Nationals.

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.

29-Jul-2011
Second Chance is a Winner for Alexios Halebian
It was a year ago on this very court at the Delray Beach Tennis Center that Alexios Halebian lost the Boys' 18 Clay Court Championship to Bjorn Fratangelo. A lot can change in a year. Upon his return to this tournament he went from being unseeded to the top seed, and this time he was able to take home the Gold Ball with a 7-6, 6-4 win over Brett Clark.

28-Jul-2011
Fourth-seeded Corinteli Wins 16s Title at The Beach
The state of Florida has been very kind to Luca Corinteli. In May, he won an International Tennis Federation event in Plantation on a clay surface. He nearly won back-to-back ITF events after winning five matches and making it to the final of another event at the Delray Beach Tennis Center. And on July 24, Corinteli won his first gold ball at the USTA Boys' 16 Clay Court Championships in Delray Beach.

28-Jul-2011
Catherine Bellis Comes Home with Gold
The 12 and under division is the first opportunity a junior player has to compete on the national level, and it is the time for top players to set goals. For Catherine Bellis, that goal was to win the top prize, and she kept her eye on it. Bellis won the USTA Girls' 12 National Clay Court Championships with a 6-1, 6-4 win over Kayla Day in the final.

27-Jul-2011
Madison Bourguignon Wins First Gold Ball
Unseeded Madison Bourguignon went deep into the Girls; 14 National Clay Court Championships, taking on the country's top-ranked Girls 14 player, Katerina Stewart in the title match. Waiting out multiple weather delays, Bourguignon took out Stewart with a 6-3, 6-2 victory, erasing two previous losses to Stewart earlier this year.

27-Jul-2011
Opelka Survives Heat for Title at 14s Clays
The Jimmy Evert Tennis Center at Holiday Park in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was once again the home of the USTA Boys' 14 Clay Court Championships. In singles, Reilly Opelka posted a 6-2, 6-3 win over Cameron Klinger in the title match.

26-Jul-2011
Porter earns two titles at 16s Clays
It's hard to tell which was higher at the USTA Girls' 16 National Clay Court Championships: the record-threatening temperatures or Peggy Porter's confidence. Porter, from Dallas and seeded sixth in a field of 192, earned her first USTA gold ball with a breakthrough performance at Virginia Beach Tennis and Country Club.

26-Jul-2011
Hance upsets hometown favorite in Winston-Salem
Kenneth Connor Hance, a 12-year-old Californian who once played Agassi's son in a TV ad, dashed North Carolina's dream for a three-peat when he beat Greenville's Patrick Kypson in a dominating 6-2, 6-1 finals performance at the 2011 USTA National Clay Court Championships.

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.

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.

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.

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.

4-Feb-2011
Sweeps Down Under While Americans Impress
American players made a great showing at the Australian Open Junior Championships, but in the end it was two tiny countries that claimed the crowns. An-Sophie Mestach and Jiri Vesely both left Melbourne winners of both the singles and doubles titles.

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.

12-Jan-2011
Favorites and Unseeded Texan Win in Tucson
Four athletes who train at USTA High Performance Centers - three are 12 years old and one is 13 - claimed the top prizes in Tucson, which was ravaged by rain and cold during the Winter National's final rounds. The Girls 12s champion, Sofia Kenin, won five matches on New Year's Day. Kenin, Stefan Kozlov and unseeded Maria Smith train at the High Performance Center in Boca Raton. William Blumberg trains at the Flushing Meadows facility.

10-Jan-2011
In Scottsdale, Top Girls Prevail, Upsets in Boys
In the last major junior championship of 2010, three Californians and a New Yorker left Arizona with top honors. In the Girls 18s, No. 1 Gabrielle Andrews beat Kyle McPhillips, and in the 16s Jamie Loeb took both sets over No. 2 Christina Makarova. No. 8 seed Thomas Pura upset No. 1 Sean Karl in the Boys 16s, while No. 15 Eric Johnson, losing the first set at love, came back to win the 18s over No. 17 Anthony Tsodikov.

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.

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.

5-Dec-2010
Video from the Eddie Herr International
The Eddie Herr International - one of the most prestigious international junior tournaments of the year - wraps up today in Bradenton, Fla., on the campus of IMG Bollettieri Tennis Academy. The enclosed video shows some of the sights and sounds from the tournament.

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.

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.

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.

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.

10-Sep-2010
Lone Star Excellence
While the world's best tennis players battled it out at the USTA National Tennis Center in New York City over Labor Day weekend, top Texas juniors squared off in suburban Dallas in the semi-annual showdown known as the Excellence. A future Baylor Bear took the title in the Girls 18s, while a pair of qualifiers punched through to the finals of the Boys 18s.

7-Sep-2010
Young Players Preview Future at U.S. Open
It wasn't just the top players in the world spectators got to see when they came to the first week of the main draw U.S. Open Championships. They also got a glimpse of the future of American tennis - and it was looking pretty bright.

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.

31-Aug-2010
Harrison and Falconi Survive U.S Open Qualifying
There were many years when the USTA presented U.S. Open wildcards to a host of young players. An emphasis on the importance of college tennis has grown in recent years, and the Qualifying wildcards for 2010 reflected that. With the exception of 15-year-old Krista Hardebeck - who had proven herself on the junior and professional courts this year - the players chosen were more experienced.

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.

19-Aug-2010
Rogers and McPhillips Claim Gold in San Diego
San Diego played host to drama in its first Girls' 18s Nationals - third-seeded Shelby Rogers outlasted No. 4 Nicole Gibbs 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (4) to take the title. In the 16s, top-seeded Kyle McPhillips won the singles title with a 6-0, 6-3 victory over No. 7 Spencer Liang. Rogers and McPhillips won the coveted gold balls that go to the champions - along with wild cards into the main draws of the U.S. Open women's and junior events.

19-Aug-2010
Paul Comes Back to Take Girls' 14s
Jessie Lynn Paul of Greenville, N.C., won her first super national championship last weekend, and she survived three match points in a remarkable semifinal to do it. The next day, Paul defeated Lauren Goodman of Fort Wayne, Ind., 6-3, 6-2 in a final that was a one-hour, 42-minute grind of steady baseliners.

18-Aug-2010
Benjamin Tso Wins Boys' 14s Nationals
Top-seeded Benjamin Tso completed his 14-and-under career in grand style by winning the singles title of the USTA Boys 14 National Championships at McFarlin Tennis Center. Tso, from Lexington, Mass., won his first USTA gold ball with a 7-6 (6), 7-5 victory over seventh-seeded Henrik Wiersholm of Kirkland, Wash., in a tightly played match which lasted for over two hours.

18-Aug-2010
Kaitlyn McCarthy wraps up Girls 12s Nationals
Kaitlyn McCarthy was pleased - but not surprised - at the USTA Girls 12 National Championships. The rising seventh-grader from Cary, N.C., won her first singles national title Saturday, Aug. 7, with a 6-4, 6-0 victory over No. 1 seed Sofia Kenin of Pembroke Pines, Fla., at Windward Lake Club in Alpharetta, Ga.

17-Aug-2010
With Flourish, Levine Strikes Gold In Little Rock
After competing mostly in the 14s, Robert Levine wanted to test his skills against his peers one last time. At the Clay Courts last month, he won doubles gold and lost by a hair in the semis in singles. Last week, he added a singles gold ball, overcoming Clay Courts runner up and fourth seed Nathan Ponwith 6-3, 6-2.

7-Aug-2010
San Diego Now Home to USTA Girls 18 and 16 National Championships
College coaches used to have to split their recruiting time between Northern California and Southern California to scout players. But the travel just got a whole lot easier. For the first time in history, San Diego and the George E. Barnes Family Jr. Tennis Center are playing host to the USTA Girls' 16s and 18s National Championships.

6-Aug-2010
Florida back in first at USTA Boys' 18 Team Championship
It's been a long time since the team from the Florida section held up the trophy at the USTA Boys' 18 Team Championship, but they were back in the winners' circle this year with a steamy finish. Florida defeated the Midwest section 4-3 at the University of Illinois' Atkins Tennis Center.

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.

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.

30-Jul-2010
Fratangelo Returns to Winners' Circle in 18s
There is a lot at stake at the USTA National Boys' 18 Clay Court Championships. In addition to the USTA Gold Ball, the winner receives a qualifying wildcard into the ATP World Tour event at Delray Beach in February - as well as direct entry into the U.S. Open Junior Championship main draw and a wildcard into a USTA Pro Circuit Futures event. Second-seeded Bjorn Fratangelo was excited to win all those prizes with a 6-4, 7-5 victory over Alexios Halebian in the title match.

29-Jul-2010
Redlicki Earns Gold Ball in Delray Beach 16s
Michael Redlicki threw his head back, bellowed out "Come on" and then shook hands with Gordon Watson at center court after he rallied to win the USTA Boys' 16s National Clay Court Championship 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 at the Delray Beach Tennis Center July 25.

29-Jul-2010
Floridians Take Homecourt Advantage in Girls' 12s
The Polo Club of Boca Raton, an exclusive gated community that boasts 29 Har-Tru courts, was the site for the girls' 12 event of the USTA National Clay Court Championships. Two Floridians - Sofia Kenin and Cristina Rovira - marched through the draw and met in the final. The two had met before, splitting their previous two matches. The rubber match - and USTA gold ball - would go to Rovira, who posted a 6-2, 7-5 victory in the final.

28-Jul-2010
Black Wins Tiebreaker Over Shiskina in 14s Final
Tornado Ali Black lived up to her nickname as she saved match point in the third set and pulled out a 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (4) victory over 14th-seeded Maria Shishkina to win the USTA Girls' 14s National Clay Court Championships at the Frank Veltri Tennis Center at Plantation Central Park on Sunday. The match - completed just seconds before a downpour - featured dramatic twists and turns.

28-Jul-2010
Top-seeded Kerznerman Rules Boys' 14 Clays
As irony would have it, the Jimmy Evert Tennis Center in Fort Lauderdale seemed to be the only place in Florida where it was raining every day enough to disrupt play. The delays didn't bother #1 seed Daniel Kerznerman or #9 seed Benjamin Tso - who dropped only one set between them before the finals. Kerznerman took the title with a 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 victory.

27-Jul-2010
Wildcard Hayley Carter Wins 16s Clays
Unseeded Hayley Carter, a wildcard who wasn't sure she'd be allowed into the tournament less than a week before it began, emerged with a hard-earned trophy and USTA gold ball in the steamy Girls' 16 National Clay Court Championships. Carter, from Columbia, S.C., overcame third-seeded Jamie Loeb 6-3, 3-6, 6-0 in the championship match this past Sunday.

27-Jul-2010
Tarheel Hero Kodali Takes 12s Clays
Down a set and 5-3, Anudeep Kodali was unflustered. He pumped himself up, moved his feet and used his ever-reliable forehand to put away the few short balls that came his way. In a 200-minute match with many momentum swings, the North Carolina native emerged victorious. He won his first USTA gold ball at the Boys 12s Claycourts National Championships 4-6, 7-6(4), 7-6(6).

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.

23-Apr-2010
Kyle McPhillips, Gordon Watson have Golden Easter Bowl
Kyle McPhillips and Gordon Watson each have a collection of gold balls at home from winning national titles. This past weekend, they both added to their collections - capturing titles in the 16s division of the Easter Bowl Championships in Rancho Mirage, Calif.

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.

21-Apr-2010
Gabrielle Andrews and Jordan Belga take gold in 14s Easter Bowl
Blue Chip athletes Gabrielle Andrews and Jordan Belga both laid claim to Easter Bowl Championships this past weekend in California in the 14s division. Their marquee matchups against Kimberly Yee and Stefan Kozlov, respectively, had plenty of drama - with both matches going to three sets.

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.

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.

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.

12-Jan-2010
Copper Bowl Wrapup - 16s and 18s
Top juniors in the boys and girls 16s and 18s divisions kicked off the 2010 national tournament schedule with some memorable tennis at the annual Copper Bowl tournament in Tucson, Arizona.

11-Jan-2010
Copper Bowl Wrapup - 12s and 14s
On the first week of 2010 new arrivals and competitors from the previous week's Winter Nationals converged at the Hilton El Conquistador in Oro Valley for the annual Copper Bowl. In the younger divisions, Girls 14s top seed Dasha Ivanova upheld her ranking and lost only one game in the finals. Two seed Parris Todd and five seed Liam Caruana upset the top seeds in their 12s division; and Boys 14s third seed Augustus Ge prevailed over the two-seed.

5-Jan-2010
Winter Nationals Part II - 16s and 18s
Three Californians and an unseeded Georgian celebrated the arrival of a new decade in style, winning USTA 16s and 18s national titles on a sun-kissed New Year's Day in Scottsdale, Arizona.

4-Jan-2010
Winter Nationals Part I - 12s and 14s
The first day of 2010 was picture perfect for tennis in Tucson. The top-seeded players for all four divisions came through all the way in straight-sets victories in the finals. By noon on New Year's Day, Alexandra Letzt, Gabrielle Andrews, Spencer Furman and Gage Brymer each was crowned singles champion.

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.

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.

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.

21-Aug-2009
McHale Sweeps Final Girls' 18 Nationals in Berkeley
After eight days of unusually warm sunshine, the Girls' 18 Nationals ended with the first sweep in nine years. Third-seeded Christina McHale was the victor and her ride to the winners' circle wasn't even very bumpy.

21-Aug-2009
Lauren Davis defends 16s crown, extends win streak to 39
Lauren Davis has a shelf-load of trophies at home, including the fourth USTA gold ball that she earned at the 2009 Girls 16s National Hardcourt Championships this week. But trophies are not what drive Lauren to play tennis. She loves to compete more than anything else. This year, the Ohio native returned to San Diego to defend her title and earn another shot at the U.S. Open wild card that goes to the winner.

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.

19-Aug-2009
Albo Goes Three Sets to Claim 14s Title
Jake Albo of Plantation, Fla., is now the proud owner of a USTA gold ball. Albo, the No. 6 seed at the USTA Boys 14 National Championships, won the coveted prize with a 1-6, 6-3, 6-2 hard-fought singles victory over No. 4 Gregory Garcia of Poway, Calif., at McFarlin Tennis Center.

19-Aug-2009
Carter Earns Title in Girls' 14 Nationals
Two broken strings didn't decide who won the USTA Girls 14 Nationals, but it was certainly a turning point. Christina Makarova of San Diego led Hayley Carter of Hilton Head, S.C., broke strings in all of her rackets when leading in the first set, and Carter won all but one of the remaining games to win the match 7-5, 6-1.

18-Aug-2009
Wiersholm Prevails in All-Washington Marathon Finals
A mere 20 days after Henrik Wiersholm flew home with the doubles gold ball from the 2009 National Claycourt Championships, he added another two: both singles and doubles gold from the Boys 12s National Hardcourt Championships in North Little Rock, Arkansas. Blue-chip recruit and third-seed Henrik defeated fellow Washington state native and sixth-seed Spencer Furman 7-5, 5-7, 7-6, in a match that lasted almost four hours.

18-Aug-2009
Hance Perseveres in Girls' 12s Final
Kenadi Hance was the higher seed in the singles final of USTA Girls 12 National Championships on Friday. But history - and the first set - told another story. Hance had never beaten her opponent, sixth-seeded Carolyn Xie of San Diego. And Xie was the champion of the Southern California sectionals, where Hance had placed third. After a poor start, Hance finally solved her singles nemesis, and doubles partner, defeating Xie 2-6, 6-3, 6-0.

7-Aug-2009
Major Surprises at the Girls' 18 Nationals Not Likely
While there are always upsets along the way, the end is not usually far from the seeding at the USTA Girls' 18 National Championships, and this year doesn't look to be much different. Look for one of the top seeds - Kristie Ahn, Gail Brodsky, Christina McHale, and Lauren Embree - to go the distance next week in Berkeley.

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.

31-Jul-2009
Sock, Fratangelo Win Titles at The Beach
As match point had been sealed, Jack Sock pumped his fist in a vociferous manner as he came to the net and shook hands with Sekou Bangoura. He had good reason. Sock successfully controlled the match with an overpowering serve won the boys' 18s division at the USTA Clay Court National Championship in Delray Beach, Fla. Afterwards, top-seeded Bjorn Fratangelo defeated Jack Withrow for the title in the 16s division.

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.

29-Jul-2009
McPhillips dominates at the Girls 16 Clays
Second-seeded Kyle McPhillips of Willoughby, Ohio won all seven of her matches at the USTA Girls 16 National Clay Court Championships in Virginia Beach in straight sets, capping a week of dominance with a 6-2, 6-2 triumph over No. 3 Ashley Dai of Temple City, Calif. Sonny Dearth, who was on hand to take in the victory, wraps up the final days of the tournament.

28-Jul-2009
Juniors Make Splash for New York Buzz
In a league that serves as a "Who's Who" of tennis each July, the WTT's New York Buzz could have been overlooked for what they weren't. No Hall of Famers or former No. 1s strengthened their roster. No journeymen or comeback kids were on their team. Playing against some of the most decorated professionals to ever play the game, New York had no pros. But look no further for the future of American tennis than the Albany-based Buzz.

3-Jul-2009
Liversage Prevails in Open Hard Court Championships
People like to say that tennis is the sport of a lifetime. Anyone who was at the Balboa Tennis Club June 8-14 would definitely testify to that as an eclectic cast of characters descended upon San Diego to compete in the USTA National Open Hard Court Championships. For the second straight year, Thomas Liversage found himself in a third set in the championship match, only this time he was facing a much younger player - rising high school senior, Zach Leslie.

3-Jul-2009
Southern California Sectionals Wrapup
At the 107th annual Southern California Jr. Sectional Championships in Fountain Valley, third-seeded Daniel Kosakowski edged No. 4 Zachary Leslie to win the Boys' 18s title 6-7, 7-6, 7-5, while top-seeded Pamela Montez downed Sarah Lee 6-4, 6-2 to capture the Girls' 18s championship.

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.

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.

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.

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.

3-Jan-2009
Sock and Yee Each Win Two Crowns at Winter Nationals
Arizona welcomed the players just after Christmas with some very cold weather, but the chill could not cool off the eventual champions in the USTA Winter National Championships.

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.

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.

27-Nov-2008
De Simone Repeats as San Diego CIF Singles Champion
The fall means girls high school tennis in Southern California, and the San Diego Section of the California Interscholastic Federation held its singles championships from November 17-21 at the Barnes Tennis Center. Gabi De Simone, a Blue Chip sophomore at Cathedral Catholic High School and defending champion, won her second CIF singles championship 2-6, 6-1, 7-6 (9-7) over Lacey Smyth, a Blue Chip junior at San Marcos High School.

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.

11-Sep-2008
Americans Thrive in New York
The US Open Junior Championships proved to be a coming out party for the two Americans finalists, with Coco Vandeweghe capturing the title with a 7-6(3), 6-1 victory over Gabriela Paz of Venezuela and Devin Britton reaching the end of his magical run, suffering a 6-4, 6-3 defeat to Bulgaria's Grigor Dimitrov.

28-Aug-2008
US Open Junior Preview
The year's final Junior Grand Slam has no Rafael Nadal looming over the field, but in the boys event, all three 2008 major winners will be in Flushing Meadows, hoping to secure a second title and front-runner status for the honor of finishing the year as the ITF Junior World Champion.

15-Aug-2008
Top-seeded Brodsky Takes USTA Girls 18s Title
With few upsets, injuries, and withdrawals, this year's competition at the Girls' 18 National Championships proved to have one of the strongest depths of field USTA has seen in a while. Top-seeded Gail Brodsky won the title with a 7-5, 6-1 victory over Coco Vandeweghe.

15-Aug-2008
Papa on the Summit of the Boys' 12s
The city of Edmond, Oklahoma was originally named Summit because it lies at the highest point on the once-critical Santa Fe railroad line. That old name seems appropriate today - Edmond's Spencer Papa reached the highest point in junior tennis last week when he won two gold balls - both singles and doubles - in the USTA Boys' 12 Nationals in North Little Rock, Arkansas.

14-Aug-2008
Krajicek and Cox Head to New York with Kalamazoo Titles
For Boys 18s champion Austin Krajicek, a semester of college tennis played an important role in preparing for the physical and mental rigors of Kalamazoo. For 16s champion Jordan Cox, a change in attitude between the quarterfinals and the semifinals resulted in an impressive ability to regroup when adversity struck.

13-Aug-2008
Girls 16s Wrap-up
The word of the week at the USTA Girls 16s Nationals in San Diego was upset. The semifinals only featured one of the top four seeds, and the finals saw #12 seed Lauren Davis defeat #11 Monica Turewicz by a score of 6-2, 6-1.

12-Aug-2008
USTA Boys 14 Nationals Championships Wrap-up
The web site of John Richmond's hometown of Pawleys Island displays a motto for the South Carolina resort - "Arrogantly Shabby." But Richmond's performance last week was neither arrogant nor shabby at San Antonio's McFarlin Tennis Center. The left-hander captured the singles title of the USTA Boys 14 National Championships with a convincing 6-1, 6-2 victory over Reo Asami of Irvine, Calif.

1-Aug-2008
Strong Field Heads to Berkeley for the Girls' 18 Nationals
For the second consecutive year, The Berkeley Tennis Club invites 192 of the nation's best teenage tennis players to compete for the title of Girls' 18 National Hard Court Champion. This year, the seeds are not only at the top of the USTA rankings - several of them also have Top-500 Sony Ericsson WTA rankings.

31-Jul-2008
Kalamazoo Welcomes Stellar Field for 2008 National Championships
Texans Ryan Harrison and Harry Fowler hope to follow in the footsteps of last year's No. 1 seeds Michael McClune and Tennys Sandgren in fighting off all challengers for titles at the USTA Boys 18 and 16 National Championships, which begin tomorrow in Kalamazoo, Mich.

25-Jul-2008
King, Pasha Take Clay Titles in Delray Beach
Evan King was seeded #6 in the Boys 18s. In the 16s, Nathan Pasha was not seeded at all. Both boys took home titles from the USTA Clay Court Championships in Delray Beach, Fla. last week.

24-Jul-2008
Embree Downs Capra for Clay Court Title
Lauren Embree was in a position many players would envy, having reached the finals of the 2007 Clay Courts, the 2008 Spring Championships and 2008 Easter Bowl. But the 17-year-old from Marco Island, Fla. had settled for second place until Sunday, when she defeated top seed Beatrice Capra 6-4, 6-2 to claim the USTA Girls 18s Clay Court Championship at the Racquet Club of Memphis.

23-Jul-2008
Niu victorious in surprise final at the Girls 16 Clays
Playing a long way from her home in Portland, Ore., ninth-seeded Belinda Niu shocked herself by sliding to seven victories in seven days to gain the crown at steamy Virginia Beach Tennis and Country Club. She capped her stay with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over an even more surprising finalist, co-17th seed Nicole Melichar of Stuart, Fla., in a matchup of 14-year-olds.

12-Jul-2008
USTA Southwest Wins Zonals in Alabama
USTA Southwest juniors put in one of the Section's best team results in quite awhile recently, winning the USTA Boys/Girls 14 Southwest Zone Team Championships at the Westgate Tennis Center in Dothan, Ala., July 6-10.

5-Jul-2008
Southwest Juniors at the USTA National Opens
Phoenix-area juniors Alexandra Letzt, Garret Dunn, and Andy Nguyen recently picked up titles from USTA National Open events held the week of June 28-July 2. Letzt won the Girls 12 singles crown in Omaha, Neb., and Dunn and Nguyen paired up to win the Boys' 18's doubles crown in Denver, Colo.

28-Jun-2008
Several Firsts at the Midwest Closed
The USTA Midwest Section is rich in tradition, and one of those long-standing traditions is this section's closed championships. Players like Aaron Krickstein, Todd Martin, Malavi Washington, Laura Granville, Amy Frazier, and Shawn Foltz have grown up competing in competed here in the past. The 2008 edition of the Midwest Closed featured two firsts: an unseeded player won the Boys 18s, and a pair of local players won their divisions.

20-Jun-2008
Jones and Liversage Win Hard Court Championships in San Diego
One of the better kept secrets in tennis is the USTA National Open Hard Court Championships in sunny San Diego, CA, held at the Balboa Tennis Club July 9-15. Not many tournaments offer the triple crown of possible prizes: USTA Pro Circuit Wild Cards, gold/silver/bronze balls, and decent prize money. These three things combine to bring in an attractive field made up of current college players, some juniors, and a strong contingent of very good local former college players still in their 20s.

19-Jun-2008
Dabrowski and Britton Conquer International Grass Court Fields
Seventeen-year-old Devin Britton was making his third attempt at a U.S. Junior International Grass Court Championship, while 16-year-old Gabriela Dabrowski was playing in her first event on the surface, but both conquered the Philadelphia heat to claim singles titles last week at the Philadelphia Cricket Club.

12-Jun-2008
Prince PPI All-American Gives Top Academy Juniors a Taste of the NCAA Championships
The Prince Plugged In Academy Challenge Cup competition, in its fourth year, pits top junior academies against each other, in a team format. Last month, a select few participated in the first PPI All-American Championships held in conjunction with the NCAA Division I championships in Tulsa.

31-May-2008
2008 Peach State Classic
Perfect late-spring weather graced the Memorial Day weekend in metro-Atlanta for the participants in the 17th Peach State Junior Tennis Classic, a USTA Level 3 National hosted at the Racquet Club of the South in Norcross, GA.

17-May-2008
Prince PPI Program Crowns World Team Champion in Rome
The inaugural Prince Plugged In (PPI) World Team Championships have come and gone and the first academy name is now engraved on the World Championship team trophy. Last week, Prince brought five of the world's most elite junior training academies to Rome for a week of competition, training, education and cultural exchanges - a way for academies to measure themselves against other parts of the world and determine who deserves the title "best of the best".

7-May-2008
Fournier, St. Louis Juniors Go Deep at Interscholastics
Taylor Fournier (Leawood, Kan.), Alexandra Lehman (St. Louis) and Andrew Mellow (St. Louis) led the seven-player USTA Missouri Valley junior contingent at the USTA Interscholastic Championships - East, with each of those three reaching the semifinals or better.

2-May-2008
2008 Muterspaw Wrap
The Andre Aggasi Charitable Foundation has put on the Muterspaw Championships for eight years, and each year it gets more popular - drawing more applicants from all across the United States. Tournament champions hailed from Texas, California, Pennsylvania, and Florida.

18-Apr-2008
Sock wins Easter Bowl 16s Singles Crown
After a year and a half of troubling foot stress fractures, it appears Jack Sock is truly back to his old winning ways. The 15-year old Lincoln, Neb. native proved that point Sunday, April 13 with a hard-fought 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (4) victory over Clay Thompson (Venice, Calif.) in the Boys' 16 singles final at The Easter Bowl in Rancho Mirage, Calif.

17-Apr-2008
Oudin Earns Fifth Major ITF title, Buchanan Gets His First at Easter Bowl
Melanie Oudin and Chase Buchanan joined forty years of Easter Bowl champions last week in the desert heat of Rancho Mirage, Calif., earning titles in the second of two April ITF Grade 1 events held in the Golden State.

10-Apr-2008
Klahn and Oudin Take ITF Grade 1 International Spring Championships in California
The clouds and chill that were prevalent all week at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California couldn't cool off two red-hot U.S. juniors, as Melanie Oudin and Bradley Klahn posted straight-set victories in the finals of last week's International Spring Championships. Number one seed Oudin topped unseeded Jacqueline Cako 6-3, 6-3. Klahn, the second seed, eased past No. 5 seed Jarmere Jenkins 6-1, 7-6 (1).

21-Mar-2008
Shankle Takes Maureen Connolly Brinker Championship
On the eve of St. Patrick's Day, Blue Chip Blair Shankle (Comfort, Texas) held off a fierce opponent in Ellie Yates (Ridgeland, Mississippi) 7-6, 6-0 to win the Maureen Connolly Brinker Girl's 14s National Championships in Dallas.

20-Mar-2008
Nevolo and Ahn Take Gold at USTA 18s Spring Nationals
For 18-year-old Dennis Nevolo, the third time in Mobile was the charm, while for 15-year-old Kristie Ahn, her first trip to the Spring 18s resulted in a national championship.

31-Jan-2008
Tennis Plaza Cup Crowns Champions amid Raindrops
It may have taken overtime, but eight champions emerged in four age divisions in last week's Tennis Plaza Cup, a USTA National Level 3 event in its second year in south Florida.

10-Jan-2008
Youth Prevails at the Copper Bowl
Spectators huddled next to the wall of the pro shop to get out of the fierce winds that arrived in time for the finals of the Copper Bowl in Tuscon. Harsh storms in the Western US did their best to disrupt the tournament schedule, but the tournament finished on time with a number of young players taking home trophies.

4-Jan-2008
Lots of "Firsts" in the Winter Nationals
It is not unusual for families to go south to vacation in winter. Tennis families are no different. In late December many of the best US juniors congregate in Arizona for the USTA Winter Nationals. The older age groups go to the metropolitan Phoenix area, and the younger players head to Tucson.

27-Dec-2007
Eddie Herr Champions Keys and Di Giulio Add Junior Orange Bowl Titles
Madison Keys of Boca Raton, Fla. and Joe Di Giulio of Newport Beach, Calif. were the targets of every 12-and-under player competing in the Junior Orange Bowl last week. With recent Eddie Herr championships secure, the pair once again triumphed over the international elite of their age group in Coral Gables, Fla., adding the coveted silver bowl of oranges to their trophy cases.

13-Dec-2007
Florida Fortnight Crowns a Dozen Singles Champions from Eight Countries
The world's best juniors descend on South Florida in late November prepared for the intensive competition the Eddie Herr International in Bradenton and Orange Bowl in Miami always provide. This year, it was players from the United States who captured the most titles.

22-Nov-2007
2007 Eddie Herr Provides Glimpse into the Future of Tennis
Four age divisions of both boys and girls from around the world make for an impressive array of junior tennis. And the Eddie Herr, which begins this weekend at the IMG/Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Bradenton, Florida, usually showcases a future professional star.

18-Oct-2007
Oudin and Spencer Take Tulsa Titles
For top-seeded Melanie Oudin, it was the second major ITF junior title in as many months; for unseeded Wil Spencer it was the first of his junior career, but for both players, the Pan American Closed in Tulsa, Okla. was a forum for outstanding tennis.

28-Sep-2007
Mike Agassi "No Quit" Championships Wrap-Up
This second year of the Mike Agassi "No Quit" Championships as a USTA Level 3 national tournament saw over 900 players from 37 states apply for the 256 available spots. Fifteen of the seventeen USTA Sections were represented this past weekend in Las Vegas. Julie Wrege scattershoots over highlights of the tournament.

13-Sep-2007
Lessons and Observations from the 2007 US Open
Colette Lewis of ZooTennis.com has the last word on the US Open. She makes 16 observations from New York.

10-Sep-2007
US Open a Foreign Affair
Bring on the world, the U.S. Open said. They did - and the world won. But a pair of young Americans may have provided a glimpse of the future.

17-Aug-2007
Weinhold Rolls to Girls 18 Nationals Title
In last year's Girls 18 Nationals, Ashley Weinhold of Spicewood, Texas was the runner up in both singles and doubles. "I'm hoping to win one more match this year," she said going into the tournament. She did just that - not dropping a set at this year's 2007 Girls 18 National Championship.

16-Aug-2007
Top Seeds Prevail in the Boys 16 and 18 Nationals
Top seeds arrive in Kalamazoo with extra pressure and expectations. They play on the main stadium courts, and they are also playing for U.S. Open wild cards. For the second year in a row, Kalamazoo's champions held up under that top-seed pressure, with 18's No. 1 Michael McClune and 16s No. 1 Tennys Sandgren capturing the most prestigious titles in U.S. junior tennis and their spots in New York.

15-Aug-2007
USTA Boys 14 National Championships
Ninth-seeded Spencer Simon of Santa Barbara, Calif., used strong forehand drives to beat No. 10 Jeremy Efferding of Lake Worth, Fla., 6-3, 6-2 Aug. 12 in the singles final of the USTA Boys 14 National Championships at McFarlin Tennis Center.

14-Aug-2007
Georgia Girls Make History in USTA Girls' 14 Final
Just a few weeks ago, on July 22nd, Grace Min (Lawrenceville, GA) and Whitney Kay (Alpharetta, GA) dueled for the championship at the Girls' 14 Clays. This past Saturday was deja vu - these same girls - seeded #1 and #2 - played for the singles championship on the nation's largest stage - the USTA Girls' 14 Nationals at the Peachtree City Tennis Center in Peachtree City, Ga.

13-Aug-2007
Gardiner tops Harron for Boys 12s Nationals title
Saying that Tyler Gardiner and Conrad Harron were both winners in the USTA Boys 12s National Championships sounds like a cop-out. But in this case, it may be the best way to frame almost a week's worth of competition.

3-Aug-2007
Girls' 18 Nationals Preview
Different courts, different site. Some familiar, some unaccustomed volunteers. Same directors, same returning top seeds and new, hungry players will go to California once again to compete in the Girls' 18 National Championship for the one desired US Open wild card.

2-Aug-2007
McClune and Sandgren Lead 18s and 16s Fields as Kalamazoo Marks 65th year
Michael McClune and Tennys Sandgren hope to add their names to the list of Who's Who in American Tennis by capturing championships during the 65th edition of the USTA Boys' 18 & 16 Nationals, beginning tomorrow at Kalamazoo College's Stowe Stadium and the Sorensen courts on the campus of Western Michigan University.

26-Jul-2007
Bowles and Sandgren Survive Florida Heat to Claim Clay Court Crowns
The USTA Boys 18s and 16s National Clay Court Championships moved south this year, to Delray Beach, Florida, ending three years of the two age divisions playing together in Rockville, Maryland. The boys joined the girls 12s and the boys and girls 14s in South Florida, and players who had participated in those events knew that heat and humidity would play a big role in deciding the champions.

25-Jul-2007
Clayton Upsets Embree to Take 18s Clay Title
Memphis, Tennessee - and the Racquet Club of Memphis - have long been home to the USTA Girls' 18 National Clay Courts championships. Last week's tournament was another success. Chair umpires - and ballkids on the featured courts - made for a great environment. And there were some great upsets as well.

23-Jul-2007
Bolender comes back for Girls 16 Clay crown
Brooke Bolender, who grew up in Westlake, Ohio, combined power, savvy and the power of positive thinking to gain what she said she considered her biggest singles title. She gutted out a 2-6, 6-3, 6-1 victory July 22 over unseeded Sloane Stephens at Virginia Beach Tennis and Country Club.

16-Jul-2007
U.S. Juniors Shine at Sun-Starved Wimbledon
The 2007 Wimbledon Junior Championships were marred by rain, but a little rain could not deter Donald Young and Madison Brengle from becoming the first American boy and girl combination to reach the singles finals since 1981. Young won the boys title over Vlad Ignatic of Belarus, while Brengle fell in three sets to Urszula Radwanska of Poland.

29-Jun-2007
Southern California Sectionals Wrap Up
Ryan Thacher and Thien-Trang Nguyen captured the Boys and Girls 18 singles titles, respectively, at the 105th annual Southern California Jr. Sectional Championships in Fountain Valley, Calif. Renowned tennis writer Rhiannon Potkey attended the event and has a wrap up of all the action.

27-Jun-2007
Southern California Sectional: 10s Division
Julie Wrege files a report from the 10s division of the venerable Southern California Sectionals.

21-Jun-2007
Klahn and Paz Weather All Challenges to Earn Grass Courts Titles
Last week's U.S. Junior International Grass Courts Championships at the Philadelphia Cricket Club were played over six days that seemed to encompass three different seasons - cool spring rains, overcast autumn skies, and summer sun and warmth. Bradley Klahn and Gabriela Paz withstood both the climate changes and the unfamiliar surface to capture Grass Court titles.

30-May-2007
Peach State Roundup
Julie Wrege reports from the 2007 Peach State Tennis Classic, a USTA Level 3 tournament over Memorial Day in Atlanta, Ga.

4-May-2007
Gator Bowl Roundup
Julie Wrege reports from the 2007 ATP Gator Bowl Junior Tennis Championships in Jacksonville, Fla.

26-Apr-2007
Easter Bowl Wrap
Although the Easter Bowl celebrated its 40th birthday in 2007, there were new places and fresh faces to help with the celebration. The tournament moved to the Rancho Las Palmas Resort and Spa in Rancho Mirage, California, and all six singles champions collected their first ever Easter Bowl titles.

19-Apr-2007
Thacher and Jones Capture International Spring Championships
Studio City California's Ryan Thacher and Sacha Jones of New Zealand won titles in the 18s division of last week's International Spring Championships at the USTA West Coast Training Center in Carson, California. Fifteen-year-old Tennys Sandgren and Zoe De Bruycker won in the 16s.

22-Mar-2007
Boyajian and Oudin Take USTA Spring National Titles in Mobile
Melanie Oudin won her first gold ball in convincing fashion, while Brennan Boyajian added to his impressive collection, earning his eighth at the USTA Spring National 18s Championships in Mobile, Alabama last week.

25-Jan-2007
Tournament Reports - Tampa Pro Circuit Futures, Florida 18s Sectional
Starting with a wild card qualifying tournament for the year's first U.S. Pro Circuit Futures event and ending with a Florida junior sectional tournament, the 28 courts at Hillsborough Community College in Tampa, Florida were rarely idle, giving the sun-warmed spectators an opportunity to compare the different stages of the game side by side.

19-Jan-2007
Copper Bowl Roundup - The Girls
Julie Wrege files her second report from the Copper Bowl in Tucson, Arizona. Today's installment features the girls' events.

15-Jan-2007
Copper Bowl Roundup - The Boys
The Copper Bowl is now in its 18th year and is one of the original USTA Level 3 tournaments. And the Copper Bowl truly lived up to the "National" name in 2007 - over a thousand players representing all 17 sections and 44 of the 50 states competed in Tucson.

5-Jan-2007
Winter Nationals Lives Up to Its Name
On New Year's Day in Arizona you expect chilly mornings and 60-degree days. But no one expected rain and snow to disrupt two days of play at the USTA Winter Nationals early in both Phoenix and Tucson. With only 7" of rainfall due in an entire year, the almost inch of precipitation was unforeseen. But both tournaments recovered with hard work from the directors and players, and eight USTA gold balls were awarded to the singles winners - and eight new doubles champions were also crowned.

4-Jan-2007
Tomic and Orlik Harvest Jr. Orange Bowl Titles
Colette Lewis reports from the prestigious Junior Orange Bowl tournament from Coral Gables, Florida. She provides summaries of play in both the 12s and 14s divisions.

14-Dec-2006
The Orange Bowl's 60th Anniversary Produces Many Firsts
When the late Eddie Herr organized the first Orange Bowl in 1947, it's unlikely he envisioned champions from Austria, Bulgaria and Romania sixty years later, but players from those three countries, along with one from the U.S., are celebrating victories at the prestigious international junior tournament now held at the Crandon Park Tennis Center on Key Biscayne.

7-Dec-2006
2006 Eddie Herr International
The Eddie Herr International is always a smorgasbord of tennis, and this year, with over 1750 players from 90 countries, it was an all-you-can-watch feast for tennis fans.

29-Sep-2006
Mike Agassi "No Quit" Roundup (Part II)
When Mike Agassi was asked about the "No Quit" tournament, he responded, "I have been around the world, and I have seen thousands of junior tournaments. I have seen their faults. I wanted to put on a tournament that would not have the problems I have seen at other events. I want this to be the best tournament out there."

28-Sep-2006
Two Local Girls Capture "No Quit" Championships
This was the first year for the Mike Agassi "No Quit" Championships as a USTA Level 3 national tournament - but you would never have known it based on the turnout. Over 600 applicants from 28 states applied for the 256 available spots. Fifteen of the seventeen USTA Sections were represented in Las Vegas.

14-Sep-2006
U.S. Boys Dominate Junior Doubles in New York
For the third straight year, a team from the United States won the U.S. Open junior boys doubles, and in 2006, that was assured even before the final was played. Jamie Hunt and Nate Schnugg defeated the young team of Jarmere Jenkins and Austin Krajicek 6-3, 6-3, in the first ever all-American boys doubles final.

13-Sep-2006
U.S. Open One for the Ages
The 2006 U.S. Open was one for the ages - all ages. America's greatest tennis tournament spent the fortnight paying tribute to the greats of the game: renaming the tennis center in Billie Jean King's honor, showcasing Andre Agassi's tear-filled goodbye and welcoming Martina Navratilova to the Court of Champions only hours after she won the mixed doubles crown, the 59th Grand Slam title of her long career.

7-Sep-2006
Litvak Almost Harvard-bound
Harvard would have to wait as New York girl Lena Litvak made her debut at the 2006 US Open Junior Championship.

1-Sep-2006
New Pro Learns Lesson
Bob Greene took in a mid-day match yesterday in New York at Louis Armstrong Stadium Court - watching Lauren Albanese's loss to #6 seed Svetlana Kuznetsova.

25-Aug-2006
Long Day, Short Stay At U.S. Open
AP Writer Bob Greene is back at the U.S. Open in New York. Yesterday he watched 16-year-old phenom Jamie Hampton's match in the U.S. Open women's qualifying tournament.

21-Aug-2006
Girls' 16 Nationals Wrapup
Erik Boal of the Los Angeles Daily News checks in with a roundup of last week's Girls' 16 Nationals from San Diego.

18-Aug-2006
Girls' 18 Nationals Roundup
Alana Marcu returns with a wrap-up of the Girls' 18 National Championships from San Jose, California.

17-Aug-2006
Top Seeds Take Different Routes to Kalamazoo Championships
The championship match in the boys' 16s USTA Nationals in Kalamazoo, Mich. was a nearly three hour thrill-fest, with top seed Brennan Boyajian defeating Ryan Thacher 7-5, 2-6, 7-6(5) to capture the title. Donald Young won the 18 division without lifting a racquet when second seed Jesse Levine was unable to play in the final due to illness.

4-Aug-2006
Girls' 18 Nationals Preview
Alana Marcu previews the Girls' 18 National Championships from San Jose, California.

3-Aug-2006
Kalamazoo's U.S. Open Blue Courts Welcome Nation's Top Juniors
Now in its 64th year in Kalamazoo, Mich., the "Nats at the Zoo" have served as a proving ground for the best junior boys in the United States. Arthur Ashe, Stan Smith, Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe, Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras and Jim Courier have all competed on the Stowe Stadium courts prior to winning Grand Slam titles. Action begins Friday in the USTA Boys 18s and 16s National Championships.

28-Jul-2006
Burdette Wins USTA National Clays
Unseeded Mallory Burdette, a wild card entry, won the title at the USTA Girls 18 National Clay Court Championships with a 2-6, 6-1, 6-1 victory over 17th seed Mallory Cecil in Memphis.

27-Jul-2006
Boyajian, Venus Grab Titles, Pro Tournament Wild Cards
Bob Greene provides a summary of both the 16s and 18s events from last week's USTA National Clay Court Tennis Championships.

10-Jul-2006
USTA National Clay Courts Has Strong Field, Wild Card
The field at the USTA National Clay Court Championships is as strong as it has been in years. With a wild-card entry into the main draw of an ATP tournment in the offing, several young professionals and two college players have entered the 192-player field. Each is seeking to join John McEnroe, James Blake, Vitas Gerulaitis, Tim Mayotte, and Aaron Krickstein as champion of America's top junior clay court event.

29-Jun-2006
Southern California Sectionals Wrapup
Erik Boal of the Los Angeles Daily News provides a wrapup of last week's Southern California Sectionals from Los Angeles.

22-Jun-2006
Grass Courts Provide History Lessons and Character Tests
Because tennis was first played on grass, there is a quaint and nostalgic feel to any event held on the surface, and the U.S. Junior International Grass Court Championships is no exception. Beginning as the Girls 18 and Under National Tournament, then evolving to a USTA surface championship, the Grass Courts has been a 32-draw Level 3 ITF event since 2004. And although the sanction has changed, the venue hasn't, with the stately Philadelphia Cricket Club serving as host for 88 years.

12-Jun-2006
College Station Puts the "Grand" in Summer Slam
As the saying goes - they do everything big in Texas. And running a junior sectional championship is no different. With 878 juniors competing, last week's Texas Summer Grand Slam was the largest junior tournament ever conducted in the state of Texas.

2-Jun-2006
Peach State Roundup
Players from a record twenty-nine states headed to Georgia last weekend for the Peach State Tennis Classic. The weather in "Hot-lanta" warmed up to mid-summer temperatures. Players had to be careful with two-a-day matches scheduled throughout the long Memorial Day weekend.

5-May-2006
Gator Bowl Roundup (Part II)
Julie Wrege concludes her wrap-up of the ATP Gator Bowl with a recap of the 16s, 14s, and 12s age groups.

4-May-2006
Gator Bowl Roundup
Last weekend, it was my pleasure to be able to attend a Level 3 National in northern Florida - the ATP Gator Bowl Championships. Today's article includes some history on this tournament and a look at the Boys' and Girls' 18s.

24-Apr-2006
Easter Bowl Tournament Report
As one of the premier events in junior tennis, the Easter Bowl, now in its 39th year, serves as both a springboard and spring break - introducing young players in three age divisions to a wider audience, and providing tennis families with an opportunity to enjoy the warm sunshine and the snowcapped mountain scenery of Palm Springs.

23-Mar-2006
Barrick and Zsilinszka Capture Spring National Championships
A toddler as National Championships go, the USTA Spring National 18s were established in 2005, when the venerable Easter Bowl switched from a USTA event to an ITF Closed tournament for 18-and-under juniors. This year's winners, both from the Southern section, featured a familiar face in Mobile and a new one: Reka Zsilinzska and Houston Barrick.

13-Jan-2006
Copper Bowl Roundup
I ended my nine-day trip to Arizona in Tucson with a visit to the Copper Bowl tennis tournament.