Special from
Zoo Tennis
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BRADENTON, Florida – The former Eddie Herr International Championships debuted a new name last week, with the tournament now known as the IMG Academy International Tennis Championships. The location is the same sprawling sports complex in Bradenton, with nearly 1,300 players from around the world again gathering to compete for the titles and the newly introduced Bollettieri trophies awarded to the champions.
Two Americans were among those adding their names to the lists of champions that include Maria Sharapova, Madison Keys, Grigor Dimitrov, Andy Roddick, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Reilly Opelka.
Girls 12s Champion Nikol Davletshina
© Zoo Tennis
Top seed Nikol Davletshina took the Girls 12s title and top seed Jordan Lee claimed the Boys 16s title last Saturday in the cool and sunny conditions that accompanied the tournament throughout the week.
Davletshina did not drop a set in her run to the final, but was required to win three tiebreakers along the way. No such tension existed in the final however, with Davletshina in control from the beginning in her 6-2, 6-1 victory over unseeded Minori Sato of Japan.
Davletshina was ready for the drop shot barrage that had played a key role in Sato's appearance in the final.
"She tried that a lot in all of her matches and I think she won because she kept dropping everyone," said the 11-year-old left-hander from Boca Raton, Florida. "I knew she was going to drop shot off her forehand, so I was ready when I hit to her forehand. I wasn't ready on the first three ones, but then I understood and didn't give her a chance, and I would win the point."