TOP-10 JUNIORS STEFAN KOZLOV, MICHAEL MMOH TO LEAD AMERICANS IN AUSTRALIAN OPEN JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS
Stefan Kozlov
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., January 2, 2014 – Stefan Kozlov and Michael Mmoh – two 15 year olds ranked among the Top 10 juniors in the world – will headline the Americans playing in the Australian Open Junior Championships January 18-25 in Melbourne.
While many American teens will begin the year playing clay events on the USTA Pro Circuit, No. 5 Kozlov (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) and No. 9 Mmoh (Temple Hills, Md.), who turns 16 on January 10, will attempt to follow Andy Roddick (2000) and Donald Young (2005) as Australian Open boys’ singles champions. They are the only two American boys entered into the main draw in Melbourne.
Katrine Steffensen (17, Scarsdale, N.Y.) leads the Americans in the girls’ singles main draw. Michaela Gordon (14, Los Altos Hills, Calif.), Usue Arconada (15, College Park, Md.) and CiCi Bellis (14, Atherton, Calif.) were also accepted.
Taylor Townsend (2012) and Kim Kessaris (1989) are the only Americans to win the Australian Open girls’ singles title, while Lindsay Davenport (1992) was a finalist.
Six girls are entered into qualifying: Olivia Hauger (16, Tulsa, Okla.), Mira Ruder-Hook (17, Denver), Chloe Michele Ouellet-Pizer (16, Chapel Hill, N.C.), Raquel Pedraza (15, Claremont, Calif.), Meghan Kelley (16, Falmouth, Maine) and Ally Miller-Krasilnikov (16, Boca Raton, Fla.).
Taylor Fritz (16, Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.) and Ulises Blanch (15, Pompano Beach, Fla.) are entered into boys’ qualifying.
—USTA
Tennis Atlantic 