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American @MackieMackster McDonald to Face “Rusty” @Andy_Murray Tonight @CitiOpen; Interview

Posted by Admin on July 30, 2018
Posted in: ATP, Citi Open, College Tennis, Washington. Tagged: , , , , , , . Leave a comment

American @MackieMackster McDonald to Face “Rusty” @Andy_Murray Tonight @CitiOpen; Interview
Steve Fogleman, Tennis Atlantic

Mackenzie McDonald is loving the hard courts summer. And he had some confidence headed into tonight’s showdown with two-time grand slam champion Andy Murray when we spoke with him on Sunday afternoon at the Citi Open in Washington.

“I love that (hard court season) is in the states so we get a good crowd cheering on all the Americans,” he said. “I definitely grew up on hard courts and I love hardcourts and I think it suits my game. It’s definitely a good time to be in the States during the Summer.”

mcdonald ucla

As far as battling Murray in his next match, McDonald said, “He’s obviously a great player, has had a great career so far. He’s a grand slam champion so it’s gonna be pretty cool sharing the court with him.”

McDonald seems to like his chances against Murray. “He’s a little rusty. I think there are definitely some positives for me going into the match. I think I’m playing really good tennis so it should be a good match.”

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NCAA Champ McDonald (@MackieMackster) & @SamCrawford18 Nab Wild Cards to @CitiOpen

Posted by Admin on July 13, 2016
Posted in: ATP, Citi Open, Washington. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment
NCAA Champ McDonald & Samantha Crawford Nab Wild Cards to 2016 Citi Open
mcdonald ucla

WASHINGTON (July 13, 2016) — Mackenzie “Mackie” McDonald, who captured both the singles and doubles NCAA Championship, has received an ATP singles qualifying wild card into the Citi Open® Tennis Tournament. Qualifying play will begin Saturday, July 16, at the Rock Creek Park Tennis Center.

McDonald, 21, is the first player in 15 years to win both the singles and doubles NCAA Championship while attending UCLA. He is a three-time All-American, 2016 ITA National Men’s College Player of the Year, and in 2013 at age 18, became the first unranked player in ATP history to qualify for an ATP Masters 1000 tournament.

He replaces Thanasi Kokkinakis, who previously received a qualifying wild card, but had to withdraw to recover from a shoulder injury.

Sam Crawford Courtesy USTA

Sam Crawford (Photo: USTA)

In the women’s field, 21-year-old Samantha Crawford will receive a WTA singles main draw wild card. The Atlanta, Ga., native reached the second round at the 2016 Wimbledon Championships, her first Grand Slam win. Varvara Flink joins the women’s qualifying rounds with a wild card.

—S. Pegarido, Citi Open

Pre-Tournament Men’s College Tennis Grades: Big 12 and Pac 12

Posted by Admin on April 24, 2015
Posted in: College Tennis, Jeff McMillan, NCAA. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Pre-Tournament Men’s College Tennis Grades: Big 12 and Pac 12
Jeff McMillan, Tennis Atlantic

 

BIG 12

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Oklahoma

Best Win: 4-3 at Baylor – The frenzy that was this titanic match between #1 and #2 ended in favor of the Sooners on enemy turf. In a season full of impressive wins and fending off challengers, this win stands alone as the most impressive of the season for John Roddick’s boys.

Worst Loss: 4-3 loss at Texas Tech- Following the massive win in Waco, the Sooners fell in Lubbock to the upstart Red Raiders who had been playing better and better as the season progressed. This loss was disappointing but overall did not affect the Sooner’s ranking and therefore is not a detrimental loss.

Team MVP: Axel Alvarez – Andrew Harris and Dane Webb also strong contenders for this award, especially considering the clutch nature of Webb all season. But it is hard to argue against undefeated in dual play. Alvarez’s amazing season has anchored the Sooners all spring and he has been the key to their rise to #1.

Grade: A

A great season all around for Oklahoma, with huge wins all over the place. They have defied the doubters time and time again. The true value of their season will be determined in the NCAA tournament. If they can take home the title it will be one of the best seasons of any team in recent memory.

 

Baylor

Best Win: 4-3 vs. Virginia – The first win over Virginia indoors in Chicago gets the nod as the Bears best win of the season because it set the tone. By beating the prohibitive indoor favorites, the Bears showed that they meant business in 2015 and were one of the teams to be reckoned with nationally

Worst Loss: 4-3 vs. Oklahoma – The Bears have lost to the Sooners 3 times this year and it is the 3rd loss that is the worst of the bunch. Yes it was very close but it was the most disheartening because of the raucous crowd and how very nearly Baylor came to winning. This loss could be a confidence bruiser if the Bears are to face Oklahoma again in the Big 12 tournament or the NCAA tournament.

Team MVP: Julian Lenz – Lenz is the #1 ranked individual player in the nation right now and his results back that ranking up. He has been amazing all season. Maxime Tchoutakian’s insertion into the team in January has been critical as well but he does not get this award based on his poor record vs. the elite teams this season.

Grade: A

The season that Baylor was hoping for as they entered 2015. They have exceeded expectations to a degree and been even better than people were expecting thanks to the overall strength of the lineup where no weak spots can be found. Losing 3 times vs. a conference rival is not ideal, however they still have chances to remedy that as postseason begins.

 

TCU

Best Win: 4-0 vs. Texas A&M – The sheer domination of this win was impressive and gets the nod as the best win for the Horned Frogs in 2015. A 4-0 blanking with the 3 finished singles courts ending in lopsided scores. A&M has since gone on to win the SEC title which makes this dominating win ever more impressive.

Worst Loss: 4-1 vs. UCLA – At the time this loss did not seem to be that bad, but now that the Bruins have shown that they are a shadow at best of previous UCLA teams, this loss stands out as the lone bad blemish on TCU’s resume.

Team MVP: Guillermo Nunez – Going from starting the season at #6 and rising to winning matches vs. highly ranked opponents at #2 is just about the most impressive advancement any player can show in one season. The freshman from Chile lost 1 dual match all season and has been TCU’s rock all year long.

Grade: A+

After a heartbreaking 2014 season where the Horned Frogs found any and every way possible to lose 4-3 matches vs. highly ranked teams, 2015 was cathartic is so many ways. All the talent came together for a special season that will likely not end until deep into NCAA tournament play.

 

Texas

Best Win: 4-1 vs. Ohio State – A straightforward defense of their home city (even if it is not their true home courts at Caswell) earns the title of best win for the Longhorns. Ohio State never truly threatened in this match, which is what made this win so impressive.

Worst Loss: 4-1 at TCU – This loss was disappointing for the Longhorns because of how one-sided it was. TCU won 3 straight set matches in singles play to get the win. This convincing loss plus two other one-sided losses vs. Baylor and Oklahoma showed that there is a gap between the top 3 of the Big 12 and Texas.

Team MVP: Soren Hess-Olesen – Was the best player in the country for much of the dual season. And while he picked up a couple of losses late in the year, Soren still remained an almost sure point for Texas all year and because of that gave Texas a chance in each match they competed in.

Grade: B-

The regular season started out stronger than it ended. They are still a top 10 team nationally, but the lopsided losses to the 3 teams above them in the Big 12 shows that there is a gap there. It is a bit disappointing for the Horns that TCU has been able to surpass them in one season, especially with it being the senior year for the top 3 of Soren Hess Olesen, Lloyd Glasspool and Adrien Berkowicz.

 

Texas Tech

Best Win: 4-3 vs. Oklahoma – Without this win the season was very good, but nothing special. But with this win the Red Raiders turned their season into something potentially special. This huge upset over the previously bulletproof Sooners gives Texas Tech a chance to host a regional and make a run in the NCAA tournament.

Worst Loss: 4-3 vs. Clemson – A loss to a team that is just barely hanging on in the top 75 is dragging down Texas Tech like an anchor. Without this loss they would be pretty safely assured of a regional host slot, but with this loss it will be a very close call.

Team MVP: Alex Sendegeya – The freshman has posted pivotal wins in many of Texas Tech’s most critical wins. He (along with Jolan Cailleau) has been a key cog at #3 and bridges the teams strong top 2 with their not quite as strong 5 and 6 position players. His dominant 6-2 6-3 win over Dane Webb over Oklahoma set the tone for the massive upset.

Grade: A

The season has turned into a lot more than what anyone was expecting as March rolled into April. This team appears to be peaking at just the right time, getting all of their hiccups (Clemson, New Mexico) out of the way early and now they can focus on tournament play looking dangerous.

 

Oklahoma State

Best Win: 4-3 vs. Tulsa – Tulsa is the highest ranked team that Oklahoma State defeated all season and they did so in dramatic 3rd set breaker fashion courtesy of Arjun Kadhe over Alejandro Espejo. Tulsa would go on to prove that they were a pretty formidable team, so this win stands alone for the Cowboys.

Worst Loss: 4-3 at Notre Dame – Another match that came down to the absolute wire, but this time on the wrong end for Oklahoma State. This was a big chance to get a huge early season win on the road, but the loss was a heartbreaker and ended up being damaging the whole season.

Team MVP: Lucas Gerch – Only lost 1 dual match prior to the start of Big 12 play and had a signature win over Lloyd Glasspool of Texas in the Big 12 opener.  His strong play at the #3 and then the #2 position was critical for Oklahoma State staying in the NCAAA tournament range all season.

Grade: B

A decent season for Oklahoma State in 2015 and it was one that mirrored the previous season of 2014 perfectly. Maybe a little bit more improvement was expected from the Cowboys considering the returning players and the renaissance that was the 2014 season. Still, the Cowboys will be in the NCAA tournament again and will have a chance to do more.

 

PAC 12

pac 12 logo

Stanford

Best Win: 4-3 vs. Southern Cal – This win was the one announcing Stanford’s ambition to return to the top of the college tennis world. All season there were signs of improvement but this win showed that the improvement was real and that the Cardinal may be headed back to the elite soon.

Worst Loss: 4-3 vs. Cal – All momentum gained from the USC win was lost after losing this match at home on senior day vs. rival Cal. The win over USC should have propelled Stanford to a new level, one above the level of Cal but instead they allowed their bay area rivals to drag them back down again.

Team MVP: Tom Fawcett – Playing all season at #1, the freshman was a stalwart for the Cardinals, immune to some of the ups and downs that the other Stanford players faced throughout the year.

Grade: B

By traditional Stanford standards this season was another poor one but based on very recent seasons 2015 was a year of growth and a positive one overall. A lack of ambition in scheduling prevented Stanford from climbing higher in the rankings. The team is talented and we will see how well they can do in the NCAA tournament coming up and if they can pull anymore big upsets.

 

Southern Cal

Best Win: 4-0 at Georgia – The first of two wins over UGA this year for the Trojans. This one is the more impressive considering it was in Athens and it was a 4-0 sweep. This win showed that the Trojans weren’t going anywhere this year.

Worst Loss: 4-3 vs. Tulsa – An absolute stunner at the time. Tulsa was ranked out of the top 50 and Southern Cal was looking just as dominant as they look every year, so this match was not even on anyone’s radar as interesting let alone as a potential upset. This shocking loss started the downward trend for USC’s season.

Team MVP: Eric Johnson – Was racking up the wins even when Yannick Hanfmann and Roberto Quiroz hit rough patches and it is important to note that he was not in the line-up on the day the Trojans lost to Tulsa at home.

Grade: B-

Being in the top 10 is an outstanding season for most programs but when you have won 5 out of the last 6 national titles, simply being in the top 10 is not considered an achievement. The Trojans had a couple of head scratching losses this year (Tulsa, Stanford) and looked less than elite in losses vs. Baylor and Oklahoma. However, there is still time for them to capture that postseason magic that they seem to always have.

 

UCLA

Best Win: 4-1 vs. TCU – The Bruins only win against a top 10 team this year and it stands out as the most impressive win on the season by far.

Worst Loss: 4-3 vs. Florida – Losing to a Gator team that is outside the top 20 currently was a bad way to start the season for UCLA. After dropping a tough match vs. UGA, the Bruins were hoping to gain some redemption against another SEC foe but instead the road trip out east turned into an 0-2 letdown.

Team MVP: Mackenzie McDonald – Has elevated his play this season and taken Macros Giron’s void fairly nicely at the #1 spot. One of the top players in the college game.

Grade: C

A pretty poor season overall by UCLA Bruin standards. Their NCAA quarterfinal streak is in serious jeopardy with their current ranking barely even being in the hosting range. It was always going to be tough to replace Giron and Thompson but UCLA tennis is used to reloading every year with new talent and this year it just has not happened to the same degree.

 

Cal

Best Win: 4-3 at Stanford – Sweet revenge for the Cal bears to end the regular season. Having suffered a crushing 4-3 loss to Stanford earlier in the year, they delivered a defeat on the Cardinal themselves as Nolan Paige of Stanford was unable to do what Maciek Romanowicz was able to do in the first meeting (rally to win in the 3rd set in the clinching match).

Worst Loss: 4-2 at San Diego State – This loss set the Bears back quite a bit. It set the Aztecs season in motion but it was nearly just as damaging for Cal. It showed that this year’s team had taken a step back from last year.

Team MVP: Gregory Bayane – Squeaks past Andre Gorannson for this award based on his solid record at #3 singles all year. Even during Cal’s struggles you could count on Bayane to deliver a win and give the team a chance to get the W.

Grade: B-

It is hard to grade Cal’s season. They had some ups and some downs following the departure of Ben McLachlan from a season ago. They had a good returning roster however and some good new talent, a little bit more was expected of the Bears this season.

 

Oregon

Best Win: 4-1 vs. Washington – Oregon’s season resume is really lacking of quality wins so this one stands alone as the premier win. Convincing score lines on 3 singles courts plus doubles gave the Ducks a fairly straight forward win over their rivals from the state up north.

Worst Loss: 4-3 at Pepperdine – The Waves are a bubble team and Oregon is currently on the outside of the bubble thanks in large part to this match. Had the result been reversed to a 4-3 Ducks win the two teams may be swapped in the rankings and it would be Oregon who would slip into the tournament. Amazing the difference a couple of 3rd sets can make.

Team MVP: Daan Maasland – Following the departure of Robin Cambier after the 2014 season, Oregon appeared to have a real issue on their hands at the #1 position. But Maasland stepped into the role admirably and even got a few big scalps along the way. His signature win being over Tom Fawcett of Stanford.

Grade: C+

The Ducks will likely miss the NCAA tournament in 2015 barring an upset of Cal in the Pac 12 quarterfinals. The season was about the same as the last few years for Oregon, no real progress was made but at least there were no steps back either.

 

Washington

Best Win: 4-3 vs. Tulsa – This win is single-handedly keeping Washington in the top 75 as their only other ranked win is over #74 Portland. This win made it appear early that the Huskies may have been ready to do big things in 2015.

Worst Loss: 4-1 at Oregon – This loss was a letdown for Washington. They never really threatened the Ducks and it made the gap between the two teams apparent.

Team MVP: Jake Douglas – The freshman had a hot start to the dual season and was winning matches left and right, he may have tapered off to end the year but was still a big part of any Husky win.

Grade: C-

A 2nd straight year of disappointment for Washington. While last year could be chalked up as a rebuilding year, 2015 was supposed to be more of a step forward year but instead it turned into another year of struggle for UW. With the fresh talent 2016 will have to be a much better year or Husky tennis is in trouble.

 

Utah

Best Win: 4-1 vs. New Mexico – The only quality win for Utah all season. This was the only time all year where the Utah team came together and put forth a good effort across the board to get a big win at home.

Worst Loss: 5-2 at Boise State – Boise State was not a good team this year, they had lost a lot of pieces from 2014 and were certainly in a rebuilding phase but that didn’t stop Utah from being beaten by them. This loss was fairly early in the season as well, which put a big damper on the outlook for the rest of the year.

Team MVP: Slim Hamza – Barely played in 2015 and his absence showed big time. With Hamza at #1 Utah is a much better team. There was a time when he had the potential to be a nationally top 40 player, but injury sidetracked this ambition. Without him Utah was a very tepid team.

Grade: D

Very poor season. Utah tennis is not adapting to life in the Pac 12 very well at all despite the conference being relatively down in the last two seasons. In 2015 Utah had no answers and without Hamza any chance of winning competitive matches was lost.

 

Arizona

Best Win: 4-1 vs. New Mexico – Like Utah, Arizona was able to beat the Lobos. Something about the crew from the ABQ brought out the best in the Pac 12 bottom feeders.

Worst Loss: 4-2 vs. Southern Miss – Arizona has several bad losses but this one takes the cake as being the one truly ghastly loss on the resume. Southern Miss was a middle of the pack CUSA team who did not threaten anybody worth anything all year but were still able to beat this sorry Pac 12 team.

Team MVP: Naoki Takeda – The only Wildcat who played good tennis is 2015. He had a signature 6-2 6-0 dominating win over #10 Dominik Koepfer of Tulane which vaulted him into the rankings. Unfortunately it looks like Takeda will just miss out on the individual tournament barring a plethora of withdrawals.

Grade: F

Nothing good came from the 2015 season. Truly a program in shambles right now. Tucson should be able to host a pretty good college tennis program especially with Arizona State dumping tennis a few years ago, but instead Arizona is struggling (and failing) to remain even remotely relevant in the Pac 12.

SEC

Being the only major conference to have completed their conference tournament already, SEC grades will be coming out later.
Jeff McMillan (Clemson)

2014 NCAA Tennis Kick-Off at Southern Inter-Collegiate Championships in Athens, GA

Posted by Admin on September 23, 2014
Posted in: NCAA. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , .

2014 NCAA Tennis Kick-Off at Southern Inter-Collegiate Championships in Athens, GA

Jeff McMillan, Tennis East Coast

 

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September 21, 2014–The 2014-2015 college tennis officially kicked off this past weekend in various fall individual tournaments. The dual (team vs team) season will begin in January, but in the fall, college tennis players compete in individual events that help their rankings and prepares their teams for the grueling season ahead. It is the only collegiate sport to have two full seasons (fall and spring).

The major tournament of the past weekend was the Southern Intercollegiate Championships in Athens, Georgia at the University of Georgia’s Dan Magill tennis center, which is the premier college tennis facility in the country. Players from various schools around the south competed in 3 flights of singles with the Division 1 draw being the premier draw of this tournament.

There were many storylines during the weekend results. Freshman Aleks Vukic from Australia showed up in his collegiate debut representing the Fighting Illini of Illinois. Vukic knocked of hometown UGA senior star Nathan Pasha 1-6 6-2 7-5 in the round of 16 in a surprising result showing that Vukic will be a name to watch this season. Vukic eventually fell in the semis to Oklahoma Sooner sophomore Alexandru Ghilea of Romania. Ghilea had a very interesting year last year as a freshman at OU. He started the year with big expectations but found himself outside of the top 6 for most of the year. As the year wound down, however, OU started to struggle at the 5 and 6 positions, which was putting their national title chances on hold. Ghilea was inserted at 6 and it made an immediate impact for the Sooners. Ghilea knocked won a 7-6(5) 3rd set breaker vs Karue Sell of UCLA in the clincher that propelled Oklahoma to a big 4-3 upset of many people’s national title favorite UCLA in the final four. Ghilea looks like he has improved dramatically from last year based on his run this weekend to the final in Athens. A runner-up result for Alexandru Ghilea is a very impressive result for a player who played #6 last year. He will be an even bigger contributor to OU this season.

The biggest story of the weekend was Wayne Montgomery taking the title. Montgomery finally made his long- awaited collegiate debut this past weekend. Montgomery, a freshman from South Africa was actually supposed to play for the Georgia Bulldogs last year, but eligibility requirements prevented him from competing in the 2013-2014 season. But this year, Montgomery is ready to instantly become one of the top players in the NCAA. Entering as the 4 seed, Montgomery lost 9 games in total in his first 3 matches, rolling to the semifinals where he would face his first huge test as a college player.

Looming in the semis was top seed Axel Alvarez-Llamas of Oklahoma.

Alvarez-Llamas, the junior from Spain, was one of the top players in the country throughout the season last year. He eviscerated eventual NCAA champ Marcos Giron of UCLA in the NCAA team semifinals in two easy sets, showing what type of player he is. After dropping the first set 1-6, Montgomery came roaring back with the help of the home crowd to claim his first big scalp, knocking off Alvarez-Llamas 1-6 6-0 6-3. Montgomery won the championship by beating Ghilea 6-1 3-6 6-2 in the final and cementing himself as a top NCAA player.

This regional tournament (full draw here) served as a good primer for the upcoming college season. College tennis fans will have their appetites whet even more with the national individual event in Tulsa beginning in late September.

Pro Debut Interview With Clay Thompson @TennisHalloFame

Posted by Admin on July 8, 2014
Posted in: ATP, Newport. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , .

Pro Debut Interview With Clay Thompson @TennisHalloFame
Stephan Fogleman, Tennis East Coast

UCLA’s Clay Thompson was in great spirits and thrilled to play his ATP Main Draw Debut on the grass courts of the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships yesterday.

There was just one nagging question.

Why, oh, why did I have to draw Stevie Johnson?

It was as if the PAC-12 moved to Rhode Island for a day and I almost expected the Rose Bowl Parade to march down Bellevue Avenue in Newport. In the end, former USC phenom Johnson and his trove of pro tour experience was too much for Thompson in a 6-1, 6-2 loss. That said, we expect to see Clay winning plenty of matches on the tour in the near future.

Gage Brymer Survives Luca Corinteli @asicseasterbowl 18s

Posted by Admin on April 14, 2013
Posted in: Easter Bowl, Junior Tennis, Junior Tennis Champions Center, USTA. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Gage Brymer Survives Luca Corinteli at 46th Annual ASICS Easter Bowl

Gage Brymer (Photo: Dave Kenas)

Gage Brymer (Photo: Dave Kenas)

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. (April 14, 2013) – Just because he won four of his six ASICS Easter Bowl matches after dropping the first set and five total three-setters, doesn’t mean that Gage Brymer enjoys playing in them.

“No, I don’t really like them,” was Brymer’s response to a question posed by USTA First Vice President Katrina Adams, who was handling Tennis Channel on-court commentating duties following the unseeded Brymer’s 3-6, 6-4, 6-1, win over Luca Corinteli in the Boy’s 18s ITF singles final on the final day of the 46th annual event that took place for the first time at the Sunrise Country Club.

Adams called Brymer the “Marathon Man”, who later added in his post-match media interviews: “I wish I could get it done it two sets every match. It’s been quite a week, quite a grind.”

For the third straight year the boys’ 18s ITF singles was won by a UCLA Bruin recruit as Marcos Giron (2011), Mackenzie McDonald (2012) and now Brymer have captured the coveted title. It’s a junior title their coach Billy Martin, who many regard as one of the best junior players of all-time, never won.

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“I don’t think it’s that I’m getting warmed up because I feel good when I go on the court and I’m hitting good,” Brymer said. “I think the other guy just really comes out pumped up and it takes a little bit of time to get into the match. It’s funny because this is the first tournament where it’s been the case. It’s not that I’m known for losing the first set. It’s just been this week. It’s not too disheartening now when I lose the first set because I know I can come back.

“I can’t put my finger on it. I guess it’s a good thing because I’ll never count myself out in the second set.”

Corinteli, the No. 3 seeded player from Alexandria, Va., who trains at the Junior Tennis Champions Center in College Park, Md., played a solid first set and used his big serve to take the early lead. “Maybe I thought in my head I really wouldn’t face any adversity and that it’s kind of going to go as smooth as it has the first set and a half,” he said. “But tennis is never like that and this has happened to me before. A couple of times you pass by it and think you’ve overcome it and then it happens again. You never really know what to expect in this sport because I was in cruise control and then a couple different points go his way and it’s a different match.”

Brymer also won the ASICS Easter Bowl in 2011 in the boys’ 16s. “I don’t like getting second place,” he said. “I feel like once I get to the final I’m there to win it. A couple of weeks ago at the Claremont ITF I got second and that was my first second in a while. I really can’t remember the last time I got second place. I just hate it. I can’t stand going all that way and losing.”

Brymer said he got a little nervous up 5-0 and then 5-1 in the final set. “It’s definitely an incredibly tough place to be up 5-0, 5-1, 5-2. Some people say, you’re up by so much and you’ve got nothing to lose and you’ve got nothing to be worried about, but I don’t think that’s the case at all. It’s much harder to get up 5-0 and close it out then to get up 5-0.

Brymer doesn’t have much time to rest before he returns to play for his high school team, University High in Irvine, on Tuesday. Then it’s off to play the 113th Ojai Valley Championships Boys’ CIF Interscholastic division April 25-28. This year, Brymer is trying to be the first player since Bobby Riggs to win three straight high school titles at The Ojai since Bobby Riggs did it from 1934-36 playing for Franklin High School in Los Angeles.

Two 14-year-olds battled for the Girls’ 16s singles title as last year’s ASICS Easter Bowl finalist CiCi Bellis, the No. 8-seeded player from Atherton, Calif., defeated No. 7 Caroline Dolehide of Hinsdale, Ill., 6-4, 6-1.

“I thought about it a little bit before the match,” Bellis said of her finals loss last year. “It was pretty disappointing. I didn’t want to think about that before the match.”

Dolehide got down two breaks early in the match, but was able to come back and had game point at 4-all before Bellis was able close out the first set, 6-4.

“I missed a little bit too much to stay in the match,” Dolehide said. “I didn’t feel tired but I felt like I had to pick it up to stay with her. All her balls were going pretty deep.”

Dolehide said she wasn’t nervous playing in the final, just “excited.”

Dolehide later teamed with partner Brienne Minor to win the gold ball in doubles to go along with her singles silver as the pair beat Emma Higuchi and Rebecca Weissmann, 1-6, 6-4, 6-2

In the Boys’ 16s final, top-seeded Sameer Kumar of Carmel, Ind., won his second straight USTA Supernational with a 6-0, 6-0 win over Kalman Boyd of Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.

“I just couldn’t hang with him,” Boyd said. “He was so fresh and mentally tough and I just got too tired after every point. I was just dead and trying to recover. I never played on Stadium and I never played in front of a crowd all week. So I think that was a factor. I’m already looking forward to my next tournament.”

Kumar said he and his coach actually hit on Stadium court late Saturday night just to get a feel for it. “We wanted to see how the conditions were,” said Kumar, who won the 16s Winternationals to start the year. “Today was tough, but obviously the scoreline doesn’t seem so. I played very well today.”

Not even paired together until the day before the tournament, Jordi Arconada and Spencer Papa beat JC Aragone and Mackenzie McDonald, 6-1, 7-5 to win the Boys’ 18s doubles.

Weekend ASICS Easter Bowl sightings: USTA First Vice President Katrina Adams, USTA Director of Coaching Jose Higueras and former Wimbledon quarterfinalist Kathy May Fritz.

The 18s singles draws can be found here: http://tennislink.usta.com/Tournaments/TournamentHome/Tournament.aspx?T=122977
For 16s and 14s go to TennisLink here:
http://tennislink.usta.com/Tournaments/TournamentHome/Tournament.aspx?T=122896

To keep up with all the ASICS Easter Bowl news, visit the website at http://www.easterbowl.com and check out the tournament on Facebook (www.facebook.com/EasterBowl) and Twitter (@easterbowl). For more information on ASICS, check out: http://www.ASICSAmerica.com and follow on Twitter @ASICSAmerica.

Sunday’s Scores
Boys’ 18s Singles (Final)
Gage Brymer, Irvine, CA def. Luca Corinteli (3), Alexandria, VA 3-6, 6-4, 6-1

Boys’ 18s Doubles (Final)
Jordi Arconada / Spencer Papa (2) def. JC Aragone / M. Mackenzie. McDonald (4) 6-1, 7-5

Boys’ 16s Singles (Final)
Kalman Boyd (17), Rancho Santa Fe, CA def. Sameer Kumar (1), Carmel, IN 6-0, 6-0

Boys’ 16 Singles (Playoff)
Taylor Fritz (3) Rancho Santa Fe, CA def. Emil Reinberg (17) Atlanta, GA 6-3, 6-4

Girls’ 16s Singles (Final)
Catherine Bellis (8), Atherton, CA def. Caroline Dolehide (7), Hinsdale, IL 6-4, 6-1

Girls’ 16 Singles (Playoff)
Emma Higuchi (4) Los Angeles, CA def. Hanna Chang Fontana, CA 6-4; 6-4

Girls’ 16 Doubles (Final)
Caroline Dolehide / Brienne Minor (1) def. Emma Higuchi / Rebecca Weissmann (3) 1-6, 6-4, 6-2

Girls’ 16 Doubles (Playoff)
Jessie Aney / Alexis Nelson (6) def. Jada Hart / Stephanie Hazell 4-6, 6-2, 6-4

 

—S. Pratt

Hibi Aces @ASICSEasterBowl, Boys 18s Final a Battle of East and West for @Luca_Corinteli, Gage Brymer

Posted by Admin on April 14, 2013
Posted in: Easter Bowl, Junior Tennis, Junior Tennis Champions Center. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Hibi Aces @ASICSEasterBowl, Boys 18s Final a Battle of East and West for @Luca_Corinteli, Gage Brymer

Mayo Hibi (Photo: Dave Kenas)

Mayo Hibi (Photo: Dave Kenas)

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. (April 13, 2013) – Mayo Hibi completed the ITF Carson-ASICS Easter Bowl double on Saturday, concluding a dominating two weeks of tennis with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Tornado Ali Black.

“I surprised myself that I was able to pull off the Easter Bowl after winning Carson,” said Hibi, who joins Krista Hardebeck (2010) and Melanie Oudin (2008) as recent players who have managed the feat. “I was pretty tired coming into the tournament and wasn’t sure how my body was going to hold up.”

Irvine’s Hibi, who lost in the doubles semifinals on Friday, dropped just 14 games total in her six singles match wins during the tournament.

Hibi said her game has really improved since she started working with former WTA player Debbie Graham, who won on hand to witness the victory.

“I think I’ve improved in a lot of areas,” Hibi said. “I still have a lot of things to work on, but I have really improved.”

She admitted to being “really, really nervous” at the start of the match and that the reality of being in the final got to her. “It’s not like a normal match. You don’t have you bag because the ball runners are carrying them, it was hot and the 14s match went really long. At first I didn’t feel like I was into the match and got down in the first set.”

But Hibi was able to come back, using her consistent slice backhand to keep Black off balance for most of the match.

“I thought I could have come into the match more prepared,” Black said. “I was really exhausted from my last two matches. I’m just happy I was able to do better this year after last year (losing in the first round).”

Hibi will next play USTA Pro Circuit events on the clay in North Carolina and Florida. She also has some celebrating to do. “I haven’t celebrated my birthday yet,” she said of turning 17 last week in Carson. “I think my mom will bake me a cake and we’ll have some ice cream.”

Jaeda Daniel, the No. 3 seed from Port Charlotte, Fla., will also be celebrating with some ice cream following her comeback win in the girls’ 14s final for her first USTA gold ball as she outlasted Ashley Lahey, the No. 11 seed from Hawthorne, Calif., 3-6, 6-4, 6-1.

“That was definitely the toughest match of the tournament for me,” Daniel said, adding that she would go out to dinner with her mom on Saturday night and then to Cold Stone for ice cream.

 

Connor Hance of Torrance, Calif., overcame a match point in the boys’ 14s final to defeat top-seeded John McNally of Cincinnati, 4-6, 7-6 (3), 6-4. It was the second singles gold ball for Hance, who previously won the Clay Court National 12s.

“I’ve been up match point before like that and lost,” Hance said. “You are just like so happy thinking you’re going to win and then then you get really tight. That happened to me at the Eddie Herr.”

Serving for the match at 6-5 in the second set, McNally double faulted on match point to make it deuce and then Hance reeled off two more points to force the tiebreak.

“In the tiebreak I was just saying get your first serve in,” Hance said. “I didn’t get them all in but I think getting most of them was the difference in the match.”

McNally was distraught after the match, but handled himself well despite the disappointment and said tennis is a lot about ups and downs and how you deal with it. “You really can’t really live like that,” he said of pondering missed opportunities. “Crap happens. That’s what my papa tells me. You’re going to have matches where you come back from match points and matches that you lose up a match point. That’s just tennis. I do look back on that match point. I’m not going to lie. On match point I just got a little bit tight.”

McNally said he looks forward to playing Hance again. “It’s like Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal,” he said. “You see them and Djokovic have great matches just like we do. Of course I look forward to playing all the top kids at this high level. It’s the juniors so I don’t really have anything to lose. I’m really looking forward to playing Connor again and getting some revenge.”

Hance said he was excited to be listed among the USTA Spring National winners for the rest of his life. “I’m pretty excited. My names is like going to be in the program. Forever.”

Top-seeded Sameer Kumar came back in his boys’ 16s semifinals to defeat Taylor Fritz, breaking Fritz who was serving for the match in the third set at 5-4. He faces Kalman Boyd on Sunday in the final championship match of the day.

“I’m excited to be in the final,” Kumar said. “I won the Winternationals earlier in the year and that gave me a lot of confidence.”

In the boys’ 18s final, Irvine’s Gage Brymer will face University of Virginia recruit Luca Corinteli. A UCLA recruit, Brymer is unseeded and has won four of his five matches in three setters.

Saturday ASICS Easter Bowl sightings: former USTA President Franklin Johnson, Tennis Channel commentator and former ATP player Vince Spadea, former ATP player Chico Hagey and former WTA player Debbie Graham.

The 18s singles draws can be found here: http://tennislink.usta.com/Tournaments/TournamentHome/Tournament.aspx?T=122977
For 16s and 14s go to TennisLink here:
http://tennislink.usta.com/Tournaments/TournamentHome/Tournament.aspx?T=122896

To keep up with all the ASICS Easter Bowl news, visit the website at http://www.easterbowl.com and check out the tournament on Facebook (www.facebook.com/EasterBowl) and Twitter (@easterbowl). For more information on ASICS, check out: http://www.ASICSAmerica.com and follow on Twitter @ASICSAmerica.

Previewing Sunday’s main-draw singles matches.

10 AM – Girls’ 16 Singles Final
Catherine Bellis vs. Caroline Dolehide

• Catherine is from Atherton in Northern California and is the No. 8 seeded at the ASICS Easter Bowl.
• She beat the top-seeded player in the 16s on Friday and the No. 4 seed yesterday in the semifinals.
• Catherine was a finalist in the 14s division at the ASICS Easter Bowl last year.

• Caroline is 14 years old and the No. 7 seed and from Hinsdale, Illinois.
• She is coming off a great Carson event where she made the semifinals in the 16s.
• Her sister Courtney currently plays for the UCLA Bruins.

12:00 PM – Boys’ 18 Singles Final
Gage Brymer vs. Luca Corinteli

• Gage is from Irvine and is unseeded here this week and has won four of his five matches in three sets.
• Gage won the 16s Division at the ASICS Easter Bowl in 2011.
• He will play for UCLA in the fall.

• Luca trains with the Junior Tennis Champions Center in College Park, Maryland.
• Luca is the No. 3 seeded player and playing in his first ASICS Easter Bowl final.
• He will play next year for the University of Virginia.

2 PM – Boys’ 16s Singles Final
Sameer Kumar vs. Kalman Boyd

• Sameer is the top-seeded player in the Boys’ 16s and is from Carmel, Indiana.
• He won the Winternationals back in January.
• Sameer is from the same hometown as ATP pro Rajeev Ram’s and the two share the same coach.

• Kalam is unseeded and from Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., and currently training at Advantage Tennis Academy in Irvine.
• On Friday, Kalman beat the No. 2 seed dropping just one game.

Saturday’s Scores
Boys’ 18s Singles (Semifinals)
Gage Brymer, Irvine, CA def. Martin Redlicki (5), Boca Raton, FL 3-6, 6-2, 6-3
Luca Corinteli (3), Alexandria, VA def. Noah Rubin (1), Rockville Centre, NY 7-6(6), 6-1

Boys’ 18s Doubles (Semifinals)
JC Aragone / Mackenzie McDonald (4) def. Luca Corinteli / Martin Redlicki (1) 4-6, 6-1, 10-5
Jordi Arconada / Spencer Papa (2) def. Robbie Bellamy / Joseph Di Giulio 6-4, 6-2

Girls’ 18s Singles (Final)
Mayo Hibi (13), Irvine, CA def. Tornado Ali Black (6), Miami, FL 6-3, 6-2

Girls’ 18s Doubles (Final)
Spencer Liang / Peggy Porter def. Josie Kuhlman / Katerina Stewart 6-4, 6-4

Boys’ 16s Singles (Semifinals)
Kalman Boyd (17), Rancho Santa Fe, CA def. Emil Reinberg (17), Atlanta, GA 7-6(6), 6-4
Sameer Kumar (1), Carmel, IN def. Taylor Fritz (3), Rancho Santa Fe, CA, 4-6, 6-4, 7-5

Boys’ 16s Doubles (Final)
Jake DeVine / Catalin Mateas (7) def. Grayson Broadus / Jean Thirouin (5) 4-6, 6-0, 6-1

Boys’ 16 Doubles (Playoff)
Chase Colton / Alfredo Perez (12) def. Henry Gordon / Austin Rapp (6) 7-5, 5-7, 6-2

Girls’ 16s Singles (Semifinals)
Caroline Dolehide (7), Hinsdale, IL def. Hanna Chang, Fontana, CA 6-4, 5-7, 6-1
Catherine Bellis (8), Atherton, CA def. Emma Higuchi (4), Los Angeles, CA 6-2, 7-5

Girls’ 16 Doubles (Semifinal Round)
Caroline Dolehide / Brienne Minor (1) def. Jada Hart / Stephanie Hazell 6-0, 6-1
Emma Higuchi / Rebecca Weissmann (3) def. Jessie Aney / Alexis Nelson (3) 6-1, 2-6, 7-6 (4)

Boys’ 14s Singles (Final)
Connor Hance (2), Torrance, CA def. John McNally (1), Cincinnati, OH 4-6, 7-6(3), 6-4

Boys’ 14s Doubles (Final)
Bryce Pereira / Michael Zhao (5) def. Jake Van Emburgh / JJ Wolf (6) 4-6, 6-4, 6-0

Boys’ 14 Doubles (Playoff)
Connor Hance / Sam Riffice (14) def. Jonathan Dollahite / Dylan Levitt (16) 6-4, 4-6, 6-2

Girls’ 14s Singles (Final)
Jaeda Daniel (3), Port Charlotte, FL def. Ashley Lahey (11), Hawthorne, CA 3-6, 6-4, 6-1

—S. Pratt

Hibi, Black to Battle @ASICSEasterBowl; Corinteli, Rubin, Redlicki, Brymer Advance

Posted by Admin on April 13, 2013
Posted in: Easter Bowl, Junior Tennis. Tagged: , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Hibi, Black to Battle in Girls’ 18s

Final At ASICS Easter Bowl

Tornado Ali Black (Photo: Dave Kenas)

Tornado Ali Black (Photo: Dave Kenas)

 

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. (April 12, 2013) – Mayo Hibi has had quite an impressive run in her return to junior tennis over the past two weeks.

 

The Irvine 17-year-old is just one win away from taking the impressive back-to-back ITF double of winning Carson and the ASICS Easter Bowl as she takes on 14-year-old Tornado Ali Black in the Girls’ 18s final on Saturday at the 46th annual event taking place at the Sunrise Country Club.

 

Hibi, who has played just ITF Pro Circuit Futures events this year, has had just one day off over the past 12 days. Only Melanie Oudin (2008) and Krista Hardebeck (2010) have been able to pull off the Carson-Easter Bowl double.

 

“Yeah, I’m pretty tired,” said Hibi, who had another convincing win on Friday over 13-year-old Michaela Gordon of Los Altos Hills, Calif., 6-2, 6-0. Later in the day she fell in the doubles semifinals with Brooke Austin.

 

Hibi and Black have played just once before last summer in the quarterfinals of an ITF $10,000 Futures event at Hilton Head, S.C., with Hibi dropping just one game. Hibi said Black didn’t play her best match and expects a tough final on Saturday.

 

“I’m sure she’s going to be ready to go,” Hibi said.

 

Black fell down 3-1 in the first set for the second consecutive match, but was able to battle back against a tough player in Louisa Chirico in a match that was just short of three hours as the No. 6-seed recorded a tense 7-6 (5), 7-6 (5) win.

 

Unseeded Gage Brymer of Irvine continued his impressive run advancing to the semifinals in the Boys’ 18s division. He next meets Martin Redlicki, the No. 5-seed from Boca Raton, Fla. Redlicki upset defending champion and No. 2 seeded Mackenzie McDonald of Piedmont, Calif., in three sets, 6-2, 3-6, 6-2. In the other half of the draw, No. 3 Luca Corinteli takes on top-seeded Noah Rubin.

 

In the boys’ 14s final on Saturday, the seedings held almost perfect as No. 1 John McNally of Cincinnati beat No. 5 Nathan Perrone of Mount Laurel, N.J., and No. 2 Connor Hance toppled No. 3 Zeke Clark of Tulsa, Okla., also in straight sets setting up a finals matchup on Saturday between the top two seeds.

 

McNally is aware he would be in some impressive company if he could pull out the win in the final Saturday. “I haven’t look back at the past winners in the 14s,” he said. “I just know how prestigious a tournament this is.”

 

Aaron Krickstein, Justin Gimelstob and Donald Young are past 14s ASICS Easter Bowl winners.

 

McNally and Hance have never played each other, but did square off in a doubles match on Thursday won by Hance and his partner.

 

“I learned he had a gigantic forehand,” Hance said. “I have a plan, I think.”

 

Hance and Clark had some extremely long rallies. “The average rally was like 20 shots,” Hance said. “I was just trying to keep it deep. He doesn’t give you a lot of balls to put away. He’s a great player and I had to do a lot to keep him off balance and to throw him off. It’s hard to pass him because he’s so fast. I was just grinding with him.

 

“There were lots of breaks in the second set. It was just break, break, break. It’s hard to serve when you’re having 40-ball rallies because you lose your legs.”

 

Ashley Lahey continued what she called her “breakthrough” tournament, advancing to the final for the first time in a Supernational event. Her and her mother moved to the South Bay from Colorado a year ago to be closer to the USTA Training Center – West where she trains with best friend Ryan Peus, who she beat on Friday, 6-2, 6-2.

 

“I practice with Ryan every day,” the No. 11 seeded Lahey said. “We are best friends. We are inseparable. It’s tough to play your best friend but eventually you get over that barrier. Hopefully I can play one more good match.”

 

Her finals opponent is No. 3 Jaeda Daniel of Port Charlotte, Fla. She beat Alexa Graham of Garden City, N.Y. 7-6 (4), 2-6, 6-1.

 

“It feels great to be in the final,” said Daniel, who trains part of the year near her hometown of Philadelphia. “It’s been a long tournament.”

 

Sightings on Thursday and Friday: Former ATP pros Tim Mayotte, Eliot Teltscher and former NCAA women’s singles champion Beth Herr Bellamy.

 

The 18s singles draws can be found here:  http://tennislink.usta.com/Tournaments/TournamentHome/Tournament.aspx?T=122977

For 16s and 14s go to TennisLink here:

http://tennislink.usta.com/Tournaments/TournamentHome/Tournament.aspx?T=122896

 

To keep up with all the ASICS Easter Bowl news, visit the website at www.easterbowl.com and check out the tournament on Facebook (www.facebook.com/EasterBowl) and Twitter (@easterbowl). For more information on ASICS, check out: www.ASICSAmerica.com and follow on Twitter @ASICSAmerica.

 

Friday’s Scores

Boys’ 18s Singles (Quarterfinals)

Gage Brymer, Irvine, CA def. Michael Mmoh (8), Temple Hills, MD 5-7, 6-4, 6-3

Martin Redlicki (5), Boca Raton, FL def. Mackenzie McDonald (2), Piedmont, CA 6-2, 3-6, 6-2

Luca Corinteli (3), Alexandria, VA def. Ernesto Escobedo, West Covina, CA 6-1, 6-4

Noah Rubin (1), Rockville Centre, NY def. Alexandru Gozun, Sarasota, FL 6-4, 6-0

 

Boys’ 18s Doubles (Quarterfinals)

JC Aragone / Mackenzie McDonald (4) def. AJ Catanzariti / Dennis Uspensky (7) 6-4, 6-0

Luca Corinteli / Martin Redlicki (1) def. Justin Butsch / Tommy Mylnikov (5) 6-3, 6-3

Robbie Bellamy / Joseph Di Giulio def. Michael Mmoh / Francis Tiafoe (3) 6-2, 6-4

Jordi Arconada / Spencer Papa (2) def. Gregory Garcia / Tyler Lu 7-5, 6-4

 

Girls’ 18s Singles (Semifinals)

Tornado Ali Black (6), Miami, FL def. Louisa Chirico (14), Harrison, NY 7-6(5), 7-6(5)

Mayo Hibi (13), Irvine, CA def. Michaela Gordon, Los Altos Hills, CA 6-2, 6-0

 

Girls’ 18s Doubles (Semifinals)

Josie Kuhlman / Katerina Stewart def. Brooke Austin / Mayo Hibi (6) 6-2, 6-2

Spencer Liang / Peggy Porter def. Maegan Manasse / Jamie Loeb 3-6, 6-4, 10-6

 

Boys’ 16s Singles (Quarterfinals)

Kalman Boyd (17), Rancho Santa Fe, CA def. Kyle Seelig (2), Hatfield, PA 6-0, 6-1

Sameer Kumar (1), Carmel, IN def. Jake DeVine (17), Boca Raton, FL 7-5, 6-4

Taylor Fritz (3), Rancho Santa Fe, CA def. Victor Pham (9), Saratoga, CA 6-1, 6-0

Emil Reinberg (17), Atlanta, GA def. Chase Colton (4), Davie, FL 4-6, 6-1, 6-2

 

Boys’ 16s Doubles (Semifinals)

Jake DeVine / Catalin Mateas (7) def. Henry Gordon / Austin Rapp (6) 6-2, 3-6, 6-3

Chase Colton / Alfredo Perez (12) def. Grayson Broadus / Jean Thirouin (5) 6-3, 3-6, 7-5

 

Girls’ 16s Singles (Quarterfinals)

Hanna Chang, Fontana, CA def. Meredith Xepoleas (3), Huntington Beach, CA 6-4, 6-3

Catherine Bellis (8), Atherton, CA def. Francesca Dilorenzo (1), New Albany, OH 7-5, 6-2

Emma Higuchi (4), Los Angeles, CA def. Emma Davis (17), Cohasset, MA 3-6, 6-4, 6-3

Caroline Dolehide (7), Hinsdale, IL def. Meghan Kelley (11), Falmouth, ME 6-3, 7-5

 

Girls’ 16s Doubles (Quarterfinals)

Jada Hart / Stephanie Hazell def. Jessica Livianu / Alexandra Sabe 6-4, 6-2

Caroline Dolehide / Brienne Minor (1) def. Ena Shibahara / Savannah Slaysman (7) 4-6, 6-4, 10-8

Emma Higuchi / Rebecca Weissmann (3) def. Kenadi Hance / Risa Nakagawa (8) 7-5, 7-6(4)

Jessie Aney / Alexis Nelson (6) def. Katharine Fahey / Jacqueline Urbinati (2) 6-3, 6-1

 

Boys’ 14s Singles (Semifinals)

John McNally (1), Cincinnati, OH def. Nathan Perrone (5), Mount Laurel, NJ 7-5, 6-3

Connor Hance (2), Torrance, CA def. Zeke Clark (3), Tulsa, OK 6-4, 6-4

 

Boys’ 14s Doubles (Semifinals)

Bryce Pereira / Michael Zhao (5) def. Jonathan Dollahite / Dylan Levitt (16) 6-2, 6-3

Jake Van Emburgh / JJ Wolf (6) def. Connor Hance / Sam Riffice (14) 7-6(1), 6-4

 

Boys’ 14 Singles (Gold Draw Quarterfinal Losers, Semifinal Round)

Max Pham, Newport Coast, CA def. Robert Baylon, Buena Park, CA 6-1, 6-0

Justin Lee, Cos Cob, CT def. Jacob Brumm, Rancho Santa Fe, CA Wo (ill)

 

Boys’ 14 Singles (Gold Draw Quarterfinal Losers, Final Round)

Max Pham, Newport Coast, CA def. Justin Lee, Cos Cob, CT 6-2, 6-2

 

Boys’ 14 Singles (Silver Draw 4th Round Losers, Final Round)

Conrad Russell, Palo Alto, CA def. Michael Zhao, Princeton Jct, NJ 6-2, 6-2

 

Girls’ 14s Singles (Semifinals)

Ashley Lahey (11), Hawthorne, CA def. Ryan Peus (9), Caprinteria, CA 6-2, 6-2

Jaeda Daniel (3), Port Charlotte, FL def. Alexa Graham (17), Garden City, NY 7-6(4), 2-6, 6-1

 

Girls’ 14s Doubles (Finals)

Hada Chang / Abigail Chiu (1) def. Kelly Chen / Annette Goulak (2) 6-2, 6-2

 

Girls’ 14 Singles (Gold Draw Quarterfinal Losers; Final Round)

Kylie McKenzie, Anthem, AZ def. Claire Liu, Thousand Oaks, CA 6-4; 7-6(7)

 

Girls’ 14 Singles (Gold Draw Quarterfinal Losers, Semifinal Round)

Claire Liu, Thousand Oaks, CA def. Ellie Douglas, McKinney, TX Wo (inj)

Kylie McKenzie, Anthem, AZ def. Janice Shin, Houston, TX 6-3, 6-3

 

Girls’ 14 Singles (Silver Draw 4th Round Losers, Final Round)

Riley McQuaid Tustin, CA def. Abigail Desiatnikov, Gates Mills, OH 7-6(4), 1-6, 14-12

 

Girls’ 14 Doubles (Playoff)

Darya Possokhova / Katya Tabachnik (8) def. Samantha Martinelli / Delaney Nothaft (3) 6-4, 6-4

 

—S. Pratt

 

McDonald, Brymer, Chirico, Black, Peus Advance @ASICSEasterBowl

Posted by Admin on April 12, 2013
Posted in: Easter Bowl, Junior Tennis. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

McDonald, Brymer, Chirico, Black, Peus Advance at ASICS Easter Bowl

Mackie McDonald (Photo:Dave Kenas/ ASICS Easter Bowl)

Mackie McDonald
(Photo:Dave Kenas/ ASICS Easter Bowl)

 

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. (April 11, 2013) – Future UCLA teammates and fellow Californians Mackenzie McDonald and Gage Brymer recorded convincing straight-set victories on Thursday in the Boys’ 18s division on Day 5 of the 46th annual ASICS Easter Bowl being played at the Sunrise Country Club.

The No. 2-seeded McDonald of Piedmont, Calif., beat No. 15-seeded Dennis Uspensky of Atlantic Beach, N.Y., 6-3, 6-1, and the unseeded Brymer of Irvine, Calif., got past Henrik Wiersholm, the No. 14-seed from Kirkland, Wash., 6-2, 7-5, as both now move on to Friday’s quarterfinals.

The defending champion and former boys’ 14s champion McDonald is looking to become the first back-to-back boys’ 18s winner at the ASICS Easter since 1971-72.

“I feel like Palm Springs brings out the best in my game,” said McDonald, who played in warm 85-degree, but ideal conditions. “I feel like just going out there and playing. I want to stay in the present and not think about the past and just get through each point and each match.”

McDonald, 17, next meets Martin Redlicki, the No. 5-seed from Boca Raton, Fla., while Brymer will face Michael Mmoh, the No. 8-seed from Temple Hills, Md.

In the upset of the day, 13-year-old Ryan Peus of Carpinteria, Calif., beat 12-year-old and No. 1-seeded Claire Liu of Thousand Oaks, Calif., in the girls’ 14s quarterfinals, 6-2, 6-3. The two are training partners at the USTA Training Center – West in Carson, Calif.

Ryan Peus (Photo:Dave Kenas / ASICS Easter Bowl)

Ryan Peus
(Photo:Dave Kenas / ASICS Easter Bowl)

Peus was elated after the match, advancing to her first 14s semifinal of a USTA Nationals. “It was a good win for me,” she said. “We’ve played like eight times and it always goes three sets. I was just a lot more aggressive and I felt like I had nothing to lose today. She was tight the entire match and the she had all the pressure on her.”

Peus wore her sweat-stained Roger Federer hat with three signatures on the bill of the cap belonging to R-Fed, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal. “It’s my lucky hat,” she said, adding she got all the signatures at the nearby BNP Paribas Open just down the road in Indian Wells.

A 13- and 14-year-old both advanced to the semifinals of the girls’ 18s as unseeded Michaela Gordon, 13, of Los Altos Hills, Calif., beat Raquel Pedraza of Claremont, Calif., 6-3, 6-3, and No. 6-seeded Tornado Ali Black, 14, upset No. 2 Marika Akkerman in a nearly three-hour marathon, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4.

Serving for the match at 5-4, Black was called for a time violation up 30-love but was able to close it out. “I got down 3-1 in the first set and was thinking, ‘she can’t keep this level up,’ ” said Black, who recently left training with the USTA and has began working with the L’Academie de Tennis Academy in Boynton Beach, Fla.

Tornado Ali Black

Tornado Ali Black

Louisa Chirico, 16, of Harrison, N.Y., and Mayo Hibi, 17, of Irvine, Calif., are the other semifinalists and both have WTA rankings with Chirico at No. 427 and Hibi at No. 368 in the world. Hibi had no problems with last year’s 18s finalist Brooke Austin, 6-0, 6-2.

Louisa Chirico

Louisa Chirico

The 18s singles draws can be found here:  http://tennislink.usta.com/Tournaments/TournamentHome/Tournament.aspx?T=122977

For 16s and 14s go to TennisLink here:

http://tennislink.usta.com/Tournaments/TournamentHome/Tournament.aspx?T=122896

To keep up with all the ASICS Easter Bowl news, visit the website at www.easterbowl.com and check out the tournament on Facebook (www.facebook.com/EasterBowl) and Twitter (@easterbowl). For more information on ASICS, check out: www.ASICSAmerica.com and follow on Twitter @ASICSAmerica.

Thursday’s Scores

          Boys’ 18s Singles (Round of 16)

Michael Mmoh (8) Temple Hills, MD def. Justin Butsch (12) Miami Beach, FL 7-5, 6-0

Alexandru Gozun Sarasota, FL def. Francis Tiafoe (10) College Park, MD 6-2, 7-6(4)

Martin Redlicki (5) Boca Raton, FL def. Brandon Sutter El Dorado Hills, CA 6-1, 6-3

Gage Brymer Irvine, CA def. Henrik Wiersholm (14) Kirkland, WA 6-2, 7-5

Luca Corinteli (3) Alexandria, VA def. Stephen Watson Orlando, FL 6-3, 6-2

Mackenzie McDonald (2) Piedmont, CA def. Dennis Uspensky (15) Atlantic Beach, NY 6-3, 6-1

Ernesto Escobedo West Covina, CA def. Deiton Baughman Carson, CA 6-3, 2-6, 6-3

Noah Rubin (1) Rockville Centre, NY def. Logan Smith Carlsbad, CA 7-5, 7-5

Boys’ 18s Doubles (Round of 16)

JC Aragone / Mackenzie McDonald (4) def. Deiton Baughman / George Goldhoff Wo (inj)

Robbie Bellamy / Joseph Di Giulio def. Farzin Amiri / Nicholas Crystal (8) 6-2, 6-3

Michael Mmoh / Francis Tiafoe (3) def. Jake De Vries / Trevor Johnson 6-4, 7-5

Gregory Garcia / Tyler Lu def. Alexandru Gozun / Carter Lin 7-5, 6-4

Jordi Arconada / Spencer Papa (2) def. Aron Hiltzik / John Mee 7-6(1), 3-6, 10-7

Luca Corinteli / Martin Redlicki (1) def. Walker Duncan / Thomas Mayronne 7-6(3), 6-3

AJ Catanzariti / Dennis Uspensky (7) def. William Blumberg / Nathan Ponwith 6-3, 6-1

Justin Butsch / Tommy Mylnikov (5) def. Jake Stefanik / Stephen Watson 6-3, 3-6, 10-7

          Girls’ 18s Singles (Quarterfinals)

Louisa Chirico (14) Harrison, NY def. Monica Robinson Valley Center, CA 6-3, 6-1

Michaela Gordon Los Altos Hills, CA def. Raquel Pedraza Claremont, CA 6-3, 6-3

Tornado Ali Black (6) Miami, FL def. Marika Akkerman (2) 6-4, 3-6, 6-4

Mayo Hibi (13) Irvine, CA def. Brooke Austin Indianapolis, IN 6-0, 6-2

          Girls’ 18s Doubles (Quarterfinals)

Brooke Austin / Mayo Hibi def. Ayla Aksu / Hadley Berg (6) 6-4, 6-3

Spencer Liang / Peggy Porter def. Marika Akkerman / Rianna Valdes (2) 6-3, 6-2

Maegan Manasse / Jamie Loeb def. Monica Robinson / Mira Ruder-Hook 6-1, 6-1

Josie Kuhlman / Katerina Stewart def. Louisa Chirico / Dasha Ivanova (1) 6-2, 7-5

 

Boys’ 16s Singles (Round of 16)

Kalman Boyd (17) Rancho Santa Fe, CA def. Kial Kaiser (5) Saratoga, CA 6-0, 6-2

Sameer Kumar (1) Carmel, IN def. Spencer Richey Memphis, TN 7-5, 6-3

Chase Colton (4) Davie, FL def. Michael Lorenzini (17) Clarendon Hills, IL 6-2, 6-2

Kyle Seelig (2) Hatfield, PA def. Yancy Dennis (17) Reisterstown, MD 6-3, 6-2

Emil Reinberg (17) Atlanta, GA def. Stephen Madonia (17) Lakeland, FL 6-4, 6-3

Victor Pham (9) Saratoga, CA def. Catalin Mateas (8) Braintree, MA 6-2, 6-3

Jake DeVine (17) Boca Raton, FL def. Artemie Amari New York, NY 6-1, 2-6, 7-6(4)

Taylor Fritz (3) Rancho Santa Fe, CA def. Austin Rapp (17) Rancho Mirage, CA 6-2, 6-2

 

Boys’ 16s Doubles (Quarterfinals)

Henry Gordon / Austin Rapp (6) def. Daniel Gealer / Michael Lorenzini 6-2, 7-6(4)

Chase Colton / Alfredo Perez (12) def. Yancy Dennis / Brian Tsao 6-2, 6-2

Jake DeVine / Catalin Mateas (7) def. Taylor Fritz / Riley Smith (10) 4-6, 6-1, 10-6

Grayson Broadus / Jean Thirouin (5) def. Michael Chen / Julian Rozenstein (4) 6-2, 6-1

Girls’ 16s Singles (Round of 16)

Meredith Xepoleas (3) Huntington Beach, CA def. Jaclyn Switkes (17) Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 3-6, 6-2, 6-1

Emma Davis (17) Cohasset, MA def. Brienne Minor (6) Mundelein, IL 6-1, 4-6, 7-6(4)

Caroline Dolehide (7) Hinsdale, IL def. Madison Clarke (17) Phoenix, AZ 6-2, 6-0

Hanna Chang Fontana, CA def. Alaina Miller Saratoga, CA 6-3, 6-7, 6-2

Meghan Kelley (11) Falmouth, ME def. Rebecca Weissmann (17) Loveland, CO 6-4, 4-0 Ret (inj)

Emma Higuchi (4) Los Angeles, CA def. Katharine Fahey (14) Fair Haven, NJ 6-2, 6-2

Francesca Dilorenzo (1) New Albany, OH def. Jessie Aney Rochester, MN 6-2, 6-2

Catherine Bellis (8) Atherton, CA def. Kenadi Hance (17) Torrance, CA 4-6, 6-0, 6-0

 

Girls’ 16s Doubles (Round of 16)

Jessica Livianu / Alexandra Sabe def. Paige Cline / Gaby Pollner (5) 7-5, 6-1

Kenadi Hance / Risa Nakagawa (8) def. Madison Clarke / Michelle Lui 6-1, 6-1

Ena Shibahara / Savannah Slaysman (7) def. Annemarie Emme / Alexandra Sanford 7-5, 6-2

Caroline Dolehide / Brienne Minor (1) def. Ilana Oleynik / Drew Spinosa 6-0, 6-3

Emma Higuchi / Rebecca Weissmann (3) def. Kennedy Shaffer / Jaclyn Switkes (13) 6-4, 6-4

Jessie Aney / Alexis Nelson (6) def. Elizabeth Tsvetkov / Sabrina Xiong (16) 6-2, 6-3

Katharine Fahey / Jacqueline Urbinati (2) def. Lauren Goodman / Danielle Wolf (10) 6-2, 6-7(4), 10-8

Jada Hart / Stephanie Hazell def. Nadia Gizdova / Christina Rosca (12) 6-3, 6-3

 

Boys’ 14s Singles (Quarterfinals)

Zeke Clark (3) Tulsa, OK def. Jacob Brumm (6) Rancho Santa Fe, CA 6-3, 6-1

Nathan Perrone (5) Mount Laurel, NJ def. Robert Baylon, Buena Park, CA, 7-5, 6-1

John McNally (1) Cincinnati, OH def. Max Pham Newport Coast, CA 7-5, 6-3

Connor Hance (2) Torrance, CA def. Justin Lee (8) Cos Cob, CT 6-2, 6-2

Boys’ 14 Singles (Silver Draw 4th Round Losers, Quarterfinal Round)

Michael Zhao Princeton Jct, NJ def. Sam Riffice Roseville, CA 6-3, 6-2

Jake Van Emburgh Verona, WI def. Alafia Ayeni San Diego, CA 6-3, 6-4

Patrick Kypson Greenville, NC def. Alex Gee Bellaire, TX 6-1, 6-3

Conrad Russell Palo Alto, CA def. Noah Makarome Wesley Chapel, FL 6-2, 7-6(2)

Boys’ 14 Singles (Silver Draw 4th Round Losers, Semifinal Round)

Michael Zhao Princeton Jct, NJ def. Jake Van Emburgh Verona, WI 7-5, 6-3

Conrad Russell Palo Alto, CA def. Patrick Kypson Greenville, NC 6-0, 6-2

Boys’ 14s Doubles (Quarterfinals)

Connor Hance / Sam Riffice (14) def. Hady Habib / John McNally (2) 7-6(3), 0-6, 10-3

Bryce Pereira / Michael Zhao (5) def. Richard Ciamarra / Peter Conklin (9) 6-3, 6-2

Jonathan Dollahite / Dylan Levitt (16) def. Trent Bryde / Aleks Huryn 7-6(12), 6-1

Jake Van Emburgh / JJ Wolf (6) def. Brandon Lam / Max Pham 6-7(7), 6-2, 10-7

 

Girls’ 14s Singles (Quarterfinals)

Jaeda Daniel (3) Port Charlotte, FL def. Kylie McKenzie (6) Anthem, AZ 6-4, 6-4

Ashley Lahey (11) Hawthorne, CA def. Ellie Douglas (10) McKinney, TX 7-5, 6-2

Alexa Graham (17) Garden City, NY def. Janice Shin (17) Houston, TX 6-2, 6-0

Ryan Peus (9) Carpinteria, CA def. Claire Liu (1) Thousand Oaks, CA 6-2, 6-3

Girls’ 14 Singles (Silver Draw 4th Round Losers, Quarterfinal Round)

Samantha Martinelli Denver, CO def. Abigail Chiu Austin, TX 6-1, 6-3

Loren Haukova Elmsford, NY def. Christie Wan Rowland Heights, CA 6-3, 6-1

Abigail Desiatnikov Gates Mills, OH def. Sofia Sewing Doral, FL 6-3, 6-4

Riley McQuaid Tustin, CA def. Rachel Lim Briarcliff Manor, NY 6-3, 6-2

Girls’ 14 Singles (Silver Draw 4th Round Losers, Semifinal Round)

Riley McQuaid Tustin, CA def. Samantha Martinelli Denver, CO 6-3, 6-0

Abigail Desiatnikov Gates Mills, OH def. Loren Haukova Elmsford, NY 6-3, 6-0

Girls’ 14s Doubles (Semifinals)

Hada Chang / Abigail Chiu (1) def. Darya Possokhova / Katya Tabachnik (8) 6-2, 7-5

Kelly Chen / Annette Goulak (2) def. Samantha Martinelli / Delaney Nothaft (3) 6-4, 6-2

 

—S. Pratt