Girls' 18 Nationals in Northern California Gone, But Not Forgotten
By Marcia Frost

August 25, 2009-When Christina McHale picked up her singles and doubles Gold Balls at the Berkeley Tennis Club, it represented the final USTA Girls' 18 National Championships at that venue. The event is ending its long run in Northern California.

"After being a part of Nationals for 17 years," said Andrea Norman, "I'm retiring as Tournament Director.  It's been a fun road paved with great friendships and incredible tennis.  Although this is has been a volunteer position for me, I will always feel that tennis has given so much more to me than I could ever do for it in return."

In 2007, the tournament was moved from the Almaden Valley Athletic Club, where Andrea Norman and Jennifer Pitzen had run it under the non-profit National Tennis Championships (NTC) organization, to the Berkeley Tennis Club and Claremont Resort & Spa.  Lynne Rolley joined in that year as Tournament Chairman and the non-profit Berkeley Tennis Club Foundation was organized to continue charitable work along side NTC.  Jennifer Pitzen, who retired from the tournament in 2008, remained active in the organization in 2009.

The run of the Girls' 18 Nationals would also not have been possible without over 300 volunteers dedicating long hours to the event and the many sponsors. In addition to the host clubs and Platinum Sponsor Berkeley Tennis Club Foundation and Gold Sponsor National Tennis Championships, Silver Sponsors AG Ferrari, Berkeley Honda, Inside Tennis Magazine, USTA Northern California and Wilson were especially generous.  Noah's Bagels, Peet's Coffee and Dryer's Ice Cream kept the players and volunteers fueled between the tournament-sponsored meals (a full sponsor list is attached).

There are a number of items of note from the 2009 Girls' 18 Nationals:

• Christina McHale is the first girl since 2000 (Kristen Schlukebir) to win both singles and doubles (with partner Asia Muhammad).
• This year's event promoted its Green Initiative, which cut back on paper and plastic while providing sorted recycling and composting for all the tournament's garbage;
• 10 girls were given travel scholarships totaling $6,750 by NTC in honor of tennis great Ted Schroeder;
• Youth Tennis Advantage and the Berkeley High School Tennis Team were beneficiaries of the tournament;
• Kids Day at the Nationals was a huge success, with tee-shirts provided by the college coaches, autographs given by the players and a guest appearance by former Davis Cup Captain and Olympic Coach Tom Gullickson. Berkeley Youth Alternative, Kids in Motion and Cherrie King Tennis were the organizations participating.
• Paul Roetert, Managing Director of Player Development for the USTA, led a USTA High Performance Coaching Education Program with an opening reception by legendary Stanford Coach Dick Gould;
• The USTA's Director of Coaching for Elite Player Development, Jose Higueras, gave a fireside chat for a packed banquet room of tournament participants and friends.

Christina McHale will be using her U.S. Open wildcards in women's singles and doubles when the grand slam event begins on August 31st. She joins a long history of top finishers that includes Tracy Austin, Jennifer Capriati and Chris Evert.  The 2008 finalist, CoCo Vandeweghe, went on to become the U.S. Open Junior singles champion. Mallory Cecil, who was the sixth place finisher in singles and a doubles finalist last year, won the NCAA Championship singles title and helped lead her Duke team to the team win.

The USTA Girls' 18 National Championships will join the 16 and under age group in 2010 at the Barnes Tennis Center in San Diego. Though the tournament will move, Andrea Norman relishes the experience, "It's been a privilege working with incredible people in Berkeley and back at Almaden Valley Athletic Club in San Jose where the event was held until 2006, and a pleasure to have met and watched so many talented young tennis players."

____________________________________________

First Sweep in Nine Years as Christina McHale
Takes It All at the Girls' 18 Nationals
By Marcia Frost

August 16 2009-The winners' circle had familiar faces today, though there were no repeat winners, as 17 year old Christina McHale swept the USTA Girls' 18 National Championships at the Berkeley Tennis Club and Claremont Resort & Spa.

Last year's winner, Gail Brodsky, didn't go home empty handed as the picked up third place in the singles with a straight set victory over Beatrice Capra.  She also took fourth place in the doubles with Kaitlyn Christian to go with the second place she and Mallory Cecil achieved in 2008.  Last year's fifth place singles winner Kristie Ahn, who had to retire from the singles this year because of a toe injury, was this year's doubles finalist with Courtney Dolehide.  But the big winner of the day was Christina McHale, who bettered her fourth place finish in doubles from last year (with Julia Boserup), with first place in singles and doubles -- the first one to achieve that feat since Kristen Schlukebir did it in 2000.

The day started with the singles playoffs.  At the same time as the Brodsky-Capra match, Asia Muhammad fought her way through a three-setter to capture fifth place over Jacqueline Cako. The match would continue for over two hours, in contrast to the final.  Christina McHale had total control over that baseline battle, hitting winners faster than the eye could see.  After shutting out the first set, the New Jersey native had Lauren Embree to 4-1 before the Floridian could even get a break point.  She couldn't close the game out, though, and Christina McHale had her title and U.S. Open Wildcard at the next one.

Lauren Embree did prevail with partner Allie Will in the third place doubles playoff over Gail Brodsky and Kaitlyn Christian.  Embree was pleased with the first event played with her soon to be partner at the University of Florida. Both that match and the final -- Christina McHale and Asia Muhammad vs. Kristie Ahn and Courtney Dolehide -- went to three close sets. M&M were the winners of that one at 7-5 in the third.  "I still can't believe it," said McHale after her second Gold Ball of the day (the fifth in her junior tennis career).  "I'm so excited.  And to win that close doubles match made it ten times better."

Christina McHale was also the recipient of the Maureen Connolly Brinker Award.  The award, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary, is given in honor of Maureen "Little Mo" Connolly, who achieved the Grand Slam in her short tennis career.  The honor is given to a player who exemplifies superb sportsmanship, as displayed by McHale. The USTA Sportsmanship Award was given to Lauren Embree and Jacqueline Cako, who lost her first match and then kept going through the finals of the back draw (playing a total of 16 matches between singles and doubles) was bestowed the Chairman's Award for Sportsmanship.

Look for the USTA Girls' 18 National Championships on Facebook, with photo albums for each day.

Final Main Draw Singles

Christina McHale/Englewood Cliffs, NJ (3) defeated Lauren Embree/Marco Island, FL (4), 6-0,6-1

Third Place Playoff Singles

Gail Brodsky/Brooklyn, NY (2) defeated Beatrice Capra/Ellicott City, MD (8), 6-3,6-1

Fifth Place Playoff Singles

Asia Muhammad/Henderson, NV defeated Jacqueline Cako/Brier, WA, 6-3,6-7,6-0

Final Main Draw Doubles

Christina McHale/Asia Muhammad (1)  defeated Kristie Ahn (Upper Saddle River, NJ)/Courtney Dolehide (Hinsdale, IL)  (3), 6-2,3-6,7-5

Third Place Playoff Doubles

Lauren Embree/Allie Will (Boca Raton, FL) (4) defeated Gail Brodsky/Kaitlyn Christian (Orange, CA), 6-3,6-4

____________________________________________

Christina McHale Earns Two Finals
At the Girls' 18 Nationals
By Marcia Frost

August 15, 2009-There will be no repeat champion again this year (the last was Laura Granville 1998-99) as two new faces will be in the finals of the Girls' 18s Nationals at the Berkeley Tennis Club and Claremont Resort & Spa.

The last time Beatrice Capra and Lauren Embree met on the court was in October of 2008 at the USTA/ITF Pan American Closed Championship.  It was Capra who walked away with the win.  Things were different today as the 17 year old fell in a match full of long points and deuces.

Despite the long games, the match began in 18 year old Lauren Embree's favor as the fourth seed took control beyond the 1-1 start to a 4-1 lead.  An incredible serve and winners brought the right points to eighth-seeded Capra until she won four straight games to even the score.  It looked like she would keep the momentum going, but two set points came and went and then it was Embree who had the set at 7-5.  From there it remained on serve through the first few games and then, as the Floridian said, "she missed a couple of shots and everything started going my way."  Lauren Embree earned her place in the final with a 6-1 second set.

The second semifinal of the day was a different story with a different ending.  The two Eastern players had played each since they were younger, but their last meeting was actually in December at an Australian Open wildcard playoff.  It was Christina McHale's match then in straight sets, but today Gail Brodsky made her work a lot harder.  The second-seeded defending champion never let up the pressure as the two power players (who both have a habit of hitting low balls) went at it for two and a half hours in front of nearly 300 spectators.

Third-seeded Christina McHale took an early break for 2-1 and kept it through the 6-3 set finish. The second was much closer and full of breaks back and forth, but it was actually Brodsky who had the important one at 6-5 and then held it for the second set.  The third was similar -- close games and three breaks.  At 5-4, though, a determined Christina McHale didn't need all of her triple match point, before she got a hug at the net from her opponent.

After a rest, it was back on the court for three of the four singles semifinalists for doubles.  The first semifinal went to third-seeded Kristie Ahn and Courtney Dolehide, an incoming freshman for UCLA,over Kaitlyn Christian and Gail Brodksy.  The second seeds dropped in three tight sets.  Christina McHale and Lauren Embree got a preview of the final as they faced each other on the opposite side of the court.  It was the top-seeded McHale and partner Asia Muhammad who prevailed in straight sets, but Embree and Allie Will will have plenty of future time to get together as they will both be playing for the University of Florida.  Christina McHale has a chance to become the first player in nine years to win singles and doubles.  The last one to complete that feat was Kristen Schlukebir, who won in 2000, taking the doubles with Tanner Cochran.

In the consolation matches, Asia Muhammad defeated Kaitlyn Christian and then Nicole Gibbs for a place in Sunday's 5th place playoff.  Her opponent, Jacqueline Cako, had a rough day on the court, making it through three sets with Alexandra Cercone before another one that went the distance over Ester Goldfeld.

Sunday's playoff matches will begin at 9:00 am with the singles final schedule for 10:30 am and the doubles to follow.  All matches are at the Berkeley Tennis Club and admission is free. The matches will also be broadcast live on RadioTennis.com.  Also look for the USTA Girls' 18 National Championships on Facebook (which has photo albums for each day), as well as updates on Twitter through MarciaLF24.

Semifinal Main Draw Singles

Lauren Embree/Marco Island, FL (4) defeated Beatrice Capra/Ellicott City, MD (8), 7-5,6-1

Christina McHale/Englewood Cliffs, NJ (3) defeated Gail Brodsky/Brooklyn, NY (2), 6-3,5-7,6-4

Semifinal Consolation Singles

Asia Muhammad/Henderson, NV defeated Nicole Gibbs/Manhattan Beach, CA, 7-5,6-4

Jacqueline Cako/Brier, WA  defeated Ester Goldfeld/Brooklyn, NY, 7-6(7),5-7,6-1

Semifinal Doubles

Christina McHale/Asia Muhammad (1)  defeated Lauren Embree/Allie Will (Boca Raton, FL) (4), 6-1,6-2

Kristie Ahn (Upper Saddle River, NJ)/Courtney Dolehide (Hinsdale, IL)  (3) defeated Gail Brodsky/Kaitlyn Christian (Orange, CA), 5-7,6-4,6-4

Full draws are available online at http://tennislink.usta.com/tournaments/tournamenthome/tournament.aspx?T=68805. 

____________________________________________

Singles Semis Decided
While Consolation & Doubles Bring Marathons
By Marcia Frost

August 14, 2009-Another day of warm sunshine welcomed semifinal singles matches at the Girls' 18 Nationals, followed by crowd-pleasing consolation and doubles matches that went the distance at the Berkeley Tennis Club and Claremont Resort & Spa. 

It was definitely not your standard group of quarterfinal matches.  The day started with Nicole Gibbs and Gail Brodsky.  It was a straight 6-3 set for the second-seed, but Gibbs was the leader in the next set as she held to 4-2. Despite a quick visit from the trainer for a sore ankle, Gail Brodsky came back against the fourth seed and took it 6-4 in the second. Brodsky credited her three-setter yesterday for helping her today, "I mentally collapsed (yesterday) at 1-0, 40-15 in the second and fell apart.  Today when I was at 1-0, 40-15, I said to myself, 'you can't go through this again' and I made myself fight."

Doubles partners Asia Muhammad and Christina McHale also played to two sets with some great points, but there was no doubt that third-seeded McHale was the more solid one and she proved it at 6-2,6-2.  After the match she agreed with the assessment, "I was more steady and more consistent. I think she made more errors than usual trying to come in and attack."

The afternoon quarterfinals were nothing like the morning matches.  Lauren Embree (4) and Alexandra Cercone (11) kept the crowd guessing.  After sweeping the first set, Cercone dropped the next 11 of 12 games. But it didn't really look like a total wipeout.  There were some long rallies at the baseline and deuce games.  Embree said of the strange 0-6,6-1,6-0 score, "I was really nervous in the first set and in the second I loosened up and started playing more aggressive.  She started making errors while I had the momentum."

Eighth-seeded Beatrice Capra also quickly lost the first set to No. 15 Ester Goldfeld.  The second was hers, though, and the third was when the match really began.  The crowd grew and they were treated to some incredible points from two players who have a variety of weapons. The games were long and it was up for grabs until the end. Capra echoed the sentiments of Brodsky about not making the same mistake twice, "Yesterday I lost the first set and regrouped.  This reminded me of yesterday and I knew I had to mix it up and hit it hard."

There were some exciting consolation matches, but the match of the day definitely belongs to Allie Will and Courtney Dolehide.  The duo was out there for three and a half hours of wild points, ending in a 7-6(8),5-7,7-5 win for Dolehide, who had survived Alina Jerjomina earlier in the day, 7-6(4),6-4.

The doubles finished with a marathon of three-setters, the most memorable of which was second-seeded Gail Brodsky & Kaitlyn Christian vs. 9-16 Jacqueline Cako & Olivia Janowicz.  After two fairly close sets, the two teams went into a third that was filled with top-notch serve and volley doubles -- except for the serve part.  No one was able to hold it through the first 11 games. Brodsky & Christian gave up three match points at 5-4 and it wasn't until 6-5 that there was a hold, but it was followed by another and into a tiebreaker we were.  The level of play continued to be spectacular and then there was a match point at 6/5 in the breaker for Cako & Janowicz. It came and went and it was finally the higher seeds who squeezed by at 8/6 in the third set breaker.

In the doubles semis, Brodsky & Christian will join Christina McHale & Asia Muhammad.  The top seeds also had to go three sets to earn their win over Cierra Gaytan-Leach & Nicole Gibbs. In the bottom half of the draw, Kristie Ahn & Courtney Dolehide (3) survived a close one over Mallory Burdette & Mary Clayton (9-16) to earn a meeting with Lauren Embree & Allie Will.  For the fourth-seeds it was also a match that went the distance over Emina Bektas & Lilly Kimbell.

Saturday's semifinal singles matches will begin at the Berkeley Tennis Club at 10:00 am, followed by doubles in the afternoon.  Admission is free. The matches will also be broadcast live on http://www.RadioTennis.com.  Also look for the USTA Girls' 18 National Championships on Facebook (which has photo albums for each day), as well as updates on Twitter through MarciaLF24.

Quarterfinal Singles

Beatrice Capra/Ellicott City, MD (8) defeated Ester Goldfeld/Brooklyn, NY (15), 1-6,6-2,6-4

Lauren Embree/Marco Island, FL (4) defeated Alexandra Cercone/Seminole, FL (11), 0-6,6-1,6-0

Christina McHale/Englewood Cliffs, NJ (3) defeated Asia Muhammad/Henderson, NV (6), 6-2,6-2

Gail Brodsky/Brooklyn, NY (2) defeated Nicole Gibbs/Manhattan Beach, CA (5), 6-3,6-4

Quarterfinal Doubles

Christina McHale/Asia Muhammad (1) defeated Cierra Gaytan-Leach (Corona Del Mar, CA)/Nicole Gibbs (8), 4-6,6-2,6-2

Lauren Embree/Allie Will (Boca Raton, FL) (4) defeated Emina Bektas (Indianapolis, IN)/Lilly Kimbell (New Braunfels, TX) (9), 3-6,6-1,6-4

Kristie Ahn (Upper Saddle River, NJ)/Courtney Dolehide (Hinsdale, IL) (3) defeated Mallory Burdette (Jackson, GA)/Mary Clayton (Plantation, FL) (9-16), 6-4,2-6,7-5

Gail Brodsky/Kaitlyn Christian (Orange, CA) defeated Jacqueline Cako (Brier, WA)/Olivia Janowicz (Palm Bay, FL) (9-16), 3-6,6-4,7-6(6)

Full draws are available online at http://tennislink.usta.com/tournaments/tournamenthome/tournament.aspx?T=68805. 

____________________________________________

Top-seed Falls During Epic Round of 16 in Berkeley
By Marcia Frost

August 13, 2009-The USTA Girls' 18 Nationals is the most prestigious junior tennis championship of its kind and today 16 girls proved that they deserved to be here as play -- and the weather -- heated up.

The temperatures have been unusually warm at the Berkeley Tennis Club and Claremont Resort & Spa. The beautiful weather brought out a large number of spectators who were treated to a group of amazing matches.  First up was the eighth-seeded Beatrice Capra (Ellicott City, MD) vs. Ellen Tsay (Pleasanton, CA) (17-32).  It was a bit of a back and forth match with Tsay dominating the first set over a struggling Capra, who was only able to get one game. In the second, it was pretty much the opposite as the higher seed was determined not to fall.  Though the score in the third was 6-2 in Capra's favor, it was the most competitive set.

Competition was definitely a word that could be used for the match on center court between No. 14 Allie Will (Boca Raton, FL) and No. 2 Gail Brodsky, the defending champion. Will, who will be attending the University of Florida in a few weeks, never let up the pressure or confidence, even after dropping the first set, 6-3.  She came back for an early break and kept it going for a 6-3 set of her own. The third stayed on serve until 4-3, when Gail Brodsky took and held it for a 6-3 finish.

Fifth-seeded Nicole Gibbs (Manhattan Beach, CA) held steady through a tight first set and then took command over Courtney Dolehide (Hinsdale, IL) (17-32), 6-4,6-0.  Sixth-seeded Asia Muhammad (Henderson, NV) won the first four games before 12th-seeded Brooke Bolender (Delray Beach, FL) was to get into the match, unfortunately, a wrist problem kept her from staying in and completing it and Muhammad moved on with a 6-3,1-0 finish.

Third-seeded Christina McHale (Englewood Cliffs, NJ) and fourth-seeded Lauren Embree (Marco Island, FL) struggled through their first sets, but each had quick seconds as the beat Nicole Melichar (Stuart, FL) and Brett Ellen Keeler (Bee Cave, TX) respectively.  Both were unseeded players who had terrific runs.  It was a battle of incredible points that gathered a crowd watching another non-seed before No. 11 Alexandra Cercone (Seminole, FL) finally got past Kaitlyn Christian, 7-6(5),1-6,6-3.

The final match of the day was also the shocker as 15th-seeded Ester Goldfeld (Brooklyn, NY) took out the No. 1 player in the tournament, Kristie Ahn (Upper Saddle River, NJ).  As solid as Ahn has been playing, Goldfeld went one better on Thursday, serving aces and winners with quick accuracy.  The frustrated top-seed fell in a 6-3,6-3 that was much closer than the score indicated.

After the match, Ester Goldfeld was more than happy with her play, "I am so excited.  I was a bit more solid than she was today.  I knew it was going to be a tough match and I prepared for it mentally."  Kristie Ahn did end the day on a high note as she and partner Courtney Dolehide defeated Mara Schmidt (Lakewood Ranch, FL) & Tina Tehrani (New Canaan, CT) for a spot in the doubles quarterfinals.  The third seeds will be facing Mallory Burdette (Jackson, GA) & Mary Clayton (Plantation, FL) (9-16).  Also advancing in doubles were the teams of Christina McHale & Asia Muhammad (1); Cierra Gaytan-Leach (Corona Del Mar, CA) & Nicole Gibbs; Lauren Embree & Allie Will; Emina Bektas (Indianapolis, IN) & Lilly Kimbell (New Braunfels,TX); Jacqueline Cako (Brier, WA) & Olivia Janowicz (Palm Bay, FL) (9-16); and Gail Brodsky & Kaitlyn Christian (2).

The day ended with a fireside chat at the Berkeley Tennis Club, with local resident and renowned journalist Joel Drucker moderating a Q&A with Jose Higueras.  The former top professional player and current USTA Director of Coaching for Elite Player Development spoke about his thoughts on teaching rather than coaching, "One thing I never do is to tell a player what to do.  I give him information."  Higueras added, "There is a huge amount of anxiety about winning, but not enough anxiety about learning."

Friday's quarterfinals singles matches will begin at the Berkeley Tennis Club at 10:00 am, followed by doubles in the afternoon.  Admission is free.  Full draws are available online at http://tennislink.usta.com/tournaments/tournamenthome/tournament.aspx?T=68805.  Also look for the USTA Girls' 18 National Championships on Facebook (which has photo albums for each day), as well as updates on Twitter through MarciaLF24.

____________________________________________

Kids' Day Puts Fun into Tough Competition
At the Girls' 18 Nationals
By Marcia Frost

August 12, 2009-It was a day full of fun for some local kids, but not quite so entertaining for some struggling seeds at the Girls' 18 Nationals.

Kids Day at the Nationals is a tradition in Northern California and this year was no different.  Clothed in tee-shirts provided by the college coaches, three groups (Berkeley Youth Alternative, Kids in Motion and Cherrie King Tennis) spent a good part of the day enjoying and learning about tennis.  Former Davis Cup Captain (and Olympic Coach) Tom Gullickson was on hand to talk to the kids about getting started with the USTA's Quick Start Tennis program and answer questions they had on Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, Serena Williams and some of the other top players he coached.

As much fun as the kids had with Coach Gullickson and former tournament director Jennifer Pitzen, the real excitement came when they got to watch some tennis at the Berkeley Tennis Club and Claremont Resort & Spa. Then, they met with the players to have their tee-shirts autographed.  Everyone talked and smiled and forgot about the competition for a few moments. Lauren Herring (Greenville, NC), who lost her consolation singles match this morning, was quickly cheered up by the kids she described as "cute and upbeat."

It wasn't all fun play on Wednesday.  Even top-seeded Kristie Ahn (Upper Saddle River, NJ) had a bit of a struggle when Lacey Smyth (Oceanside, CA) turned a 4-1 lead into 4-3 deuce in the first, but she pulled it together for a 6-3,6-2 win.  Second-seeded Gail Brodsky (Brooklyn, NY) took out fellow Easterner Robin Anderson (Matawan, NJ) a bit easier at 6-2,6-2.  The only upset was a small one as 17-32 seed Ellen Tsay (Pleasanton, CA) beat No. 9 Mallory Burdette (Jackson, GA), 3-6,6-1,6-3. 

Burdette had sister Lindsay on hand to watch, a Stanford senior who won the doubles championship with her two years ago.  In fact, it appeared to be the Cardinals' sibling day as Alex Clayton was also watching sister Mary, whom made him "nervous by playing to close to the net."  Net work is something big brother knows as Alex Clayton actually owns a Gold Ball in doubles from the Boys' 18 Nationals at Kalamazoo.  The group is hoping to take the Stanford sibling connection all the way as Mallory Burdette and Mary Clayton are into the third round of doubles together.

Eighth-seeded Beatrice Capra (Ellicott City, MD) almost got pulled into a third set by Olivia Janowitz, but the USTA Spring Nationals winner pulled it out in a tiebreaker.  Also needing a breaker to get through it was No. 6 Asia Muhammad (Henderson, NV) over Monica Turewicz (Saratoga, CA) with some great play by both. Muhammad said it felt "good to be back.  I like Berkeley, it's quite a little town and the club is really nice." After winning the tiebreaker in the first, she made position clear by ending the next game with an ace and taking the set 6-1.

Third seeded Christina McHale (Englewood Cliffs, NJ) is playing right on and only dropped two games today to Lilly Kimbell (New Braunfels, TX) (17-32).  McHale was also excited to be at the Girls' 18 Nationals, "This is my third year.  I can do it next year too.  I don't play a lot of these Nationals so it's been fun seeing everyone -- especially all the girls from the East." 

Full draws are available online at http://tennislink.usta.com/tournaments/tournamenthome/tournament.aspx?T=68805.  Also look for the USTA Girls' 18 National Championships on Facebook (which has photo albums for each day), as well as updates on Twitter through MarciaLF24.

____________________________________________

Calm Morning Leads To Upset Afternoon in Berkeley
By Marcia Frost

August 11, 2009-The weather cooled down a bit and the clouds filled a morning with straight set matches and only one minor upset.  When the sun came out in the afternoon, though, it produced a totally different story at the Berkeley Tennis Club and Claremont Resort & Spa for the USTA Girls' 18 Nationals.

With the exception of Lacey Smyth's (Oceanside, CA) 6-4,6-2 victory over 17-32 seed Emina Bektas (Indianapolis, IN), all of the seeds in the morning glided through their matches. The last of the easy ones came for No. 4 Lauren Embree (Marco Island, FL), who remarked that she "liked seeing everyone again, especially since it is her last year (at the Nationals) before college."  Embree enjoyed the rest of the day as a spectator and she had a center seat for some great matches.  What followed were seven three-setters and four seeds falling.

Nicole Melichar (Stuart, FL) took out 10th-seeded Pamela Montez (La Quinta, CA) in the only straight set upset of the afternoon. The other three who lost were alpha seeds. Sarah Toti (Las Vegas, NV) managed to outlast Stephanie Hoffpauir (Escondido, CA) (17), 7-6(2),4-6,6-3.  It was an even closer one as Hanna Mar (Burr Ridge, IL) fell to Tessa Lyons (Wallingford, PA), 4-6,7-5,7-5. And Mary Clayton (Plantation, FL) took the first set but couldn't grab the other two over Robin Anderson (Matawan, NJ) who had a final, 3-6,6-1,6-3.

There was no upset, but the match between two Southern California girls was definitely worthy of the crowd it drew. Kaitlyn Christian, who had upset No. 7 Jacqueline Cako yesterday, outlasted USTA National Clay Court winner Krista Hardebeck through two tiebreak sets full of exciting points.  Another match that garnered attention was the 12th-seeded Brooke Bolender (Delray Beach, FL) and Katie Le (Milpitas, CA).  After dropping the first set, Brooke had a great comeback to keep her place in the draw.

Since it was the first day of the Feed-in Consolation draw, there were no doubles matches played today.  Tomorrow will be a full day in all three draws.  Wednesday is also Kids' Day at the Nationals, a special day for local children that the players also cherish.  From 11:00 am to 2:00 pm, kids from the Berkeley Youth Alternative, Kids in Motion of Oakland and the Cherrie King Tennis Program in Oakland will be descending on the Berkeley Tennis Club.  The kids will get to meet the players, watch the matches, and learn about their lives as junior tennis players and their plans to become college tennis players.  College coaches have donated tee-shirts from their schools for the nearly 50 kids to have autographed by the players which helps make it a memorable day for all.

____________________________________________

Tough Matches at the Girls’ 18 Nationals
By Marcia Frost

August 10, 2009- The only thing that was dependable today was the weather (warm and sunny yet again) as seeds fell and others struggled to keep their place in the draw at the Berkeley Tennis Club and the Claremont Resort & Spa.

There were no problems for the top six seeds as all advanced in straight sets. After defeating Kara Kucin (Belleair, FL), top-seeded Kristie Ahn (Upper Saddle River, NJ) admitted to having “first round jitters” and was glad she was able to get that first match “out of the way so I can move on.”  Defending champion Gail Brodsky (Brooklyn, NY), the second seed, returned to Berkeley after a year of professional circuit events rather than juniors, “It’s very exciting,” she said, “It’s different (this year) because I don’t know many of the players and don't know what to expect.”  It didn’t seem to affect her as she looked pretty solid in her win over Mia Lancaster (Edmond, OK).

Seventh-seeded Jacqueline Cako (Brier, WA) fell to Kaitlyn Christian in straight sets.  There were also three of the 17-32 seeds eliminated from the draw. Bryann Boren (Laguna Niguel, CA) defeated Nida Hamilton (Oak Brook, IL) in a short match compared to the three and a half hour marathon between Hanna Yu (Northbrook, IL) and Kate Fuller (Suwanee, GA), with Yu prevailing. In another three-setter, Olivia Janowicz (Palm Bay, FL) beat Whitney Ritchie (Oklahoma City, OK).  Though Janowicz admitted starting out shaky against the player she called “very consistent and a good mover,” she felt she was able to “figure her out and get into it better mentally.”

Some other lower seeds who survived scares on Monday included Blair Seideman (Glen Head, NY) (17-32), who just made it past Shelby Rogers (Daniel Island, SC), 7-5,7-6(1);  Mallory Burdette (Jackson, GA) (9), who ended up going the distance even though she shut out the first set over Arienna Colffer (Corona, CA);  and Hanna Mar (Burr Ridge, IL) (17-32), who needed a breaker in the final set over Michelle Kedzierski (St. Louis, MO).  Thirteenth-seeded Julia Boserup (Boca Raton, FL) was forced to withdraw due to illness.

Dorothy Tang (Arcadia, CA), the youngest player in the tournament who turns 14 on Wednesday, ended her time in the main draw with a second round loss to Jamie Yapp-Shing (Miami, FL), 7-5,6-2.  Her dad said they chose to play the 18s “because I just wanted to improve her.”  He also added that they played the 16s last year and “wanted to come to a different place. We have never been to Berkeley and we wanted to check it out.  It's very nice and we are looking forward to spending time in (nearby) San Francisco.”

The only upset in doubles was Caroline Price (Duluth, GA) & Katherine White (Columbus, GA) over ninth-seeded Gabriella De Simone (Rancho Santa Fe, CA) & Stephanie Hoffpauir (Escondido, CA) (9-16), 6-4,4-6,6-2.  Despite pulling a stomach muscle in singles, fifth-seeded Lauren Herring (Greenville, NC) served under-handed and she and partner Grace Min (Duluth, GA) advanced over Samantha Adams (New Braunfels, TX) and Ariel Morton (Houston, TX), 6-4,6-2.

Full draws are available online at http://tennislink.usta.com/tournaments/tournamenthome/tournament.aspx?T=68805.  Also look for the USTA Girls' 18 National Championships on Facebook, where daily photo albums will be available, and updates on Twitter through MarciaLF24.

____________________________________________

Top Tennis and Perfect Weather Mix Well in Berkeley
By Marcia Frost

August 9, 2009- The weather was picture-perfect on the first day of matches for the USTA Girls’ 18 National Championships held at the Berkeley Tennis Club and the Claremont Resort & Spa. 

Without seeds playing, there wasn’t any chance of upsets, but spectators were treated to some great matches. There were six matches among the 64 that went to three-setters on Sunday.  Among them, coaches were talking about Samantha Critser’s (Mountain View, CA) comeback third set over Katherine White (Columbus, GA) for a 6-0,4-6,6-4 win. The longest match of the day, though, belonged to Katherine Flanigan (Davis, CA)and Sarah Lee (Los Angeles, CA), with Lee pulling it out, 3-6,6-4,7-6(4).

It may not have gone the distance, but there was a crowd to watch Kelly Chiu (Milpitas,CA), who is coached by Tournament Chairwoman Lynne Rolley.  She put up a great effort at her home club, still, she couldn’t get past the hard-hitting Nicole Melichar (Stuart, FL) and fell 6-4,6-3. 

Fourteen year old Blair Shankle (Comfort, TX), who is the only player to have ever won the Maureen Connolly Brinker Foundation’s “Little Mo” Championships four years in a row, advanced past Casey Robinson (Radnor, PA), 6-3,6-1.  Coach Emily Foster said she gave Blair the choice of the age group she wanted to play because “it’s about the learning curve” and Blair picked the oldest division.  Both were satisfied with the decision after today’s match.

Tournament wildcards Shelby Rogers (Daniel Island, SC), Emily Gelber (Scarsdale, NY) and Stephanie Vidov (West Palm Beach, FL) advanced in their matches with Rogers defeating Erin Snook (Tampa, FL), 6-1,6-2; Gelber beating Kim Szokol (Winnetka, IL), 6-1,6-3; and Vidov prevailing over Jessica Wacnik (Orland Park, IL), 6-3,6-0.

The first round of doubles was completed before dark with the seeds in that event also getting a rest today.  Results are attached and the full draws are available online at http://tennislink.usta.com/tournaments/tournamenthome/tournament.aspx?T=68805.  Visit the tournament’s official site at http://www.USTAgirls.org for stories, photos and schedules.  Also look for the USTA Girls' 18 National Championships on Facebook and updates on Twitter through MarciaLF24.

Contact: Marcia Frost for USTA Girls' 18 Nationals Press Inquiries
E-Mail: Marcia@pwta.com|Cell: 217-419-0310
(from 8/7-8/16) Claremont Resort-510-843-3000

____________________________________________

Excitement Begins in Berkeley At Girls’ 18 Nationals
By Marcia Frost

August 9, 2009- Even though play hasn’t begun, there was plenty of excitement at the Berkeley Tennis Club and the Claremont Resort & Spa on Saturday.

Coaches and special guests arrived to welcome over 200 girls who came to town for the 2009 USTA Girls' 18 National Championships. While registration was taking place at the Berkeley Tennis Club, a hugely successful College Coaches Forum was held up the hill at the Claremont Resort & Spa.  From Northwestern Coach Claire Pollard,  who called the event “fabulous,” to Dartmouth Coach Bob Dallis who said it was “very well run,” players spent some much needed time meeting with coaches and trying to make the difficult decision on which school to go to.  It was also a homecoming for new coaches who had been here before in a different capacity, like Yale assistant Christian Thompson, who played this event for four years in a row as a junior before attending Notre Dame.

When registration and the forum were over, it was time for the players meeting and opening ceremony, during which Lew Brewer, Director of Competition for the USTA, thanked Andrea Norman for her two decades of service to the tournament. Then the players and families joined with some of the tournament’s 300 volunteers for a relaxing dinner before Sunday’s competition.

At the same time as the welcoming for the players was a different kind of reception for college coaches.  Dick Gould helped kick off a High Performance Coaching Education Program led by Managing Director of Player Development for the USTA Paul Roetert.  Gould, the former Stanford coach who won 17 NCAA Championships with teams filled with names like “McEnroe” and “Bryan,” delighted the coaches with tales of how he helped his team “strive for excellence.”

Play begins on Sunday morning at the Berkeley Tennis Club and the Claremont Resort & Spa with the first round of singles and doubles (seeded players have byes and won’t begin until Monday).

Also look for the USTA Girls' 18 National Championships on Facebook and updates on Twitter through MarciaLF24.

____________________________________________

Competitor and Alternate Lists

Click here to view updated lists on the TennisLink Home Page.
If you have any questions about the selection and the process for alternates replacing withdrawing players, please read the Tournament Information page.
____________________________________________

Singles Seeds Announced
August 3, 2009

The Tournament Committee is pleased to announce the players seeded in the Singles Draw.  The top 4 seeds are as follows:

1.  Kristie Ahn
2.  Gail Brodsky
3.  Christina McHale
4.  Sloane Stephens

Visit the TennisLink Home Page to view the complete list of singles seeds.  The draw for the tournament will not be published until Saturday, August 8th.
____________________________________________

ALL PLAYERS AND ALTERNATES:  If you have not already done the following, please do so as soon as possible:

Entry Supplement/Release Form.  Download this Form and fax or mail it to Andrea Norman - fax and mailing address is on the Form.  Fax is preferred; Form need only be sent by one method.

Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions.

Andrea Norman, Tournament Director -
AndreaN64@aol.com
Lynne Rolley, Tournament Chairwoman -
lynne.btc@sbcglobal.net

Wild Cards Selected - Draw of 192 Singles Players Filled
July 28, 2009

The final eight players have been selected to fill the singles draw of 192 players.  Wild Cards have been awarded to:

Kristie Ahn
Gail Brodsky
Jacqueline Cako
Emily Gelber
Asia Muhammad
Shelby Rogers
Stephanie Vidov
Allie Will