Daily Results Feature Articles Final 2008 Junior National Championship Singles and Doubles Today at the Berkeley Tennis Club, the USTA Junior Girls 18 and under National Championships held the final singles and doubles matches in glorious sunshine with a capacity crowd of spectators. Perhaps the greatest junior tennis tournament, co-sponsored by the Claremont Resort & Spa, this national championship offered the winners a wild card into the women’s singles and doubles main draws at the U.S. Open in New York later this month. In singles, Gail Brodsky defeated Coco Vandeweghe in two sets, 7-5, 6-1. Born in Moscow and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Gail is a high school senior and trains in California at the Mark Weil Academy. Vandeweghe is a high school senior from Rancho Santa Fe, California. Both Brodsky and Vandeweghe played opposite each other later in the day in the final doubles match. Brodsky’s partner, Mallory Cecil, from South Carolina, placed 6th in singles in this tournament. Vandeweghe’s partner, Jamie Hampton, from Alabama, won this doubles final tournament last year with Melanie Oudin. Coco Vandeweghe and Jamie Hampton won the doubles final tournament, 7-5, 4-6, 6-4. There was plenty of drama in the third set when Brodsky, who was serving, was penalized one point for racquet abuse. The score was 4-5, advantage Hampton, and this final penalty point became match point and victory for Vandeweghe/Hampton. While the crowds booed and cheered, the referee and staff insisted on this rule, and the game was over. To lose on a technicality cost Brodsky and Cecil the chance to see how their match would have played out in the end. Singles Final Awardees: Doubles Final Awardees: Three other awards were presented to players: the Brinker Cup was given to Jamie Hampton for outstanding performance and sportsmanship; the USTA awarded Irina Falconi for sportsmanship; and the Chairman Award was awarded to Coco Vandeweghe, for great strokes, tactics, and gamesmanship. A special thanks and recognition to tournament Co-chair, Jennifer Pitzen, who has contributed so much to girls tennis and made this tournament over the years the great success that it is. Best of luck Jen with your next endeavors, your hard work will continue on.
Day 6: Cold Temperature and Hot Play “The coldest winter I spent was the summer in San Francisco.” Mark Twain wouldn’t have been surprised at the weather today; the blankets were out in force, as the morning fog never strayed too far away. But, the heat was on the courts at the Singles and Doubles Quarterfinals. First, here are the highlights of the singles’ play. On Court 4, Coco Vandeweghe (3) defeated Mallory Cecil (8) in a tightly fought battle that had blistering groundstrokes and clean winners on display. On Court 1, Julia Boserup (13) defeated Asia Muhammad (2). In set 1, Boserup was ahead 5-2, but Muhammad fought back to make it 6-6, eventually falling in the tiebreak. Strong serves, accurate groundstrokes, and multiple deuces made for enthralled viewing. Earlier in the day, Gail Brodsky (1) defeated Kristie Ahn (12) in a see saw three-setter and Irina Falconi (4) defeated Christina McHale (5). The Doubles Quarterfinals were full of outstanding play. The 16-year olds Christina McHale and Julia Boserup defeated Brooke Bolender and Beatrice Capra. According to Boserup’s mother, Julia picked up a racket at age 7 while tagging along to the courts while her older sister had a lesson. A pro suggested she try it out, and her mom said that was it – she loved it. Court 4 was the site of a very exciting doubles match: a three-setter with Gail Brodsky and Mallory Cecil defeating Jacqueline Cako and Courtney Dolehide. Cako and Dolehide are each almost 5’11; add in their tournament housing mother Pat Blanche – and that’s 18 feet of tennis talent! Cako and Dolehide played outstanding, aggressive points. Ultimately, Brodsky and Cecil stepped it up in the 3rd set and succeeded in closing out the multiple deuce games. The afternoon fog and gusty wind accompanied the action on Court 5 as Mallory Burdette and Sloane Stephens defeated Irina Falconi and Allie Will. Stephens and Burdette were down 0-3 in the 1st set tiebreak, and came back to win that 7-5. Falconi and Will took the second set and then Burdette and Stephens won the 3rd set 6-2. Sloane Stephens is 15-years old and an incredible athlete. She has some good genetics – her father John Stephens played pro football for the New England Patriots. Her grandparents haven’t seen her play in about a year, but were able to come in from Fresno for this tournament’s match. I think Grandma is right when she said about Sloane, “she’s got a future, definitely.” Sloane will also be in action on Saturday, having come through the two singles consolation rounds. She will be joined by Lauren Embree, Brooke Bolender, Nicole Gibbs and the Quarterfinalists who were defeated on Friday. Singles action begins Saturday morning at 10:00 AM, with doubles matches to follow. For photos and more information, please see www.ustagirls.org For media questions, contact USTAGIRLSTENNIS@gmail.com or call Anita Bloch at 510-220-1959 or Brenda Mathews at 510-316-7282
Day 5: Quality Play and a Fireside Chat with Patrick McEnroe It was a cold morning at the courts, with the fog burning off to a perfect day of top tennis battles. There was great quality of play in singles with a number of the seeds battling each other. Here are top highlights: (13) Julia Boserup d. (7) Jamie Hampton; 6-1, 6-0. In the consolation round, (17) Lauren Embree d. Jo-Jo Sanford and Sabrina Santamaria d. (17) Catherine Isip who had to retire due to an injury. In addition to a full day of singles, great doubles started up mid-day. The weather was perfect -- beautiful clear blue skies and mild temperatures Court 1 was the center of a long 3 set match between (9) Alexandra Cercone/Jacqueline Kasler and (1) Gail Brodsky and Mallory Cecil. The first set was a tight battle with Cercone/Kasler the victor. Cercone was driving her ground strokes, then closing the net and finishing the point. In the second set, breaks of serve were accompanied by aggressive play with Brodsky/Cecil winning it 6-4. Onto the third set, Brodsky/Cecil jumped to a 4-0 lead, ultimately winning the 3rd set at 6-1. Brodsky/Cecil stated that in the third set they “stayed consistent and were aggressive; they forced their opponents back.” Experienced bystanders felt that Brodsky/Cecil played the bigger point better. Meanwhile, on Court 3, (6) Courtney Dolehide and Jacqueline Cako won over (9) Kristie Ahn and Kristin Norton 6-3, 7-5. As Courtney Dolehide said upon exiting the court, “We were down 2-5 in the second set, serving 0-40 – we came back from triple match point and won the set 7-5.” Additional doubles matches include: (2) Hampton/Vandeweghe d.(9) De Bruycker/Kimbell; 6-1, 6-1. At 6PM, approximately 150 people gathered in BTC’s Ballroom for a fireside chat with Patrick McEnroe. He was interviewed by BTC Member Joel Drucker, a writer for The Tennis Channel.com, Tennis Week and ESPN.com. The chat centered on Patrick’s career as a player, as Captain of the U.S. Davis Cup, as a television commentator, and his new role as General Manager of the Elite Player Development of the USTA. Patrick shared humorous anecdotes of players on his Davis Cup team, his experience as the “brother of John McEnroe,” his decision to pursue college and then his experience as a doubles and singles pro. He shared the goal of the Elite Player Development to establish regional centers around the country. It will help players in different areas to compete with the best -- battle each other in practices, and battle each other at matches; also cheer each other on. Patrick’s advice to the players in attendance is to compete as much as possible. Learn how to win, learn how to lose. Players can control how hard they work; “be the best player YOU can be.” Get ready for the Singles Quarterfinals and the Doubles Semifinals. Friday matches start at 9AM at Berkeley Tennis Club. Friday will be down to 16 in the feed-in, 8 in the main draw and 8 teams in doubles (with some overlap of players). Saturday play starts at 10AM. For photos and more information, please see www.ustagirls.org For media questions, contact USTAGIRLSTENNIS@gmail.com or call Anita Bloch at 510-220-1959 or Brenda Mathews at 510-316-7282
Day Four – “Battling it Out” Great matches took place today – Day 4 of the USTA Girls18 National Tournament. On Court 8, Irina Falconi (#4 seed) managed to hold off Lauren Embree to win it 7-5, 7-6. Irina hails from Jupiter, FL and Lauren from Marco Island, FL but they haven’t played each other in a while. Lauren showed her tenacity and mental toughness. In the second set, Irina was ahead 5-2 and Lauren stayed positive and focused and fought hard for every point. Tension was mounting on the sidelines; games were often at deuce and Lauren got to a 6-6 tiebreak. Irina shouted to her corner, “here comes match point number 11,” and she finally won the set tiebreak 7-5. Kudos to both players – they laid it all out there on the court. As of press time, several other matches were completed and these are the seeded players moving on to the Round of 16: Gail Brodsky(1), Sloane Stephens(9), Krista Damico, Kristie Ahn (12), Nicole Gibbs (10), Lauren McHale (16), Mallory Cecil (8), Brooke Boldener, Coco Vandeweghe (3), Julia Boserup (13), Jamie Hampton (7) , Olivia Janowicz (17), and Asia Muhammed (2).
Matches start Thursday at 9AM at Berkeley Tennis Club and the Claremont Resort & Spa and each promises to be a battle, both physically and mentally. The glute muscles are starting to feel sore; the arms are being iced; the hands are swelling. Thursday will be down to 48 young women in the singles: 32 in the back draw and 16 in the main draw. For photos and more information, please see www.ustagirls.org For media questions, contact USTAGIRLSTENNIS@gmail.com or call Anita Bloch at 510-220-1959 or Brenda Mathews at 510-316-7282 Day Three - "Do or Die" Berkeley Tennis Club/Claremont Resort & Spa, Berkeley, CA -- Tensions peaked into Day Three of the USTA Girls’ 18 National Championship in Berkeley with a full day of Singles. The weather was on the cooler side but court play heated up. This round was “Do or Die” with top talented players advancing to next rounds while others packed their bags to head home after great play. The Back Draw had an incredible amount of matches which went to tight third sets demonstrating the strength of the Draw. Every match was a battle out there – well fought and well deserved by each of the Girls. The main seeds remained strong with only two upsets for the day. We’ll miss seeing both Allie Will and Mallory Burdette (the youngest of three sisters to have participated in this tournament over the years) in next rounds. They gave it their best on the court to hold their spots but today the wins went to their opponents Alexa Guarachi 6-3, 6-2 and Rachel Kahan 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 respectively. Other noteworthy play today included: Coco Vandeweghe (number 3 seed) vs. Brynn Boren with Coco advancing with a 6-4, 6-0 win. Amazing tenacity and sportsmanship demonstrated by both girls. Spectators could only wonder with what speed each player was actually serving the ball. Hampton, number 7 seed, moved her opponent Alexandra Kelleher side to side wining 6-0, 6-1 advancing her to next rounds. Number 2 Seed Asia Muhammad took on Sarah Guzick as the air became cooler into the late afternoon. Fans were not disappointed to witness amazing tennis with Asia winning 6-2, 6-3. The match of the day full of emotion and intensity was seen on Court 3 with number 17 Seed, Alexandra Cercone from Florida vs. Alexandra Leatu from Colorado. It was grueling for both girls going to three sets with Cercone ultimately taking the win. The girls were no strangers to each others games having just come up against one another at the last junior tournament play. Our own Norcal Gal, Taylor Davis came up against Christen Newman from Greensboro, NC. Scores were in Taylor’s favor 6-4, 7-5. She begins again at 8:30 tomorrow. Taylor grew up in San Jose where throughout her tournament play she continued to play high school tennis for Archbishop Mitty. In the fall she has committed to playing college tennis for Cal Berkeley and will become a familiar face around Berkeley. Her Mom captured the spirit of many of the girls out there today and what this tournament is all about “These girls are learning about life – through adversity and determination which will carry on later. They are meeting their friends some having known one another since 11!” Play today began at 8 this morning and finished at 8 this evening with Jacquelyn Kastler prevailing over Mandy Brown, 6-2, 2-6, 6-2 in a back draw match and Manuela Velasquez outlasting number 11 seed Beatrice Capra, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2. If today was tense, the week is only going to get tenser as we move into next rounds. Get ready for Day 4 which promises to be just as exciting! Preparing for The Nationals As the tournament draws near, we want to make sure you’re prepared for The Nationals! Entry Supplement/Release Form If you have not already downloaded and retuned this form, please download and bring to Tournament Registration on August 2nd. Registration Day & Mandatory Player Meeting. Players must register for the tournament on August 2nd between 11:30 am and 3:30 pm at the Berkeley Tennis Club and attend the Mandatory Player Meeting that begins at 5:00 pm. Doubles registration also takes place at this time and ALL teams must come to register - no online registration is considered final until both players come together to register. Players unable to come to Registration and/or the Mandatory Player Meeting must contact Andrea Norman. If you do not Register and we are unable to locate you, we will replace you with an alternate. Also, players who will not be at Registration to sign up for doubles, must email us to let us know who your doubles partner will be. Questions about the Alternate List and Replacing Withdrawing Players. If you have any questions about the selection and the process for alternates replacing withdrawing players, please go to the Tournament Information Page. Practice Courts. Practice courts must be reserved in person at the Berkeley Tennis Club - please do not call for reservations. Click on the link to read about how to reserve practice courts on Friday, August 1st, and Saturday, August 2ne, and where practice courts are located during tournament play. Hitting Pros. Avoid the hassle of waiting for a practice court and consider making a reservation with a Hitting Pro. Hitting Pros will be available to you beginning Friday, August 3rd and throughout the tournament week, by appointment only. The cost per session is as follows: $40.00 for 1/2 hour; $80.00 for one hour. Please contact Tournament Co-Chair Lynne Rolley to make reservations at lynne.btc@sbcglobal.net or (510) 841-9023. When calling or emailing Lynne, please include in the message your name, telephone number, the day and time you wish to have a hitting appointment, and the duration of the appointment (1/2 hour or 1 hour). All hitting appointments will be paid in cash at the start of the session. No checks or credit cards will be accepted. Dress Code. All players are required to wear appropriate tennis attire and dress in a manner consistent with being a participant in "The Nationals." We ask that you consistently dress as well during doubles play as you do during your singles matches. Running shorts, cut off shorts, or any other attire that is simply recreational and not tennis-oriented is not acceptable. Players are asked not to alter their attire in a manner that exposes their midriff. T-shirts are not acceptable on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and the final Sunday of the tournament. Players not meeting the dress code may be asked to change prior to going on the court. Please feel free to contact one of the tournament directors if we can be of any assistance to you: Andrea Norman - AndreaN64@aol.com Singles Seeds & Schroeder Scholarship Recipients Announced The Tournament Committee is pleased to announce the players seeded in the Singles Draw. The top 4 seeds are as follows: 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 2nd. National Tennis Championships, the non-profit corporation that organizes the Nationals, is proud to announce the recipients of the Schroeder Scholarship. Congratulations to these deserving young women. Emina Bektas - Indianapolis, IN Wild Cards Selected - Draw of 192 Singles Players Filled The final eight players have been selected to fill the singles draw of 192 players. Wild Cards have been awarded to: Brooke Bolender
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