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Feature Articles from Around the Web Final Day – Final Matches, End of the Tourney Road Berkeley Tennis Club, Berkeley, CA -- What began as a weeklong tournament with junior hopefuls from across the country arriving here in Berkeley, has come down to two final championship matches. As the most beautiful weather of the week graced the tournament, one thing was for certain. A singles national champion and a doubles national champion would be crowned today at the culmination of the USTA Girls’ 18 National Championships. The first finals match pitted last years’ runner-up, Ashley Weinhold against tournament darling Alison Riske (16). Immediately the action turned in favor of Riske, when she pounced out to a two game lead. And then immediately Weinhold churned out three victories in a row on her own. “I was kind of expecting her to come out swinging,” said Weinhold. “She is a very dangerous player.” Dangerous was an understatement, considering Riske toppled the one seed to get to this stage. She also had an assortment of effective groundstrokes which really impacted the level of play for Weinhold. Saturday, Weinhold was forced to play into a conservative match with Gambale to reach this finals match and today, Weinhold said she effectively was able to use her slice which created a lot of opportunity and victorious games. “I used my slice really well today. She is a solid player and didn’t know of her before the tournament,” said Riske. After the singles finals, it is safe to say the tournament and other players now know the McMurray, Pennsylvania native. However, it was experience and making opportunities at pivotal moments that secured the match for Weinhold. After facing a two game deficit in the first set, Weinhold stormed back to win 6-3. The second set was more of the same. Weinhold won match out of a deuce game nine of the second set. Final score: Weinhold 6-3, 6-3. Weinhold will now receive a Wild Card entry into the U.S. Open which begins in a few weeks in New York. After falling to second place, all was surely not lost for Riske who will receive a Wild Card into the qualifying round of the U.S. Open starting on August 21. After her match, Riske found herself in one of those tournament memories that has elevated the presence of the Nationals here in Berkeley. Enter, once again, Billie Jean King. After taking in much of the finals matches from the clubhouse balcony, King simply wanted to be on the court talking to the girls. King got her wish. On the far side of court three, King imparted her tennis wisdom to Riske as well as CoCo Vandweghe, who had just come off playing an impromptu match with the ball boys. Dressed in a black track suit and shoes bearing the name, “The King,” the players got to have a master class with the master of women’s tennis. Afterwards Riske was glowing. “I can’t believe I just talked to Billie Jean King,” said Riske. “That is something that I will remember for the rest of my life!” What separated that court time with King from all other tennis moments was what King was teaching to Riske. “Little things my coaches never tell you. After the years, she has a different outlook. Coaches tell you what to think not the geometry of the court or aspects of the game like that,” said Riske. And while King took in the doubles match later in the afternoon that is all she wanted to get past these young girls – most of who are extremely over coached in tennis today. King just wanted to let these kids think about different dynamics of the game – angles, geometry, and the speed of different surfaces – even speed differentials on different Hard Courts at the same club. King also underscored the importance of teaching the girls how integral it was to imagine where a shot was going to land before it landed there – that visualization is key to winning matches and deciding when to play the net. It was easy to see that King wanted to see these girls charge the net and set the dynamics of the match. In the doubles, it seemed very fitting for the final match to be an electryfing affair. Fifth-seed Lauren Embree and Asia Muhammad were overtaken by second-seed Jamie Hampton and Melanie Oudin, but not easily. The match would end in a thrilling tiebreak which prevented Embree and Muhammad from sending it to a third set. Embree and Muhammad played with authority and it is clear Muhammad’s style of play swept through the tournament audience all week. In the end, however, the Wild Card ticket was punched for Oudin and Hampton who will head to New York in a few weeks; 7-5, 7-6(5). After hundreds of matches, players traveling from all corners of the country and a mixture of fog and sun – the first year of the National 18s at the Berkeley Tennis Club turned out to be a successful run. The tournament finals matches saw record crowds take in the singles match. Next year, the tournament will remain at the Berkeley Tennis Club for another round.
Day Seven – Finals Set Berkeley Tennis Club, Berkeley, CA – Something about Alison Riske got Billie Jean King excited. Two days ago, perched high above the tennis club in the Claremont Hotel, King noticed a girl with a visor making shot after shot. “Riske is the one who impressed me,” King said. “She is in every ball. Every ball had purpose.” King said that even from her vantage point, she could tell her ground strokes were full of purpose and were exciting to watch. What makes that all the more stunning is twofold. One, by King’s own admission she stinks at picking out player talent and predicting their success. Second, Riske is playing in the finals tomorrow against two-seed Ashley Weinhold. Alison Riske (16) swiftly moved past fifth-seed Melanie Oudin in two sets; 6-2, 6-3. Whether this is a storybook run for the McMurray, Pennsylvania native remains to be seen until tomorrow, but nonetheless, Riske is set to play the match of her life. “She seemed to compete well, because she won all the important points,” said King. Looks like King nailed that one. On the other side of the net, Weinhold has been there before. Last year Weinhold fell short of the gold ball losing to Lauren Albanese in two sets; 6-3, 6-0. Albanese stayed ahead last year with an arsenal of strong plays and ground strokes. For Weinhold’s match against third-seed Mary Gambale, that exact scenario would never be able to present itself. Weinhold never had a chance to show off her own arsenal in this match, as Gambale tossed Weinhold into a very conservative match. It also may have exposed some wear in Weinhold’s game. She seemed to favor her shoulder at times and after playing so many matches throughout the week, it will be interesting to see how her shoulder holds up tomorrow and whether Weinhold’s dangerous combination of expertise coupled with her ground game and net ability will pay dividends in the final. And so, the stage has been set. Weinhold will face Alison Riske in what should be a competitive match. But the day could not comet to a close without an exciting final. On the championship court, Weinhold appeared once more with Kristy Frilling. Weinhold was trying to make the championship day one to remember, making an appearance in both finals matches – but Oudin, fresh off being knocked out of the singles championship, would have none of that. Oudin and her partner, Jamie Hampton (2) used a decisive third set to secure the match after nearly three hours and much drama and excitement unfolded. Oudin and Hampton refused to let the third set go to a tiebreak and ended up securing that set, 7-5. Matches being tomorrow for fifth place at 9:00am at the Berkeley Tennis Club, the matches are all open and free to the public.
Day Six – Pressure’s On Berkeley Tennis Club, Berkeley, CA -- This late into the week, it is hard not to be in awe of the physical and mental stamina these young girls bring to the courts. Nearly every girl still playing in the semifinals today, has played at least one singles match everyday. If that isn’t enough, the outcome of that match has to be left aside temporarily as most players followed that up with an afternoon doubles match. The pressure is on. Such is life in the world of a junior girls’ tournament, where now, the slightest mistakes, misjudgments or incorrect shot placements could equate to dumping a previously unbeaten player into the feeder section. This morning, the remaining eight singles players faced that proposition as the USTA Girls’ 18 National Championships continued at the Berkeley Tennis Club. And if girls didn’t feel the pinch of pressure or the antagonizing stares of their opponents, they most certainly must have felt the elevated presence of greatness at the club. Billie Jean King, tennis legend, took in matches from the upper deck of the clubhouse. Sometimes sitting, sometimes standing and mingling – she was always aware of the action. In one of the first matches to start the day’s action, Olivia Janowicz experienced the meaning of pressure. Riding the brackets all week, her sixth match of the tourney proved to be the end of the road. Throughout the tournament, Janowicz has somehow been hard pressed to win a first set. That still did not happen in her semifinal match against second-seed Ashley Weinhold and last year’s runner-up proved too difficult to thwart in this David and Goliath juniors match. Janowicz succumbed, 6-3, 6-1. At the exact same time, another match gave tennis fans a lot to take in on court four. And speaking of three set victories, fourth-seed Hilary Barte has needed those to secure victories in her last two matches. That would come to an end today, as fifth-seed Melanie Oudin overtook her; 6-3, 6-1. Of the top four seeded players, only two of them have emerged from the brackets unscathed; Weinhold and Gambale. One could argue that Alison Riske has had a surreptitiously accessible route to the finals ever since Julia Cohen was sent to the feed bracket. The top portion of the bracket was rife with upsets in the last two days, opening the path for sixteen-seeded Riske to gain entry to the final four. Saturday morning Riske will face Melanie Oudin. And in terms of setting up the bracket, things worked out in the bottom half as planned – as far as seeding goes. And with the lack of major upsets, the two seed will face the three seed for the chance to play in the finals. That match will be Ashley Weinhold (2) versus Mary Gambale (3). In late afternoon doubles action, Gambale and Cohen, the number one overall seed, were overtaken in two sets; 7-5, 6-1 by Asia Muhammad and Lauren Embree (5). Tomorrow afternoon, they will take on Brittany Augustine and Nadja Gilchrist (4). In the bottom half of the bracket, two singles top seeds that are still playing will also be pulling double duty in doubles. The Frilling / Weinhold (3)combo will take on Jamie Hampton and Melanie Oudin (2). But perhaps the most moving and inspiring moment of the day came after the dust had settled on the courts in an evening conversation in the ballroom with parents, athletes and members of the club with Billie Jean King. So much has been written about King, the championships, the Grand Slams, the rankings and the volley heard round the world. But so much bigger than that was the impression she left tonight on the young athlete’s that were lucky to hear her speak. In fact, most of the time, King took the direction of the conversation and questions and flipped them around to the players themselves. Curious and spontaneous and full of wisdom, King never ceased to entertain and to be thought-provoking. After the event, King talked with a player’s mother and tried to set a contract of a one year period in which the player’s mother could not focus and watch her matches. How far tennis as a sport for young women has come when a scrappy young women who grew up playing on the public courts of Long Beach, California, can convince a mother that she should not stress her daughter out by watching her every move on the court. King’s mother would just drop her off at a tournament and leave. Now parents monitor every step of their children’s game. Back in the ballroom King continued. “This is a big turning point in your life if you are in Juniors. This is a huge time in your lives, an automatic turning point whether you like it or not. How does tennis figure in your life?” King asked. In that moment King’s words became so much bigger than any of the matches earlier, so much bigger than tennis in general at the moment, and for good reason. King imparted wisdom on the students by getting them to think clearly about their futures, and careers, whether that includes swinging a racket or taking a professional career track. She also constantly forced the students to think about history. Know who preceded you in your sport, know the famous names and the not so famous names, for they came before you King mentioned. “The more you know about history the more you know about yourself. Most young people today do not care about history and I loved it, and it helped me make better choices along my tennis game and also in life,” King said. “It also makes you realize you are not the center of the universe; there are actually other people that matter in this world. Know at least, the history of your sport.” Maybe some of the players and others at the event didn’t know how local King’s personal history got to these hallowed courts. King has played many matches here, practiced here and she even lived two blocks away. Living in Berkeley during the tumultuous times of the 1960s led her to critically analyze her sport and lead her to make change in the world of women’s tennis. History indeed. And history tonight, came full circle, when the Berkeley Tennis Club presented King with an honorary membership to the club. It is a pretty sure thing that King will make history again, when she returns in the future. King said it best herself as she posed the question to herself; “What is your legacy? I am not finished yet.”
Day Five – Sweet Sixteen, Top Seeds Fall Berkeley Tennis Club, Berkeley, CA -- Eight matches may seem a small number, given the fact that on opening day there were more than 120. In those eight matches, the remaining sixteen juniors competed in some barnstorming matches, some major upsets and enthralling tennis under blue skies as the USTA 18s steam ahead to the Friday Quarterfinal matches. In early action, number one seed Julia Cohen was picked off in two sets; 6-1, 7-5 by Alison Riske, a sixteenth seed. Riske was dominant throughout the match setting the pace in the first set, racing out to a five-love early lead. Cohen battled back in the second set, but Riske prevailed, bellowing out a victory holler and looking out to her friends and family. Riske now faces Julia Boserup and the top portion of the bracket will be a match against two juniors that propelled to the Quarterfinals using key upsets. Boserup – one of only two unseeded players to advance to the final eight, used two decisive final sets to cement the victory; 1-6, 6-0, 6-2. Last year’s runner-up, Ashley Weinhold, is now the top seed in the tourney, by virtue of Cohen dropping out, and factors to play late into the weekend, like last year. And in thrilling fashion, Olivia Janowicz chugged through another three-setter to upset eighth-seed Kimberly Couts. The Florida native is quickly emerging as one of the most entertaining and surprising subplots of this tournament. Janowicz, 15, is the youngest player still swinging a racket in the singles field of the main draw. Across from Janowicz’s match, Hilary Barte (4) was drawing attention in the course of a volley heard ‘round the courts. It was the last match still going on in singles action, so quite a crowd assembled around Court One to watch Barte battle through a final game of a third set. Barte snagged the win; 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 and will take on Melanie Oudin (5) who outlasted CoCo Vandeweghe. Wednesday’s tournament darling Aeriel Ellis was also plucked from the singles main draw to Asia Muhammad; 6-2, 6-3. Later in the afternoon it was hard for tennis fans to not take notice that Bay Area native and New Jersey Nets star, Jason Kidd showed up to take in some doubles tourney action. A club member joked that he should come down when he is not busy to which Kidd replied, “I will totally come back and play.” Later while taking photographs with event volunteers, Kidd joked that he could strike a pose while imitating what he said was his strongest stroke – the backhand. In doubles, Julia Cohen will continue playing with partner Maria Gambale. The number one seeded doubles team stormed through a first set tiebreak set to win; 7-6(2), 6-3. Also, Lauren Embree and Asia Muhammad will continue to the quarters winning a tough, long match; 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(2). They knocked off CoCo Vandeweghe and Allie Will – an unseeded doubles tandem. Tomorrow will also see the remaining players be a part of a special tournament highlight, “Conversation with a Champion.” Tennis legend, Billie Jean King will be watching some of the matches and will give a talk and answer questions from players in the ballroom of the Berkeley Tennis Club at 6pm.
Day Four – Seed Topples, Sweet Sixteen Looks to Be a Treat Berkeley Tennis Club, Berkeley, CA -- As the dog days of summer roll on, sports remains a main focus and that certainly is no different in the Bay Area this week. Last night a ballplayer named Barry hit some sort of a record homerun, but across the bay from AT&T Park, fireworks have been going off all week and are only getting brighter as the week wares on. Today, 32 girls – pared down from 256 at the start of the week -- stepped onto the hallowed Hardcourts of the Berkeley Tennis Club to continue their march towards the coronation of the national champion at the USTA 18s and snagging that ticket to the US Open. In early matches, number one seed Julia Cohen was once again tested early. Her opponent, Lyndsay Kinstler helped create an interesting first set, playing the net with confidence. Cohen kept up her winning ways and Kinstler succumbed late in the first set and eventually lost the match; 6-3, 6-2. Earlier in the afternoon, a chapter of the Boys and Girls Club from West Oakland bussed in young students to see the action. They got to tour the facilities here at the Berkeley Tennis Club and also received shirts from college tennis programs across the country. Players still in the tourney came into the ballroom and signed shirts and mingled with the students, many of them tossing a volley of questions to the skilled juniors. A plethora of photographs were snapped and then the students filed out to watch Asia Muhammad’s match on court four. Afterwards, tournament director, Jen Pitzen brought over Asia to answer questions from the pondering youths, many of whom wanted to know how long she has played tennis and how long she practices. The answers -- Asia has been playing for eleven years and she practices five hours each day. The lesson to the girls was simple -- play hard and work even harder to reach their goals. It was a valuable lesson to each of the girls who had come from a neighborhood where tennis may not be the most celebrated sport. In any event, it underscored one of the event’s most promising matches – bridging the community with the players who are rising stars in the world of tennis. As the afternoon wore on, the walkway flanking the four main courts became increasingly packed with fellow juniors as well as parents and coaches. The action on the court elevated and the increased pressure of reaching the quarterfinals on Friday became much more evident. These girls were playing with ferocity and dreaming of landing a spot in the US Open. Elsewhere on the menu of tennis cuisine for the day? A slugfest lasting more than two hours on court five was surely on tap. Recruiters and fans of tennis had to be salivating as the sixth-seed, Jamie Hampton went toe to toe with Aeriel Ellis (17). By far, one of the most exciting matches of the day, Ellis fought through a pivotal second set tiebreak to carry her momentum into the third set in what has so far, been the tourney’s biggest upset. “I was really nervous. I knew that I had nothing to lose, so then I started to get a couple balls that I didn’t think that I could get and it made my momentum go forward and I started feeling better,” said Ellis. Then in the third set, Hampton was coded and it all seemed to flow nicely for Ellis as Hampton’s frustrations translated to mismanaging the court and losing aggressiveness. In the final game, Ellis made it look easy, pouncing out to a 40-love advantage and securing the match as competitors and parents alike cheered from the clubhouse. The final score; a hard-fought, 5-7, 7-6(5), 6-2. Ellis had no time to scout Hampton but in the end that doesn’t matter. With the victory, Ellis will be carried into another day of play and faces a match against ninth-seeded Asia Muhammad. “Definitely my best victory by far,” said Ellis. “I am excited for my match tomorrow, I am really excited. I was praying to make it this far.” Muhammad is drawing lots of attention with her aggressive play and her sizzling serving. Muhammad defeated Tayler Davis; 6-2, 6-1 to reach the match against Ellis tomorrow. In another upset, Stacey Tan (7) was uprooted from the tourney by Julia Boserup in three sets; 1-6, 6-0, 6-2. In other tourney action, top-ranked seeds fared considerably well. Ashley Weinhold (2), Hilary Barte (4), Melanie Oudin (5), and CoCo Vandeweghe (10) all moved on to compete yet another day into the USTA 18s. And finally, the singles matches couldn’t come to a close without drama and tension. Florida native, Olivia Janowicz continues to make noise in the tourney as she beat Lauren McHale (15) solidifying another upset; 4-6, 6-4, 6-3. That match clocked in at just less than three hours. Don’t miss a moment of tournament action when the field of singles girls’ will be narrowed to eight players heading into the Quarterfinals. The matches will be held at the Berkeley Tennis Club and are free and open to the public. Day Three – When There’s 64 Berkeley Tennis Club, Berkeley, CA -- With doubles action taking a daylong break, players were left to focus on critical matches that continued through the Maindraw on the path to crowning the singles champion in the USTA Girls’ 18 National Championships today in Berkeley. Tuesday saw the tournament branch out to two separate locations to accommodate the flurry of match activity across both the Maindraw as well as the Feed-ins. While many of the Feed draws were played at the courts of the Berkeley Tennis Club, a bunch of matches were scheduled at Hellman Stadium on the campus of the University of California – Berkeley, home of the Cal Bears Tennis teams, which compete in the Pac-10. One of the first matches of the day was top seed Julia Cohen who punched her ticket to compete in day four and the round of 32. She advanced ahead of Michelle Sulahian; 6-3, 6-2. Other top seeds continued to fare well throughout the day. Ashley Weinhold held court and won in two sets in one of the last matches of the afternoon. Weinhold defeated Erica Robertson; 6-2, 6-1 in front of a contingent of family, friends and college recruiters. Weinhold, a dominant force late into the USTA 18s last year in San Jose, will play Jackson, Mississippi native, Keri Wong (17). Mary Gambale – the other half of the doubles duo of Cohen/Gambale, also will continue playing tomorrow. She knocked off Hilary Bartlett; 6-1, 7-5. And rounding out the top of the four highest ranked players here at the 18s, Hilary Barte ousted Erin Wilbert; 6-3, 6-3. Of the top sixteen seeds, only one was knocked off in an upset. Courtney J. Clayton (14) was handily defeated by Leyla Entekhabi; 6-1, 6-1. Of the remaining alpha seeds, a total of five were toppled today -- one of them by local junior, Tayler Davis a native of San Jose, California. She powered through a first set tiebreaker and then regrouped after losing a second set to take the match; 7-6 (4), 4-6, 6-4 over Shinann Featherston. Also, Hillary Davis (alpha 17) was beaten by Lyndsay J. Kinstler in three sets; 6-3, 3-6, 6-4. Monica Chow (alpha 17) fell to California native, Julia Boserup; 6-1, 6-3. One of the most exciting parts of the tournament is seeking out young talent and watching them flourish in matches, destined to be a bigger part of this tournament and possibly launch a pro career. CoCo Vandeweghe of Santa Fe, California, was one of those names that stirred some conversation at the club today. Her tall frame – she is nearly six-feet tall, and powerful serve also drew lots of attention as she played Courtney Rauscher on court five. At her young age, Vandeweghe has achieved a lot in the tennis world. And like many others in the tourney, she also comes from a family with a rich heritage of athletics. CoCo’s grandfather, Dr. Ernie Vandeweghe, played for the New York Knicks for seven seasons. An uncle, Kiki Vandeweghe, is the general manager for the Denver Nuggets. No doubt, CoCo is one of the premier junior players in Southern California and should fare well to emerge as a dominant force as she works her way to the quarterfinals as a tenth seed. And then there were 32. Tomorrow 16 matches will start to solidify the race to singles champion and undoubtedly the day will be ripe with fantastic matches and possibly a few upsets with top players clashing with non-seeded juniors and the puzzle pieces to the quarterfinals will start to fall into place. There was no doubles action today – those matches will resume tomorrow at the Berkeley Tennis Club and the Hellman Stadium Courts at UC-Berkeley.
Day Two -- Top Seeds Taste Victory & Advance Berkeley Tennis Club, Berkeley, CA -- The temperature rose slightly, but the grey skies held and the absent sun still remained a tourney subplot for most of the morning singles action today. Day two was also the first time top seeds, and the top-rated junior players in the country got their first taste of tournament action, as the USTA Girls’ 18 National Championships continued. All top four seeds including; Julia Cohen, Ashley Weinhold, Mary Gambale and Hilary Barte saw action today on the Hard Courts. Julia Cohen used finesse and consistency to battle past California native, Emilee Malvehy in two sets. Cohen, the top seed in the nationals this year, and a four year participant at the USTA 18s, was briefly tested early in the second set, but took advantage of mental errors and slight misjudgments from Malvehy, securing the win, 6-2, 6-3. While watching Cohen, you could see the four years of experience put to work, and over the next few days, Cohen’s conservative style will morph into a more aggressive tournament play. The other theme of the day was closure. Lauren Greco of Oakmont, Pennsylvania, experienced that firsthand. In the solitary world of singles tennis, pressure and tension connected with closing out a single game of a single set can be the difference between winning and losing the match. At one point late in the match she threw her hands in the air and shouted, “...that’s like 30 match points!” In the end, Greco won a critical sixth game of the third set facing increased pressure and a streaking run from her opponent, Ryann Cutillo (alpha seed 17) of Kings Park. Cutillo, a New York native, will be fed into the consolation bracket, with a match tomorrow against Katherine H. Bulling on courts at the University of California – Berkeley. Greco, with family and friends watching her play on court number one, will continue to play into the third round here at Berkeley Tennis Club. Ashley Weinhold was dealing with a deadlocked first set, 4-4, when her opponent, Beatrice Capra of Ellicott City, Maryland, bowed out of the match with a foot injury. By injury retirement, Weinhold earned the victory and moves ahead to the next round. Third-seeded Mary Gambale moved past Maria Watanabe 6-2, 6-1. And rounding out the top of the four highest seeds, Hilary Barte swiftly advanced, 6-2, 6-0 defeating Megan Matter from Shawnee, Kansas. When all the singles matches were completed, every one of the top 16 seeds advanced unscathed; however five alpha seeds had been toppled, and sent into the consolation brackets. Then there were 64 and even some sun. After the thousands of strokes, slams and slices so far being played under grey skies, the crowd warmly welcomed the departure of the fog that had landlocked the courts for the past day and a half of play. Just as the singles matches were completing, the sun made a late afternoon arrival showering the doubles matches with golden California sunlight. With the welcome of nicer weather, some formidable doubles teams continued their march toward the championships. The Gambale and Cohen duo charged ahead to round two of doubles action, and also kept alive play in both doubles and singles categories into day three. They moved past Dana Guentert and Erin Wilbert, 6-1, 7-5. Tomorrow, the Main Draw of the singles tournament will continue along with the consolation bracket and continuation of the doubles tournament – where 32 teams will be narrowed to a field of 16. Matches will be split between courts at the Berkeley Tennis Club as well as the University of California – Berkeley. The event is free and open to the viewing public.
Singles and Doubles and Fog, Oh My! Berkeley Tennis Club, Berkeley, CA -- Tensions and nervousness remain the same, but the contrast in weather was markedly different as day one of the USTA Girls’ 18 National Championships got underway this morning. While players and families expected to find the same brilliantly sunny weather that soaked the courts yesterday, many of them braced for a chilly morning, and even a few sprinkles – a rarity in Northern California this time of year. Yesterday, Berkeley Supervisor Gordon Wozniak welcomed the young women and asked them to look over their shoulders as they play, admitting they may just see ghosts of Berkeley Tennis Club past (Helen Wills and J. Donald Budge among them) watching their matches. What he didn’t mention was that the ghosts and gods of mist and fog would be ever-present, eventually leading to the first-ever rain delay of matches in the more than sixteen years of the nationals held in California. Sunglasses and suntan lotion were replaced by blankets and sweatshirts. Despite the looming fog and rain, the games must go on (rumor has it Monday morning will see more of the same). The voucher to the US Open must include a passport stamped full of victories throughout the week and today was the day to notch must needed wins for many unseeded players, hoping to set up superb and exciting matches later in the week. In early morning action, Emily Gelber, 15, from Scarsdale, New York knocked off Alexis Rodriguez in a three-and a half hour match, finally culminating in a dazzling third setter. Gelber received a wildcard ticket to the nationals and is a first time participant in this tournament. Jen Pitzen, tournament director said it is quite unusual for first-day, early round matches to last that long. In another morning match, Logan Hansen, Santa Monica, California was tested in three sets lasting more than two hours. Hansen sealed the match with a tremendous sixth game in the third set, defeating Maria Belaya, a native of Melbourne, Florida. After the fog had become a guest that refused to leave this afternoon, the main draw of the tournament was whittled down to 128 players, including those that earned first-round byes. The consolation component of the tournament is set to continue Tuesday, after a daylong break. That group of players who lost today will begin a new battle for either fifth or sixth place in the championships. Late last night, doubles draws were released and the afternoon saw quite a few terrific matches en route to crowning the doubles champion later this week, as well as that Wild Card berth in New York. A brief mist/rain sent the crowds for shelter, but that was only a momentary lapse in play as the courts began filling up, signifying the start of doubles action. As can happen, injuries and illness often can change the course of a match. That very thing happened in a late afternoon doubles match. Kelsey Haviland of Dayton, Ohio, arrived to the club this morning with a high fever and an alternate, Kathleen Henry of Anderson, South Carolina, agreed to step in within two hours of match time, showing yet another example of the honor and competitive spirit that the girls bring to this tournament. Their match ended up being one of the most exciting of the evening– losing a close one in a third set tiebreaker to Caroline Davis and Shoko Okuda, 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 (4). Tomorrow marks the first day top seeds that drew byes will play, with matches beginning at 8:30 am. All action will be played on the courts of the Berkeley Tennis Club in conjunction with courts at the Claremont Hotel. All matches are free and the public is encouraged to attend.
Registration, College Coaches' Forum & Celebration USTA Girls' 18 Championships Berkeley Tennis Club, Berkeley, CA -- In the shadows of one of Berkeley’s most historic landmarks, tennis is gearing up to take center stage for a tournament with national repercussions this week. America’s hottest crop of girls’ tennis players have been trickling into the Berkeley Tennis Club marking registration day of the USTA Girls’ 18 National Championships. This year marks the transition of nationals from Almaden Valley Athletic Club in San Jose, where the tournament was held for 16 years to the East Bay and the storied courts of the Berkeley Tennis Club. New England, Iowa State, Nebraska and every state in between marked many of the shirts worn by players as they streamed through the club and took in the courts and stood in awe of the towering Claremont, palm trees and the beautiful weather. The tournament marks the first time that the Claremont has co-hosted a prominent event with the Berkeley Tennis Club. Interestingly enough, the Claremont sits above the Berkeley Tennis Club, but is zoned into the city of Oakland. Courts lie in both Oakland and Berkeley, but one thing is for sure, the city boundaries will disappear as the matches get underway. Registration day for the USTA Championships also marks the college coaches’ forum. Tennis prospects get to meet coaches from highly regarded collegiate tennis programs from across the country. During the course of the weeklong tournament, coaches will be roaming the courts in anticipation of snagging top players. From the two hundred girls playing, one will be crowned national champion and earn a wildcard to the US Open in New York. Today this event is one of the most prestigious junior tourneys in the country. The path to champion will likely have to go through one of the top four seeds; Julia Cohen, Ashley Weinhold, Mary Gambale and Hilary Barte, however anything can and will happen as was evident last year on the sun-drenched courts of San Jose. Lauren Albanese, seeded fifth, toppled third-seed Ashley Weinhold. The clubhouse at Berkeley today, morphed into both a hotbed of tournament chatter and a recruiting battleground. Bryan Shelton, head coach of the National Champion Georgia Tech tennis team sat with his assistant coach Anca Dumitrescu informally chatting with excited players and anxious parents. Shelton should know a thing or two about tournament tests. Shelton has turned around a Georgia Tech women’s tennis team -- one that had never been to a post season tournament and had one winning season in 16 years of existence -- into national champions, exemplifying the recruiting power of the tournament and the national spotlight that has been cast on the Berkeley Tennis Club. College coaching staff currently at the tournament represent more than 50 division I programs from across the country. Alas, as the sun sets over this beautiful Northern California setting, a good night’s sleep from players, coaches and parents alike will give way to day one of tourney action. Let the games begin! Tournament action starts tomorrow at 8:30am at the Berkeley Tennis Club and is free and open to the public.
Singles Seeds Announced July 31, 2007 The Tournament Committee is pleased to announce the players seeded in the Singles Draw. The top 4 seeds are as follows: 1 Julia Cohen Competitor and Alternate Lists: Click here to view updated lists on the TennisLink Home Page.
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 this Form and faxed or mailed it to Andrea Norman, please do so now. The tournament wants to receive this form prior to Registration Day, August 4th. Player Bio for College Coaches. We also ask that all players complete a Player Bio for the Player Bio Book that will be available to college coaches, whether or not you are eligible for recruiting this year. Also click on the College Coaches' Forum link to the left to learn more about this important recruiting event. Registration Day & Mandatory Player Meeting. Players must register for the tournament on August 4th between 11:30 am and 3:00 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 and in the table of contents, click on “Replacement of Withdrawing Players Before the Draw is Made” and “Replacement of Withdrawing Players After the Draw is Made.” If you are an alternate and you have decided you will not be coming to Berkeley, please email Andrea Norman as soon as possible so that you can be taken off of the alternate list. Practice Courts. Please click on the link to read about how to reserve practice courts on Friday, August 3, and Saturday, August 4, 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
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:
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