USTA Girls' 18 National Championships

Countdown
by Nichole Pitzen
August 14, 2004

Two Midwesterners advanced to the finals of the USTA Girls' 18s singles championship and a dominant pair took home the doubles title in a crisp, cool day in San Jose, California.

Jessica Kirkland, the number one seed from Dayton, OH faced Alexa Glatch, the number four seed from Newport Beach, CA. Kirkland sticks to routine; she rotates two balls in her hand before every first serve, reads out of a notebook every changeover, turns to face the fence to center herself after a tough point… and she wins in straight sets. Glatch looked like she could break that pattern as she rallied from being down 4-1 in the second set to 5-4. The crowd was behind the 14-year-old Californian, but Kirkland dug deep and unleashed precisely placed forehands to close out the set and match 6-3, 7-5. The match was a shining example of beautiful tennis and kept spectators breathless with anticipation. Both players spent the majority of their time on the baseline, but neither hesitated to put points away at the net. Fueled by an inner drive, Kirkland started pumping her fist in the second set, and it was hard not to be impressed with both her arsenal of shots and her mental toughness. This left everyone wondering-what is in that notebook? Jessica revealed that it was reminders, but said little else about it. "It's top secret," said Kirkland's coach with a smile.

Andrea Remynse of Battle Creek, MI pulled off her fourth straight upset to defeat sixteenth-seeded Elizabeth Kobak of Old Westbury, NY. Kobak, with her backwards hat in Andy Roddick style, released her powerful groundstrokes with determined fury but Remynse fought back with everything she had. Kobak won the first set 6-4 but just barely managed to force the second set into a tiebreaker. Remynse capitalized on Kobak's backhand trouble and was up 6-4 in the tiebreaker when she was deducted a point for her 4th time violation. Players are only allowed 20 seconds between points and Remynse frequently uses that entire time, forcing the chair umpire to deduct a point at each violation for delay of game. The break was all Kobak needed to get match point at 7-6, but she could not finish it off and Remynse won three straight points and the set. After the heartbreaking second set, Kobak could not regain her stride, and she fell 4-6, 7-6 (7), 6-2.

Audra Cohen of Plantation, FL and Riza Zalameda of Los Angeles, CA do not mess around, they execute their opponents with perfectly plotted putaways. In the final round the second-seeded team was up against Alexa Glatch of Newport Beach, CA and Lindsay Burdette of Jackson, GA, the number three seeds. With an afternoon wind swirling around them, Cohen and Zalameda made it hard to believe that they have not been playing together for years. Although they have been planning to play this tournament together for quite some time, living on different coasts makes getting together to practice almost impossible. Although Glatch and Burdette did not go down easily, the pair made some costly unforced errors, including a double fault that handed Cohen and Zalameda the match. Cohen is off to Northwestern in the fall, and Zalameda is headed to UCLA. She commented, "I am very excited about UCLA, it's my backyard and I play there about four days a week already. My coaches, Stella (Sampras) and Rance are just great."

The third and fourth place doubles match was characterized by unbelievable footwork and touch as Vania King of Long Beach, CA and Yasmin Schnack of West Melbourne, FL met Whitney Deason of Houston, TX and Carly Gullickson of Palm Beach Gardens, FL. Deason and King had some crosscourt baseline battles but Deason and Gullickson could not match King and Schnack's level of play. They began to show signs of life down 5-0 in the second set, but the effort came too late as King and Schnack finished it 6-4, 6-1. As soon as the match ended King and Schnack were once again typical teenagers as King begged Schnack's father to allow Yasmin to come to Six Flags Magic Mountain with her. Yasmin wheedled, "Please Dad?" and her father finally relented, but only if Yasmin promised to behave herself in the next week. It was a sad parting for the pair and the many others who formed friendships this week only to say good-bye.

Hard-hitting Elizabeth Plotkin, the last remaining player from Northern California, could be heard from three courts away as she fought sixth seed and professional player Mary Gambale of Billerica, MA, in the back draw semifinals. Gambale held firm to take the match 6-4, 6-3. She will play eighth seed Nicole Leimbach of Colorado Springs, CO Sunday at 9 am in the 5th/6th playoff match. Leimbach defeated unseeded Courtney Zauft of San Antonio, TX.

So we head into Sunday, with only 2 players left out of 192 contenders for the USTA gold ball and singles championships. Play starts at 9 am for the 3rd/4th and 5th/6th playoffs and at 10:30 am for the finals, don't miss a minute of the action!

Gearing up for Finals
by Nichole Pitzen
August 13, 2004

Two of the top four singles seeds survive, while two lower seeds surpass expectations to move on to the semifinals. In doubles the favorites prevailed, with the number two and three seeded teams headed for the finals tomorrow.

Jessica Kirkland, Dayton, OH showed once again why she is the number one singles seed as she defeated Number 13 seed Vania King of Long Beach, CA. King fought valiantly but Kirkland simply does not miss very often. Kirkland's consistency and power-packed forehands left King no room for error. Even down 5-1 in the second set King never gave up, bringing the score back to 5-2 before finally falling 6-2, 6-2.

Fourth-seeded Alexa Glatch of Newport Beach, CA calmly and coolly defeated number seven seed Sarah Fansler 6-2, 6-2. Glatch moves with an easy grace that makes everything from her hard-hit volleys to passing shots seem effortless. When asked after the match, Glatch commented that she thought both her serve and her forehand, "Really helped me." Glatch will face number one seed Jessica Kirkland Saturday at 9 am.

In the other half of the singles draw, seventeenth seed Andrea Remynse of Battle Creek, MI, continued her string of upsets. She defeated third-seeded Audra Cohen in a close battle that many spectators believe could have gone either way. Remynse is only 15 but this is already her third year at the Nationals; she first played here at 13 years old. Last year she was forced to retire with a rolled ankle late in the tournament, so this year she looks to make up for that disappointing injury. When asked, Remynse noted that over the years she has worked on and strengthened all areas of her game, and the effort certainly seems to be paying off. She won 7-5, 6-4.

Sixteenth seed Elizabeth Kobak of Old Westbury, NY continues to blaze a trail as she took down unseeded Lauren Albanese of Coral Springs, FL. Kobak allowed Albanese only three games, the fewest allowed today. She won 6-3, 6-0 and will face Remynse at 11 am on Saturday.

Lindsay Burdette and Alexa Glatch floated past Whitney Deason and Carly Gullickson in the first doubles semifinal. The match was punctuated with crisp volley rallies and astounding net play. Burdette and Glatch were down 4-1 in the first set but raised their level of play to come back and take it 7-5. In the second set Glatch had some trouble putting the ball away and Gullickson and Deason gained some critical points just for keeping the ball on the court. Gullickson and Deason took the second 6-2. In the middle of the third the score was two apiece, all breaks, with Glatch stepping up to serve. She held, and the partners never looked back to close out the match 7-5, 2-6, 6-2.

Second seeds Audra Cohen and Riza Zalameda hammered away at fourth seeded doubles team Vania King and Yasmin Schnack. Schnack had some trouble with her groundstrokes, King was playing in spite of an abdominal injury, and Cohen was happy to put numerous points away with such force they often left the court. At 5-3 Zalameda held to take the 1st set, and the pair did not drop another game to win 6-3, 6-0 and gain an entry into the doubles finals. Zalameda won this event as the second seed last year with partner Yelsey, and both she and Cohen are very excited for Saturday's match. They will match up against Glatch and Burdette Saturday afternoon.

Difficult decisions face players remaining in both singles and doubles. Both Cohen and Zalameda pulled out of the backdraw to focus lingering strength on the doubles final. The physical punishment of up to three matches a day has been taking its toll on the players and many opt to concentrate fully on one event.

The wild card looms in the future, will Cohen help Zalameda defend her title or will Burdette and Glatch power through? Will Kirkland continue her steady dominance or will a Cinderella story come through? There is only one way to find out, come catch a piece of the action with the USTA at Almaden Valley Athletic Club!

Upsets Set the Tone for Frenzied Final Days
by Nichole Pitzen
August 12, 2004

The singles championships lost its number two seed and the doubles lost its number one seed in a day riddled with critical upsets.

Unseeded Lauren Albanese of Coral Springs, FL pulled off a stunning victory over the number two seed Ashley Joelson. Albanese, only 14 years old, lost the first set but refused to back down. She capitalized on Joelson's frustration and kept her guessing with a deadly mix of deep groundstrokes and tight drop shots. Joelson came within two games of victory at 5-5 in the second, but Albanese, with her distinctive grunt, had the stamina and determination to stay the course. She took the match 2-6, 7-5, 6-2.

It proved to be a tough day for Alexandra Mueller. After a singles loss, she and partner Kirkland, the number one seeds, fell in two sets to fifth-seeded Whitney Deason and Carly Gullickson. All four players hit the ball extremely hard, which combined with fatigue produced a surprising number of unforced errors. Gullickson and Deason held on to win 6-4, 7-5. It was the only doubles upset of the day.

Kirkland redeemed herself in singles as she edged out number nine contender Jessica Nguyen in a two set match that lasted over three hours. A crowd gathered on the deck and just kept growing as spectators became absorbed and found themselves unable to leave. Nguyen had the misfortune of meeting Kirkland twice in two days, but she kept herself alive, whether it was fighting off numerous break points or putting every ounce of energy into returning Kirkland's serve. Kirkland was remarkably calm and forced Nguyen to cover every inch of the court. Nguyen put her entire body into her groundstrokes but the number one seed held firm, forcing Nguyen to go for low-percentage shots and to set a torrid pace. Ultimately, that same pace took its toll on Nguyen as she fell 6-4, 6-4.

In a second singles upset, alpha seed Andrea Remynse of Battle Creek, MI overtook number eight seed Nicole Leimbach of Colorado Springs, CO. Leimbach was very gracious, making sure to thank the chair umpire on her way off the court.

Vania King of Long Beach, CA just keeps rolling; she demolished her opponents in both singles and doubles. Vania defeated sixth seed Mary Gambale 6-2, 6-4 and with partner Yasmin Schnack topped Anamika Bhargava and Jamie L. Hampton 6-1, 6-1 to advance to the semifinals.

Alexa Glatch was also a dual winner today, she took her singles match 6-1, 6-1 over number fifteen seed Julia Cohen. Glatch and partner Lindsay Burdette of Jackson, GA then mowed through Hydman and Marcio 6-2, 6-3. Her first match tomorrow is at 11 am against number seven seed Sarah Fansler of Laguna Nigel. Fansler has been steadily working her way through the draw, and defeated eleven-seeded Mueller 6-2, 6-2.

It is time to start counting down as the finals get closer and the draw gets smaller. The upsets send a message, and no seed is safe.

Excellent Play in Spite of High Heat
by: Nichole Pitzen
August 11, 2004

Emotions were flying high in the most dramatic day of play so far. Cries, grunts and groans filled the courts as each player came out intense and determined to make her presence felt. The heat, emotion, and large numbers of three-set matches combined to create a lot of activity for the on-site trainers from the M.O.R.E. clinic.

Wednesday was also "Kids' Day at the Nationals" and over 80 inner-city children converged on Almaden Valley Athletic Club for an introduction to the game of tennis. The group was a part of After-School All-Stars, a local charity that provides safe, esteem-boosting out-of-school programs. The buses arrived at 10:30 and the children headed to the nearby Open Bible Church to receive T-shirts and hear from guest speakers. Erin Darling, recently crowned Miss Teen California, spoke about following your dreams; while tournament players Leigh Finnegan of Wilmington, DE and Maria Anisimova of Colts Neck, NJ took time out before their matches to speak with the children about the experiences of a national tournament and life as a champion tennis player. The children then had a chance to watch the matches and kept an eye out for displays of sportsmanship on the court. Soon after came lunch and a visit to tournament headquarters for player autographs. National Tennis Championships, the nonprofit organization that runs the Nationals, has donated over $33,000 to After-School All-Stars with proceeds from the tournament.

On the court, Vania King, the thirteenth singles seed, had another strong outing, as she took down unseeded but dangerous Texan Whitney Deason. King also won her doubles match with partner Yasmin Schnack. The pair were down a set when they knuckled down and worked on reducing their errors. King also commented that she and Schnack, "figured out our opponents and knew their patterns," in the second and third sets to finish the match 4-6, 6-3, 6-3. King will face number six seed and professional player Mary Gambale at 11 am on Thursday.

With a big wind-up to her long, sweeping strokes, fourth seed Alexa Glatch of Newport Beach, CA dismantled Susan Sullivan of St. Louis, MO to win 6-1, 6-2. Already 5'9", the 14 year old is an imposing presence on the court. She also teams up with Lindsay Burdette of Jackson, GA in the doubles championship, where the pair are the third seed.

Number two seed Ashley Joelson recovered from a crushing first set to beat San Franciscan Elizabeth Plotkins 0-6, 6-2, 6-1. She will meet Lauren Albanese, one of two unseeded players left in the singles draw in the round of 16 at 12 pm Thursday.

In doubles, second-seeded Zalameda and Cohen dropped their only set as a duo to ninth seed Plotkin and Nguyen. Plotkin and Nguyen fought hard, but the second seeds closed out the match with another one of Zalameda's unbeatable backhand volleys. Cohen and Zalameda won 6-1, 5-7, 6-0. Kirkland and Mueller, the number one seeds, continued their bid for the championship as they defeated ninth seeds Mang and Tefft 6-1, 6-1. Jessica Kirkland also dominated her singles match as she defeated Yasmin Schack 6-1, 6-2.

Each day keeps getting better and better, and with each day the suspense grows… who will be our 2004 National Champion and US Open representative? Only time will tell, and at this tournament, anything can happen!

Blood, Sweat and Tears: Day Three at the Nationals
by: Nichole Pitzen
August 10, 2004

It is only day two, but there have already been upsets, third-set tiebreakers, and nail-biting victories at the Girls' 18s Nationals.

Jennifer Stevens, the number 5 seed and this year's Clay Court Champion, lost to Sylvia Kosakowski of Downey, CA 3-6, 6-4, 6-4. Stevens was the higher seed, but Kosakowski showed that she is comfortable in San Jose. This is her third Nationals at AVAC, and she placed fourth in the doubles championship in 2002. Stevens also had a rough day in the doubles as she and her partner Suzanna Mansour lost in a third set tie-break to third-seeded Lindsay Burdette and Alexa Glatch. The top two doubles seeds, the Kirkland-Mueller team and the Cohen-Zalameda partnership breezed to two set victories.

Carly Gullickson, the 10th seed and one of 6 professional players, fell in three sets to Celia Durkin of Los Angeles, CA. Durkin showed that she was not intimidated by Gullickson's pro status as she came back to win 4-6, 6-3, 6-4. Stephanie Davison of Port Orchard, WA also pulled off an upset when she defeated alpha seed Ashley Miles 6-2, 6-3. The rest of the seeds stood their ground, but potentially dangerous floaters like Whitney Deason, a finalist here two years ago, are not going to make the job easy.

Marathon match of the day goes to Hilary Englert of Atherton, CA and Robin Guier, Alamo, CA who defeated seeded doubles team Megan Alexander and Lauren Lui. Englert and Guier survived the loss of a heartbreaking second set to win the match 7-5, 5-7, 7-6 (4). Fortunately, the weather gods were kind; an early cloud cover and breezes kept the temperature and humidity down.

And so we move into terrible Tuesday, where over 120 matches and the first day of singles eliminations raise tempers, intensity, and excitement to a whole new level. See you on the courts!

The first day of tournament play dawned early, bright, and hot. Matches went on the court at Los Gatos Swim and Racquet and Almaden Valley Athletic Club as early as 8 am and battles raged as more than 100 matches were put on the courts.

Seeded players in the single's tournament received Bye's, but the matches played were still of the highest caliber. Randi Schuler, for example, pulled through a tough first round with exemplary grace and poise. Schuler, a resident of Davis, CA, won 7-5, 3-6, 6-2 over Whitney McCray of Decatur, GA. Tournament committee member Rick Gibson noted both players for excellent sportsmanship. "Randi was exceptionally polite and generous with her line calls. In addition she thanked her opponent on her generous calls. She was extraordinarily calm and you could not tell if she won or lost a point: her demeanor never changed." Whitney was also "very polite and generous with line calls."

The players also had to combat the heat. Sunday had highs of 87, and on the tennis courts you can count on an extra 10 to 15 degrees reflecting off the court surface. Stephanie Harris, a high school senior planning to attend the University of Tennessee, came off her match at Los Gatos Swim and Racquet to comment, "It's so hot out there! Even I thought it was humid, and I'm coming from the South."

Doubles play also began, with the first and much of the second round of doubles hitting the courts. All of the seeded doubles teams moved on, and all of the matches were, as usual, amazing to watch. First seeds Jessica Kirkland and Alexandra Mueller brushed past their first round opponents while second seeds Riza Zalameda and Audra Cohen used deadly backhand volleys to claim a 6-2, 6-4 victory. Lauren Cash of Upper Saddle River, NJ and Chisako Sugiyama of Parsippany, NJ edged by their first round opponents 7-5, 7-5. Said the pair, "Our opponents were very, very powerful, we had to use a lot of spin." Cash and Sugiyama received with both players on the baseline for most of the match. When asked, Cash laughed and said, "After I was hit (by a volley) on the stomach in the first game, we were afraid of getting pegged at the net." Slightly more serious, Sugiyama explained, "They volley really well so we wanted to mess up the pace. We were hoping to get it high and away from the net person."

Local players Jenna Long of Fremont and Stephanie Schnitter of San Jose defeated Robin Metzler and Amy Bedell of Texas in the first round of doubles but fell to fifth-seeded Jessi Robinson and Katrina Tsang. Almaden Valley's Myra Davoudi, with partner Samantha Georgino of Bakersfield, CA won in three sets. The two were paired on-site and this was their first match together. The pair commented that they were happy to have played, "An interesting and intense match in which we started to really pull things together."

The last match left the court at 9:30 pm, giving everyone just enough time to recuperate for 8 am matches and an eventful day tomorrow. Up next for both championships, rounds two and three!

Tournament Opening Ceremonies a Rousing Success
by: Nichole Pitzen
August 7, 2004

Saturday began what promises to be a crazy week at Almaden Valley Athletic Club. Tournament headquarters buzzed with nonstop action from 6 am until well past midnight as volunteers and tournament officials prepared for the upcoming matches. Player arrivals, registration, college recruiting, draw issues and a delicious catered dinner were just a fraction of the activities that are part of the tournament's pre-event rituals.

The day kicked off at 10 am with the opening of the College Coaches Forum. Many of the players list college tennis as one of their goals, most adding that they are aiming for a scholarship to a Division One college. However, NCAA rules impose strict limitations on recruiting and the college search is often quite intimidating. With these restrictions in mind, the tournament committee created the College Coaches Forum, an event that would encourage and maximize interaction between players and coaches. This year's forum was the largest ever, with over 61 universities from around the nation. Forum chairperson Marie Norton called it, "An outstanding success. It was hot, but great."

Next was registration, for both singles and doubles. Players waded their way through surveys, entry fees, and check-in while volunteers distributed player packets and personalized luggage tags. This year's player packets include a tournament tee shirt from Nike, perfume samples, coupons and of course (what many consider the best part) See's lollipops.

Soon after registration was the players' meeting and welcome ceremony. This year the USTA and Almaden Valley Athletic Club celebrated the anniversary of a 20-year partnership. Many individuals from the tournament's past took time to visit and make this year's celebration especially meaningful. Honorary chairman Joe Shank was also presented with an award in appreciation of his many contributions and dedication over the years.

At the end of the day was dinner; a complimentary catered feast provided by Malibu Grill. Tournament sponsors, volunteers, players and their families were all invited to enjoy a great meal and relax before match play begins.

Finally the food was packed away, the headquarters cleared, and the players home to get a restful night of sleep. Twenty years of Nationals at AVAC... let the games begin!

Girls U-18 Nationals: Tidal Wave of Talent headed for San Jose
by: Nichole Pitzen
August 6, 2004

Tennis enthusiasts and newcomers alike will delight at the USTA Girls' 18s National Championships. Over 200 of the top junior players from around the nation are on their way to Almaden Valley Athletic Club (AVAC) where play begins Sunday, August 8th. The club, located at 5400 Camden Avenue, has been hosting the Nationals for 20 years and the event has always been exceptional. This year promises to be even better, with the strongest draw ever, new and returning local sponsors, and an enthusiastic cast of over 150 amazing volunteers.

Recent USTA (United States Tennis Association) rules have been changed to allow age-eligible professional athletes to participate in National championships. Co-director Andrea Norman notes, "Allowing professional players has raised the level of competition. It creates a heightened, more intense atmosphere that is good for both the players and the sport of tennis." This year, six professional players have elected to come to San Jose for a chance at the coveted gold ball and a wildcard entry into the US Open, both of which are awarded to the winner of the singles and doubles championships. Jessica Kirkland, the tournament's number one singles seed, has a ranking on the women's professional tour of 252. The champions and high-placing finalists will also receive gold tennis bracelets courtesy of National Tennis Championships and beautiful floral bouquets provided by Bloomsters.

The tournament also features a college coaches' forum, where over 50 coaches from around the nation fly out to meet with the players and discuss college and scholarship opportunities. Other highlights included a catered dinner by Malibu Grill, a players' luncheon catered by Togo's and Kid's Day at the Nationals, when more than 100 children from the San Jose area visit the tournament site to learn about the game of tennis, have lunch and get player autographs.

Overall, it promises to be a great week! Come out and support the best junior players in the nation. Admission is free and open to the public. Hope to see you there!