Miscellaneous Open Notes

    Miscellaneous Open Notes--

  • First congratulations to Scott Oudsema and Alex Kuznetsov who were given a main draw doubles wild card and made the most of it, defeating Tommy Haas and Alex Waske in straight sets today. It looks like Kuznetsov is recovering from his broken leg in record time, and a couple of warmup doubles matches are just the thing to prepare him for the Junior Open. Despite not having played all summer, he is still ranked in the ATP Top 500, so it will be interesting to see if he's seeded by the ITF.

  • The men's doubles draw also features the wild card team of Sam Querrey and Donald Young, a pairing that appears to be a USTA concoction. To my knowledge, they've never played together, and although each has had many partners the past year, they are still searching for that Levine-Shabaz kind of chemistry. The latter did not receive a main draw doubles wild card, by the way.

  • A belated congratulations to Vania King, who, like Andy Murray, has gotten to the second round of the U.S. Open as a qualifier. King's run is more stunning, as she needed a wild card to get into qualifying, but I've never forgotten what Annie Paton of juniortennis.com said about King at last year's Orange Bowl. (I'm paraphrasing). "Other players fear Vania, nobody wants to play her, she just doesn't realize herself how good she is. Once she does, watch out." It can't hurt having a brother who won Kalamazoo back-to-back and, after graduating from Duke, is now plying his trade on the Pro Circuit.

  • In addition to Peter Bodo's Tennisworld, Tennis Magazine's managing editor Steve Tignor is also writing a blog from the U.S. Open and his opening paragraph on Day 1 had me laughing out loud. I now consider myself a veteran of tournament first days, and I always feel adrift and anxious, instead of reveling in the sheer pleasure of the situation. I'm vowing that I'll take a better attitude to the outer courts at the NTC on Sunday.

  • And I can't resist this upbeat New York Times (registration required) story about Scoville Jenkins, who plays Nadal tonight in Arthur Ashe. The difference in talent between his first round opponent, Bastl, and Nadal will be evident, but Jenkins has proven his grit and fitness, and not just Monday evening. I haven't seen him play since last year's U.S. Junior Open, but I understand his serve is better now. Alas, so is Nadal's. But as Gilles Muller so vividly demonstrated last night, just going out to have fun can produce some surprising results.

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Miscellaneous Open Notes


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Crowd Pleaser: Jenkins Wins Five-Set Thriller::Tennis Week

    Crowd Pleaser: Jenkins Wins Five-Set Thriller::Tennis Week-- And now for something completely different.....African-American teenager from Atlanta wins a thrilling five-set match in main draw of U.S. Open. I was cheering like crazy last night, when USA showed a few glimpses of Scoville Jenkins' tiebreaker, from what looked to be a handheld video camera. The producer could have noticed, at around say, the four-hour mark, that this might be a match worth watching and gotten a real camera over to court 4, but Jenkins will get his evening in the spotlight on Wednesday, when he plays Nadal in Arthur Ashe stadium.

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Crowd Pleaser: Jenkins Wins Five-Set Thriller::Tennis Week


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Whipping The Puppy:: PETERBODOSTENNISWORLD.COM

    Whipping The Puppy::PETERBODOSTENNISWORLD.COM--
    Peter Bodo once again cites zootennis, but you should read his take on Donald Young anyway, because it is both considered and balanced, quite an accomplishment amidst the chaos of a Grand Slam media center. The one contention that I firmly disagree with, although I hear it often, is that Young dominates junior tennis and can no longer find competition there.

    Young is a great junior player, but dominating was what Gael Monfils was last year--winning three of four Grand Slams. Young, after winning Australia,--which features a much weaker field due to the expense of travel to it--lost in the first round at the Italian Open, the second round in Paris, and in the semifinals at Wimbledon. I have seen him play six top-level junior events, and he has won one of them--Kalamazoo this year. He is always a threat to win, and is confident he can, but he is not playing at a level above the other top juniors.

    The media circus is not about to fold its tents on the subject of his future, but if I had a wish, it would be that he dominates, Monfils-style, junior tennis next year and then plays, and wins, enough Futures and Challengers to earn his place in the draws of all the Grand Slams in 2007.

    Another respected columnist, who writes only occasionally about tennis, Ian O'Connor of USA Today (and the Westchester Journal News) also watched Young's match yesterday, which led to this column. It certainly provides yet another reason to admire Andy Roddick.

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Whipping The Puppy:: PETERBODOSTENNISWORLD.COM


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The US's great Young hopeful - The Boston Globe (free registration required)


    The US's great Young hopeful - The Boston Globe-- Not too many Boston Globe stories are datelined Kalamazoo, but Globe sportswriter Amalie Benjamin was indeed here during the Nationals working on this piece on Donald Young. It seems that every publication with national aspirations feels a compulsion to take a stab at the phenomenon Young has become. But I always learn something or gain an insight I didn't have previously, even though I'm sure the "not-another-one?" dismay registers on my face when I hear who they are profiling.

    During Young's straight set loss to qualifier Giorgio Galimberti this afternoon in the first round of the Open, USA Network's Ted Robinson and Jim Courier had a very thoughtful conversation about Young's development and prospects. (Rather curious that John McEnroe chose to vanish the moment they began coverage of the Young match). Courier was quick to point out that this was a wild card Young had earned with his Kalamazoo victory when Robinson seemed to paint it with the same brush as the other six ATP wildcards Young has accepted this year. But if you saw the packed stands at Court 11, you know what the tournament directors of those six events were thinking. It will be interesting to see if the New York fans are as eager to see him in the junior event.

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The US's great Young hopeful - The Boston Globe (free registration required)


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Steak and ice cream is Andy's reward::Telegraph | Sport |

    Steak and ice cream is Andy's reward-- No, not Andy Roddick, Andy Murray. After reading this "blog" of Murray's mother Judy, it's no mystery where he gets his candor and verve. A textured and lively review of the four days of qualifying, she's made this as much fun to read as anything a bona fide tennis journalist has produced leading up to the Open.

    In a Times story today, Murray also displays an unwillingness to take the high road when there are scores to be settled. I don't doubt that he's been dissed by those he mentions, and the rudeness he cites is appalling, but relax a bit Andy--everyone in Great Britain's tennis establishment will be taking orders from you soon enough.

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Steak and ice cream is Andy's reward::Telegraph | Sport |


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Oudsema has look for Open::Kalamazoo Gazette


    Oudsema has look for Open-- Pam Shebest manages to coax a few quotes from Scott Oudsema, but nothing specific about his being passed over for a qualifying or main draw wild card. Nor does his agent, Colin Smeeton of SFX, have anything to say about the snub. But there's plenty about his marketability in this story. Also, here's a link to Tennis Magazine's interview with him (last story on the page) for their U.S. Open preview issue.

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Oudsema has look for Open::Kalamazoo Gazette


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US Open Qualifying::collegeandjuniortennis.com


    US Open Qualifying-- I don't arrive in Flushing Meadow until next weekend, but my friend and colleague Marcia Frost is on the scene, covering the qualifying tournament. Andy Murray earned his way in, not losing a set, as did another junior, Vania King, although she lost three sets en route. Marcia has followed King's dramatic journey all three days; I'm sure they are both glad to have the weekend off.

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US Open Qualifying::collegeandjuniortennis.com


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Teenager Glatch reaches semifinals at Forest Hills:: TENNIS - CBS SportsLine.com

    Teenager Glatch reaches semifinals at Forest Hills:: TENNIS - CBS SportsLine.com-- Alexa Glatch lost in the girls 18s final to top seed Mary Gambale two weeks ago in San Jose, but she's had no trouble this week in one of the two WTA events being played in the New York area. Glatch beat the top seed Akiko Morigami, the WTA's 43rd ranked player, yesterday, and followed with a straight set win in the quarters today over 71st ranked Martina Sucha. Granting her a U.S. Open wild card seems prescient now.

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Teenager Glatch reaches semifinals at Forest Hills:: TENNIS - CBS SportsLine.com


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US Junior Open Wild Cards


    US Junior Open Wild Cards--As the Andrew Murray wild card furor demonstrates, everyone has something to say about wild cards. Here's the US Open Junior main draw list:

    WC Arnould Dylan USA
    WC Hamui Johnny USA
    WC Hunt Jamie USA
    WC Lajola Dennis USA
    WC McClune Michael USA
    WC Schnugg Nathaniel USA
    WC Seguso Holden USA
    WC Spencer Wil USA

    There are a few surprises,--Matt Bruch, Spencer Vegosen and Marcus Fugate relegated to qualifying despite their Top 100 ITF rankings; Arnould, Seguso, Hamui and Lajola getting wild cards despite undistinguished performances in Kalamazoo.

    Here's the US Open Junior qualifying wild card list:

    WC Buchanan Chase USA
    WC Chin Waylon USA
    WC Hochwalt Tyler USA
    WC Jenkins Jarmere USA
    WC Nevolo Dennis USA
    WC Niki Takuto JPN

    If anyone out there knows who Niki Takuto is, and why he got a wild card, I'd love to know. I'm a big fan of the other five players, all of them 16 or younger. I think Hochwalt could have gotten the nod over Hamui or Lajola for a main draw spot, as he did have two impressive Legg-Mason qualifying wins AND won the 16s Clays. But the real injustice is the omission, from either list, of Steve Forman, who has had an outstanding summer and was runnerup in the 16s in Kalamazoo. He's proven he can play with the best of his age group. He should have been given a wild card.


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US Junior Open Wild Cards


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Murray and rock 'n' roll New York are made for each other::Telegraph (registration required)

    Telegraph | Sport | Murray and rock 'n' roll New York are made for each other --
    Haven't posted an Andy Murray story in a while, and this one looks to explain why Murray prefers the U.S. Open to Wimbledon. Short answer: youth. While the controversy swirls over his failure to received a wild card, I've been told that yes, Philippoussis was a straight trade for a U.S. wild card for Australia, but that the LTA /AELTC wouldn't agree to a similar deal regarding Murray. Seems a bit unsporting of them to give all their wild cards to marginal ATP pros and then let the USTA take the heat for excluding their one legitimate candidate for tennis success when he needs assistance in New York.

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Murray and rock 'n' roll New York are made for each other::Telegraph (registration required)


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Jankovic upset; Jenkins notches first ATP win (AP)

    Jankovic upset; Jenkins notches first ATP win--
    I visit the tennis-x.com website occasionally even though their junior coverage/knowledge is unimpressive, to put it kindly. And putting it kindly is something they themselves seldom do. They'll say just about anything about anybody, (today's barb calls attention to the weight gain of Federer's girlfriend) and are the embodiment of the good and bad facets of the wild and woolly world of blogging. After the US Open wild cards were announced they criticized the USTA for giving Donald Young and Scoville Jenkins spots and overlooking Andy Murray. I agree that Murray would have been a good choice, over say, Gambill, but Young earned his by winning Kalamazoo, and Jenkins has been steadily moving up the ATP rankings in the past year.

    Jenkins' win, over Nieminen, is his first over anyone ranked in the Top 100 and gives the USTA more credibility than tennis-x has right now on the subject of U.S. Open wild cards.

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Jankovic upset; Jenkins notches first ATP win (AP)


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Sundling the lone titlist in T.O. trio:: Ventura County Star (registration required)

    Sundling the lone titlist in T.O. trio:--There is no question that JT Sundling is the gold (ball) standard in boys 14s right now (and I have to wonder why he wasn't representing the U.S. in the 14 & unders in the Czech Republic at the World Junior Tennis Championships). But I wholeheartedly agree with his decision to play the 16s at the Winters, even though he would be going for the 14s Grand Slam. As his loss of only 18 games in seven matches shows, he's more than ready for the next level.

    In the section about Querrey, I have a couple comments. I don't understand how he is going to play both the Pilot Pen and U.S. Open men's qualifying. The two events run simultaneously. And as Rhiannon Potkey well knows, he won't be 18 until October.

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Sundling the lone titlist in T.O. trio:: Ventura County Star (registration required)


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The Best Player I Haven't Seen--


    The only 12s tournaments I've attended were last year's Eddie Herr and Jr. Orange Bowl and Jack Sock wasn't among the entrants. But he just completed the 12s Grand Slam-- winning all four USTA events in singles and doubles, an astonishing achievement. I know they're gearing up for football in his home town of Lincoln Nebraska, but couldn't the Journal Star have done a little better than this?
    Sock wins 10th gold ball

    Lincoln 12-year-old Jack Sock completed his sweep of this year's four national championships by defeating Emmett Egger of Issaquah, Wash., 6-4, 6-0 in the finals of the USTA 12-and-under Hard Court Tennis Championships in North Little Rock, Ark., Sunday.

    Sock also finished off a Grand Slam in doubles as he and his partner Mika De Coster of Coto De Caza, Calif., downed Christian Harrison of New Braunfels, Texas, and Robbie Mudge of Huntersville, N.C., 4-6, 6-1, 6-0 in the finals. Sock has won the doubles title in the last six national tournaments he's played.

    This was Sock's last tournament in the 12-and-under division. Sock, who now lives and trains at the Wolf Tennis Academy in Overland Park, Kan., turns 13 next month.

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The Best Player I Haven't Seen--


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Our Most Memorable Moments of 2005 (ustaboys.com)



    Our Most Memorable Moments of 2005 (ustaboys.com)--For five years, we've been coming up with this MMM story, and it is always fun to sort through the hundreds of digital photos and all the sights and sounds that echo in our heads. The Zoo Movie made this year more special than most, but the crew was usually so unobtrusive that it didn't get in the way of the drama of the tennis.

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Our Most Memorable Moments of 2005 (ustaboys.com)


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US Open Men's Wild Cards Awarded To James Blake, Former Top 10 Player Mark Philippoussis, Jan-Michael Gambill and a Talented Group Of Young Americans

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US Open Men's Wild Cards Awarded To James Blake, Former Top 10 Player Mark Philippoussis, Jan-Michael Gambill and a Talented Group Of Young Americans


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US Open Junior Acceptance Lists Announced (usta.com)

    US Open Junior Acceptance Lists Announced-- I'm a little confused by this story as it touts Robin Haase of the Netherlands as a favorite, but he's not showing on the acceptance list. Also intriguing is a name at the bottom of the list, Alex Kuznetsov, who broke his leg in an auto accident in May. Is this his Triple A rehab assignment, or just wishful thinking?
    UPDATE: I've been told that Kuznetsov is back on the court and practicing.

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US Open Junior Acceptance Lists Announced (usta.com)


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Documentary-in-progress features teen tennis stars in 'real' reality show (Kalamazoo Gazette)


    MLive.com: Search A feature about the "The Zoo" movie, with a more details about the production and distribution. One correction--Jesse Levine's mother's name is Brenda, not Debra.

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Documentary-in-progress features teen tennis stars in 'real' reality show (Kalamazoo Gazette)


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17-year-old Querrey wins in Bronx opener (AP)


    mlive.com: NewsFlash - 17-year-old Querrey wins in Bronx opener--
    Glad to hear that Querrey won his first match at the Bronx Challenger--I was a little worried that he might be as tired as I was after Kalamazoo. He is, after all, 17, though he is most assuredly NOT 6-foot-3. He's six-foot five. And he's ranked 14th in the world in juniors, not 18th. With all the speculation about whether Young would get a main draw wild card if he didn't win Kalamazoo, I never once heard anyone float the idea that Querrey might. Until now.

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17-year-old Querrey wins in Bronx opener (AP)


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Bright Spots on a Dark Horizon:: PETERBODOSTENNISWORLD.COM

    PETERBODOSTENNISWORLD.COM--After an exhausting week at the world's best junior tennis tournament (I haven't seen them all, but I've seen enough to say that with utter conviction), I was in dire need of a big virtual hug. Peter Bodo provided that today, citing me and my finals story in his daily blog post. I thank you Peter, and junior tennis thanks you too.

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Bright Spots on a Dark Horizon:: PETERBODOSTENNISWORLD.COM


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Young Captures 18s National Championship with Three Set Win over Querrey (ustaboys.com)

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Young Captures 18s National Championship with Three Set Win over Querrey (ustaboys.com)


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Schnugg Battles Back to add 16 Singles Title to Doubles Championship (ustaboys.com)

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Schnugg Battles Back to add 16 Singles Title to Doubles Championship (ustaboys.com)


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Young & Querrey Battle for 18s Title Sunday; Forman and Schnugg Meet for 16s Crown

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Young & Querrey Battle for 18s Title Sunday; Forman and Schnugg Meet for 16s Crown


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Top Seeds Chart Course Toward Finals (ustaboys.com)

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Top Seeds Chart Course Toward Finals (ustaboys.com)


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Rain Disrupts Quarterfinal Singles; 16 Doubles Quarterfinals Move Indoors (ustaboys.com)

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Rain Disrupts Quarterfinal Singles; 16 Doubles Quarterfinals Move Indoors (ustaboys.com)


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Top Seeds Bend But Don't Break in Wednesday's Fifth Round (ustaboys.com)

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Top Seeds Bend But Don't Break in Wednesday's Fifth Round (ustaboys.com)


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Shields Pulls Annual Nats Upset in Fourth Round Tuesday (ustaboys.com)

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Shields Pulls Annual Nats Upset in Fourth Round Tuesday (ustaboys.com)


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Neilly Eludes Upset in 18s, but Guzick Succumbs in 16s (ustaboys.com)

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Neilly Eludes Upset in 18s, but Guzick Succumbs in 16s (ustaboys.com)


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Seeds Struggle but move on in 16s Second Round Play Sunday (ustaboys.com)

    News - View Article - Seeds Struggle but move on in 16s Second Round Play Sunday-- The weather certainly wasn't to blame for the sluggish performance by most of the top seeds in the 16s division Sunday. It was once again sunny, high 80s, low humidity. But facing the weekend crowds at Kalamazoo can be daunting for any 15 or 16 year old, making Mateusz Kecki's clinic in his debut match on Stowe's front courts even more impressive.

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Seeds Struggle but move on in 16s Second Round Play Sunday (ustaboys.com)


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Tyler Hochwalt: Junior Spotlight of the Week (usta.com)

    Tyler Hochwalt: Junior Spotlight of the Week-- I haven't been able to visit all my usual sites with any regularity since Kalamazoo has begun, so I thank Tyler Hochwalt's mom Debbie for mentioning this. But she laughed when husband Bill was cited as a "touring" pro. He believes "teaching" is the appropriate adjective.

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Tyler Hochwalt: Junior Spotlight of the Week (usta.com)


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Sondhu Drops Seguso in second round 18 singles upset (ustaboys.com)


    News - View Article - Sondhu Drops Seguso in second round 18 singles upset-- Today's weather was nothing short of perfect and the tennis was exceptional too, as we got a look at most of the top seeds for the first time. Few were tested, only one top 16 seed lost, and Young and Querrey drew large and appreciative crowds. On Sunday, the 16s seeds begin play and the 18 doubles matches will get interesting.

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Sondhu Drops Seguso in second round 18 singles upset (ustaboys.com)


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Dent, Philippoussis Draw Full House for RX Optical/National City Exhibition (ustaboys.com)

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Dent, Philippoussis Draw Full House for RX Optical/National City Exhibition (ustaboys.com)


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Courier behind the scenes in `The Zoo' ::(Kalamazoo Gazette)


    Courier behind the scenes in `The Zoo' -- Jim Courier talked to local daily newspaper reporter Pam Shebest a few days ago about the documentary that has Kalamazoo buzzing. This is part of the special section that the Gazette does every year prior to the tournament.

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Courier behind the scenes in `The Zoo' ::(Kalamazoo Gazette)


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NCAA tennis faces international issue:: Star-Telegram | 08/02/2005 |(registration required)

    Star-Telegram | 08/02/2005 | NCAA tennis faces international issue-- In keeping with the college tennis theme, here's an interesting story on the globalization (or foreign domination, depending on how you look at it) of college tennis. On a normal, quiet day in tennis, I'd have a lot more to say about this, but the day before registration at Kalamazoo is not conducive to reflective thinking.

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NCAA tennis faces international issue:: Star-Telegram | 08/02/2005 |(registration required)


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Open The Door to College Players

    --
    Before I get too wrapped up in the Kalamazoo tournament, I wanted to direct readers to a column by friend and colleague Marcia Frost, of collegeandjuniortennis.com.

    Frost's column urging the USTA to rethink its US Open wild card direction appears in the current issue of Racquet Sports Industry. It is available via pdf format, through a link on the itatennis.com home page. There are encouraging signs that the USTA is considering college an important option in player development, starting with the Collegiate committee and the newly created position of Senior Director, Junior and Collegiate Competition. Let's hope Marcia's suggestions are considered.

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Open The Door to College Players


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Young, Lajola Head Strong Fields at 2005 Nats (ustaboys.com)

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Young, Lajola Head Strong Fields at 2005 Nats (ustaboys.com)


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Reston's Simmonds Plays In to Main Draw:: (Washington Post--registration required)



    Reston's Simmonds Plays In to Main Draw--
    I'm glad to see Daniel Lyght, who covered the Clay Courts for the Washington Post, is still on the tennis beat, with this story about Phillip Simmonds qualifying for the Legg-Mason and Tyler Hochwalt falling just short. I hope he'll be assigned to the Alex Clayton vs. Bobby Reynolds match in the main draw on Tuesday, because he'll have a context another reporter would lack.

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Reston's Simmonds Plays In to Main Draw:: (Washington Post--registration required)


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Nats Draws now posted



    Kalamazoo draws are now available at ustaboys.com Click here to view.

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Nats Draws now posted


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Young top 18s seed for this week's USTAs (Kalamazoo Gazette)

    8:00 p.m. update--
    Due to technical problems, the draw may not be posted until Monday. But the complete list of seeds is now available by clicking here


    Young top 18s seed for this week's USTAs

    Unlike many junior tournaments, where the draw is not revealed until the day before the event, Kalamazoo, with its Sunday afternoon draw, gives everyone plenty of time to analyze it. I will post a link to it as soon as possible Sunday afternoon.

    Here are the top ten boys 18s seeds:
    1. Donald Young
    2. Sam Querrey
    3. Tim Neilly
    4, Tim Smyczek
    5. Jesse Levine
    6. Alex Clayton
    7. Mykyta Kryvonos
    8. Denis Zivkovic
    9. Marcus Fugate
    10. Kellen Damico

    Here are the top ten seeds in 16s:
    1. Dennis Lajola
    2. Wil Spencer
    3. Steve Forman
    4. Mateusz Kecki
    5. Nate Schnugg
    6. Dennis Nevolo
    7, Will Guzick
    8. Tyler Hochwalt
    9. Jared Pinsky
    10. Johnny Hamui

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Young top 18s seed for this week's USTAs (Kalamazoo Gazette)


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Legg Mason Tennis Classic--Qualifying Preview

    Legg Mason Tennis Classic--
    I needed a starting point for the stunning news that Tyler Hochwalt, the 16s champion at the USTA Clay Courts last week, has won two matches in qualifying at the Legg-Mason Tennis Classic today in Washington DC.

    Tyler's mom, Debbie, was kind enough to alert me that he had won his first match, over Horia Tecau, the seventh seed, who is ranked in the 300s on the ATP tour. Most 16-year-olds aren't going to win a set, let alone a match, in a ATP qualifying event, and yet Hochwalt came back and won his second match this afternoon, this time over Damiisa Robinson.

    These are the type of results that are encouraging for a young professional such as Phillip Simmonds, who is now 19 and hasn't
    played a junior tournament since last year's US Jr. Open. (Simmonds also won two qualifying matches today.) They are the stuff that dreams are made of for a youngster like Hochwalt. How cool would it be for Hochwalt to qualify and then draw Alex Clayton, the 18s Clays champion, in the main draw?

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Legg Mason Tennis Classic--Qualifying Preview


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Koz Interviews Boys' 18 Clay-Court Champ Clayton::Tennis Week

    Koz Interviews Boys' 18 Clay-Court Champ Clayton:: Tennis Week--
    Well, actually, several of us interviewed Alex Clayton, not just the Koz, but he has been nice enough to cite me in the credits of his TV show and recommend me to a production manager at the Tennis Channel, so I'm not complaining.

    One of the interesting parts of tennis journalism that I've discovered in the past year is the difference in the stories that emerge from the same post-match interview. Sometimes one particular quote will drive all stories, but usually there are as many different angles as there are reporters. Oh, and if anyone gets The Tennis Channel and sees the show on the Clay Courts, I'd love to hear comments.

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Koz Interviews Boys' 18 Clay-Court Champ Clayton::Tennis Week


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Academy gives teen lessons in tennis, life

    Academy gives teen lessons in tennis, life--



    First it was Kellen Damico, now it's Tyler Hochwalt who has shown impressive results after a few months at the Roddick-Moros International Tennis Academy. This lengthy story is about both Hochwalt and his family, and the academy life.

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Academy gives teen lessons in tennis, life


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Sundling rolls to USTA win:: Ventura County Star (registration required)


    Ventura County Star: Tennis --

    What the ever vigilant Rhiannon Potkey's account of JT Sundling's second straight national 14-and-under singles title doesn't say is that he is a big favorite to win the next one too. With Ryan Harrison playing the 16s here in Kalamazoo next month, Sundling will certainly be the top seed in the 14s in San Antonio and the surface (hard) is much more suited to his game than the clay.

    For an account of the 14-and-under boys Clay Courts from Ft. Lauderdale,
    update: link no longer available as of 10/05

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Sundling rolls to USTA win:: Ventura County Star (registration required)


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Clay Impressions

    --Clay Impressions
    ©Colette Lewis—2005

    The USTA Boys 18 & 16 Clay Court Championships were quite an experience. The heat and humidity were right up there with College Station Texas, but alas, no air-conditioned press box where I could retreat. The first few days were brutally hot, and it was no surprise that heat exhaustion led to many retirements, some withdrawals and an occasional ambulance trip, as in the case of Clancy Shields. I’m not sure if the lack of those reactions at the NCAAs this year was due to the better conditioning of college athletes or the age/experience of the competitors or the surface, which prolongs exposure.


    The commitment to chair all matches—singles, doubles, consolations—was a noble one, but because several umpires also fell victim to the temperatures, their diminished ranks resulted in lengthy delays, some approaching three hours at the main site. When plenty of ITF and USTA tournaments go several rounds into the main draw without chair umpires, chairing early round consolation and doubles matches was probably a luxury the players could have done without. Nats Tournament Referee David Markin and Director Timon Corwin have decided to chair all matches this year, a considerable expense, but with the Clays raising the bar, the Kalamazoo Nationals Championships will follow their lead.

    The best match I saw, from start to finish, was the Tim Smyczek win over Marc Spicijaric in the round of 32. The level of play in that match equaled what I have become accustomed to seeing in the semis and finals in the ITF events I’ve attended, which usually have draws of 64, not 192.


    The guttiest performance was, once again, turned in by Dennis Nevolo. Number one in the USTA 16 and under rankings, Nevolo was shockingly eliminated in the third round, but in the most trying of conditions, he made his way through the consolation draw-- winning nine of ten matches in a seven day span. He even avenged his Easter Bowl final loss to top seed Will Guzick in the fifth place match, overcoming a 0-5 first set deficit. Having seen Nevolo in action at Carson and the Easter Bowl, I wasn’t surprised at his grit. He may lose, but he doesn’t quit, and my admiration for his fortitude grows with every tournament I see him play.

    The next most impressive performances were by the champions. Tyler Hochwalt in the 16s, who didn’t lose a set and beat two very good players in the round of 16 and quarters by the scores of 6-1, 6-2 and 6-1, 6-0, and won the doubles title. Alex Clayton didn’t lose his serve, in singles or doubles, until he was up 4-0 in the final set he would play. He was justifiably proud of that, and it bodes well for his prospects in Kalamazoo.


    The “Sweet Sixteen” dinner is a wonderful concept and a unique way of recognizing excellence. Conceived by Tournament Director Jeff Szekely as a way for players to get to know one another off the court, all players who make the round of 16 are invited to attend a Players Only dinner at Congressional Country Club on Thursday evening. This year’s speakers were Donald Dell, Richey Reneberg and Dick Stockton. With no coaches or parents invited, it is an opportunity for older players to initiate younger ones into the Clay “fraternity.” Andy Orban has already attained legendary status, having won five of his six gold balls on the surface. He also now has an award named for him. Any player who makes the Sweet Sixteen four years in a row, as he did, will receive it.


    The college coaches were out in force, with nearly every high profile program east of the Mississippi represented. Bruce Berque, the head coach at the University of Michigan, seemed to be there dawn to dusk through Friday afternoon and head coach Andy Jackson of the University of Florida was still watching matches on Sunday, which is rare. Those are two universities with outstanding athletic reputations that few coaches would relish battling for top recruits.


    Every tournament I attend, I make new friends in the media. Ken Thomas of Radiotennis.com is an old friend, not a new one, but once again he made me laugh and welcomed me as a guest. And as the director of promotions for Lexus at this year’s US Open, he has something other than streaming internet to occupy his time in the next few weeks.

    As for the new friends, Daniel Lyght of the Washington Post spent many hours Friday, Saturday and Sunday watching tennis, taking match notes, studying his draw sheets and asking good questions, of both the players and me. And the results of all this diligence were three very good stories. Links to those stories are available by clicking on the underlined days above.

    Another new friend was Dave “Koz” Kozlowski who produces and hosts a regular show on The Tennis Channel (which regretably isn’t available in Kalamazoo). We reminisced about his visits to Kalamazoo and he paid me the compliment of asking me for information about the juniors he was filming. I sure wish I could see the show.

    The Zoo Movie project is picking up steam. There was a crew at Woodmont Country Club all week, and although they didn’t call attention to themselves, and were almost deferential, it is obvious that they are committed to the drama inherent in sports and to the well being of their subjects too. If they can continue to walk that tightrope, it should be a terrific documentary.

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Clay Impressions


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Fifth place matches at Clay Courts feature exciting comebacks


    USTA B18-16 National Clay Court Chmps. - News Article--
    I'm home, drained from ten days in the heat and humidity of suburban DC. My camera quit working late in the week, so the photos I'm using are not particularly good ones. This is the final story I wrote yesterday about the backdraw winners. Tomorrow I hope to post my wrapup on the Clays.

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Fifth place matches at Clay Courts feature exciting comebacks


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Clayton earns Legg Mason main draw wild card with win over Bucko

    USTA B18-16 National Clay Court Chmps. - News Article-- Add the name of Alex Clayton to your short list of promising American juniors. His domination of the field at the Clay Court Championships had everyone buzzing. And Bucko acquitted himself admirably in the final. Keep an eye on his results in the next year and a half as well.

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Clayton earns Legg Mason main draw wild card with win over Bucko


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Hochwalt claims 16 singles title at Clay Court Championships

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Hochwalt claims 16 singles title at Clay Court Championships


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Hochwalt dismisses local favorite Pinsky; Clayton overwhelms Ermakov to reach final

    --Rockville MD--
    ©Colette Lewis 20045


    Scottsdale Arizona's Tyler Hochwalt was facing a partisan crowd Saturday morning at the Woodmont Country Club when he took on local favorite and fifth seed Jared Pinsky of Potomac Maryland in the semifinals of the 16 singles.

    But Hochwalt, 16, rode his powerful serve and forehand to a 6-3, 6-4 victory. The 6-foot three-inch righthander dominated his service games throughout the first set, while Pinsky struggled to find his form and energize his fans.

    "The crowd helped me out," said Pinsky, 16. "They supported me, but he played too well."

    Hochwalt, a ninth seed, praised Pinsky's effort. "Jared made me earn it. Especially in the second set, he really made me work hard for the points."

    Hochwalt started the second set with a break, but Pinsky finally earned his first break chances of the match with Hochwalt serving at 2-1, and he converted. Pinsky held and was leading 3-2 when, in a four deuce game, Hochwalt held and then broke Pinsky. Both players held their next service games and Hochwalt had no breathing room when he stepped to the line at 5-4 to serve for the match. Pinsky had his chances, but ultimately Hochwalt closed the door with his power.

    Hochwalt will face 15-year-old Waylon Chin, a 17th seed in Sunday's final. Chin, of Delray Beach Florida, downed Christopher Price of Houston Texas 6-2, 7-6 (2).

    "I've been playing pretty well," said Chin, "getting through matches somehow. Today, I guess I was really nervous, but I went out and just tried to have fun."

    Price expressed disappointment with the outcome.
    "When you get this far, you want to get to the finals, or win the tournament," said Price, a ninth seed. "It's kind of depressing actually."

    Attila Bucko, of Boca Raton Florida, came into the tournament a 17th seed, but he finds himself in the finals after a 6-2, 6-4 win over Andy Orban of Fayetteville North Carolina. Orban is something of a legend in Rockville, having made the round of 16 four straight years and winning all five of his gold balls on clay. But he had no answers for the native of Serbia, who grew up playing on red clay before moving to the United States four years ago.

    "I really love the surface," said the 6-foot 3-inch lefthander. "But I love hard courts, too." When asked about the wild card into the Legg Mason main draw that awaits the winner, a wide smile appeared on Bucko's face. "I'm going for it," he said.

    But a formidable obstacle stands in his path. Alex Clayton, the third seed, has yet to lose his serve in the tournament, and on Saturday afternoon, the 17-year-old from Fort Lauderdale Florida humbled yet another opponent, defeating Sasha Ermakov of Flower Mound Texas 6-3, 6-2.

    Ermakov, a ninth seed, was granted a wild card to get into the tournament and he made the most of it, beating the number two seed and reaching the semifinals. But after a grueling three set win over Wil Spencer on Friday, he admitted that fatigue was a factor.

    "Coming into today, I thought I felt decent, but I stepped on the court and after a few long rallies, I was just dead," said Ermakov.

    But he did have one small victory. When Clayton was serving for the match at 5-2, he faced a 30-40 score, the first break point against him in his last four matches.

    "I hit an ace, (on the next point) though," said Clayton. "I took care of it."

    Clayton's pace on his serve and the depth of his ground strokes put Ermakov on the defensive throughout the match, and Clayton's return was lethal when Ermakov was forced to hit a second serve.

    Although both are training in Florida, Bucko and Clayton have never played.

    "I've watched him play and it looks like he likes to hit through the court," said Clayton. "I like to hit with spin, so it it should be a good match--I'm looking forward to it."

    The welcome break in the heat and humidity Saturday proved a perfect backdrop to the evening's doubles championship matches.

    In the 18s division, fourth seeds Orban and partner Michael Venus cruised to a 6-2, 6-3 win over a fifth seeded team of Clancy Shields and Christian Welte.

    Orban has won a doubles title at the Clay Court Championships for three consecutive years, the first one with Welte, who was playing across the net this time.

    "We just never really got into the match," said Welte.
    "We're fast court players," said Shields, "and the clay just slows everything down."

    In the 16s division, top seeds Will Guzick and Tyler Hochwalt, playing together for the first time, overcame the stubborn fifth seeds Calon Alpar and Alex Sanborn 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.

    Guzick, who had played--and won--two matches in the backdraw earlier in the day didn't believe the extra matches were detrimental.

    "Actually it worked a lot to my advantage," said Guzick, "because my returns were really grooved by that time."

    And in the third set, that stroke was the key to Guzick's and Hochwalt's first break in a six deuce game. After taking a 4-0 lead, Hochwalt was broken and Sanborn held, but Guzick played a strong service game to reach 5-2 and Hochwalt served it out with an ace down the T the exclamation point.

    In the 16 doubles match for third and fourth place, Jarmere Jenkins and Andy Magee defeated Donald Johnson and Nicolas Meister 6-3, 6-1.

    The 18 doubles third place trophy was awarded to Ermakov and Conor Pollock when Clayton and Tim Smyczek withdrew due to illness.

    Sunday’s schedule begins with three matches at 9:00 a.m.

    The 16 singles consolation final is between top seed Guzick and second seed Dennis Nevolo. The 16 singles third and fourth place match features Jared Pinsky and Christopher Price. The 18 singles consolation final pairs Clancy Shields and Wil Spencer.

    Scheduled for 10:30 a.m. is the 16 singles final between Tyler Hochwalt and Waylon Chin.
    Following at 12:30 p.m. is the 18 singles final between Alex Clayton and Attila Bucko.

    All matches will be played at Woodmont Country Club. Admission is free and open to the public.

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Hochwalt dismisses local favorite Pinsky; Clayton overwhelms Ermakov to reach final


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William Guzick: Junior Spotlight of the Week (usta.com)

    William Guzick: Junior Spotlight of the Week
    --Will Guzick lost in the quarterfinals Friday at the Clay Courts, but he will be playing in the doubles final this afternoon. Guzick and his partner Tyler Hochwalt are playing together for the first time, but anyone who saw their memorable singles quarterfinal match at the Easter Bowl this spring (my account here ) is pleased that they got together.

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William Guzick: Junior Spotlight of the Week (usta.com)


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Pinsky Powers Way into Semifinals in 16s; Clayton Continues Dominance in 18s

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Pinsky Powers Way into Semifinals in 16s; Clayton Continues Dominance in 18s


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Second seed Smyczek falls to Ermakov in straight sets

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Second seed Smyczek falls to Ermakov in straight sets


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Third Set Tiebreakers add Drama to 18 Singles Play

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Third Set Tiebreakers add Drama to 18 Singles Play


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Welte Shocks Top Seed Kryvonos in 18 Singles (ustaclay.com)

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Welte Shocks Top Seed Kryvonos in 18 Singles (ustaclay.com)


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Clays Heat Up



    Clays Heat Up--
    Please see ustaclay.com for Monday's wrapup story.

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Clays Heat Up


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Clay Courts:: Day One



    Click title above for a report on Sunday's first round

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Clay Courts:: Day One


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Reconnecting--


    A balloon lady, a golden statue mime ( with a golden wood tennis racquet no less), a giant screen displaying photos of last year's action--there was a lot going on at the Doubletree Saturday. Oh, there was registration and a player meeting too. When 400 male teenagers are required to be in one place during an afternoon, it had better be a big, well-organized venue, and it was.

    I never left the hotel, but I managed to talk to a lot of parents and players I hadn't seen since the Easter Bowl in April, or in some cases, the Orange Bowl in December. (It's amazing how much a 17-year-old can change physically in mere months). Some parents follow junior tennis very closely, others do not (and if you're reading this, I guess I'd put you in the former category), but most are just plain fun to talk to, so the conversations can be lengthy. This is the last day I could indulge in that luxury--tomorrow match coverage begins. And it's been four weeks since I last saw live tennis, so I'm more than ready for it.

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Reconnecting--


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Comerica Challenger: Kid's got star power (Santa Cruz Sentinel)

    Comerica

    Challenger:
    --



    The kid would be Scoville Jenkins, who is beginning to show signs of adjusting to the professional level, with his two wins at the Aptos Challenger Exhibit A.



    Lots of good quotes from his coach, Torrey Hawkins, who is on anyone's short list of best junior tennis coaches.

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Comerica Challenger: Kid's got star power (Santa Cruz Sentinel)


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The Dreaded R Word

    --
    Rockville MD--
    When we arrived early this afternoon at Dulles, it began to rain. And then it rained, and rained, and rained some more. All kinds of rain: drizzle, steady, torrential. We took a tour of several of the clubs serving as sites for the Clays, but couldn't leave the car. The standing water near the courts at Woodmont Country Club, the host site, was green with dissolved HarTru. It was still raining as the gloom turned to darkness.

    Tournament director Jeff Szkeley is beginning to fret, because it rained all day yesterday too, and there are limited indoor possibilities, particularly for clay.

    And this is the worrisome part--there was a 30% chance of rain today. The extended forecast features several percentages greater than that. It looks like a 100% chance of stress before this system moves on.

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The Dreaded R Word


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Junior Tennis Documentary in the Pipeline:: Pro Tennis Fan

    Pro Tennis Fan: Junior Tennis Documentary in the Pipeline
    One of my favorite blogs found this brief mention of the Zoo movie in a Tennis Week story about Jim Courier.

    To my knowledge, it's the first time Courier has discussed the project with anyone in the tennis press. I can tell you that it is definitely happening--preparations are underway for shooting here in Kalamazoo next month during the Nationals. I also understand that a small film crew might be in DC for the Clay Courts.

    I can't imagine a more interesting documentary myself, but it will have to appeal to a bit broader audience than junior tennis geeks like me. But if "Spellbound" could make the National Spelling Bee fascinating, I've got to think that the pursuit of success in a global sport offers substantially more riveting possibilities. Stay tuned.

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Junior Tennis Documentary in the Pipeline:: Pro Tennis Fan


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From Grass to Clay


    I've mentioned a few times over the past couple weeks that I'll be covering the USTA Boys 18 & 16 National Clay Court Championships for their website, a position that Tournament Director Jeff Szekely offered me after last year's Kalamazoo tournament, which he attended. The 18s age division was brought to Rockville, Maryland for the first time last year, combining with the 16s event already in place there. By all accounts it worked out very well, but Szekely has demonstrated that he is interested in continuing to improve the tournament.

    The winner of the 18s gets a main draw wildcard into the ATP Legg Mason event, which is August 1-7 this year. The 18s runnerup and the 16s winner get a wild card into the qualifying draw. These are two big carrots for playing on a surface that isn't featured in the U.S. much, regardless of the time of year, but particularly in the summer.

    It's unlikely that I'll have time to blog AND write my official stories (posted here), but I'll try to put up a link every day. Friday is a travel day, but I hope to post some first impressions once we're settled in.

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From Grass to Clay


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Tennis association gives sisters waiver:: Daily Comet.com Thibodaux, LA

    DailyComet.com | Tennis association gives sisters waiver--



    I'm very pleased to read that the USTA has agreed to give waivers to the two Dutch girls competing in Louisiana, allowing them to enter USTA events for which they qualify. The initial post generated a few heated comments on zootennis, and several others I spoke to about it had strong opinions too.



    I admit to some surprise that the USTA sensibly resolved this with a minimum of time and money expended. They must view this as an unique set of circumstances unlikely to lead to a deluge of legal alien juniors flooding the USTA events. As I said in May, it's not something I could muster any energy to fight about. The USTA should be commended for showing flexibility and a commitment to their slogan "To Promote and Develop The Growth of Tennis."

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Tennis association gives sisters waiver:: Daily Comet.com Thibodaux, LA


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Agony and Ecstasy: Plenty of early tests at Comerica Challenger:: (Santa Cruz Sentinel.com)

    Agony and Ecstasy: Plenty of early tests at Comerica Challenger--


    Great story today about Monday's opening round at the Aptos Challenger, with nearly all the players featured in it current or past Kalamazoo Champions---Bogomolov (98, 01), Jenkins (04), Ram (00), Querrey (04). And a report on the (expected) Lankenau result too.

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Agony and Ecstasy: Plenty of early tests at Comerica Challenger:: (Santa Cruz Sentinel.com)


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Rising Boca tennis star, ill brother lend each other support:: South Florida Sun-Sentinel

    Rising Boca tennis star, ill brother lend each other support: South Florida Sun-Sentinel

    A sweet story about Jesse Levine and his younger brother-- I learned a great deal about the whole family from it. I was, however, a bit shocked by the reporter's assertion that Levine "will be seeded number one in doubles at Kalamazoo next month."

    I suspect Levine and Shabaz will be the top seeds in the 18s, but there is actually a committee that makes that decision the night before the tournament starts. That Levine has already won the 16s doubles title in 2003 (with Jean Yves Aubone) is a plus, but until the seeds are announced on August 4, nothing is official.

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Rising Boca tennis star, ill brother lend each other support:: South Florida Sun-Sentinel


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Aptos' wildcards announced:: (Bob Larson's Tennis News)

    Bob Larson's Tennis News | Aptos' wildcards announced--

    And you thought Donald Young would be the 16-year-old (his birthday is July 23) to get a challenger wild card. No, it's Ben Lankenau, whose name I had never heard nor seen until I read this story. His juniortennis.com profile is here and to call it undistinguished is an understatement. He has never played in Kalamazoo. There must be a very interesting reason why he was given a wild card to a $75,000 challenger, when Phillip King and Sam Querrey, both Kalamazoo champions, were relegated to the qualifier. (One of the qualifiers will meet Lankenau in the first round Monday). Does his father own Seascape Sports club?

    But before I launch into a full-fledged rant, two athletes' stories give me pause. First, Michelle Wie, who I steadfastly maintain is entitled to any and all sponsors exemptions she wants on the PGA tour. There are reasons, not all of them high-minded, for sponsors exemptions in golf, and they are probably pretty close to the same reasons that wild cards exist in tennis. Secondly, I had never heard of nor seen Jerry Makowski of Texas A & M until I saw him at the NCAAs, as the top-ranked freshman in country. He didn't play junior tennis, despite years at Bollettieri's, so I was completely unaware of his existence. It is certainly an unusual path, but it doesn't preclude tennis skill. I think the Williams sisters have made that abundantly clear.


    So I'm hoping that Ben Lankenau is the Southern California version of Jerry Makowski, who is pursuing tennis excellence unconventionally, and needs a main draw challenger match to see where he stands. But wouldn't a qualifier wild card have been enough?

    And one correction to this story, for you birthday sticklers out there (I'm president of THAT club)--Scoville Jenkins will not turn 19 until September. He is still, in fact, eligible to compete in Kalamazoo this year, should he choose to do so.

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Aptos' wildcards announced:: (Bob Larson's Tennis News)


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Dupuis teaches foul-mouthed Murray a lesson::Guardian Unlimited Sport | Tennis |

    Guardian Unlimited Sport | Tennis | Dupuis teaches foul-mouthed Murray a lesson--

    I'm on record as a big Murray supporter, with his tell-it-like-it-is attitude, but I was dismayed to hear that he totally lost his composure in his loss to Antony Dupuis in the second round at Newport.

    Even making allowances for the proclivity for exaggeration by the British press, the adjective describing him in the headline is, by all accounts I've read about this match, apt. There's nothing wrong with a competitor who is desperate and determined; one who doesn't take losing lightly and rages at himself for perceived inadequacies. But throw in profanity and a line has been crossed, add racquet tossing and "enfant terrible" describes it perfectly. I don't see any mention of Murray receiving warnings and/or penalties for this behavior; if he did not, shame on the umpire. Murray is being asked to mature in front of our eyes and if he really "learnt nothing here", it may be a longer and more painful process than his fans would wish.

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Dupuis teaches foul-mouthed Murray a lesson::Guardian Unlimited Sport | Tennis |


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Jesse Levine and Michael Shabaz: Junior Spotlight of the Week (usta.com)

    Jesse Levine and Michael Shabaz: Junior Spotlight of the Week (usta.com)--

    Jesse Levine put up some very consistent results in singles while in Europe and is now in the Top 20 in the ITF rankings along with four other American boys. But the Wimbledon Junior doubles championship was undoubtedly the highlight, and he and Michael Shabaz will now be favored to win the 18s National title here in Kalamazoo next month, and with it, the main draw wild card into the U.S. Open.



    I believe that both Levine and Shabaz are at IMG/Bollettieri, at least they were last time I spoke with them in April. Levine's bio here lists him at Evert's.


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2005 NATIONAL OPEN JUNIOR TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS-16s-ATLANTIC CLUB, NJ-7/6/05

    2005 NATIONAL OPEN JUNIOR TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS-16s-ATLANTIC CLUB, NJ-7/6/05--

    My friend and colleague Marcia Frost of collegeandjuniortennis.com gets out of her office at Port Washington Tennis Academy on Long Island often, and over the 4th of July holiday weekend she was hard at work at one of the East Coast National Opens for 16 year olds. And though I wasn't familiar with the girls in the finals (no surprise there, you're probably saying to yourself), I have recently made the acquaintance of the boys winner, Adam El Mihdawy (and his father) at the Grass Courts.

    Adam, who turns 16 in September, lives near the National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, and although he hasn't been playing junior tennis very long, he is starting to produce some solid results, with this Open win his first title. I understand both father and son will be at the Clay Courts, and I look forward to seeing them both and watching Adam play again on an entirely different surface this time.

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Rupesh wins USTA tourney in Philadelphia; eyes junior US Open::Deepika Kerala News

    Deepika Kerala News::Rupesh wins USTA tourney in Philadelphia; eyes junior US Open--



    From deepikaglobal.com, which provides "the latest news for global indians" comes this (rather late) story about Rupesh Roy, winner of the International Grass Courts in Philadelphia that I covered last month. I have no idea what the Boss Foundation team is that he's a member of (I'm guessing it doesn't involve Springsteen or Steinbrenner), so if anyone out there knows, please leave a comment below.

    Roy may need to play qualifying for the U.S. Open juniors, but from what I saw at the Cricket Club, I wouldn't bet against him.

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Rupesh wins USTA tourney in Philadelphia; eyes junior US Open::Deepika Kerala News


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Classic Courier:: TBO.com

    Classic Courier - from TBO.com--



    The tennis world is taking a breather after the marathon six weeks that encompass both the French and Wimbledon, but I did find this interesting story about the Courier younger years. He is being inducted into the Tennis Hall of Fame this weekend, and begins his stint with World Team Tennis next weekend, so it's an appropriate time to pause and look back at how it all began. One of my favorite Courier quotes is from the Mark Keil/Geoff Grant documentary "The Journeymen." Though obviously looking at it from a different perspective than the title characters, Courier has the good sense to recognize what tennis greatness gave him.....

    "a backstage pass to the world"

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Classic Courier:: TBO.com


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Radwanska Captures Girls' Title:: Wimbledon.org

    Radwanska Captures Girls' Title--

    Before Wimbledon recedes into memory, I wanted to post this story (the only one I could find) about the girls finals.

    Both Wimbledon girls finalists are a lesson in the unpredictability of junior tennis. I actually can claim to have seen Radwanska play, in March at the International Bavarian Junior Challenge, where she and her sister won the doubles. Seeded third there, she lost in singles in the second round to a qualifier. Her opponent in the Wimbledon final, Tamira Paszek of Austria, was also at the ITF Grade 2 event, seeded fourth, and she lost in the first round. (Makarova, who won the Bavarian, lost in the quarterfinals at Wimbledon to second seed Agnes Szavay, who Radwanska beat in the semifinals.)

    There was nothing to suggest that four months later, both would find grass much more to their liking than indoor carpet and would meet in the Wimbledon Junior championship match, unseeded, of course, having eliminated the top two seeds in the semifinals. The 14-year-old Austrian beat Jessica Kirkland, the third seed, and top seeded and junior world number one Viktoria Azarenka, as well as two other seeds, so it isn't as if she was the beneficiary of a host of upsets.

    The boys finalists were not truly surprising, with Chardy having made the singles semis and Haase the doubles finals at Wimbledon last year. But I don't think anyone could have seen a Radwanska - Pazsek girls singles final coming, if only because neither one of them is Russian.

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Americans Win Boys' Doubles:: Wimbledon.org

    Americans Win Boys' Doubles--

    Perhaps understandably, as Andrew Kennaugh is British, this story is told from the losers' perspective, but I've got to be careful about calling the kettle black here, as I write nearly everything on this site from an American point of view. And it doesn't hurt to give the losers their due, especially when they played two matches on Sunday, winning the first in a 15-13 final set, just to get to the Championship match.

    Jesse Levine and Michael Shabaz are a rarity in boys junior doubles, where most world-class players change partners more often than Tom Cruise. The two 17-year-olds have been playing together for nearly a year now, and have won the Grade 1 Eddie Herr and the North American Closed and made numerous finals and semifinals at other top junior events. Despite their impressive record over the past ten months, they weren't seeded at Wimbledon, and didn't even have to beat a seeded team to win. The doubles seeding was almost comically inept, focusing as it did on the rankings of the players as individuals (which is hardly a proven approach) to the detriment of established, consistently good teams like Levine and Shabaz. Result: One seeded team made it out of the first round. (But before I savage the seeding process any further, let me point out that the one and two seeded teams in girls doubles met in the finals, with the top seeds winning).

    Doubles seeding is a crapshoot, and not just at the junior level. The Wimbledon men's doubles title was won by Huss and Moodie, who had to qualify, and the mixed doubles championship match featured two unseeded teams. Could this capriciousness be part of the reason the ATP has pretty much thrown the doubles game as we know it overboard?

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Bob Larson's Tennis News | Oudesma receives final wildcard for Newport

    Bob Larson's Tennis News | Oudesma receives final wildcard for Newport--

    He's not a junior anymore, but I wanted to mention that Scott Oudsema got his first ATP main draw wild card, I'm guessing on the basis of his showing at the grass court challenger at Forest Hills, where he qualified and won two matches, the second over Frank Dancevic, the third seed who is ranked 164 in the world, more than 800 places higher than Oudsema.

    The boy from Kalamazoo just turned 19 on Friday (not in January, as this story says), and has begun working with coach Steve Devries. He may come up against another wild card in Newport who has had a bit more publicity for his recent success on grass--Andrew Murray.

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Let's Ask Monfils Who Will Win the Jr. U.S. Open Now

    Chardy Takes The Championship-- According to reports on Wimbledon.org, after he beat Jeremy Chardy last year in the semifinals, Gael Monfils, now ranked 79th on the ATP tour, predicted that countryman Chardy would win it this year. He did. Unseeded after a disappointing French where he lost in the second round, Chardy dropped his only set in the first round at Wimbledon, and beat Donald Young, the world's number one junior, in the semifinals. There's no question he played the best tennis of any male junior last week, but, as he admits in this story, he's no Monfils, who last year at this time was looking toward the U.S. Open to complete the first junior Grand Slam since Stefan Edberg.

    And despite Chardy's impressive run at Wimbledon, there's no reason to think he's established himself as an overwhelming favorite at the U.S. Open. He's a very fine junior, but there are a host of those, and who knows, maybe one of them will emerge at Flushing Meadows, as Andrew Murray did last year.

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Let's Ask Monfils Who Will Win the Jr. U.S. Open Now


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Centerville's Kronauge tops national tennis list ... and doesn't attend academy


    Centerville's Kronauge tops national tennis list ... and doesn't attend academy --

    Let the phone calls begin. Today is the day college coaches can begin a regular telephone campaign aimed at recruits and I imagine the Kronauge family is getting their share. With email it's not as big a deal as it used to be, but it must be the first indication of which universities are truly interested. I'm writing for the USTA's 18 & 16 Clay Courts website (see my preview story for that tournament here) coming up in a couple of weeks, and I'm looking forward to finding out who has contacted whom, from the coaches and players themselves.

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Centerville's Kronauge tops national tennis list ... and doesn't attend academy


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Smyczek and Co Survive Rain to Reign at Wimbledon--ITF Tennis - Juniors


    Smyczek and Co Survive Rain to Reign at Wimbledon--
    The ITF has ceded most of its coverage to Wimbledon.org, but it sure was a breath of fresh air when I ran across this story on their website about yesterday's junior matches. Preston deftly lets the players tell the story here and although I doubt she saw any of the matches, it doesn't seem to matter much. There's a lesson for tennis writer newbies like me here somewhere, and I think it may be doing fewer point-by-point, game-by-game accounts.

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Blake offers vision of game's life after Murray--Independent Online Edition

    Independent Online Edition > Blake offers vision of game's life after Murray::

    A story ostensibly about junior Myles Blake, who is contemplating whether to continue to train in Australia, where his parents immigrated years ago, or to accept the invitation of the LTA to train in England (based, I gather, on his winning two matches at junior Wimbledon, as he's never won so much as a Grade 1). My unsolicited advice: with Tiley taking charge, this is no time to leave Australia.

    The subtext of this story though, is just how important tennis is in Great Britain. Evidence follows:

    On the other hand, he [Blake] is three months older than Andy Murray, who was the subject of a conversation I overheard yesterday morning in a coffee shop, one middle-aged Englishwoman in a floral-print dress saying to another, with no trace of irony: "I do hope the tennis people can find another Murray."

    I am trying to imagine a scenario in the U.S. where a Starbucks line would feature two thirty-something Yankee fans idly speculating on who will be the next Donald Young. That borders on preposterous, and neatly defines just how much the two countries' sporting scenes differ.

    And if David Felgate, the LTA's performance director actually believes that his program is in the spotlight only during this fortnight, he's mistaken. Although it won't blind him with the same intensity, he'll be interrogated plenty at the U.S. Open, the Australian Open, the French Open and Davis Cup ties until Great Britain captures one of those titles.

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Blake offers vision of game's life after Murray--Independent Online Edition


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The Championships, Wimbledon 2005 -Junior Roundup

    The Championships, Wimbledon 2005 - Junior Roundup
    With fully half the boys quarterfinalists at Junior Wimbledon from the U.S., it's quite surprising that one of them isn't Sam Querrey, who had a very tough draw and lost today to French Open Jr. Champion Marin Cilic. The story on the match from Wimbledon.org is a good one.

    The wrapup story (link at top of post) makes reference to Timothy Reilly, not Neilly, but I'm assuming that's not ignorance, just a typo. Neilly, the reigning Orange Bowl champion, is always dangerous. Donald Young's next opponent is French Open finalist Antal Van Der Duim of the Netherlands, and Americans Jesse Levine and Tim Smyczek resume their rivalry, guaranteeing a U.S. semifinalist. Levine won both their 2004 ITF matches in straight sets.

    Another interesting tidbit from Junior Wimbledon--after the first round of boys doubles a grand total of one of the eight seeded teams remain.

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The Championships, Wimbledon 2005 -Junior Roundup


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It's Not Obvious To Wertheim


    I read Sports Illustrated's Jon Wertheim's mailbag religiously. I respect his opinions and admire his writing. When he mentioned my blog in his mailbag, my readership quadrupled. In other words, I'm a fan. But I'm mystified by his answer to this question this week:

    What do you think of young Andy Murray? The U.K. commentators have instantly jumped on the "Henman-replacement" bandwagon, usually guaranteed to achieve nothing more than pricing a promising sportsman out of the market with hysteria. He does look to have a lot of potential, given his solid serving and the kind of "unphasable" mentality you need to be successful when everyone else is hysterical in the U.K. Do you think he is showing signs of being good enough?
    -- A. Bannatyne, Aberdeen, Scotland

    Any teenager who can win two rounds at a Major and make hash of a solid veteran like Radek Stepanek has to be doing something right. I saw Murray play some in the juniors of Paris and in one match he looked terrific; in the other he looked like a teenager who had grown frustrated playing on his least favorite surface. He also handled himself well, all things considered, last week. And he's already on his way as a pro -- he received a wild card into the Campbell's Newport event next week.

    Still, you feel for the kid. If he's from anywhere outside Old Blighty he's just another Novak Djokovic with a fairly raw game but undeniable potential. As it stands he'll be carrying the weight of a nation at the biggest event for the next decade or so. No wonder he's left the U.K. to train in Barcelona!


    Murray's been in Barcelona for over two years. He fully expected to win the junior French and told Angela Buxton in January that "Down the road, in a few years I would like to win the French Open as my favourite surface has obviously become clay." Wertheim's implying that Murray was on his "least favorite surface" is an logical assumption, but it's wrong.

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Brad Dancer Named Fighting Illini Men's Tennis Head Coach :: Dancer becomes the 19th men's tennis head coach at Illinois

    Brad Dancer Named Fighting Illini Men's Tennis Head Coach :: Dancer becomes the 19th men's tennis head coach at Illinois--

    I'm very pleased that Illinois named Associate Head Coach Brad Dancer to head the program after Craig Tiley's departure to Tennis Australia.

    I haven't known Dancer very long, but I've run into him at enough junior tournaments to know that he works very hard recruiting. I've also seen him coaching at college tournaments, so I know he has that skill in his repertoire as well. If anyone is anticipating that Illinois will suffer with Tiley no longer at the helm, I think they're mistaken. Dancer won't miss a beat, and the Illini should contend for a national title next year.



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Brad Dancer Named Fighting Illini Men's Tennis Head Coach :: Dancer becomes the 19th men's tennis head coach at Illinois


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Is American Tennis in Peril? (Washington Post; registration required)

    Is American Tennis in Peril?
    --
    I don't know, but I'm not going to Jason Feller for the answers when he writes something this dumb:
    Of the young rising stars in the junior circuit there is only one American male or female that is expected to be a serious contender, Donald Young.

    Should I assume he's not a regular reader of zootennis?

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Is American Tennis in Peril? (Washington Post; registration required)


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US Has Notable Success at Wimbledon Juniors First Round

    US Has Notable Success at Wimbledon Juniors First Round--

    The U.S. junior boys had a very disappointing Roehampton, the Wimbledon junior warm-up event, with only Jesse Levine winning more than one match. But perhaps it served its purpose as, after the first round of Jr. Wimbledon, nine US boys are among the 32 remaining. The Netherlands, with four, has the next most surviving in the boys draw. Remarkably, every quarter has at least one American and one has two, meaning there could be, improbably, nothing but US players left in the quarters. That won't happen, of course, but after the Orange Bowl, in which all semifinalists were American, it doesn't seem entirely far-fetched.



    The U.S. girls started with much less quantity, as only six made it in, and half lost in the first round, but the seeds, Kirkland, Glatch and King survived. The Wimbledon website covered the Glatch - Kudryavtseva match (link here) which was really a tough draw for both as Kudryavtseva was an Orange Bowl finalist last December, but hasn't been playing juniors events much since, and hence was unseeded. There aren't many 24 game sets played in the Juniors--and kudos to both girls for seeing it through.

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US Has Notable Success at Wimbledon Juniors First Round


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Murray's Field of Dreams (Sunday Times)

    Murray's Field of Dreams (Sunday Times)--

    Perhaps the last post about Andrew Murray during this Wimbledon, but what a first week he had. I particularly like the writers dubbing it Andymonium. It was a bit surprising to me how little most of the Wimbledon fans knew about him prior to the fortnight, but he introduced himself to even the casual British tennis fan in a hurry. I will refrain from linking to the Sean Connery story--I'm not sure what his credentials are in tennis talent assessment, but he called Murray "as gifted as anybody who's ever played the game." Whatever you say 007. And Nick Bollettieri's comments weren't particularly enlightening either.

    But I will link to columns by two former Wimbledon champs--John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors as they weigh in on Andy Murray.

    McEnroe is referring to himself when he recalls Murray losing last fall to the "old man." That had to be one of the low points for Murray when he was attempting to determine his prospects for the future after his US Open Jr. win.

    This is nitpicking, but McEnroe wasn't, as he claims here, the number one junior in the world in 1977. I happened to run across this on the Wimbledon website the other day:

    The Junior World Ranking circuit was started by the ITF in 1977, linking nine of the major events for juniors. John McEnroe won all three tournaments he played, but finished third on the overall standings behind fellow American Van Winitsky. Czech Hana Strachanova headed the girls' year-end standings.


    Winitsky and Strachanova are two of the names that point out how dicey it is predicting future professional success from junior results. (I have to say that in 1977, Winitsky had one of the most dominant tournaments I ever witnessed in Kalamazoo, not losing a set in singles and winning the doubles as well).

    But I love the McEnroe quote at the end of this story when he compares his (much greater) first Wimbledon success with Murray's:
    I remember thinking, "Either I'm better than I thought I was or these guys are worse than I thought". The same thought may have run through Murray's head these past two weeks.

    It certainly ran through mine.

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Murray's Field of Dreams (Sunday Times)


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The Championships, Wimbledon 2005 :One To Watch, Junior Wimbledon

    The Championships, Wimbledon 2005: One To Watch-->

    Or one not to watch, as Andrew Murray has pulled out, leaving Donald Young, at 2, the highest seed competing. There is no mention of this on the Wimbledon website, you have to figure it out for yourself by looking at the draw, which is finally posted.

    As for this story, perhaps this comment is tinged with a bit of resentment, as I sent its author, David Bates, an email offering my services as a writer to Wimbledon.org's junior section and never received a response. Anyway, his piece is a look backwards, at how some now playing in the "senior" event fared as juniors. I know Wimbledon is all about tradition, but I can't help but think that he's writing this kind of story because he doesn't know anything about the current juniors.

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ITF Tennis -Wimbledon Junior Preview

    ITF Tennis - Wimbledon Junior Preview--

    I would love to do my own Wimbledon Junior preview, but since there are no draws posted on either Wimbledon.org or the ITF site, I'm at a decided disadvantage to Mr. Fletcher, the author of this one, who at least is privy to the seeding.



    I gather that Murray has been given the number one seed, as he was at the French Juniors, but he may not play. He certainly won't if he beats Nalbandian tomorrow, and the way Murray's been playing, I'm not dismissing his chances. He will be the clear favorite to win the juniors if he loses to Nalbandian and can find enough time between media sessions to play tennis.



    But Croatian Marin Cilic, who beat Murray in the semis in Paris, just won the Grade 1 Roehampton junior event, and has the classic "ic" size and game. (I think. I've not seen him play since Sam Querrey beat him 7-6 in the third at last year's US Jr. Open). It would be no surprise to me if he took the Wimbledon junior title.



    As for the world's top ranked junior, Donald Young, his game does not seem particularly suited to grass, despite the comparisons to John McEnroe that have been bandied about. Once he develops his serve, that surely will change, but for now just getting several matches on grass to begin to understand the nuances of the surface would be a realistic goal.



    Other boys contenders include Sergei Bubka, Robin Haase, Petar Jelenic, Sam Querrey, Ryan Sweeting and Phillip Bester.



    On the girls side, Azarenka, Kirkland and Wozniacki will bear watching, but as Kirkland is the only one that I've seen play, I hesitate to make any serious pronouncements on their chances.



    I am assured that the draw has taken place, but still no publication of it anywhere. I will post a link to it when it's available.









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ITF Tennis -Wimbledon Junior Preview


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MURRAY RESTORES HOME PRIDE: Sporting Life

    MURRAY RESTORES HOME PRIDE: Sporting Life> --

    Before Wimbledon started you could probably have gotten pretty good odds from Ladbrokes that Andy Murray would be the last British player remaining in the main draw at Wimbledon. He wakes up tomorrow, still 18 years old, but now carrying all the baggage that Henman has been shouldering on behalf of AELTC nation for a decade.

    Beating a top 16 seed today, Murray has yet to lose a set in the main draw at Wimbledon. And you thought "Wimbledon The Movie" was an unlikely Hollywood fantasy. What I love about sports is the absolutely unpredictable nature of it. Nothing Disney could concoct ever stands a chance of being as unlikely and inspiring as the triumphs we see on sport's grandest stages.

    And with that, I'm off to watch the Pistons try to do the impossible--win their second game on the road to take the NBA title. Wanna bet?

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MURRAY RESTORES HOME PRIDE: Sporting Life


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Wimbledon Andrew Murray - Times Online

    Wimbledon tennis Andrew Murray- Times Online--

    It often seems that my blog is just one Donald Young, Sam Querrey and Andrew Murray story after another. Murray's first round win yesterday in the main draw puts him at the top of media heap once again, and there are literally dozens of stories I could post about it. I chose this one because it's so stylishly written, and gets at Murray's personality (although I vehemently disagree with the one description of him as "conveniently guarded"; maybe it's an expression of the Queen's English that is eluding me. If it's meant to suggest any reticence whatsoever, the reporter is mistaken).

    Murray won the only 2004 junior Grand Slam singles title that Gael Monfils did not,
    Monfils and after the Frenchman scored a second round win over Dominic Hrbaty, seeded 22nd, he raised the bar for Murray, who faces the 14th seed Radek Stepanek in his second round match Thursday. The BBC News story here at least manages to give a nod in Monfils direction, which given the current Murray-mania is commendable.

    Note to BBC editor: Gasquet turned 19 last Saturday. In Nottingham. There was quite a big deal made of it, because he won his first ATP tournament that day.

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Wimbledon Andrew Murray - Times Online


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Flipping the Script: Tennis.com

    Flipping the Script: Tennis.com

    You have to page to the bottom of Steve Tignor's story to see it, but it's there--my first item (story would be stretching the point) in Tennis Magazine.

    It's fitting that it's attached to Steve's story; the managing editor of Tennis Magazine is the reason I got to write it. I met him at the Orange Bowl in Key Biscayne last December, and unlike a number of tennis writers I've met, he follows and likes the junior game. He was interested in my comments and perspective (always flattering) and in addition, he was very easy to talk to as we watched a couple of matches together. At the time, I was still hawking my Oudsema college vs. pro opus , and he not only read it but passed it along for me. Although nothing came of that particular foray, he urged me to pitch this Murray story, and I got the assignment.

    Steve's blogging for Tennisworld at Wimbledon right now (read it--it's great stuff), so it's doubtful he'll ever see this post, but it's a public, and overdue, thank you to him for his encouragement.

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Flipping the Script: Tennis.com


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Phenomenal player--L.A. Daily News - Sports

    Phenomenal player-- L.A. Daily News - Sports--

    Another Sam Querrey story, but this one isn't via his hometown newspaper. Lots of nice details on how he has done more the Lindsay Davenport approach to tennis while in high school than the Agassi and Sampras route (they "played up" regularly).

    I'm pleased to read that Querrey has finally gotten a clothing endorsement--as of the Easter Bowl, he didn't have one--a baffling situation after his performance at the US Open last year, but I can't find much rhyme or reason to endorsements since I've been paying attention to such things.

    Also, there is an error in the story--apparently the quote attributed to his father, Ed, is actually his grandfather Ed, whom I've seen at many of Sam's matches.

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Phenomenal player--L.A. Daily News - Sports


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Grass Clippings

    ©Colette Lewis 2005--
    Grass Clippings--

    Quiet Please

    Grass court tennis is different, and the distinctions are not truly discernible when watching Wimbledon on TV. It took me a full day to adjust to the absence of sound when the ball hits the court, and in the wide-open meadow that constitutes the Philadelphia Cricket Club venue, even the ball hitting the racquet produced a less distinct thunk. PCCclubhouseWith no stadium walls or stands to hold noise, the first impression was overwhelming quiet, broken only occasionally by a player's shriek over a bad bounce or the clatter of silverware from the veranda overlooking the feature courts where the members lunched.

    As long as those clamdiggers are white
    Eventually I began to accept what was being played as tennis, not some noiseless and archaic predecessor of the current sport. But the atmosphere at the club was so genteel, so civilized, that I almost expected to see someone take the court in Bill Tilden-style white flannel trousers. Sondhu Nadal's current costume would have been unthinkable, and indeed, he would have been asked to ditch the neon shirt in favor of the white attire the Club requires.

    The Neighborhood
    The Philadelphia Cricket Club is surrounded by beautiful slate-roofed, ivy-covered mansions of Chestnut Hill, and many of the tournament's participants are housed in them--guests of club members with a spare room or two and tennis playing children who serve as ballrunners. (ITF Grade 3s and above are required to provide "hospitality", i.e. meals and lodging). CnutHillhome
    Because most of US juniors who were in Europe for the French Open returned to England for the Roehampton Grade 1 event and did not play the US Grass Courts, the field was made up of younger juniors, who were getting their very first exposure to grass court tennis. USTA High Performance Coach David DiLucia, who is from the Philadelphia area, conducted a grass court camp for a few days prior to the tournament, using both the Merion and Cricket Club grass courts. Germantown Cricket Club also features grass tennis courts, making Philadelphia the undisputed center of grass tennis in the United States. The burning question is, of course, do they play cricket?, which apparently they do, once a year in May.

    Top Three Reasons I'll Return Next Year
    3. Ian Crookenden, the tournament director, who treated my husband and I as if we were valued volunteers, even though we weren't actually required to DO anything.

    2. Ballrunners and officials. Ballrunners are scarce at junior tournaments anywhere outside Kalamazoo, but not at PCC where they were abundant and enthusiastic all through the tournament. The predominantly Middle States section officials were generally excellent, even with lines that are nowhere near as distinct as those on clay or hard courts. ballrunners

    1. The food. The buffet that players and volunteers were offered was the club members lunch as well, uniformly excellent and, I don't think I'm overstating this, every bit the equal of a cruise ship in quality, variety and quantity. The coconut crusted chocolate/butterscotch brownies were a revelation to someone who thought she'd experienced every worthwhile variation of a bar cookie. This one elevates the form. In addition, an ice cream sandwich wagon appeared every afternoon, a perfect snack if you somehow avoided overeating at lunch. Tip to prospective players--the food alone is worth the $70 entry fee, even if you lose in the first round (but sign up for doubles; that guarantees you another whole day to eat).
    PCC1854

    Jetlag free
    One of my goals for this year was to get a credential to Wimbledon. It didn't happen, but my disappointment is minimal, what with this similar-- no, superior--experience at the Philadelphia Cricket Club. No media hordes, no queues, no endorsement-rich tennis stars, no royal boxes, no English food, no rain. The U.S. Junior International Grass Court Championships have much to recommend them vs. "The Championships".

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Grass Clippings


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