Team USA Coaches Reception Monday Evening at Easter Bowl

The second annual Team USA Coaches Reception will be held Monday from 5:30 to 7:30 pm at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, with a casual dinner, followed by awards presentations at 6:15 p.m. All coaches are invited to attend the USTA Player Development event, which is being held in conjunction with the Easter Bowl.

Those being recognized for their contributions to US Tennis are:

Lynn Nabors-McNally, 2014 Team USA Developmental Coach of the Year

Tucker Tennis Academy in Tulsa, Okla., 2014 Team USA Developmental Program of the Year

Legendary tennis coaches Jimmy Evert, Dennis Van Der Meer and John Wilkerson will also be honored during the program.

Gordon Saves Match Points to Reach International Spring Championships Semifinals, Neel Defeats Top Seed Arconada; 16s Finals Set; Easter Bowl 12s, 14s Begin Saturday

©Colette Lewis 2015--
Carson, CA--

Fifteen-year-old Michaela Gordon has played in enough Pro Circuit events to recognize a performance at that level, and down 6-1, 5-2 to No. 6 seed Katherine Sebov in the quarterfinals of the ITF Grade 1 International Spring Championships, she was witnessing it first hand.

"At the beginning, she was playing amazing," said the No. 3 seed, who withstood Sebov's blitz to post a 1-6, 7-6(2), 6-4 victory. "I couldn't do anything. I was giving her everything I had, I was playing well, and she was just hitting winners. I was thinking if she plays this well, and she beats me like this, it's a good match for her."

After breaking Sebov serving for the match at 5-2, Gordon faced two match points on her serve, but she saved them both, although just barely.

"I kind of got lucky on one of the match points, because she missed, like by a couple of inches, a wide return I think," said Gordon. "But I started playing a little bit smarter, changing up the height of my rally balls a little more, and she started not playing as well as she had in the first set. And I think she got a little bit nervous."

Sebov didn't get close to a match point serving for it at 5-4, netting a forehand at 30-40, but she did hold to force a tiebreaker. Gordon stayed in front throughout it, and in the third set, got out to a quick 4-1, two-break lead.  As noon approached and the bright sun and lack of any breeze produced the hottest temperatures of the week, Gordon couldn't quite close the door.  She was broken serving at 4-1, but Sebov was broken again to make it 5-2.  Gordon didn't earn a match point serving for it, and Sebov held to make it 5-4, suggesting perhaps another twist in the plot of the nearly three-hour match.

"I got a little nervous when I was up 5-2 and I made a few unforced errors," Gordon said. "So I just decided to start going for it a little more."

Serving for the match at 5-4, 15-30, Gordon went all in on a forehand down the line, hitting a winner.

"I decide to like take the risk," Gordon said of that shot. "I thought if I didn't, then she probably would. And it paid off."

Sebov hit her next return wide, and on match point, a good first serve and forehand forced an error to give Gordon the win.

Gordon will play No. 2 seed Sonya Kenin, who defeated unseeded Emma Higuchi 6-2, 3-6, 6-3.

Gordon and Kenin met in the semifinals of the Grade 1 Coffee Bowl with Gordon, who won the title there, posting a 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 victory.

The other girls semifinal will feature a battle of the IMG-based friends and doubles partners, with Ingrid Neel facing Fanni Stollar.

Neel overcame a slow start to beat top seed Usue Arconada 3-6, 6-0, 6-3, while Stollar, who has yet to drop a set in the tournament, got by unseeded Kelly Chen 6-2, 7-5.

Neel came to Carson from the qualifying at the Miami Open, where she beat WTA No. 85 Donna Vekic of Croatia 6-1, 6-2, and lost in two close sets to No. 115 Alison Van Uytvanck of Belgium.

"I keep building on the experiences I have, and Miami was a great one," said the 16-year-old, who is originally from Minnesota. "I'm really glad I got the chance so early in my career. It really helps in the juniors as well. There's a very big difference--in the pros, they just don't give you a point--and I'm kind of using that here. Try to act like a pro."

Neel is known for her aggressive net game, but it took her some time to work her way into the match with Arconada, who had beaten her at the Grade 1 in College Park last summer.

"In the first set, she was definitely more consistent than I was," Neel said. "She was being more aggressive, so I after that first set, I really committed to my game, stepped into every ball I could, came to net a lot more, and it really worked. And I executed well."

As for playing Stollar, Neel is looking forward to it.

"I've never played her in a tournament, so this will be a first," Neel said. "I do train with her and hit with her a lot. I'm going to try to have as much fun as I can while still trying to win, so it'll be a battle."

Although the top girls seed was eliminated, top boys seed William Blumberg rolled on, defeating qualifier Johnathan Small 6-1, 6-0 in under an hour.  Blumberg will play doubles partner Nathan Ponwith, the No. 5 seed, who came back from 5-1 down in the opening set against No. 5 seed Alejandro Tabilo of Canada to earn a 7-6(3), 6-1 victory.

No. 2 seed Miomir Kecmanovic of Serbia, another IMG-trained player in the semifinals, beat back a strong challenge from wild card Jake Van Emburgh 7-6(3), 6-1.  Kecmanovic faced a set point at 5-6 in the first, but Van Emburgh netted a very makeable forehand and his chance was gone.  Van Emburgh's power had Kecmanovic shaking his head as winners rocketed by him, but the Serb's experience and consistency won out.

Next for Kecmanovic is unseeded Kalman Boyd, who defeated No. 16 seed Robert Levine 4-6, 6-4, 6-4.

Boyd, who will be joining the Southern Cal Trojans in the fall, was able to save all five break points he faced in his final two service games to preserve the win over Levine.

"I had to really keep it together," said Boyd. "He's a really good player. He is just always going through the court, and I was always five feet or more behind the baseline. So I had to be really physical and really focused, which is sort of hard for me. I like looking at the crowd a lot."

Boyd, of Rancho Santa Fe, was hoping to have this kind of a run near his home base.

"I was looking at the obvious good players, like Nathan Ponwith, Will Blumberg, and I was sort of wanting to play Francis Tiafoe and all those guys. If they were here, I was like, oh crap, I don't know how I'm going to do. But once I didn't see them, I was like, cool, maybe I can battle a little bit."

Boyd has not played Kecmanovic before, but knows he is facing one of the top ITF juniors.

"I was watching him, and he looks like a really good player," said Boyd, who will turn 18 next week. "He's doing really well, so it obviously will be tough."

The 16s finals are set for Saturday.

No. 5 seed Andrew Fenty and No. 6 seed Oliver Crawford will meet for the boys title after both battled back from a set down to advance.

Fenty defeated unseeded Ryan Goetz 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 and Crawford outlasted No. 8 seed Austen Huang 4-6, 6-2, 6-2.

The girls final will feature No. 4 seed Victoria Flores against No. 15 seed Natasha Subhash.  Flores ended the run of 12-year-old Alexa Noel 6-3, 6-2 and Subhash eliminated No. 2 seed Alexandra Belaya 6-4, 6-2.

The girls 16s doubles final will be decided between No. 1 seeds Belaya and Emma Decoste and No. 8 seeds Jessica Anz and Jenna Moustafa.

Crawford and Brian Cernoch, the No. 1 seeds, will play unseeded Goetz and Ryan Seggerman in the boys 16s doubles championships.

The 18s doubles finals are also scheduled for Saturday.  Ponwith and Blumberg, the No. 1 seeds, will face No. 3 seeds Tabilo and Benjamin Hannestad of Denmark.

Unseeded Caroline Dolehide and Ena Shibahara will play Gordon and Raquel Pedraza, the No. 4 seeds, in the girls doubles final.

The Easter Bowl begins on Saturday for the 12s and 14s age divisions. Aidan Mayo(B12s), Govind Nanda(B14s), Gabriella Price(G12s) and Alexa Noel(G14s) are the top seeds.  Draws with match times are available at the TennisLink site.

Boys' 18 Singles (Quarterfinal Round)

William Blumberg (1) (Greenwich, CT)  def.  Johnathan Small (Zionsville, IN)  6-1, 6-0

Kalman Boyd (Rancho Santa Fe, CA)  def.  Robert Levine (16) (Bedford, NY)  4-6, 6-4, 6-4

Miomir Kecmanovic (2) (Boca Raton, FL)  def.  Jake Van Emburgh (Verona, WI)  7-6(3), 6-1

Nathan Ponwith (5) (Scottsdale, AZ)  def.  Alejandro Tabilo (4) (Etobicoke, Ontairo)  7-6(3), 6-1

Boys' 18 Doubles (Semifinal Round)

Benjamin Hannestad / Alejandro Tabilo (3) (Etobicoke, Ontario)  def.  Ulises Blanch (Deerfield Beach, FL) / Liam  Caruana (2) (New Braunfels, TX)  7-5, 6-4

William Blumberg (Greenwich, CT) / Nathan Ponwith (1) (Scottsdale, AZ) def. Robert Levine (Bedford, NY) / Catalin Mateas (6) (Braintree, MA) 7-6 (6), 7-6 (5)

Girls' 18 Singles (Quarterfinal Round)

Fanni Stollar (4)  def.  Kelly Chen (Cerritos, CA)  6-2, 7-5

Sonya Kenin (2) (Pembroke Pines, FL)  def.  Emma Higuchi (Los Angeles, CA)  6-2, 3-6, 6-3

Ingrid Neel (7) (Bradenton, FL)  def.  Usue Arconada (1) (Rio Piedras, PR)  3-6, 6-0, 6-3

Michaela Gordon (3) (Saratoga, CA)  def.  Katherine Sebov (6) (Woodbridge, ON)  1-6, 7-6(2), 6-4

Girls' 18 Doubles (Semifinal Round)

Michaela Gordon (Saratoga, CA) / Raquel Pedraza (4) (Claremont, CA)  def.  Emma Higuchi (Los Angeles, CA) / Katherine Sebov (5) (Woodbridge, ON)  2-6, 6-0, 10-7

Caroline Dolehide (Hinsdale, IL) / Ena Shibahara (Rancho Palos Verdes, CA)  def.  Kayla Day (Santa Barbara, CA) / Sonya Kenin (3) (Pembroke Pines, FL)  6-3, 6-4

Boys' 16 Singles (Semifinal Round)

Oliver Crawford (6) (Spartanburg, SC)  def.  Austen Huang (8) (Elk Grove, CA)  4-6, 6-2, 6-2

Andrew Fenty (5) (Washington, DC)  def.  Ryan Goetz (Greenlawn, NY)  3-6, 6-1, 6-2

Boys' 16 Doubles (Semifinal Round)

Ryan Goetz (Greenlawn, NY) / Ryan Seggerman (Coronado, CA)  def.  Adam Sraberg (Los Angeles, CA) / Matthew  Tsolakyan (Glendale, CA)  2-6, 7-5, 10-6

Brian Cernoch (North Bethesda, MD) / Oliver Crawford (1) (Spartanburg, SC)  def.  Danny Thomas (Pickerington, OH) / Maximilian  Wild (Carmel, IN)  6-2, 3-6, 10-3

Girls' 16 Singles (Semifinal Round)

Natasha Subhash (15) (Fairfax, VA)  def.  Alexandra Belaya (2) (Melbourne, FL)  6-4, 6-2

Victoria Flores (4) (Fort Dodge, IA)  def.  Alexa Noel (Summit, NJ)  6-3, 6-2

Girls' 16 Doubles (Semifinal Round)

Alexandra Belaya (Melbourne, FL) / Emma Decoste (1) (Stuart, FL)  def.  Elysia Bolton (Lake Forest, IL) / Ann  Li (3) (Devon, PA)  4-6, 6-3, 13-11

Jessica Anzo (Temecula, CA) / Jenna Moustafa (8) (Los Angeles, CA)  def.  Marcella Cruz (Marlboro, NJ) / Alexa Noel (5) (Summit, NJ)  4-6, 6-1, 10-6

March Aces; Fritz Advances to Semifinals at ITF Junior Masters in China

Before the quarterfinals begin at the ITF Grade 1 International Spring Championships today in Carson, here's a link to my March Aces at the Tennis Recruiting Network.  My monthly column, which I've been writing for TRN since 2007, now has a new sponsor, Southern California Tennis Academy.  Welcome!

The inaugural ITF Junior Masters is underway in China, with the first round now complete.  Taylor Fritz has advanced to the semifinals, where he'll play No. 2 seed Orlando Luz of Brazil.  Fritz, by the way, is still entered in the Easter Bowl Grade B1 next week at Indian Wells, an undeniably ambitious schedule. The Masters is featuring a live stream of all matches and a live blog, links to which can be found at the ITF tournament page.  First round results are below:

No. 1 Andrey Rublev (RUS) d. Michael Mmoh (USA) 64 75

Duck Hee Lee (KOR) d. Marcelo Zormann (BRA) 63 60

Taylor Fritz (USA) d. Jaume Munar (ESP) 60 63

No. 2 Orlando Luz (BRA) d. Chung Yunseong (KOR) 62 67(6) 75

No. 1 Xu Shilin (CHN) d. Aliona Bolsova Zadoinov (ESP) 63 63

Jil Teichmann (SUI) d. Marketa Vondrousova (CZE) 63 62

Kristina Schmiedlova (SVK) d. Elena Gabriela Ruse (ROU) 61 62

No. 2 Iryna Shymanovich (BLR) d. Jelena Ostapenko (LAT) 61 1-0 ret.

Higuchi Posts Another Comeback Win to Reach International Spring Quarterfinals; Qualifier Small into Boys Final Eight; 16s Semifinals Set

©Colette Lewis 2015--
Carson, CA--

Emma Higuchi didn't have to think back very far for inspiration when she trailed No. 8 seed Caroline Dolehide 6-3, 4-1.  Higuchi was down 4-1 in the third set against No. 12 seed Claire Liu in Wednesday's third round of the ITF Grade 1 International Spring Championships, but had come back to win 7-5, 3-6, 6-4.

"I thought, well, you've done it once, so you can do it again," said the 17-year-old from Los Angeles, who went on to defeat Dolehide 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(4) on another breezy and cloudless day at the StubHub Center.

Higuchi had lost badly to Liu in their previous meeting last fall, and was also soundly beaten by Dolehide at the Eddie Herr, but those loses didn't discourage her.

"At Eddie Herr I lost to Caroline like 2 and 1 and I really couldn't do anything," said Higuchi, who trains at the USTA Player Development Center courts where the tournament is held. "But this time it was on hard courts, so I thought maybe this time I have a chance. I think I've improved on a couple of things since I lost to Claire."

Dolehide lost six straight games from 4-1 up in the second set, with her serve not providing any free points, and Higuchi keeping the ball deep and away from the dangerous Dolehide forehand.

Dolehide recovered in the third set, taking a 4-2 lead, but Higuchi kept getting balls back and Dolehide couldn't sustain any momentum. She was broken serving at 4-3, and Higuchi stayed ahead until the tiebreaker where again, she came from behind. Dolehide led 3-0, but Higuchi won six consecutive points, one a devastating net cord winner to make it 5-3. A perfect backhand pass gave her three match points, with Dolehide's forehand saving the first, but Higuchi hit a forehand winner of her own on the second match point to secure the win.

Higuchi will play No. 2 seed Sonya Kenin in Friday's quarterfinal, who beat No. 15 seed Maria Mateas 6-4, 6-3.

"I'm just really excited to play her," said Higuchi, who remembers losing to Kenin when up 4-1 in the third set many years ago. "I think it will be another really good match."

The other unseeded girl in the quarterfinals is Kelly Chen, who defeated No. 5 seed Francesca Di Lorenzo in the only other three-setter of the girls third round, 6-7(4), 6-2, 6-3.

Chen had four set points serving for the first set at 5-4, but she double faulted on three of them and made an error on the fourth.

In the first set tiebreaker, the server held only three times, but Di Lorenzo had two of those holds, enough to give her the set.

"I had played her a couple years ago, so I knew she was going to grind," said Chen, who turns 16 next month. "I was prepared this time for a long match. I got a little bit tense at the end of the tiebreaker, but the second and third sets were better. It was just all about fight. I knew she was a fighter--she's a very good player--she does not give up, so I had to fight back, get everything back. Overall, I thought I played pretty well."

Chen will play No. 4 seed Fanni Stollar of Hungary in the quarterfinals, after Stollar defeated Jade Lewis of New Zealand 6-2, 6-2.

Top seed Usue Arconada again struggled to close out an opponent, but she came away with a 7-6(0), 6-4 win over No. 16 seed Sofia Sewing. Arconada served for the first set at 5-4 and 6-5, and served for the match at 5-1 and 5-3, but didn't get to match point either time, hitting three consecutive double faults at 5-1, 15-all, and missing a forehand at 5-3, 30-40.  Arconada was able to break Sewing to win it on her third match point, and will play No. 7 seed Ingrid Neel in the quarterfinals. Neel defeated lucky loser Taylor Russo 6-1, 7-5.

The fourth girls quarterfinal will feature No. 6 seed Katherine Sebov of of Canada against No. 3 seed Michaela Gordon.  Gordon rolled over Claremont ITF champion Victoria Emma 6-0, 6-0 in less than an hour, while Sebov eliminated No. 9 seed Kayla Day 6-3, 6-2.

Five seeded boys remain in the draw, including the top two seeds, William Blumberg and Miomir Kecmanovic of Serbia.  Blumberg defeated unseeded Sam Riffice 6-4, 7-6(4), and Kecmanovic also had a tough straight-set victory, beating No. 13 seed Liam Caruana 6-3, 7-6(2).

Kecmanovic will play wild card Jake Van Emburgh, who upset No. 6 seed Emil Reinberg 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-3, and Blumberg will meet qualifier Johnathan Small, who defeated the other remaining wild card, John McNally, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4.

McNally, last year's 16s champion, seemed in control of the match, leading 4-2 in the final set, but two backhand errors at 4-3, 30-30 put Small right back into it.  Small, a 17-year-old from Indiana, held for 4-4, then broke McNally again, with McNally donating most of the points.

"I just kept fighting, I really didn't do anything that special," said Small, who has committed to Notre Dame. "He definitely tried to overplay a little bit and that's just because throughout the whole match, I made him hit another ball. I don't think I did anything that special; I think he just broke down."

McNally complained aloud that he didn't have any energy, but Small never suffered from that problem, and some of Small's celebrations were not well received by McNally.  When Small closed out the match, with two McNally returns going long to end it, they met at the net and McNally vocally expressed his unhappiness with Small. The chair umpire put an end to the exchange of words, which continued as they made their way to their bags, but McNally's anger was unmistakable.

"We have a bit of a history," Small said. "We don't really like each other very much. I didn't expect it to be that violent, but we definitely don't like each other. We haven't liked each other just as tennis players. He doesn't think I hit the ball, and I think he misses too much, and he's arrogant. But I didn't think we hated each other that much. That was strange. But whatever, move on."

Small reached the semifinals in Claremont and won the doubles title, so he is not surprised by his results this week.

"I haven't played that many ITF tournaments, but I've played all these kids before and I knew I could beat them," said Small. "I had the confidence, I just needed a couple of results."

Small has not played Blumberg however.

"It'll be a fun match," Small said. "He's obviously done really well lately, but it'll be a battle. Expect another long one."

No. 4 seed Alejandro Tabilo of Canada will meet No. 5 seed Nathan Ponwith in the other top half quarterfinal, with unseeded Kalman Boyd taking on No. 16 seed Robert Levine in the other bottom half quarterfinal.

The semifinals are set in the 16s, with three seeded and one unseeded player remaining in each of the draws.

Unseeded 12-year-old Alex Noel continued her run, defeating No. 5 seed Nicole Conard 6-1, 5-7, 6-3, and will play No. 4 seed Victoria Flores, who beat No. 11 seed Sydney Jones 6-2, 6-2.  No. 2 seed Alexandra Belaya defeated No. 7 seed Elysia Bolton 7-6(5), 6-3 to set up a meeting with No. 15 seed Natasha Subhash, a 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-3 winner over Salma Ewing.

Unseeded Ryan Goetz reached the semifinals with a 7-6(4), 6-4 win over Keenan Mayo. Goetz will play No. 5 seed Andrew Fenty, who defeated fellow Junior Tennis Champions Center student, No. 4 seed Brian Cernoch, 7-5, 6-3.  Oliver Crawford, the No. 6 seed, has lost only seven games in his three wins this week, beating No. 14 seed Kevin Ma 6-2, 6-1. He will play No. 8 seed Austen Huang, who beat Ryan Seggerman 6-4, 6-3.

The doubles semifinals are set, with the scores from today's quarterfinal matches below.

Links to the draws, order of play, live scoring and radio streaming can be found at the tournament page.

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Boys' 18 Singles (Round of 16)

Robert Levine (16) (Bedford, NY)  def.  John Jorgeson (Bradenton, FL)  6-0, 6-0

William Blumberg (1) (Greenwich, CT)  def.  Sam Riffice (Roseville, CA)  6-4, 7-6(4)

Alejandro Tabilo (4) (Etobicoke, Ontairo) def.  Mwendwa Mbithi (14) (Deerfield Beach, FL)  6-2, 6-4

Miomir Kecmanovic (2) (Boca Raton, FL)  def.  Liam Caruana (13) (New Braunfels, TX)  6-3, 7-6(2)

Nathan Ponwith (5) (Scottsdale, AZ)  def.  Sangeet Sridhar (Glendale, AZ)  6-3, 6-0

Kalman Boyd (Rancho Santa Fe, CA)  def.  Michael Genender (Los Angeles, CA)  7-6(2), 6-4

Johnathan Small (Zionsville, IN)  def.  John McNally (Cincinnati, OH)  4-6, 6-4, 6-4

Jake Van Emburgh (Verona, WI)  def.  Emil Reinberg (6) (Atlanta, GA)  6-7(4), 6-3, 6-3

Boys' 18 Doubles (Quarterfinal Round)

Robert Levine (Bedford, NY) / Catalin Mateas (6) (Braintree, MA)  def.  Miomir Kecmanovic (Boca Raton, FL) / Bjorn Thomson (4)  4-6, 6-3, 10-8

William Blumberg (Greenwich, CT) / Nathan Ponwith (1) (Scottsdale, AZ)  def.  Trent Bryde (Suwanee, GA) / Patrick Kypson (Greenville, NC)  7-5, 6-3

Benjamin Hannestad / Alejandro Tabilo (3) (Etobicoke, Ontario) def.  Hady Habib (Bradenton, FL) / Anudeep Kodali (5) (Durham, NC)  6-7(3), 6-2, 10-4

Ulises Blanch (Deerfield Beach, FL) / Liam Caruana (2) (New Braunfels, TX)  def.  Michael Genender (Los Angeles, CA) / Emil Reinberg (7) (Atlanta, GA)  6-4, 5-7, 10-7

Girls' 18 Singles (Round of 16)

Emma Higuchi (Los Angeles, CA)  def.  Caroline Dolehide (8) (Hinsdale, IL)  3-6, 6-4, 7-6(4)

Katherine Sebov (6) (Woodbridge, ON)  def.  Kayla Day (9) (Santa Barbara, CA)  6-3, 6-2

Fanni Stollar (4)  def.  Jade Lewis (Hilton Head Island, SC)  6-2, 6-2

Michaela Gordon (3) (Saratoga, CA)  def.  Victoria Emma (Naples, FL)  6-0, 6-0

Ingrid Neel (7) (Bradenton, FL)  def.  Taylor Russo (Deerfield Beach, FL)  6-1, 7-5

Sofia Kenin (2) (Pembroke Pines, FL)  def.  Maria Mateas (15) (Braintree, MA)  6-4, 6-3

Kelly Chen (Cerritos, CA)  def.  Francesca Dilorenzo (5) (New Albany, OH)  6-7(4), 6-2, 6-3

Usue Arconada (1) (Rio Piedras, PR)  def.  Sofia Sewing (16) (Doral, FL)  7-6(0), 6-4

Girls' 18 Doubles (Quarterfinal Round)

Michaela Gordon (Saratoga, CA) / Raquel Pedraza (4) (Claremont, CA)  def.  Anna Dollar (Lancaster, PA) / Veronica  Miroshnichenko (Aventura, FL)  7-5, 6-2

Kayla Day (Santa Barbara, CA) / Sofia Kenin (3) (Pembroke Pines, FL)  def.  Helen Altick (Monroe, LA) / Caroline Lampl (Bluemont, VA)  6-2, 7-6(4)

Emma Higuchi (Los Angeles, CA) / Katherine  Sebov (5) (Woodbridge, ON) def. Alexis Nelson (Saint Paul, MN) / Savannah Slaysman (Phoenix, AZ) 2-6, 6-2, 10-7

Caroline Dolehide (Hinsdale, IL) / Ena Shibahara (Rancho Palos Verdes, CA)  def.  Meghan Kelley (Falmouth, ME) / Gabriella Pollner (7) (Boca Raton, FL)  6-2, 6-3

Boys' 16 Singles (Quarterfinal Round)

Andrew Fenty (5) (Washington, DC)  def.  Brian Cernoch (4) (North Bethesda, MD)  7-5, 6-3

Ryan Goetz (Greenlawn, NY)  def.  Keenan Mayo (Roseville, CA)  7-6(4), 6-4

Austen Huang (8) (Elk Grove, CA)  def.  Ryan Seggerman (Coronado, CA)  6-4, 6-3

Oliver Crawford (6) (Spartanburg, SC)  def.  Kevin Ma (14) (San Ramon, CA)  6-2, 6-1

Boys' 16 Doubles (Quarterfinal Round)

Danny Thomas (Pickerington, OH) / Maximilian Wild (Carmel, IN)  def.  Andrew Fenty (Washington, DC) / William Woodall (4) (Washington, DC)  7-5, 6-4

Brian Cernoch (North Bethesda, MD) / Oliver Crawford (1) (Spartanburg, SC)  def.  William Grant (Santa Barbara, CA) / Govind  Nanda (6) (Redlands, CA)  6-3, 6-3

Ryan Goetz (Greenlawn, NY) / Ryan Seggerman (Coronado, CA)  def.  Cody Lin (Thousand Oaks, CA) / Kento Perera (7) (Santa Barbara, CA)  6-2, 7-5, 10-4

Adam Sraberg (Los Angeles, CA) / Matthew Tsolakyan (Glendale, CA)  def.  Robert Baylon (Buena Park, CA) / Jack  Pulliam (2) (Manhattan Beach, CA)  7-5, 7-5

                                                                                                      

Girls' 16 Singles (Quarterfinal Round)
Natasha Subhash (15) (Fairfax, VA) def. Salma Ewing (Long Beach, CA) 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-3
Alexa Noel (Summit, NJ) def. Nicole Conard (5) (Boca Raton, FL) 6-1, 5-7, 6-3
Victoria Flores (4) (Fort Dodge, IA) def. Sydney Jones (11) (Carrollton, TX) 6-2, 6-2
Alexandra Belaya (2) (Melbourne, FL) def. Elysia Bolton (7) (Lake Forest, IL) 7-5(5), 6-3

Girls' 16 Doubles (Quarterfinal Round)

Elysia Bolton (Lake Forest, IL) / Ann Li (3) (Devon, PA)  def.  Jessica Aragon (Plano, TX) / Sydney  Jones (7) (Carrollton, TX)  6-3, 6-4

Marcella Cruz (Marlboro, NJ) / Alexa Noel (5) (Summit, NJ)  def.  Madison Hwang (Frisco, TX) / McCartney  Kessler (4) (Calhoun, GA)  6-1, 3-6, 10-4

Jessica Anzo (Temecula, CA) / Jenna Moustafa (8) (Los Angeles, CA)  def.  Victoria Flores (Fort Dodge, IA) / Maria  Ross (2) (Lakewood Ranch, FL)  7-6(3), 4-6, 10-4

Alexandra Belaya (Melbourne, FL) / Emma Decoste (1) (Stuart, FL)  def.  Abigail Forbes (Raleigh, NC) / Luba  Vasilyuk (Frisco, TX)  6-3, 6-1

Jorgeson Ousts Third Seed Blanch at International Spring Championships; 2014 16s Champion McNally Keeps Carson Winning Streak Going; Noel, 12, Takes Out Top Seed in 16s

©Colette Lewis 2015-
Carson CA--

After a relatively uneventful first round at the ITF Grade 1 International Spring Championships, the first top four seed exited in Wednesday's second round, with John Jorgeson saving a match point in his 4-6, 7-6(7), 6-2 win over No. 3 seed Ulises Blanch.

No. 11 seed Catalin Mateas and No. 12 seed Benjamin Hannestad also lost, with wild cards John McNally and Jake Van Emburgh advancing to the third round.  The girls second round saw only one seed eliminated, with Emma Higuchi defeating No. 12 seed Claire Liu 7-5, 3-6, 6-4.

The 16-year-old Jorgeson, ranked 278 to Blanch's 38, was down 5-6 in the second set tiebreaker, but with an assist from the elements, he escaped.

"I was just keeping the balls deep and the wind picked up in the middle of the point and he shanked it," said Jorgeson. "I hit an ace down the T, and another big serve, and he missed a ball long."

Jorgeson said he has learned from experience how to maintain his focus after such an adrenaline-filled end to the second set.

"I've done that so many times, I've learned my lesson," Jorgeson said of avoiding a letdown. "So I really focused hard and tried to stay active."

Jorgeson took a 4-0 lead in the third set, and Blanch, who can usually be heard exhorting himself with c'mons in several different languages, was quiet, verging on indifferent.  But he saved three break points to keep from going down 5-0, then broke Jorgeson to make it 4-2, but was broken in the next game to give Jorgeson his cushion back.

"I definitely had some nerves," said Jorgeson, who trains with Heath Turpin in Bradenton, Fla.  "I was up 4-0 and it got to 4-2, I was a little nervous there. But I played well. I hit a lot of aces today, and that's not usual for me. I'm pretty short, so I'm surprised I'm serving well, but I'm definitely feeling the serve a lot."

Jorgeson will play No. 16 seed Robert Levine in the third round. Levine defeated Jorgeson last fall in the first round of the Pan American Closed in Tulsa.

Although McNally won the International Spring Championships 16s title last year, he needed a wild card to get into the ITF tournament this year after an injury last fall brought his excellent year to a disappointing end.

"This is a big, big win for me, and two days ago was a big win, too," said McNally, who defeated Mateas 7-6(3), 6-2, saving a set point at 4-5 in the first set. "It's been a rough road back after I got hurt after the US Open. I had a couple of really bad losses, my confidence level went down, but I thought maybe I could do something here. I've never played a Grade 1 before. I'm really happy I got a wild card. I didn't really deserve a wild card, to be honest, because I really haven't had the best results, but winning these two matches makes me feel a little bit better."

Next for McNally as he aims for his ninth straight win in Carson, is qualifier Johnathan Small, who defeated Bjorn Hoffman, another qualifier, 6-4, 6-3.

Top seed William Blumberg was down 5-3 in the second set to Zeke Clark, but won the final four games of the match for a 6-1, 7-5 victory.

Girls top seed Usue Arconada also had a close call against Ulyana Shirokova of Russia before escaping with a 6-1, 4-6, 6-3 victory. Arconada led 6-1, 3-1 before Shirokova began her comeback, and the Russian was up a break at 1-0 in the third before Arconada retook control of the match. She has now won 13 straight ITF junior matches at the Grade 1 or Grade A level.

Higuchi had lost to 6-0, 6-1 to Liu last fall in the quarterfinals of the Pan American Closed in Tulsa, but it didn't take long for her to establish that this match would be different.  With its long, punishing rallies, the match was a test of physical and mental strength, and although Higuchi is much smaller than the 14-year-old Liu, she didn't let the previous match or the breezy conditions interrupt her concentration.  Liu had a 4-1 lead in the third set, but Higuchi got the break back and, as Liu began pressing, broke again to take a 5-4 lead.

Liu earned a break point to get back on serve, but hit a backhand long for deuce, then got another break point, only to have Higuchi hit a deft stop volley winner to save it.  Higuchi finally got to match point by executing a tough backhand volley putaway. Although Higuchi hit a less than crisp volley, it was deep enough to give Liu problems and her defensive shot floated long.  The friends and training partners at the USTA's Player Development Center-West, where the tournament is held, shared an affectionate hug at the net after the intense hours of competition.

Higuchi will face No. 8 seed Caroline Dolehide in Thursday's third round, after Dolehide defeated Ndindi Mwaruka 6-2, 6-1.  Dolehide defeated Higuchi 6-2, 6-1 in the third round of the Eddie Herr last November.

A day after the boys 16s No. 1 seed was beaten, the girls No. 1 seed also went out, with 12-year-old Alex Noel surprising Emma Decoste 2-6, 6-1, 6-3.

Noel, a wild card, had beaten No. 13 seed Maria Ross 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 in the second round, but said coming from behind is not usually her style.

"Normally I win the first set," said Noel, who trains at Centercourt Academy in New Jersey. "I started out pretty slow, but I just calmed myself down, I guess, finding way to break her down. She was a lefty, and she grinded, didn't really hit through the court, so I tried to be aggressive and step in. I was hitting a lot of winners, and also got forced errors."

Noel can be very emotional on the court, berating herself loudly, but she said she is working to control that.

"Sometimes it helps me play better, but most of the time, it kind of brings me down," Noel admitted.

She will play No. 5 seed Nicole Conard in the quarterfinals on Thursday. The other unseeded player in the girls 16s quarterfinals is Selma Ewing, who defeated No. 6 seed Marcella Cruz 6-2, 6-1.

Third seed Taylor Johnson also lost on Wednesday, beaten by No. 15 seed Natasha Subhash 6-3, 6-2.

In the boys 16s, an unseeded semifinalist is assured, with Keenan Mayo advancing to face Ryan Goetz in the quarterfinals. Goetz beat No. 11 seed Robert Baylon 6-3, 6-2.

For complete draws and Thursday's order of play, see the tournament website.
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Boys' 18 Singles (Round of 32)

John McNally (Cincinnati, OH)  def.  Catalin Mateas (11) (Braintree, MA)  7-6(3), 6-2

Michael Genender (Los Angeles, CA)  def.  William Genesen (Tulsa, OK)  6-4, 6-4

Sam Riffice (Roseville, CA)  def.  Gianni Ross (La Grange, IL)  6-4, 2-6, 6-3

John Jorgeson (Bradenton, FL)  def.  Ulises Blanch (3) (Deerfield Beach, FL)  4-6, 7-6(7), 6-2

Mwendwa Mbithi (14) (Deerfield Beach, FL)  def.  Trent Bryde (Suwanee, GA)  1-6, 7-6, 6-3

Nathan Ponwith (5) (Scottsdale, AZ)  def.  Alexander Lebedev (Island Park, NY)  6-3, 6-3

Kalman Boyd (Rancho Santa Fe, CA)  def.  Jeffrey Wolf (Cincinnati, OH)  7-5, 6-1

Emil Reinberg (6) (Atlanta, GA)  def.  Nathan Perrone (Bluffton, SC)  7-5, 5-7, 6-3

Robert Levine (16) (Bedford, NY)  def.  Jakub Wojcik (Delray Beach, FL)  6-4, 6-1

Sangeet Sridhar (Glendale, AZ)  def.  Alex Phillips (Peachtree City, GA)  7-6(5), 6-4, 6-1

William Blumberg (1) (Greenwich, CT)  def.  Zeke Clark (Tulsa, OK)  6-1, 7-5

Alejandro Tabilo (4) (Etobicoke, Ontario) def.  Vincent Lin (Schaumburg, IL)  7-5, 1-6, 7-5

Liam Caruana (13) (New Braunfels, TX)  def.  Daniel Bennett  6-2, 6-1

Johnathan Small (Zionsville, IN)  def.  Bjorn Hoffmann (Newport Beach, CA)  6-4, 6-3

Miomir Kecmanovic (2) (Boca Raton, FL)  def.  Patrick Kypson (Greenville, NC)  6-1, 6-1

Jake Van Emburgh (Verona, WI)  def.  Benjamin Hannestad (12)  6-4, 6-3

Boys' 18 Doubles (Round of 16)

Miomir Kecmanovic (Boca Raton, FL) / Bjorn Thomson (4)  def.  Zeke Clark (Tulsa, OK) / Nathan  Perrone (Bluffton, SC)  6-4, 6-2

Ulises Blanch (Deerfield Beach, FL) / Liam Caruana (2) (New Braunfels, TX)  def.  Sameer Kumar (Carmel, IN) / Vincent Lin (Schaumburg, IL)  6-2, 7-5

William Blumberg (Greenwich, CT) / Nathan Ponwith (1) (Scottsdale, AZ)  def.  Brandon Holt (Rolling Hills, CA) / Riley  Smith (Long Beach, CA)  7-5, 7-6(6)

Michael Genender (Los Angeles, CA) / Emil Reinberg (7) (Atlanta, GA)  def.  Kyryll Kryvchun (West Vancouver, BC) / Sangeet  Sridhar (Glendale, AZ)  4-6, 6-2, 10-8

Benjamin Hannestad / Alejandro Tabilo (3) (Etobicoke, Ontario) def.  Daunte Harris (Lomita, CA) / Bjorn Hoffmann (Newport Beach, CA)  6-2, 6-1

Robert Levine (Bedford, NY) / Catalin Mateas (6) (Braintree, MA)  def.  Bryan Husin (Riverside, CA) / Denis Shapovalov  6-3, 6-1

Hady Habib (Bradenton, FL) / Anudeep Kodali (5) (Durham, NC)  def.  Chase Colton (Pompano Beach, FL) / Johnathan  Small (Zionsville, IN)  6-3, 6-2

Trent Bryde/Patrick Kypson  def. Mwendwa Mbithi/Nicolas Moreno de Alboran(ESP), 6-3, 6-1

Boys' 16 Singles (Round of 16)

Oliver Crawford (6) (Spartanburg, SC)  def.  Kento Perera (10) (Santa Barbara, CA)  6-1, 6-2

Andrew Fenty (5) (Washington, DC)  def.  Abhijeet Joshi (9) (Millington, NJ)  6-0, 7-5

Austen Huang (8) (Elk Grove, CA)  def.  Eric Hahn (Fullerton, CA)  6-3, 6-1

Ryan Goetz (Greenlawn, NY)  def.  Robert Baylon (11) (Buena Park, CA)  6-3, 6-2

Brian Cernoch (4) (North Bethesda, MD)  def.  Matthew Tsolakyan (13) (Glendale, CA)  3-6, 6-1, 6-2

Ryan Seggerman (Coronado, CA)  def.  Ethan Prost (Peoria, AZ)  6-1, 6-0

Kevin Ma (14) (San Ramon, CA)  def.  Diego Nava (Woodland Hills, CA)  1-6, 6-3, 6-2

Keenan Mayo (Roseville, CA)  def.  Adam Oscislawski (Scottsdale, AZ)  6-1, 6-1

Boys' 16 Doubles (Round of 16)

Robert Baylon (Buena Park, CA) / Jack Pulliam (2) (Manhattan Beach, CA)  def.  Gavin Dail (North Hollywood, CA) / Noah Morrow (Stevenson Ranch, CA)  6-3, 6-4

Ryan Goetz (Greenlawn, NY) / Ryan Seggerman (Coronado, CA)  def.  Abhijeet Joshi (Millington, NJ) / William  Peters (3) (DUXBURY, MA)  6-3, 6-2

William Grant (Santa Barbara, CA) / Govind Nanda (6) (Redlands, CA)  def.  Eric Hahn (Fullerton, CA) / Koki Takabatake (Irvine, CA)    Wo (inj)

Danny Thomas (Pickerington, OH) / Maximilian Wild (Carmel, IN)  def.  M. McCormick (Berwyn, PA) / Alex  Wesbrooks (8) (McKinney, TX)    Wo (pc)

Andrew Fenty (Washington, DC) / William Woodall (4) (Washington, DC)  def.  Blake Croyder (Marietta, GA) / Arnav  Dhingra (Darnestown, MD)  7-6, 6-1

Brian Cernoch (North Bethesda, MD) / Oliver Crawford (1) (Spartanburg, SC)  def.  Kevin Ma (San Ramon, CA) / Steven  Sun (Boca Raton, FL)  6-0, 6-3

Cody Lin (Thousand Oaks, CA) / Kento Perera (7) (Santa Barbara, CA)  def.  Adam Oscislawski (Scottsdale, AZ) / Joshua  Xu (Chandler, AZ)    Wo (inj)

Adam Sraberg (Los Angeles, CA) / Matthew Tsolakyan (Glendale, CA)  def.  Keenan Mayo (Roseville, CA) / Axel Nefve (5) (Hinsdale, IL)    Wo (inj)

Girls' 18 Singles (Round of 32)

Usue Arconada (1) (Rio Piedras, PR)  def.  Ulyana Shirokova (Boca Raton, FL)  6-1, 4-6, 6-3

Emma Higuchi (Los Angeles, CA)  def.  Claire Liu (12) (Thousand Oaks, CA)  7-5, 3-6, 6-4

Caroline Dolehide (8) (Hinsdale, IL)  def.  Ndindi Ndunda (Burke, VA)  6-2, 6-1

Taylor Russo (Deerfield Beach, FL)  def.  Camille Favero (Sacramento, CA)  6-0, 6-0

Sofia Sewing (16) (Doral, FL)  def.  Dominique Schaefer (Ventura, CA)  7-5, 6-1

Francesca Dilorenzo (5) (New Albany, OH)  def.  Jenna Friedel (Mill Valley, CA)  6-1, 6-2

Fanni Stollar (4)  def.  Kylie McKenzie (Anthem, AZ)  6-4, 6-1

Michaela Gordon (3) (Saratoga, CA)  def.  Jessica Hinojosa Gomez  6-3, 6-1

Jade Lewis (Hilton Head Island, SC)  def.  Amanda Anisimova (Hallandale Beach, FL)  4-6, 6-4, 7-5

Maria Mateas (15) (Braintree, MA)  def.  Seira Shimizu (Ojai, CA)  7-5, 6-3

Kelly Chen (Cerritos, CA)  def.  caty mcnally (Cincinnati, OH)  6-4, 6-0

Sonya Kenin (2) (Pembroke Pines, FL)  def.  Morgan Coppoc (Tulsa, OK)  6-2, 6-1

Ingrid Neel (7) (Bradenton, FL)  def.  Abigail Desiatnikov (Atlanta, GA)  6-3, 6-4

Victoria Emma (Naples, FL)  def.  Annette Goulak (Oak Park, CA)  6-0, 7-5

Kayla Day (9) (Santa Barbara, CA)  def.  Chiara Lommer (skokie, IL)  6-4, 2-6, 6-1

Katherine Sebov (6) (Woodbridge, ON)  def.  Rachel Lim (Briarcliff Manor, NY)  7-5, 6-4

Girls' 18 Doubles (Round of 16)

Alexis Nelson (Saint Paul, MN) / Savannah Slaysman (Phoenix, AZ)  def.  Usue Arconada (Rio Piedras, PR) / Francesca Dilorenzo (1) (New Albany, OH)  6-7(4), 6-2, 10-6

Anna Dollar (Lancaster, PA) / Veronica Miroshnichenko (Aventura, FL)  def.  Andrea Kevakian (Glendale, CA) / Jaclyn  Switkes (Ponte Vedra Beach, FL)  6-2, 4-6, 12-10

Michaela Gordon (Saratoga, CA) / Raquel Pedraza (4) (Claremont, CA)  def.  Morgan Coppoc (Tulsa, OK) / Alexandra  Sanford (Westerville, OH)  6-3, 5-7, 10-8

Meghan Kelley (Falmouth, ME) / Gabriella Pollner (7) (Boca Raton, FL)  def.  Ally Miller Krasilnikov (Delray Beach, FL) / Rebecca  Weissmann (Loveland, CO)  7-5, 6-2

Helen Altick (Monroe, LA) / Caroline Lampl (Bluemont, VA)  def.  Dominique Schaefer (Ventura, CA) / Sofia Sewing (6) (Doral, FL)  6-4, 3-6, 10-4

Caroline Dolehide (Hinsdale, IL) / Ena Shibahara (Rancho Palos Verdes, CA)  def.  Alexandra Letzt (Scottsdale, AZ) / Mimi Levine (Santa Monica, CA)  6-3, 6-2

Emma Higuchi (Los Angeles, CA) / Katherine Sebov (5) (Woodbridge, ON)  def.  Jessica Failla (Ramona, CA) / Jada Hart (Colton, CA)  6-4, 3-6, 10-7

Kayla Day (Santa Barbara, CA) / Sonya Kenin (3) (Pembroke Pines, FL)  def.  Jessica Hinojosa Gomez / Seira Shimizu (Ojai, CA)  6-3, 6-4

Girls' 16 Singles (Round of 16)

Alexandra Belaya (2) (Melbourne, FL)  def.  Vivian Cheng (Santa Monica, CA)  6-2, 6-3

Sydney Jones (11) (Carrollton, TX)  def.  Madison Hwang (8) (Frisco, TX)  6-4, 6-7(6), 6-4

Nicole Conard (5) (Boca Raton, FL)  def.  Niluka Madurawe (Sunnyvale, CA)  6-2, 6-1

Salma Ewing (Long Beach, CA)  def.  Marcella Cruz (6) (Marlboro, NJ)  6-2, 6-1

Alexa Noel (Summit, NJ)  def.  Emma Decoste (1) (Stuart, FL)  2-6, 6-1, 6-3

Elysia Bolton (7) (Lake Forest, IL)  def.  Hannah Zhao (12) (San Diego, CA)  6-3, 6-7(2), 6-4

Victoria Flores (4) (Fort Dodge, IA)  def.  Nicole Mossmer (14) (La Jolla, CA)  6-2, 6-2

Natasha Subhash (15) (Fairfax, VA)  def.  Taylor Johnson (3) (Redondo Beach, CA)  6-3, 6-2

Girls' 16 Doubles (Round of 16)

Abigail Forbes (Raleigh, NC) / Luba Vasilyuk (Frisco, TX)  def.  Julieanne Bou (Bayamon, PR) / Madison  Gallegos (6) (Aurora, CO)  4-6, 6-0, 10-7

Madison Hwang (Frisco, TX) / McCartney Kessler (4) (Calhoun, GA)  def.  Jadie Acidera (Anaheim, CA) / Danielle Willson (Newport Beach, CA)  6-3, 6-2

Jessica Anzo (Temecula, CA) / Jenna Moustafa (8) (Los Angeles, CA)  def.  Danielle Burich (Hinsdale, IL) / Lauren  Lemonds (Indianapolis, IN)  6-2, 6-0

Alexandra Belaya (Melbourne, FL) / Emma Decoste (1) (Stuart, FL)  def.  Malkia Menguene (College Park, MD) / Natasha  Subhash (Fairfax, VA)  1-6, 6-4, 10-3

Jessica Aragon (Plano, TX) / Sydney Jones (7) (Carrollton, TX)  def.  Mackenzie Clark (College Park, MD) / Kacie Harvey (Braintree, MA)  7-6(4), 6-2

Victoria Flores (Fort Dodge, IA) / Maria Ross (2) (Lakewood Ranch, FL)  def.  Theresa Papikian (Glendale, CA) / shuchen lin (Irvine, CA)  6 0, 6 2

Marcella Cruz (Marlboro, NJ) / Alexa Noel (5) (Summit, NJ)  def.  Katherine Nguyen (Fountain Valley, CA) / Elena  Van Linge (Menlo Park, CA)  2-6, 7-5, 11-9

Elysia Bolton (Lake Forest, IL) / Ann Li (3) (Devon, PA)  def.  Carolyn Campana (Hillsborough, CA) / Niluka  Madurawe (Sunnyvale, CA)  6-3, 6-0