Top Seeds Arconada, Swan, Fritz and Blumberg Reach ITF Asics Easter Bowl Second Round; 12s and 14s Finals Set

©Colette Lewis 2015--
Indian Wells, CA--

After having success on three different continents in recent weeks, four of the world's top juniors made their way to the Indian Wells Tennis Garden for the ITF Grade B1 Easter Bowl.

The most arduous journey was certainly that of Taylor Fritz, who flew from Chengdu China on Sunday, where he had played in the final of the inaugural ITF Tennis Masters. The world's No. 4 junior took the court against Caleb Chakravarthi not knowing what to expect from his body, but he managed to come away with a 7-5, 6-3 victory.

"I thought it was going to bad," said Fritz of his journey, "but I really didn't think it was going that bad. It was awful in the beginning. I've never done that or anything like that. I've always been like three days early at the latest before going anywhere. I'm always pretty early for everything. And then you can see, I got better as the match went on and I was lucky enough to get out of it."

Chakravarthi, who trains at the Taylor Dent Academy, more than held his own against Fritz, who lost his serve twice and looked a step slow when trying to track down the 16-year-old Chakravarthi's big forehands.

"I thought in the beginning of the match, he came out playing great. And that really scared me, because I'm not near my best, today especially," said the 17-year-old Fritz. "It didn't help that he was hitting winners off of everything in the first. I kind of just dealt with it, because I was hoping he couldn't do it the whole time."

At 5-5 in the opening set, Fritz headed to his chair after winning the 15-30 point, which sent his substantial number of supporters in the stands tittering, a mistake he did attribute to his mental and physical fatigue.  But Fritz did win the next point for the break, and served out the set at 40-30 with a good second serve Chakravarthi couldn't handle.

Fritz began to cut down his errors in the second set, and while Chakravarthi continued to hit some good shots and an occasional winner, Fritz's serve began to give him more free points.  After breaking in the third game of the second set, Fritz had a four-stroke hold, hitting four consecutive aces, one registering 124 mph on the live score board, and he couldn't suppress a smile.

"It just feels good to do that," said Fritz, who said he accomplished that feat three times before today.

After that game, Chakravarthi didn't show any signs of resignation, and he held his next two service games to keep Fritz's attention, but Fritz held for 5-3 and a crucial double fault at 30-30 in the final game gave Fritz his first match point, which he won when Chakravarthi netted a forehand.

Fritz will play 2013 14s Easter Bowl champion Connor Hance in the second round.

The second continent, South America, was the previous stop for No. 2 seed Will Blumberg and top seed Usue Arconada, who competed in Brazil prior to their appearance last week at the International Spring Championships in Carson.  Arconada, who won the Grade 1 Banana Bowl and Grade A Campeonato Internacional before losing in the quarterfinals in Carson, started her quest for another title with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Ashley Lahey, and will play 13-year-old Caty McNally in Wednesday's second round.

Blumberg, who reached the Grade A final and won last week in Carson, got a tough draw, playing Carson semifinalist Kalman Boyd, but he had no trouble advancing 6-1, 6-0.

"I've obviously been playing pretty well," Blumberg said. "I had a lot of confidence going from last week and Brazil, and that definitely helped me out. I was playing really aggressive and didn't really miss, barely any unforced errors the whole match. But the score did not reflect how the match was. It was a very tight match, it could have easily been 4 and 4, 5 and 5. I won a lot of close games, served myself out of tough positions, he missed a couple balls here and there, but I played a really solid match."

He will play Alexander Keyser in the second round Wednesday.

Great Britain's Katie Swan, who lives in Kansas and has immigration status to play in the ITF B1 Closed, won her first $10,000 ITF women's tournament in Egypt last month, but wanted to return to the Easter Bowl to try to win the title after losing in the final last year.

"I love it here," said Swan, who beat 13-year-old Amanda Anisimova 6-3, 6-2 Tuesday afternoon. "It's so beautiful. It's one of the nicest places I've ever played. Last year, it was such a good tournament for me, getting to the final and getting to play CiCi, and I just wanted to come back here and try and do the same if not better this year."

Swan's doubles partner, Carson champion Sonya Kenin, also took the court for the first time this tournament, and she had no trouble with Jaclyn Switkes, posting a 6-0, 6-0 victory.

The 12s and 14s finals are set for Wednesday, with their tournament beginning on Saturday.

In the girls 12s, top seed Gabriella Price will play unseeded Emma Jackson, and in the boys 12s, No. 2 seed Jameson Corsillo will play No. 6 seed Hunter Heck.

The 14s boys final will feature No. 3 seed Adam Neff against No. 10 seed Jaycer Calleros and the girls 14s final will be between top seed Alexa Noel and No. 14 seed Whitney Osuigwe.

The doubles finals in the 12s and 14s were played on Tuesday.

Heck and Corsillo also met in the 12s doubles final, with Heck and Karl Lee, the top seeds, defeating Corsillo and Martin Damm 8-3.

Calleros has also collected an Easter Bowl title before the singles final, with partner Govind Nanda. The No. 2 seeds beat Leighton Allen and Nathan Arimilli, the No. 7 seeds, 8-1.

In the girls doubles 12s final, No. 8 seeds Nina Gulbransen and Jamilah Snells win the title with an 8-6 decision over Jacque Dunyon and Kenadee Semenik, the No. 6 seeds. 

In the girls 14s doubles final, No. 4 seeds Sara Choy and Jillian Taggart, the No. 4 seeds, defeated Naomi Cheong and Sedona Gallagher 8-5 for the title.

Two of the singles finals will be live streamed at easterbowl.com

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Boys' 18 Singles (Round of 64)
Taylor Fritz (1) (Rancho Santa Fe, CA) def. Caleb Chakravarthi (Irvine, CA) 7-5, 6-3
Patrick Kypson (Greenville, NC) def. Alex Phillips (Peachtree City, GA) 6-1, 2-1 Ret (inj)
Nathan Ponwith (4) (Scottsdale, AZ) def. Jake DeVine (Los Altos Hills, CA) 6-4, 7-6(9)
Chase Colton (Pompano Beach, FL) def. Alexander Lebedev (Island Park, NY) 6-4, 6-4
Anudeep Kodali (12) (Durham, NC) def. Stephen Madonia (Bradenton, FL) 2-6, 6-3, 6-4
Trent Bryde (Suwanee, GA) def. Johnathan Small (Zionsville, IN) 6-2, 6-0
Kyrylo Tsygura (North Potomac, MD) def. Michael Genender (Los Angeles, CA) 6-4, 6-3
Ulises Blanch (3) (Deerfield Beach, FL) def. Ryan Marker (Rancho Mirage, CA) 6-4, 6-1
Nicholas Borchenko (Studio City, CA) def. Ethan Young-Smith (Ventura, CA) 6-2, 2-6, 6-4
William Blumberg (2) (Greenwich, CT) def. Kalman Boyd (Rancho Santa Fe, CA) 6-1, 6-0

Boys' 18 Doubles (Round of 32)
Taylor Fritz (Rancho Santa Fe, CA) / Catalin Mateas (1) (Braintree, MA) def. Alexander Keyser (Danville, CA) / Brenden Volk (Dix Hills, NY) 6-2, 6-2
Alafia Ayeni (San Diego, CA) / Nicholas Borchenko (Studio City, CA) def. Jesse Levitin (Manhasset, NY) / Eric Wagner (Roslyn Hts, NY) 6-3, 4-6, 10-5
Connor Hance (Torrance, CA) / Alexander Lebedev (Island Park, NY) def. Chase Colton (Pompano Beach, FL) / Daniel Gealer (Los Angeles, CA) 7-6(3), 7-6(4)
Jake DeVine (Los Altos Hills, CA) / Patrick Kypson (Greenville, NC) def. Sameer Kumar (Carmel, IN) / Vincent Lin (8) (Schaumburg, IL) 1-6, 6-3, 10-8
Cameron Klinger (Elk Grove, CA) / Nathan Ponwith (Scottsdale, AZ) def. Hady Habib (Bradenton, FL) / Anudeep Kodali (3) (Durham, NC) 7-5, 4-6, 13-11
John McNally (Cincinnati, OH) / Gianni Ross (La Grange, IL) def. Alex Phillips (Peachtree City, GA) / Abhin Sharma (Alpharetta, GA) 6-2, 6-7(6), 10-4
Vasil Kirkov (Tampa, FL) / Sam Riffice (6) (Roseville, CA) def. William Howells (Plantation, FL) / Johnathan Small (Zionsville, IN) 6-3, 6-2
Emanuel Llamas (El Paso, TX) / Jakub Wojcik (Delray Beach, FL) def. Konrad Kozlowski (Irvine, CA) / Joshua Ortlip (Irvine, CA) 6-4, 7-5
Caleb Chakravarthi (Irvine, CA) / William Genesen (Tulsa, OK) def. Michal Matusiak (Arlington, TX) / Andre Saleh (Newport Beach, CA) 6-0, 6-3
Ulises Blanch (Deerfield Beach, FL) / Liam Caruana (2) (New Braunfels, TX) def. Tyler Schick (Short Hills, NJ) / Oliver Sec (New York, NY) 6-3, 6-3
Pedro Fernandez del Valle (Wesley Chapel, FL) / Agustin Moreno def. Sebastian Mermersky (Chevy Chase, MD) / Kyrylo Tsygura (North Potomac, MD) 6-7(4), 6-4, 10-3
Zeke Clark (Tulsa, OK) / Nathan Perrone (7) (Bluffton, SC) def. Brian Tsao (Sparks Glencoe, MD) / Evan Zhu (Irvine, CA) 6-4, 3-6, 10-6
Trent Bryde (Suwanee, GA) / Emil Reinberg (5) (Atlanta, GA) def. Brandon Holt (Rolling Hills, CA) / Riley Smith (Long Beach, CA) 2-6, 6-2, 10-4
Zac Brodney (Los Angeles, CA) / Pietro Rimondini (Boca Raton, FL) def. Lubomir Cuba (Massapequa Park, NY) / Matthew Gamble (Webster, NY) 0-6, 7-6(3), 10-6
Alex Ross (La Grange, IL) / Eric Rutledge (Fort Worth, TX) def. John Jorgeson (Bradenton, FL) / Sami Kirberg (Ft Lauderdale, FL) 6-7(6), 6-0, 10-4
Mwendwa Mbithi (Deerfield Beach, FL) / Nicolas Moreno de Alboran (4) (London, Surrey) def. Jake Van Emburgh (Verona, WI) / Jeffrey Wolf (Cincinnati, OH) 6-2, 2-6, 10-6

Girls' 18 Singles (Round of 64)
Usue Arconada (1) (Rio Piedras, PR) def. Ashley Lahey (Hawthorne, CA) 6-2, 6-4
Claire Liu (12) (Thousand Oaks, CA) def. Mimi Levine (Santa Monica, CA) 6-1, 6-2
Chiara Lommer (skokie, IL) def. Kenya Jones (Memphis, TN) 6-4, 7-6(1)
Ingrid Neel (7) (Bradenton, FL) def. Hanna Chang (Fontana, CA) 6-2, 6-0
Raveena Kingsley (4) (Fulton, MD) def. Alexandra Sabe (Rye, NY) 6-0, 6-1
Caroline Dolehide (8) (Hinsdale, IL) def. Abigail Desiatnikov (Atlanta, GA) 6-0, 6-1
Katie Swan (2) (Wichita, KS) def. Amanda Anisimova (Hallandale Beach, FL) 6-2, 6-3
Jessica Ho (11) (Naples, FL) def. Anna Dollar (Lancaster, PA) 3-6, 6-2, 6-3
Maddie Pothoff (Tucson, AZ) def. Kenadi Hance (Torrance, CA) 6-2, 6-1
Sofia Kenin (3) (Pembroke Pines, FL) def. Jaclyn Switkes (Ponte Vedra Beach, FL) 6-0, 6-0
Michaela Gordon (5) (Saratoga, CA) def. Zoe Spence (Chicago, IL) 6-2, 6-1
Emma Higuchi (Los Angeles, CA) def. Gabrielle Schuck (Colorado Springs, CO) 6-1, 6-4
Andie Daniell (Douglasville, GA) def. Rebecca Weissmann (Loveland, CO) 3-6, 6-1, 6-3

Boys' 16 Singles (Round of 32)
Oliver Crawford (1) (Spartanburg, SC) def. Christian Alshon (Boca Raton, FL) 6-4, 6-4
Paul Barretto (12) (Tiburon, CA) def. Alex Mascioli (Wayne, PA) 6-3, 6-0
Matthew Lord (5) (Bloomfield, CT) def. Andrew Ton (Milpitas, CA) 6-2, 6-4
Danny Thomas (Pickerington, OH) def. Aleks Huryn (Alpharetta, GA) 6-2, 6-4
Daunte Harris (Lomita, CA) def. William Peters (4) (Duxbury, MA) 6-2, 6-2
Ajai Shekhera (16) (Campbell, CA) def. Jack Katzman (Seattle, WA) 6-4, 6-0
Sam Turchetta (14) (Pound Ridge, NY) def. Conrad Russell (Palo Alto, CA) 5-7, 6-3, 6-3
Chambers Easterling (Spartanburg, SC) def. Jourdan Kast (Boca Raton, FL) 6-2, 6-4
Brian Cernoch (11) (North Bethesda, MD) def. Charles Deng (Temple City, CA) 6-2, 6-1
Austen Huang (2) (Elk Grove, CA) def. Athell Bennett (Valley Stream, NY) 6-2, 6-2
Jason Lui (7) (Bellevue, WA) def. Mayson Xue (San Ramon, CA) 6-3, 6-4
William Woodall (Washington, DC) def. Steven Sun (Boca Raton, FL) 6-3, 6-4
Bryce Pereira (San Gabriel, CA) def. Matthew Rodriguez (9) (Highland Beach, FL) 6-3, 6-3
Abhijeet Joshi (6) (Millington, NJ) def. Luke Ross (Sewickley, PA) 6-3, 1-6, 7-6(6)
Jackson Suh (15) (Bellevue, WA) def. Dylan Levitt (Las Vegas, NV) 6-2, 7-6(1)
Sean Sculley (3) (Hilton Head Island, SC) def. Brady Draheim (Omaha, NE) 6-2, 7-5

Girls' 16 Singles (Round of 32)
Taylor Bridges (Mesa, AZ) def. Grace Joyce (1) (Newton, MA) 6-2, 6-1
Stephanie Schrage (Millburn, NJ) def. Janice Shin (9) (Houston, TX) 6-4, 6-4
Anna Brylin (Short Hills, NJ) def. Jessi Muljat (Sacramento, CA) 6-3, 7-5
Tatum Rice (Hot Springs, AR) def. Abigail Chiu (16) (Austin, TX) 6-2, 6-3
Victoria Flores (4) (Fort Dodge, IA) def. Jenna Moustafa (Los Angeles, CA) 6-3, 4-6, 6-1
Nicole Mossmer (La Jolla, CA) def. Madeline Meredith (13) (Vestavia, AL) 7-6(6), 2-6, 6-1
Victoria Emma (12) (Naples, FL) def. Jessica Aragon (Plano, TX) 6-7(3), 6-2, 6-3
Carolyn Campana (Hillsborough, CA) def. McCartney Kessler (Calhoun, GA) 6-2, 1-6, 6-3
Taylor Johnson (Redondo Beach, CA) def. Meg Kowalski (15) (La Grange, IL) 7-6(5), 6-3
Samantha Martinelli (2) (Denver, CO) def. Ivana Corley (Albuquerque, NM) 6-3, 6-3
Hannah Zhao (8) (San Diego, CA) def. Stevie Kennedy (Bonita Springs, FL) 4-6, 6-2, 6-4
Natasha Subhash (Fairfax, VA) def. Andjelija Bozovic (Burr Ridge, IL) 6-2, 6-2
Isabella Lorenzini (10) (Clarendon Hills, IL) def. Caroline Dunleavy (Darien, CT) 6-4, 7-5
Salma Ewing (Long Beach, CA) def. Alexandra Belaya (Melbourne, FL) 6-4, 7-6(4)
Hannah Lairmore (14) (Mobile, AL) def. Rachel Eason (Union City, CA) 5-7, 6-4, 6-4
Delaney Nothaft (Tempe, AZ) def. Maria Ross (17) (Lakewood Ranch, FL) 6-2, 6-4

Boys' 14 Singles (Semifinal Round)
Jaycer Calleros (10) (San Antonio, TX) def. Joshua Xu (5) (Chandler, AZ) 6-2, 6-0
Adam Neff (3) (Bradenton, FL) def. Brandon Nakashima (2) (San Diego, CA) 6-3, 6-0

Boys' 14 Doubles (Final Round)
Jaycer Calleros (San Antonio, TX) / Govind Nanda (2) (Redlands, CA) def. Leighton Allen (Austin, TX) / Nathan Arimilli (7) (Austin, TX) 8-1

Boys' 14 Doubles (Playoff)
Robert Cash (New Albany, OH) / Anand Saluja (5) (Brookfield, WI) def. Ryder Jackson (Nicasio, CA) / Max Motlagh (Richardson, TX)
9-8(4)

Girls' 14 Singles (Semifinal Round)
Whitney Osuigwe (14) (Bradenton, FL) def. Kacie Harvey (6) (Braintree, MA) 7-6(7), 6-2
Alexa Noel (1) (Summit, NJ) def. Katie Volynets (4) (Walnut Creek, CA) 3-6, 6-4, 6-4

Girls' 14 Doubles (Final Round)
Sara Choy (Palo Alto, CA) / Jillian Taggart (4) (Fair Oaks, CA) def. Naomi Cheong (Las Vegas, NV) / Sedona Gallagher (Henderson, NV) 8-5

Girls' 14 Doubles (Playoff)
Michelle Deng (Temple City, CA) / Rena Lin (Northridge, CA) def. Vivian Cheng (Santa Monica, CA) / Britt Pursell (Oceanside, CA) 8-4

Boys' 12 Singles (Semifinal Round)
Hunter Heck (6) (New Brighton, MN) def. Aidan Mayo (1) (Roseville, CA) 7-5, 6-4
Jameson Corsillo (2) (Boca Raton, FL) def. Martin Damm (Bradenton, FL) 7-6(2), 6-3

Boys' 12 Doubles (Final Round)
Hunter Heck (New Brighton, MN) / Karl Lee (1) (Los Altos, CA) def. Jameson Corsillo (Boca Raton, FL) / Martin Damm (Bradenton, FL) 8-3

Boys' 12 Doubles (Playoff)
Hugo Hashimoto (San Jose, CA) / Alex Lin (4) (Granite Bay, CA) def. Maxwell McKennon (Newport Beach, CA) / JJ Tracy (2) (Ann Arbor, MI) 8-4

Girls' 12 Singles (Semifinal Round)
Gabriella Price (1) (Montebello, NY) def. Nina Gulbransen (3) (Boca Raton, FL) 6-3, 6-4
Emma Jackson (LA Grange Park, IL) def. Savannah Broadus (2) (Carrollton, TX) 6-4, 6-1

Girls' 12 Doubles (Final Round)
Nina Gulbransen (Boca Raton, FL) / Jamilah Snells (8) (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) def. Jacque Dunyon (South Ogden, UT) / Kenadee Semenik (6) (Las Vegas, NV) 8-6

Girls' 12 Doubles (Playoff)
Gabriella Price (Montebello, NY) / Maya Pitts (3) (Los Angeles, CA) def. Savannah Broadus (Carrollton, TX) / Katherine Petty (1)
(Dallas, TX) 8-1

Di Lorenzo Saves Four Match Points in Marathon Comeback Victory over Chen; Blackman Discusses Player Development Appointment; Tiafoe Turns Pro

©Colette Lewis 2015--
Indian Wells, CA--

Monday marked the beginning of the ITF Grade B1 Easter Bowl matches at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, with the highlight No. 6 seed Francesca Di Lorenzo's 4-6, 7-6(2), 6-2 victory over Kelly Chen.

Di Lorenzo had lost to Chen just last week at the ITF Grade 1 International Spring Championships in Carson, falling  6-7(4), 6-2, 6-3 in the third round, but when she fell behind 6-4, 5-1 in Monday's match, it looked as if Chen would post her second win in five days over the left-hander from Ohio.

But Di Lorenzo managed to hold for 5-2, then broke to make it 5-3.

Serving to stay in the match for the second time, Di Lorenzo went down 0-40, but never displaying any discouragement or dismay, she saved the first match point with a forehand putaway, then saved the second when Chen missed a forehand wide. On match point No. 3, a long rally ended with Chen coming in to finish the point, but Di Lorenzo struck an amazing dipping cross court forehand to save it.  She won the next point when Chen hit a forehand wide, but a slice long, one of the few mistakes Di Lorenzo made in the game, brought it back to deuce.  Chen earned her fourth match point with a forehand pass, but Di Lorenzo again came up with a winner after a long rally, this time with a backhand volley.  Two errors by Chen gave Di Lorenzo the game, but Chen still had another chance to serve out the match.

She was unable to do it, double faulting at 30-40 to make it 5-5.  But despite the momentum, Di Lorenzo couldn't hold in the next game, double faulting at 30-40 to give Chen her third opportunity to serve out the match.  Whether it was the length of the rallies or the length of the match, then approaching the two-and-a-half hour mark, Chen's unforced errors started to increase, and she contributed four to get broken again.

That pattern continued in the tiebreaker, with Di Lorenzo keeping the ball in play long enough for Chen to make an error, although Di Lorenzo did manage a volley winner and a forehand winner to take a 6-1 lead.  Di Lorenzo double faulted on her first set point, but earned a third set on the next one, when Chen's forehand went wide.

Di Lorenzo took an early lead in the third set, and despite the midday sun, played with the same energy and commitment to her shots that she'd shown in the first hour.  When she broke Chen for a second time, with the Californian's forehand errors mounting, Di Lorenzo was up 4-1 and after each player held, she found herself in the same position Chen was in in the second set, serving for the match at 5-2.

"I never think, okay, now I have the match," said Di Lorenzo. "Especially with her. She fights so hard, anything can happen. I always think, next point, next point. It's never over, and I've learned that the hard way a few times."

The match, now well over three hours long, looked as if it might have yet another plot twist when Di Lorenzo went down 15-40 serving for it at 5-2 in the third.  A couple of errors from Chen brought it to deuce, and Di Lorenzo got her first match point, only to watch Chen save it with a big forehand.  A backhand winner by Chen gave her another break point, but she missed a makeable volley. Chen let a fourth break point get away, when a good serve by Di Lorenzo resulted in a missed return.  A long point on the fourth deuce ended with Chen missing a forehand into the net, and Di Lorenzo had a second match point, which she converted when Chen missed a forehand.

"I was thinking I just have to make her play every shot," Di Lorenzo said of her attitude when down 6-4, 5-1. "I don't want to give the match to her, I wanted to make her hit ten balls every point and I wanted to make her earn it."

Di Lorenzo admitted she was "a little shocked" when she saw the draw.

"But I guess it was good for me, because I lost to her in the last tournament, to get revenge," Di Lorenzo said. "Nobody really wants a tough first round like that, but I think it helps you throughout the tournament so you wake up."

As the physical toll of playing more than three hours, Di Lorenzo showed no evidence of it.

"I had a lot of energy," said Di Lorenzo, who couldn't recall ever winning a match from that far down before. "I think I was sleeping the first few games of the match, but once I woke up, I was ready to play. I think she may have gotten a little tired, I don't know. But she's super athletic and really in shape, so it's a battle usually when we play."

Di Lorenzo survived, but several seeds in action Monday did not.  No. 6 seed Sameer Kumar suffered his fifth straight first round loss in ITF junior play this year, falling to John Jorgeson 6-1, 6-1.   Cameron Klinger defeated No. 9 seed Liam Caruana  6-3, 6-3, and the girls draw lost No. 13 seed Mia Horvit to a withdrawal.  No. 10 seed Alexandra Sanford lost to Alaina Miller 6-4, 2-6, 6-1 and No. 15 seed Jade Lewis lost to Abi Altick 6-7(4), 6-1, 7-5.

Due to an error in which a player was mistakenly removed as a withdrawal when he had actually not withdrawn, 65 players ended up in the boys draw, so the last two qualifiers to get in, Williams Howells and Johnathan Small, had to play for the final spot in the main draw.  Small won 6-1, 6-4, and will play Trent Bryde in the first round on Tuesday.

Taylor Fritz, just a day after his appearance in the final of the ITF Junior Masters in China, was back in the United States and at Indian Wells this afternoon, admitting to some fatigue, but getting some practice in before his first round match against Caleb Chakravarthi on Tuesday.

Live streaming of Fritz's match is likely and can be found at easterbowl.com.

Complete results from all the Easter Bowl age divisions are at the bottom of this post.

I participated in the conference call with newly named USTA General Manager of Player Development Martin Blackman this morning, the complete transcript of which can be found here. The article announcing Blackman's appointment is available at usta.com. Please take the time to read both the transcript and the article and to offer your comments on Blackman's view of the position and his coaching philosophy.

In other major news in the junior tennis world today, Frances (note new spelling) Tiafoe has turned pro, signing with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation agency.

The Washington Post has more on Tiafoe's decision here.

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Boys' 18 Singles (Round of 64)
Connor Hance (Torrance, CA) def. Vincent Lin (Schaumburg, IL) 5-7, 6-1, 6-3
Zeke Clark (15) (Tulsa, OK) def. Brandon Holt (Rolling Hills, CA) 6-4, 6-4
Cameron Klinger (Elk Grove, CA) def. Liam Caruana (9) (New Braunfels, TX) 6-3, 6-3
Jakub Wojcik (Delray Beach, FL) def. Matthew Gamble (Webster, NY) 1-6, 6-2, 6-1
Agustin Moreno def. Evan Zhu (Irvine, CA) 6-4, 6-1
John Jorgeson (Bradenton, FL) def. Sameer Kumar (6) (Carmel, IN) 6-1, 6-1
Robert Levine (11) (Bedford, NY) def. Eric Rutledge (Fort Worth, TX) 6-0, 6-1
Nicolas Moreno de Alboran (13) (London, Surrey) def. Daniel Gealer (Los Angeles, CA) 6-3, 7-6(3)
Oliver Sec (New York, NY) def. Lubomir Cuba (Massapequa Park, NY) 2-6, 7-5, 6-3
Alexander Keyser (Danville, CA) def. Victor Pham (Saratoga, CA) 6-1, 6-3
Alex Ross (La Grange, IL) def. Jake Van Emburgh (Verona, WI) 3-6, 6-4, 6-3
Mwendwa Mbithi (10) (Deerfield Beach, FL) def. William Genesen (Tulsa, OK) 6-4, 6-1
Sam Riffice (14) (Roseville, CA) def. Emanuel Llamas (El Paso, TX) 6-0, 7-5
Sami Kirberg (Ft Lauderdale, FL) def. John McNally (Cincinnati, OH) 6-3, 7-6(5)
Catalin Mateas (8) (Braintree, MA) def. Pietro Rimondini (Boca Raton, FL) 6-3, 6-3
Riley Smith (Long Beach, CA) def. Bjorn Hoffmann (Newport Beach, CA) 6-4, 5-7, 7-5
Tyler Schick (Short Hills, NJ) def. Wyatt Demulling (Burien, WA) 6-3, 6-3
Vasil Kirkov (16) (Tampa, FL) def. Nathan Perrone (Bluffton, SC) 6-2, 6-4
Jeffrey Wolf (Cincinnati, OH) def. Connor Garnett (Bellevue, WA) 6-1, 6-3
Hady Habib (7) (Bradenton, FL) def. Gianni Ross (La Grange, IL) 6-3, 3-6, 7-5
Emil Reinberg (5) (Atlanta, GA) def. Pedro Fernandez del Valle (Wesley Chapel, FL) 3-6, 6-3, 6-3
Jacob Brumm (Rancho Santa Fe, CA) def. Alafia Ayeni (San Diego, CA) 6-4, 5-7, 7-6(3)
Boys' 18 Singles Playoff (Final Round)
Johnathan Small (Zionsville, IN) def. William Howells (Plantation, FL) 6-1, 6-4

Girls' 18 Singles (Round of 64)
Caty McNally (Cincinnati, OH) def. Melissa Lord (Bloomfield, CT) 4-6, 7-5, 6-1
Carson Branstine (Orange, CA) def. Savannah Slaysman (Phoenix, AZ) 6-2, 6-3
Helen Altick (Monroe, LA) def. Jade Lewis (15) (Hilton Head Island, SC) 6-7(4), 6-1, 7-5
Raquel Pedraza (Claremont, CA) def. Anna Rogers (Stamford, CT) 6-1, 7-6(5)
Christina Rosca (Princeton, NJ) def. Ryan Peus (Palos Verdes Estates, CA) 6-4, 6-4
Meghan Kelley (Falmouth, ME) def. Madison Bourguignon (Boca Raton, FL) 6-3, 6-3
Morgan Coppoc (Tulsa, OK) def. Camille Favero (Sacramento, CA) 6-2, 7-6(5)
Kylie McKenzie (Anthem, AZ) def. Nicole Kalhorn (Colorado Springs, CO) 4-6, 6-0, 6-1
Sofia Sewing (14) (Doral, FL) def. Gabriella Pollner (Boca Raton, FL) 5-7, 6-2, 6-1
Taylor Russo (Deerfield Beach, FL) def. Jessica Livianu (Brooklyn, NY) 6-2, 7-5
Kayla Day (9) (Santa Barbara, CA) def. Ally Miller-Krasilnikov (Delray Beach, FL) 6-1, 6-0
Meible Chi (Weston, FL)  def.  Karina Traxler (Rockwall, TX)  6-0, 6-4
Jessie Aney (Rochester, MN) def. Sabrina Faybyshev (Marlboro, NJ) 6-2, 6-1
Caroline Lampl (Bluemont, VA) def. Dominique Schaefer (16) (Ventura, CA) 3-6, 6-2, 6-2
Alaina Miller (Saratoga, CA) def. Alexandra Sanford (10) (Westerville, OH) 6-4, 2-6, 6-1
Ena Shibahara (Rancho Palos Verdes, CA) def. Ndindi Mwaruka 6-1, 6-1
Alexis Nelson (Saint Paul, MN) def. Jenna Friedel (Mill Valley, CA) 6-3, 6-2
Francesca Di Lorenzo (6) (New Albany, OH) def. Kelly Chen (Cerritos, CA) 4-6, 7-6(4), 6-2
Jessica Failla (Ramona, CA) def. Andrea Kevakian (Glendale, CA) 6-1, 6-4

Girls' 18 Doubles (Round of 32)
Kenya Jones (Memphis, TN) / Ndindi Mwaruka def. Savannah Slaysman (Phoenix, AZ) / Rebecca Weissmann (Loveland, CO) 6-4, 2-6, 10-7
Summer Dvorak (Laguna Beach, CA) / Gabrielle Schuck (Colorado Springs, CO) def. Sabrina Faybyshev (Marlboro, NJ) / Darya Possokhova (San Francisco, CA) 6-3, 3-6, 10-1
Meghan Kelley (Falmouth, ME) / Gabriella Pollner (6) (Boca Raton, FL) def. Zoe Spence (Chicago, IL) / Elene Tsokilauri (Newtown Square, PA) 6-4, 6-3
Meible Chi (Weston, FL) / Taylor Russo (Deerfield Beach, FL) def. Kayla Day (Santa Barbara, CA) / Ryan Peus (Palos Verdes Estates, CA) 7-5, 6-3
Morgan Coppoc (Tulsa, OK) / Alexandra Sanford (8) (Westerville, OH) def. Kenadi Hance (Torrance, CA) / Maddie Pothoff (Tucson, AZ) 6-3, 6-0
Carson Branstine (Orange, CA) / Kylie McKenzie (Anthem, AZ) def. Helen Altick (Monroe, LA) / Raquel Pedraza (7) (Claremont, CA) 6-4, 6-2
Annette Goulak (Oak Park, CA) / Alaina Miller (Saratoga, CA) def. Anna Dollar (Lancaster, PA) / Ally Miller-Krasilnikov (Delray Beach, FL) 6-3, 7-6(6)
Caroline Dolehide (Hinsdale, IL) / Ena Shibahara (Rancho Palos Verdes, CA) def. Alexis Nelson (Saint Paul, MN) / Christina Rosca (Princeton, NJ) 6-1, 6-1
Andie Daniell (Douglasville, GA) / Emma Higuchi (Los Angeles, CA) def. Andrea Kevakian (Glendale, CA) / Jaclyn Switkes (Ponte Vedra Beach, FL) 6-0, 6-1
Usue Arconada (Rio Piedras, PR) / Francesca Dilorenzo (2) (New Albany, OH) def. Amanda Anisimova (Hallandale Beach, FL) / Abigail Desiatnikov (Atlanta, GA) 6-2, 6-1
 
Boys' 16 Singles (Round of 64)
Oliver Crawford (1) (Spartanburg, SC) def. Keenan Mayo (Roseville, CA) 6-0; 6-3
Christian Alshon (Boca Raton, FL) def. Andrew Fenty (Washington, DC) 6-3; 6-1
Paul Barretto (12) (Tiburon, CA) def. Charlie Sharton (Wayland, MA) 6-1; 6-0
Alex Mascioli (Wayne, PA) def. Lucas Biondi (Purchase, NY) 6-4; 6-1
Matthew Lord (5) (Bloomfield, CT) def. Kento Perera (Santa Barbara, CA) 6-4; 6-2
Andrew Ton (Milpitas, CA) def. Brandon Stringfellow (Phoenix, AZ) 6-3; 6-3
Athell Bennett (Valley Stream, NY) def. Josh Mukherjee (Bloomfield Hills, MI) 6-1; 6-7(5); 4-1 Ret (inj)
Austen Huang (2) (Elk Grove, CA) def. Cody Lin (Thousand Oaks, CA) 6-4; 6-1
Conrad Russell (Palo Alto, CA) def. Spencer Brown (Spartanburg, SC) 6-4; 6-3
Sam Turchetta (14) (Pound Ridge, NY) def. Casey Ross (Littleton, CO) 6-4; 6-1
Chambers Easterling (Spartanburg, SC) def. Maxwell Freeman (Ashland, MA) 6-2; 3-6; 6-3
Jourdan Kast (Boca Raton, FL) def. Jonathan Dollahite (8) (Orem, UT) 7-5; 6-2
Charles Deng (Temple City, CA) def. Bradley Frye (Overland Park, KS) 3-6; 7-6(4); 7-6(6)
Brian Cernoch (11) (North Bethesda, MD) def. Adam Guo (Redmond, WA) 6-4; 6-3
Luke Ross (Sewickley, PA) def. Cotter Wilson (Shreveport, LA) 6-4; 6-2
Abhijeet Joshi (6) (Millington, NJ) def. Ben Goldberg (Pacific Palisades, CA) 6-1; 7-5
Dylan Levitt (Las Vegas, NV) def. Bill Duo (Portage, MI) 6-0; 4-6; 6-1
Jackson Suh (15) (Bellevue, WA) def. Yuval Solomon (Plainview, NY) 6-4; 6-2
Brady Draheim (Omaha, NE) def. Peter Conklin (Fairfield, CT) 7-6(2); 6-3
Sean Sculley (3) (Hilton Head Island, SC) def. Kevin Ma (San Ramon, CA) 7-5; 3-6; 6-0
Jason Lui (7) (Bellevue, WA) def. Victor Cheng (Santa Monica, CA) 6-1; 6-3
Mayson Xue (San Ramon, CA) def. Alex Wesbrooks (McKinney, TX) 7-6(1); 6-2
William Woodall (Washington, DC) def. Mac Kiger (10) (Katonah, NY) 6-4; 6-7(4); 6-2
Steven Sun (Boca Raton, FL) def. Benjamin Gajardo (Las Vegas, NV) 6-4; 6-1
Bryce Pereira (San Gabriel, CA) def. Dominic Barretto (Tiburon, CA) 6-2; 6-0
Matthew Rodriguez (9) (Highland Beach, FL) def. Wilson Hamilton (Dallas, TX) 6-4; 6-0
Danny Thomas (Pickerington, OH) def. Maxwell Mendelsohn (13) (Little Rock, AR) 6-2; 6-2
Aleks Huryn (Alpharetta, GA) def. Robert Baylon (Buena Park, CA) 6-3; 6-0
William Peters (4) (DUXBURY, MA) def. Trey Hilderbrand (Helotes, TX) 7-5; 6-3
Daunte Harris (Lomita, CA) def. Zachary Fleischman (Medina, WA) 7-6(4); 6-2
Ajai Shekhera (16) (Campbell, CA) def. Ethan Prost (Peoria, AZ) 6-1; 3-6; 6-1
Jack Katzman (Seattle, WA) def. Ivan Thamma (San Diego, CA) 6-0; 6-3

Boys' 16 Doubles (Round of 16)
Sean Sculley (Hilton Head Island, SC) / Cotter Wilson (1) (Shreveport, LA) def. Andrew Fenty (Washington, DC) / William Woodall (Washington, DC) 8-5
Brady Draheim (Omaha, NE) / Chambers Easterling (Spartanburg, SC) def. Dominic Barretto (Tiburon, CA) / Paul Barretto (2) (Tiburon, CA) 9-8; 7-6(4))
Brian Cernoch (North Bethesda, MD) / Oliver Crawford (8) (Spartanburg, SC) def. Peter Conklin (Fairfield, CT) / Matthew Lord (Bloomfield, CT) 8-4
Bryce Pereira (San Gabriel, CA) / Ivan Thamma (San Diego, CA) def. Abhijeet Joshi (Millington, NJ) / Mac Kiger (6) (Katonah, NY) 9-7
Jackson Suh (Bellevue, WA) / Danny Thomas (Pickerington, OH) def. Victor Cheng (Santa Monica, CA) / Daunte Harris (Lomita, CA) 9-8; 7-6(2))
Robert Baylon (Buena Park, CA) / Andrew Ton (Milpitas, CA) def. Kevin Ma (San Ramon, CA) / Ajai Shekhera (Campbell, CA) 8-4
Austen Huang (Elk Grove, CA) / Jason Lui (5) (Bellevue, WA) def. Ben Goldberg (Pacific Palisades, CA) / Maxwell Mendelsohn (Little Rock, AR) 8-2
Jonathan Dollahite (Orem, UT) / Dylan Levitt (7) (Las Vegas, NV) def. Trey Hilderbrand (Helotes, TX) / Alex Wesbrooks (McKinney, TX)
8-5

Girls' 16 Singles (Round of 64)
Grace Joyce (1) (Newton, MA) def. Riley McQuaid (Tustin, CA) 6-1; 6-1
Taylor Bridges (Mesa, AZ) def. Alessandra Bianco (Chicago, IL) 6-1; 3-6; 6-4
Janice Shin (9) (Houston, TX) def. Catherine Cable (Spokane, WA) 6-1; 6-1
Stephanie Schrage (Millburn, NJ) def. Jennifer Gadalov (Los Angeles, CA) 4-6; 7-6(3); 7-5
Anna Brylin (Short Hills, NJ) def. Nadia Gizdova (5) (Columbia, MD) 6-4; 6-4
Jessi Muljat (Sacramento, CA) def. Zoe Taylor (Long Grove, IL) 6-2; 6-2
Ivana Corley (Albuquerque, NM) def. Lindsay Song (Birmingham, AL) 6-2; 6-2
Samantha Martinelli (2) (Denver, CO) def. Emma Decoste (Stuart, FL) 6-4; 6-1
Jessica Aragon (Plano, TX) def. Diana Wong (Hilo, HI) 6-4; 6-1
Victoria Emma (12) (Naples, FL) def. Elena Van Linge (Menlo Park, CA) 6-1; 6-1
McCartney Kessler (Calhoun, GA) def. Clarissa Hand (Moorestown, NJ) 6-4; 7-6(3)
Carolyn Campana (Hillsborough, CA) def. Cameron Corse (6) (Baltimore, MD) 6-4; 6-4
Taylor Johnson (Redondo Beach, CA) def. Caitlin Calkins (Tulsa, OK) 6-2; 6-1
Meg Kowalski (15) (La Grange, IL) def. Madison Hwang (Frisco, TX) 6-1; 6-1
Alexandra Belaya (Melbourne, FL) def. Danielle Quevedo (Tyler, TX) 6-3; 3-6; 6-2
Salma Ewing (Long Beach, CA) def. Ally Bojczuk (7) (Franklin, TN) 7-5; 7-5
Rachel Eason (Union City, CA) def. Christina Sisti (Mount Vernon, NY) 6-3; 7-5
Hannah Lairmore (14) (Mobile, AL) def. Dalayna Hewitt (Pepper Pike, OH) 2-6; 6-2; 6-2
Delaney Nothaft (Tempe, AZ) def. Cali Jankowski (Carlsbad, CA) 2-6; 6-2; 7-6(7)
Maria Ross (17) (Lakewood Ranch, FL) def. Sydney Jones (Carrollton, TX) 6-0; 6-1
Hannah Zhao (8) (San Diego, CA) def. Sarianna Kuuttila (Albuquerque, NM) 7-5; 6-4
Stevie Kennedy (Bonita Springs, FL) def. Katya Tabachnik (San Francisco, CA) 6-2; 6-4
Natasha Subhash (Fairfax, VA) def. Rachel Lim (11) (Briarcliff Manor, NY) 7-6(0); 6-4
Andjelija Bozovic (Burr Ridge, IL) def. Jessica Anzo (Temecula, CA) 6-4; 0-6; 6-4
Caroline Dunleavy (Darien, CT) def. Isabella Lambert (Wayzata, MN) 6-2; 6-1
Isabella Lorenzini (10) (Clarendon Hills, IL) def. Madison Gallegos (Aurora, CO) 6-4; 6-4
Abigail Chiu (16) (Austin, TX) def. Elvena Gevargiz (Las Vegas, NV) 4-6; 6-1; 6-3
Tatum Rice (Hot Springs, AR) def. Kalani Soli (Carson, CA) 7-6(5); 6-1
Victoria Flores (4) (Fort Dodge, IA) def. Ann Li (Devon, PA) 1-6; 7-6(4); 6-4
Jenna Moustafa (Los Angeles, CA) def. Marybeth Hurley (Novi, MI) 6-4; 7-5
Madeline Meredith (13) (Vestavia, AL) def. Sophia Reddy (Eden Prairie, MN) 6-1; 6-3
Nicole Mossmer (La Jolla, CA) def. Jasmin Tripathy (Lubbock, TX) 6-1; 7-5


Girls' 16 Doubles (Round of 16)
Ally Bojczuk (Franklin, TN) / Madison Hwang (Frisco, TX) def. McCartney Kessler (Calhoun, GA) / Tatum Rice (Hot Springs, AR) 9-7
Cameron Corse (Baltimore, MD) / Nadia Gizdova (2) (Columbia, MD) def. Christina Sisti (Mount Vernon, NY) / Lindsay Song (Birmingham, AL) 8-3
Samantha Martinelli (Denver, CO) / Delaney Nothaft (4) (Tempe, AZ) def. Jessi Muljat (Sacramento, CA) / Hannah Zhao (San Diego, CA) 8-3
Caroline Dunleavy (Darien, CT) / Grace Joyce (Newton, MA) def. Catherine Cable (Spokane, WA) / Madison Gallegos (Aurora, CO) 8-0
Maria Ross (Lakewood Ranch, FL) / Natasha Subhash (Fairfax, VA) def. Dalayna Hewitt (Pepper Pike, OH) / Isabella Lorenzini (Clarendon Hills, IL) 9-8; 7-6(6))
Victoria Flores (Fort Dodge, IA) / Madeline Meredith (3) (Vestavia, AL) def. Jessica Anzo (Temecula, CA) / Kalani Soli (Carson, CA) 8-5
Abigail Chiu (Austin, TX) / Danielle Quevedo (1) (Tyler, TX) def. Ivana Corley (Albuquerque, NM) / Diana Wong (Hilo, HI) 8-4
Kolie Allen (Lombard, IL) / Meg Kowalski (5) (La Grange, IL) def. Alexandra Belaya (Melbourne, FL) / Emma Decoste (Stuart, FL) 9-8; 7-6(4)

Boys' 14 Singles (Round of 16)
Garrett Johns (Atlanta, GA) def. Noah Lilienthal (Princeton, NJ) 7-6; 6-2
Joshua Xu (5) (Chandler, AZ) def. Tyler Zink (11) (Lakewood Ranch, FL) 6-1; 6-2
Sebastian Korda (Bradenton, FL) def. Leighton Allen (13) (Austin, TX) 7-6; 3-6; 6-1
Jaycer Calleros (10) (San Antonio, TX) def. Jenson Brooksby (8) (Carmichael, CA) 6-3; 6-1
James Ignatowich (Wellington, FL) def. Jacob Bullard (Calabasas, CA) 6-4; 4-6; 6-1
Adam Neff (3) (Bradenton, FL) def. Ronan Jachuck (9) (Boca Raton, FL) 6-4; 6-4
Cannon Kingsley (6) (Northport, NY) def. Daniel Baturyn (San Leandro, CA) 6-1; 6-0
Brandon Nakashima (2) (San Diego, CA) def. Theodore McDonald (Bellevue, WA) 7-5; 6-3

Boys' 14 Singles (Quarterfinal Round)
Joshua Xu (5) (Chandler, AZ) def. Garrett Johns (Atlanta, GA) 1-6; 6-4; 7-6(1)
Jaycer Calleros (10) (San Antonio, TX) def. Sebastian Korda (Bradenton, FL) 6-2; 3-0 Ret (inj)
Adam Neff (3) (Bradenton, FL) def. James Ignatowich (Wellington, FL) 6-0; 6-1
Brandon Nakashima (2) (San Diego, CA) def. Cannon Kingsley (6) (Northport, NY) 6-1; 7-6(2)

Girls' 14 Singles (Round of 16)
Alexa Noel (1) (Summit, NJ) def. Michelle Deng (Temple City, CA) 6-2; 6-1
Sophia Hatton (Syracuse, NY) def. Tia Mukherjee (Bloomfield Hills, MI) 7-6(6); 6-4
Katie Volynets (4) (Walnut Creek, CA) def. Naomi Cheong (Las Vegas, NV) 6-2; 6-3
Lea Ma (5) (Dix Hills, NY) def. Josie Frazier (13) (Scottsdale, AZ) 7-6(3); 6-4
Kacie Harvey (6) (Braintree, MA) def. Lahari Yelamanchili (16) (Burr Ridge, IL) 6-0; 6-2
Emma Navarro (Charleston, SC) def. Abigail Forbes (3) (Raleigh, NC) 7-6(6); 3-6; 6-2
Whitney Osuigwe (14) (Bradenton, FL) def. Jillian Taggart (8) (Fair Oaks, CA) 6-2; 6-3
Imani Graham (St Johns, FL) def. Sara Choy (2) (Palo Alto, CA) 6-4; 6-4

Girls' 14 Singles (Quarterfinal Round)
Alexa Noel (1) (Summit, NJ) def. Sophia Hatton (SYRACUSE, NY) 6-3; 6-2
Katie Volynets (4) (Walnut Creek, CA) def. Lea Ma (5) (Dix Hills, NY) 6-2; 6-3
Kacie Harvey (6) (Braintree, MA) def. Emma Navarro (Charleston, SC) 6-0 Ret (ill)
Whitney Osuigwe (14) (Bradenton, FL) def. Imani Graham (St Johns, FL) 6-0; 6-0

Boys' 12 Singles (Round of 16)
Aidan Mayo (1) (Roseville, CA) def. JJ Tracy (9) (Ann Arbor, MI) 6-3; 6-1
Nathan Kwon (Bakersfield, CA) def. Samuel Landau (13) (Los Angeles, CA) 6-1; 6-4
Sam Feldman (3) (Brookline, MA) def. Tauheed Browning (Philadelphia, PA) 6-2; 6-1
Hunter Heck (6) (New Brighton, MN) def. Eli Gordon (11) (Highland Park, IL) 6-0; 6-1
Benjamin Kittay (7) (Potomac, MD) def. Dominick Cuchran (Bloomingdale, IL) 6-2; 6-2
Martin Damm (Bradenton, FL) def. Maxwell McKennon (14) (Newport Beach, CA) 6-4; 6-4
Alex Lin (Granite Bay, CA) def. JC roddick (5) (San Antonio, TX) 6-0; 6-3
Jameson Corsillo (2) (Boca Raton, FL) def. Alan Jesudason (Berwyn, PA) 6-4; 6-0

Boys' 12 Singles (Quarterfinal Round)
Aidan Mayo (1) (Roseville, CA) def. Nathan Kwon (Bakersfield, CA) 6-2; 6-0
Hunter Heck (6) (New Brighton, MN) def. Sam Feldman (3) (Brookline, MA) 6-0; 6-0
Martin Damm (Bradenton, FL) def. Benjamin Kittay (7) (Potomac, MD) 4-6; 7-5; 10-5
Jameson Corsillo (2) (Boca Raton, FL) def. Alex Lin (Granite Bay, CA) 6-4; 6-4

Girls' 12 Singles (Round of 16)
Gabriella Price (1) (Montebello, NY) def. Emma Staker (Spring, TX) 6-0; 6-0
Lauren Anzalotta (6) (Trujillo Alto, PR) def. Kristina Kirakosyan (Burbank, CA) 6-4; 6-3
Nina Gulbransen (3) (Boca Raton, FL) def. Ava Catanzarite (14) (Pittsburgh, PA) 6-4; 6-1
Jennifer Kida (8) (Wilmington, CA) def. Jenna DeFalco (10) (Tustin, CA) 7-5; 6-4
Muskan Mahajan (San Ramon, CA) def. Tyra Richardson (7) (Chicago, IL) 0-6; 6-4; 11-9
Emma Jackson (LA Grange Park, IL) def. Cami Brown (Irvine, CA) 6-0; 6-2
Maxi Duncan (Costa Mesa, CA) def. Christine Inah Canete (5) (Los Angeles, CA) 6-3; 6-3
Savannah Broadus (2) (Carrollton, TX) def. Bridget Stammel (13) (Dallas, TX) 6-2; 6-0

Girls' 12 Singles (Quarterfinal Round)
Gabriella Price (1) (Montebello, NY) def. Lauren Anzalotta (6) (Trujillo Alto, PR) 6-2; 6-2
Nina Gulbransen (3) (Boca Raton, FL) def. Jennifer Kida (8) (Wilmington, CA) 6-1; 6-2
Emma Jackson (LA Grange Park, IL) def. Muskan Mahajan (San Ramon, CA) 7-6(6); 0-6; 10-8
Savannah Broadus (2) (Carrollton, TX) def. Maxi Duncan (Costa Mesa, CA) 1-6; 6-3; 10-8

Blumberg, Kenin Claim Titles at ITF Grade 1 International Spring Championships

©Colette Lewis 2015--
Carson, CA--

Both William Blumberg and Sonya Kenin spent most of March competing on clay courts, but on a cool and breezy Sunday morning at the Stubhub Center, the American pair demonstrated a seamless transition to hard courts by claiming their first ITF Grade 1 titles at the International Spring Championships.

Blumberg, the top seed, defeated No. 2 seed Miomir Kecmanovic of Serbia 6-2, 6-4 and Kenin, the No. 2 seed, outlasted No. 4 seed Fanni Stollar of Hungary 6-3, 6-7(7), 6-0.

A finalist on the red clay of the ITF Grade A in Porto Alegre Brazil last month, Blumberg took a quick 4-0 lead on the 15-year-old Serb, who had trouble finding his usual consistency in the opening games of the match.

A break and hold made it 4-2, but Blumberg remained the steadier of the two, with an unforced error on the backhand by Kecmanovic giving Blumberg the first set.

When Blumberg took a 2-0 lead in the second set, it appeared he might run away with the match, but Kecmanovic broke, only to commit yet another unforced error to get broken for the fifth time in the match. Blumberg held for 4-1, but Kecmanovic managed to hold in the next game to keep within striking distance at 4-2.

The seventh game was the longest of the match, with six deuces, and when it was over, Blumberg had failed to convert on six game points, with Kecmanovic playing his most aggressive tennis during that stretch. He then followed with a hold to make it 4-4, and when Blumberg went down 0-40 in the next game, a third set, and a huge momentum swing for Kecmanovic, loomed.

But Blumberg picked up his serving, winning the next five points and the game, to put the pressure squarely back on Kecmanovic.

"After I got broken and he held easy and I was down 0-40, I kind of had to regroup really quick," said the 17-year-old from Connecticut. "I made a bunch of good first serves, and that helped a lot."

Serving to stay in the match, Kecmanovic missed two forehands to give Blumberg two match points, but although he missed his first serves, he saved both, playing both good defense and good offense to force errors.  At deuce, Blumberg stayed patient, and after a long point put away an overhead to earn his third match point.  This time Kecmanovic got a first serve in, but Blumberg was ready for it, rifling it back with additional pace, which forced Kecmanovic into netting a forehand.

With a long, loud 'yeah', Blumberg celebrated, excited and relieved to have earned his first Grade 1 title.

"If I'm being completely honest, I was really nervous in the end," Blumberg said. "Trying to finish off the match for me was tough. It's not a pattern, but it had happened to me a couple of times...and I got a little tentative, a little nervous, it was my first Grade 1 I'd ever won.  Putting myself in position is good, but I need to continue to do a better job of being aggressive."

Although Kecmanovic said the breezy conditions had nothing to do with his performance, Blumberg said he noticed a difference in the weather from earlier in the week.

"It was way more windy today, for sure, than any other of the days I've played, so I thought I did a good job of serving," said Blumberg, who also reached the final of the B1 Pan American Closed in Tulsa last October. "I thought I hit my forehand pretty well and moved him around the court, put him in awkward positions. And I don't think he played his best today. I thought he was spraying balls, and his first serve percentage was pretty low."

Kecmanovic, who trains at the IMG Academy, agreed he was off his game Sunday.

"I was struggling to keep the ball in the court, and he made me miss a lot," Kecmanovic said. "Will played very good," he added. "I tried to stay with him, but I couldn't, playing the way I did. But he played very good, and congrats to him."

Although spectators were few, with most players and coaches already in Indian Wells for the Easter Bowl, Blumberg did have a small group of local supporters.

"My two cousins and my uncle, my mom's brother, who live in LA," Blumberg replied when asked who made up his cheering section.
"It was really nice of them to come out. The other two are my godparents and their son, who I stayed with the week before Carson, so it was really good they could all come out today. It helped a lot for me, with my energy."

Kenin, who reached a $10,000 Pro Circuit tournament final last month on green clay, rarely lacks for energy or confidence. She displayed those attributes again after letting two match points slip away in the second set tiebreaker against Stollar, who had beaten her in the Eddie Herr 14s final in 2012.

Stollar served for the second set after breaking Kenin in the ninth game, but was unable to earn a set point, with Kenin hitting a forehand winner at 30-40.  Both players held at love to send the set to a tiebreaker, which was close throughout, with Kenin earning her first match point when Stollar double faulted at 5-all.

Stollar overcame the double fault, crushing a backhand winner to save the match point, but Kenin wrong-footed her to earn a second. Again Stollar went to her backhand and another fine one forced an error from Kenin.  Kenin then missed two backhands, and suddenly Stollar was back in the match, although Kenin refused to see it that way.

"She started out really good [in the third set]," said Kenin, a 16-year-old from Florida. "She was up 30-0 on her serve and I was just trying to stay through it. I knew it was an accident that she won the second set, that her game wouldn't be like that the whole third set, which she'd have to do to beat me, so I just tried to stay through and try to fight."

Kenin saw Stollar's level drop even more quickly than she might have hoped.  After breaking for 1-0, then going down 15-30 in her service game, Kenin won 11 straight points.  Stollar broke the string with an ace to open the fifth game, but 12 minutes after the set began, she was down 5-0.

Stollar is capable of an ace or a double fault in any of her service games, and with the breezy conditions, her serve was even more erratic than usual.

"It was a really bad match for me," said Stollar, a 16-year-old, who, like Kecmanovic, trains at the IMG Academy in Bradenton. "I played pretty bad. She played pretty good, she fought hard. It wasn't my day, my serve didn't work. I couldn't expect anything. There were games up and down, but there was too much of that. It was really tough with the wind at every changeover."

In the final game, by far the longest of the set, Stollar saved two match points, but Kenin finally drew the error she was expecting, with Stollar's backhand going wide on the final point.

"I really love this tournament," said Kenin, who added her first Grade 1 title to the Grade A Orange Bowl title she won last December. "After losing in the quarterfinals last year, I just really wanted to play really good here and win."

Kenin, who reached the semifinals of the Easter Bowl last year, is looking to do well there again, with a goal of being seeded at the upcoming junior slams this summer.

"I'm going to be seeded pretty high, hopefully," Kenin said. "And it just gives me a ton of confidence going into Easter Bowl, knowing I won this tournament.  As the matches went on, I found a way to win and played good at the important moments."

Complete draws can be found at the tournament website.

Martin Blackman to Replace Patrick McEnroe as USTA General Manager of Player Development

After a search lasting more than six months, the USTA has announced its replacement for Patrick McEnroe as General Manager of Player Development: Martin Blackman.

The Wall Street Journal's Tom Perotta has the details of Blackman's appointment here.

The USTA has scheduled a conference call with media for tomorrow, which I will participate in, that includes USTA COO and Executive Director Gordon Smith, Katrina Adams, USTA Chairman of the Board and President and a "special guest," which I presume is Blackman. I do not know if he will be in Indian Wells for the Team USA Coaches Reception on Monday.

I haven't seen much of Blackman since he left the USTA in 2011, obviously on amicable terms, to start his own academy in the Boca Raton area, but when he started with the USTA in 2009, I spoke with him for a brief piece I did for SMASH magazine, which I'm including below.  

In the September news conference at the US Open, when it was announced that McEnroe was leaving, Smith and then Chairman and President David Haggerty insisted they were not looking for a major change in the either the position or in Player Development's direction, and the choice of Blackman is an indication of their sincerity on that point.  As Perrotta's article says: 

"Blackman isn't expected to shake up player development’s staff or strategy. Katrina Adams, the USTA’s chairman and chief executive, and Gordon Smith, the USTA’s executive director and chief operating officer, said that they were happy with the program’s current direction and hired Blackman to build on it."

If there is a transcript of tomorrow's conference call, I will post it as soon as it becomes available.

Talent Search: What the USTA Looks For in Aspiring Champions
Martin Blackman joined USTA Player Development as Senior Director for Talent Identification and Development in January. A two-time finalist at Kalamazoo as a junior, a member of two NCAA championship teams while at Stanford University and an ATP professional who reached 158 in the rankings, the 38-year-old Blackman coached American University's men's tennis team from 1999-2004, and prior to joining the USTA served as director of the Junior Tennis Champions Center in College Park, Md.

In his newly created position, Blackman will focus on getting and keeping young players in the sport via the USTA's QuickStart initiative and will be identifying additional USTA Regional Training Centers to add to the two most recently announced—the Junior Tennis Champions Center, and the Racquet Club of the South in Atlanta, Georgia. The USTA's 17 sections will serve as regional networks to identify and encourage outstanding coaches and junior players, "We recognize that there is no one magic way to produce champions," Blackman says. "We can give American juniors the best of three worlds: train near home at a certified USTA Regional Training Center, train at a private academy, or train at the National Training Center in Boca, with National Team coaches."

Blackman and USTA Manager of Coaching Education Anne Pankhurst offer the following list of attributes coaches should look for when assessing 6 to 10-year-olds:

1) Love of the game: if the love is there, the child will enjoy practice

2) Teachability: is the child able to follow instructions given either visually or verbally?

3) Fundamental movement and physical skills: balance, agility and simple and complex coordination, running, and jumping.

4) Basic sports skills: throwing, catching and basic strokes

5) Commitment: the desire to improve

Blumberg and Kecmanovic Reach Boys Final, Stollar, Kenin Meet for Girls ITF International Spring Title; Crawford, Subhash Claim 16s Championships

©Colette Lewis 2015--
Carson, CA--

Sunday's finals of the ITF Grade 1 International Spring Championships will feature a first-time meeting to decide the boys title, and a second meeting more than two years after the first in the girls championship match.

Top seed William Blumberg and No. 2 seed Miomir Kecmanovic of Serbia have yet to drop a set in the their five wins this week, with Blumberg defeating No. 5 seed and doubles partner Nathan Ponwith 6-2, 6-3 in Saturday's semifinals and Kecmanovic topping unseeded Kalman Boyd 6-3, 6-3.

Blumberg had arrived in Carson after reaching the finals of the Grade A in Porto Alegre Brazil and admitted the adjustment to the hard courts was difficult at the beginning.

"After Brazil, I definitely had a ton of confidence, and I think that helped me through the first couple of rounds," said the 17-year-old from Connecticut. "Whether or not I was comfortable on the court, I was in the right place in my mind, so that helped. Throughout the week, I've definitely been improving, cutting off angles better and moving really well now I think."

Blumberg, who lost only one game against qualifier Johnathan Small in Friday's quarterfinal, gave Ponwith very little, going up a break early in both sets.

"I did everything well today," said Blumberg, who is in his third major ITF junior final since helping the US to the Junior Davis Cup title last September in Mexico. "I served really well. I took myself out of some tough situations with my serve and I was hitting my forehand really well, dictating the points, moving into the court, trying to find the net and be aggressive. I think I made him feel a little uncomfortable. I don't think he was playing his best tennis, not serving his best, so I got lucky on that part, but I think I played well myself."

Kecmanovic, who will be 16 is August, credited his serve as the primary reason he was able to get through in straight sets.

"I was really focused on my serve, to make a lot of first serves," said the Serb, who trains at the IMG Academy in Bradenton. "So I got a lot of easy points today most of the time, when I made my first serve. I also tried to make him play a lot, not rush the point to hit a winner, but make him miss."

Although he learned how to play tennis on clay courts, Kecmanovic enjoys competing on hard courts.

"Most of the years, I only played on clay, but for some reason, I like hard courts better," Kecmanovic said. "I have no idea why."

Although he has never played Blumberg in singles, the two have been in the same ITF junior tournaments, so there is some familiarity.

"I've seen him play lots of times and we've played doubles together," said Kecmanovic. "So I know how he plays and everything, so I think it's going to be interesting."

The IMG Academy has two students in the final, with No. Fanni Stollar earning her place with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Ingrid Neel, who also trains at the famous Bradenton site.  The 16-year-old from Hungary will play No. 2 seed Sonya Kenin in Sunday's final, after Kenin defeated No. 3 seed Michaela Gordon 6-2, 6-3.

The last time the two met was in the 2012 Eddie Herr 14s final, with Stollar coming back from a way behind to take to the title.

"It was so long ago," said Stollar, who has one Grade 1 title, which she won last year in Paraguay. "I was down 6-1, 5-2 and I won 6-3 in the third. I don't know how I did that. It was very tough, and she's tough to play against, but I've just got to focus on my game."

Stollar got only one break in the first set against No. 7 seed Neel, but she made it stand up. In the second set, Stollar went up a break 2-1, but gave it right back, broken at love to make it 2-2.  Neel had double faulted on game point in the first set to give Stollar the break, and that happened again at 2-2 in the second. Stollar consolidated and wasn't threatened on serve after that.

"We really know each other, really know what to do, both of us, it's tough," said Stollar. "My serve is one of the most important things for me and today it was pretty good. It was a little bit up and down in some games. But I had to stay aggressive throughout the points, push her down in the court or otherwise she will come to net."

Kenin avenged her three-set loss to Gordon in January's Grade 1 Coffee Bowl semifinals, primarily by improving her serving and her strategy.

"I was being aggressive and watching for her backhand down the line," said the 16-year-old Floridian, the reigning Orange Bowl champion. "I wasn't really prepared for that in Coffee Bowl. And my serve there wasn't good at all.  I was just missing a lot in Coffee Bowl. I mean, she's a good player, very smart and everyone has problems with her, so all respect to her, but I should have won that match."

The doubles champions were crowned Saturday afternoon, with both teams claiming the titles playing together for the first time.

Alejandro Tabilo of Canada and Benjamin Hannestad of Denmark, the No. 3 seeds, who defeated top seeds Blumberg and Ponwith 6-3, 2-6, 10-4, met at the IMG Academy but have known each other since the 12s, so were comfortable with one another on the court.

"I'm more of an attacking player and he can more control the points," said the 17-year-old Tabilo. "Today, I think it was a good balance between his power and serves and my reactions on the volleys," said Hannestad, 18. "And he has incredible hands, he's a legend. So we have a very good game together."

After dropping the second set, Tabilo and Hannestad rededicated themselves to their game plan.

"Whenever we came to the net, we made sure one stayed back, because we knew they were lobbing a lot, making sure to cover the court well," Tabilo said. "We got off to a good start, attacking second serves, good returning and coming in well, and that's why we won," Hannestad added.

The unseeded team of Caroline Dolehide and Ena Shibahara were two points from defeat in their final against No. 4 seeds Gordon and Raquel Pedraza, with Pedraza serving at 7-6(4), 5-4, 30-0.  But Dolehide and Shibahara won four straight points to pull even at 5, held and broke Gordon on a deciding point to take the second set, then dominated the match tiebreaker for a 6-7(4), 7-5, 10-3 victory.

"We just played out of our minds at the end," said Shibahara, a 17-year-old from nearby Rancho Palos Verdes. "We would make a return and go for poaches, because that's what we were missing in the first set."

"We just went for it," Dolehide said.

Dolehide and Shibahara served notice they would be a team to contend with when they defeated No. 2 seeds Neel and Stollar, who won two $10,000 Pro Circuit titles last month, 6-1, 6-2 in the first round.

"We played really good that day," said Dolehide, a 16-year-old from Illinois. "We knew we'd be all right if we played that way the rest of the tournament," said Shibahara.

Dolehide and Shibahara will also be playing together at next week's Easter Bowl.

16s

No. 6 seed Oliver Crawford swept the titles in the boys division, while No. 15 seed Natasha Subhash won a marathon three-setter to capture the girls division.

Crawford blew through the first set of his 6-0, 2-6, 6-3 victory over No. 5 seed Andrew Fenty, but Fenty was able to work his way back into the match, breaking Crawford to open the second set and holding his own serve throughout to pull even. 

Crawford managed to claw back from a 0-40 hole in the opening game of the third set to hold, providing an important psychological turning point.

"It was very important to get the momentum back," said Crawford, who will turn 16 later this month. "That helped me out mentally and maybe put him back a little bit."

"That was a good hold for him," agreed Fenty, a 15-year-old from Washington DC. "If I would have broken starting out the third set, he probably would have been thinking, I can't win."

Fenty was broken serving at 3-4 in the third set, admitting he was beginning to tire in the late stages of the match.

"It looked like he was getting more tired as I moved him around more," said Crawford, who lives in Spartanburg, SC. "He didn't get to as many balls, so I tried to keep on him and I was able to do it."

In the final game, Crawford got four of five first serves in, a huge assist in finishing the match, and getting a title he thought he could win.

"I thought I had a good chance to win the tournament," said Crawford, who was a semifinalist in the Kalamazoo 16s last summer. "That's why I played the tournament, to try to see if I could win one of these. Easter Bowl (where he will be the No. 1 seed) is going to be tough, it's going to be hard."

Fenty is looking forward to building on his showing this week, and perhaps getting another shot at Crawford soon.

"I'll see him at the Easter Bowl," the soft-spoken Fenty said.

Subhash, who had already beaten No. 3 seed Taylor Johnson and No. 2 seed Alexandra Belaya during the week, took out No. 4 seed Victoria Flores 6-7(5), 7-6(0), 6-1 in the girls final, although she had to withstand Flores serving for the match at 6-5 in the second set.

The task of breaking serve wasn't a daunting one, however, as in the first set alone there were eight breaks, as neither girl could make first serves or avoid crucial double faults.

After earning the chance to serve for the match with a blistering forehand winner, Flores lost four straight points, then seven more.

"She played two really good points, I couldn't really do anything there, then I shanked two, and then she won seven points in a row," said Flores, a 16-year-old from Iowa. "She earned the tiebreak, she played really well in those, so I couldn't really do anything."

After more than two hours for the first two sets, the third set went quickly, which Subhash attributed to the revival of her serve.

"I found my serve again," said Subhash, a 13-year-old from Virginia. "I wasn't serving too well in the first two sets."

Subhash also eliminated many of the unforced errors in her game in the final set.

"I felt like I was in more control of my shots," said Subhash.
"I was much more smooth in the third set."

Subhash described the feeling of winning the tournament as "amazing. It's the first ITF I've played, so it's really good."

In the doubles finals, both top seeds won, but both were taken to a match tiebreaker.

Crawford, playing with Brian Cernoch, collected his second Tiffany Bowl of the day with a 6-3, 3-6, 10-6 victory over the unseeded team of Ryan Goetz and Ryan Seggerman.

The girls doubles title went to Alexandra Belaya and Emma Decoste, who defeated No. 8 seeds Jessica Anzo and Jenna Moustafa 6-3, 4-6, 10-5.

============================================Boys' 18 Singles (Semifinal Round)
Miomir Kecmanovic (2) (Boca Raton, FL)  def.  Kalman Boyd (Rancho Santa Fe, CA)  6-3, 6-3
William Blumberg (1) (Greenwich, CT)  def.  Nathan Ponwith (5) (Scottsdale, AZ)  6-2, 6-3

Boys' 18 Doubles (Final Round)
Benjamin Hannestad / Alejandro Tabilo (3) (Etobicoke, Ontario) def.  William Blumberg (Greenwich, CT) / Nathan Ponwith (1) (Scottsdale, AZ)  6-3, 2-6, 10-4

Girls' 18 Singles (Semifinal Round)
Sofia Kenin (2) (Pembroke Pines, FL)  def.  Michaela Gordon (3) (Saratoga, CA)  6-2, 6-3
Fanni Stollar (4)  def.  Ingrid Neel (7) (Bradenton, FL)  6-4, 6-4

Girls' 18 Doubles (Final Round)
Caroline Dolehide (Hinsdale, IL) / Ena Shibahara (Rancho Palos Verdes, CA)  def.  Michaela Gordon (Saratoga, CA) / Raquel Pedraza (4) (Claremont, CA)  6-7(4), 7-5, 10-3

Boys' 16 Singles (Final Round)
Oliver Crawford (6) (Spartanburg, SC)  def.  Andrew Fenty (5) (Washington, DC)  6-0, 2-6, 6-3

Boys' 16 Doubles (Final Round)
Brian Cernoch (North Bethesda, MD) / Oliver Crawford (1) (Spartanburg, SC)  def.  Ryan Goetz (Greenlawn, NY) / Ryan  Seggerman (Coronado, CA)  6-3, 3-6, 10-6

Girls' 16 Singles (Final Round)
Natasha Subhash (15) (Fairfax, VA)  def. Victoria Flores (4) (Fort Dodge, IA) 6-7(5), 7-6(0), 6-1

Girls' 16 Doubles (Final Round)
Alexandra Belaya (Melbourne, FL) / Emma Decoste (1) (Stuart, FL)  def.  Jessica Anzo (Temecula, CA) / Jenna  Moustafa (8) (Los Angeles, CA)  6-3, 4-6, 10-5