Eric Johnson, 17, of San Jose, Calif., and 14-year-old Gabrielle Andrews of Pomona, Calif., each swept the singles and doubles titles at the USTA Boys’ and Girls’ 18s Winter National Championships on Saturday. Many of the nation’s top junior tennis players competed in eight USTA National Championships across the state of Arizona last week.
Andrews, the event’s top seed despite her youth, defeated 16-year-old Kyle McPhillips of Willoughby, Ohio, 6-3, 6-1, in the girls’ 18s final in Mesa, Ariz., to win her third career national singles title, and teamed with Indianapolis’ Brooke Austin to win the doubles title. Andrews and Austin helped lead the U.S. to its fourth consecutive World Junior Tennis title (14-and-under version of Fed Cup) in August, and Andrews has now swept the singles and doubles titles at three USTA national championships in the last year, including the girls’ 14s titles at the 2010 Easter Bowl and the 2009 USTA Winter National Championships.
Johnson entered the tournament as the No. 15 seed and defeated No. 17 Anthony Tsodikov of San Francisco, 0-6, 6-4, 6-1, to capture his first career national singles title in Phoenix. Johnson also won the doubles title, partnering with fellow Californian Mackenzie McDonald of Piedmont to defeat Houston natives Stuart Kenyon and Michael Reichmann 6-3, 6-4. Johnson will enroll at the University of Southern California in the fall.
Highlights from other USTA Winter National Championships include:
Thomas (T.J.) Pura, a 16-year-old from Pacific Palisades, Calif., who was among the players profiled in the 2008 documentary 50,000 Balls, won his first national title since 2007 at the USTA Boys’ 16s Winter National Championships in Scottsdale, Ariz. Pura, the No. 8 seed, upset top-seeded Sean Karl of Brentwood, Tenn., 6-2, 7-5, in the final. Pura also reached the doubles final with partner Ognjen Samardzic of Bradenton, Fla.
Top-seeded Jamie Loeb, 15, of Ossining, N.Y., defeated No. 2 Christina Makarova of San Diego 6-4, 6-0, in the girls’ 16s final in Tempe, Ariz., and did not lose a single set en route to her first career national singles title. Loeb was a singles finalist at the USTA Girls’ 16s National Clay Court Championships in July.
Sofia Kenin, 12, of Pembroke Pines, Fla., swept the singles and doubles titles at the USTA Girls’ 12s Winter National Championships in Tucson, Ariz. Kenin, the top seed, beat No. 7 Elizabeth Porter of Dallas, 7-5, 6-1, in the final, and partnered with Zoe Spence of Chicago, to win the doubles title. Kenin was also a girls’ 12s singles finalist at the USTA National Clay Court Championships and the USTA National Hard Court Championships in 2010.
Below is the complete list of championship results from last week’s USTA Winter National Championships.
USTA Boys’ 18s Winter National Championships:
Phoenix Tennis Center, Phoenix, Ariz., Dec. 27-Jan. 1
Singles: (15) Eric Johnson, San Jose, Calif., d. (17) Anthony Tsodikov, San Francisco, 0-6, 6-4, 6-1.
Doubles: (10) Eric Johnson, San Jose, Calif., and Mackenzie McDonald, Piedmont, Calif., d. Stuart Kenyon,
Houston, and Michael Riechmann, Houston, 6-3, 6-4.
USTA Girls’ 18s Winter National Championships:
Gene Autry Tennis Center, Mesa, Ariz., Dec. 27-Jan. 1
Singles: (1) Gabrielle Andrews, Pomona, Calif., d. (2) Kyle McPhillips, Willoughby, Ohio, 6-3, 6-1.
Doubles: (1) Gabrielle Andrews, Pomona, Calif., and Brooke Austin, Indianapolis, d. (6) Ashley Dai, Temple City,
Calif., and Riko Shimizu, Ojai, Calif., 6-2, 6-2.
USTA Boys’ 16s Winter National Championships:
Scottsdale Ranch Park, Scottsdale, Ariz., Dec. 27-Jan. 1
Singles: (8) Thomas Pura, Pacific Palisades, Calif., d. (1) Sean Karl, Brentwood, Tenn., 6-2, 7-5.
Doubles: (3) Gregory Garcia, Poway, Calif., and Nicholas Hu, Palo Alto, Calif., d. (8) Thomas Pura, Pacific
Palisades, Calif., and Ognjen Samardzic, Bradenton, Fla., 6-1, 6-2.
USTA Girls’ 16s Winter National Championships:
Kiwanis Recreation Center, Tempe, Ariz., Dec. 27-Jan. 1
Singles: (1) Jamie Loeb, Ossining, N.Y., d. (2) Christina Makarova, San Diego, 6-4, 6-0.
Doubles: (2) Makenzie Craft, Frisco, Texas, and Christina Makarova, San Diego, d. Alexandra Najarian,
Bloomfield Hills, Mich., and Kate Vialle, Leawood, Kan., 7-6(6), 6-2.
USTA Boys’ 14s Winter National Championships:
Tucson Racquet Club, Tucson, Ariz., Dec. 27-Jan. 1
Singles: (3) Stefan Kozlov, Pembroke Pines, Fla., d. (2) Toshiki Matsuya, Redmond, Wash., 6-2, 6-4.
Doubles: (2) Augustus Ge, Phoenix, and Robert Seby, Oro Valley, Ariz., d. (1) Aron Kiltzik, Wilmette, Ill., and
Martin Joyce, Hinsdale, Ill., 6-4, 6-0.
USTA Girls’ 14s Winter National Championships:
University of Arizona’s Robson Tennis Center, Tucson, Ariz., Dec. 27-Jan. 1
Singles: Maria Smith, Houston, d. (2) Elizabeth Profit, La Habra, Calif., 7-6(4), 6-3.
Doubles: (5) Ellen Jang Milsten, Alpharetta, Ga., and Kareena Manji, Simi Valley, Calif., d. Emma Higuchi, Los
Angeles, and Maddie Pothoff, Tucson, Ariz., 6-0, 6-3.
USTA Boys’ 12s Winter National Championships:
Reffkin Tennis Center, Tucson, Ariz., Dec. 27-Jan. 1
Singles: (1) William Blumberg, Greenwich, Conn., d. (2) Noah Schachter, Steilacoom, Wash., 3-6, 6-3, [10-7].
Doubles: (9) Brandon Holt, Rolling Hills, Calif., and Bryce Pereira, San Gabriel, Calif., d. (7) Zeke Clark, Tulsa,
Okla., and Yash Parikh, Tucson, Ariz., 6-2, 6-4.
USTA Girls’ 12s Winter National Championships:
Reffkin Tennis Center, Tucson, Ariz., Dec. 27-Jan. 1
Singles: (1) Sofia Kenin, Pembroke Pines, Fla., d. (7) Elizabeth Porter, Dallas, 7-5, 6-1.
Doubles: (1) Sofia Kenin, Pembroke Pines, Fla., and Zoe Spence, Chicago, d. (6) Samantha Martinelli, Denver,
and Delaney Nothaft, Tempe, Ariz., 7-5, 7-6(2).