Three U.S. junior teams go undefeated to win North/Central America & Caribbean Regional Championships

May 3, 2011 02:28 PM
The U.S. Junior Fed Cup (16-and-under) team and both the boys’ and girls’ World Junior Tennis teams (14-and-under) won the North/Central America & Caribbean Regional Championships this past weekend to qualify for the 2011 World Finals. The Regional Championships were held in Merida, Mexico. All three teams went undefeated en route to win their qualifying pools, while the U.S. Junior Davis Cup team finished as the runner-up to Canada.

The World Junior Tennis Finals will be held Aug. 1-6 in Prostejov, Czech Republic. The Junior Davis Cup and Junior Fed Cup World Finals will be held Sept. 27-Oct. 2 in San Luis Potosi, Mexico.

Each Regional Championship featured a four-team, round-robin competition, with the top two teams advancing to the 16-nation World Final in the World Junior Tennis Competition. Mexico automatically qualifies for the Junior Davis Cup and Junior Fed Cup World Finals as the host country, leaving just the winners from the Regional Championships as the other teams to qualify. 

2011 North/Central America & Caribbean Regional Championships

Final Standings
:

Junior Davis Cup
1. Canada* 3-0
2. United States 2-1
3. Mexico* 1-2
4. Bahamas 0-3

Junior Fed Cup
1. United States* 3-0
2. Canada 2-1
3. Mexico* 1-2
4. Puerto Rico 0-3

World Junior Tennis - Boys
1. United States* 3-0
2. Canada* 2-1
3. Mexico 1-2
4. Dominican Republic 0-3

World Junior Tennis - Girls
1. United States* 3-0
2. Mexico* 2-1 
3. Canada 1-2
4. Cuba 0-3

*Qualified for the 2011 World Finals; Mexico automatically qualifies as host of the Junior Davis Cup/Fed Cup World Finals


The U.S. Junior Fed Cup team, coached by Kathy Rinaldi, went undefeated in nine singles and doubles matches on the weekend without dropping a single set. The U.S. team, which featured all three members of the 2010 World Junior Tennis team that won its fourth consecutive title, was led by Brooke Austin (Indianapolis), currently No. 3 in the USTA Girls’ 18s National Standings, who posted a 3-0 record at No. 1 singles. Gabrielle Andrews (Pomona, Calif.), the 2011 Easter Bowl runner-up, won all three matches at No. 2 singles, and she partnered with Taylor Townsend (Stockbridge, Ga.), with whom she won the doubles titles at the Easter Bowl and USTA International Spring Championships, to win all three doubles matches for the U.S.

The U.S. Junior Davis Cup team, coached by Dustin Taylor, went 2-1 over the three days to finish second to Canada. Luca Corinteli (Alexandria, Va.), ranked No. 17 in the USTA Boys’ 16s National Standings, went 2-1 overall (1-1 at No. 1 singles), and 2011 USTA Boys’ 16s International Spring Championships runner-up Nikko Madregallejo (Monrovia, Calif.) compiled a 5-1 record, including a perfect 3-0 mark at No. 2 singles. Justin Butsch (Miami Beach, Fla.) lost his only singles match and compiled a 1-1 doubles record.

Both the U.S. World Junior boys’ and girls’ teams advanced to the World Finals by winning their regions, and each team dropped just one match over the three-day event. The boys’ team, coached by Michael Sell, was led by 2011 AEGON Teen Tennis champion Stefan Kozlov (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) and 2011 Les Petits As champion Henrik Wiershlom (Kirkland, Wash.), who combined to win all three matches at No. 1 singles and partnered to sweep all three doubles matches. Teammate Francis Tiafoe (College Park, Md.), who also competed in the two prestigious 14-and-Under events in Europe earlier this year, went 2-0 at No. 2 singles.

In the World Junior Tennis girls’ event, the U.S. team, coached by Troy Hahn, was led by Julia O’Loughlin (Lighthouse Point, Fla.), a girls’ 14s semifinalist at the Easter Bowl, who posted a 4-1 overall record (2-1 in singles).  Maria Smith (Houston), the 2010 USTA Girls’ 14s Winter National champion, went undefeated in two singles matches and a doubles match, and Jessica Ho (Wexford, Pa.), currently No. 16 in the USTA Girls’ 16s National Standings, went 4-0, including a perfect record in the three doubles matches.

In 2008, the U.S. became the first country to sweep all four titles in the same year. The U.S. World Junior girls’ team will seek an unprecedented fifth straight title this fall and sixth overall (1992). In addition to 2008, the U.S. World Junior boys’ team won back-to-back titles in 2002-03, and the Junior Davis Cup team won the title in 1999. The 2008 title was the first for the Junior Fed Cup team.

Former U.S. junior international team members include Jim Courier, Michael Chang, Andy Roddick, James Blake, Lindsay Davenport, Jennifer Capriati, Mardy Fish, Robby Ginepri, Jamea Jackson, Ashley Harkleroad and Lisa Raymond.
 

Back

 
 

 
 
Close