By Sally Milano, USTA.com
It was a historic day for American junior tennis Friday, as 12-year-old Cori Gauff of Delray Beach, Fla., and 14-year-old Toby Kodat of Bradenton, Fla., won all-American singles finals at the prestigious Nike Junior International Teen Tennis tournament in Bolton, England.
This was the first time in the 23-year history of the renowned 14-and-under event that all four singles finalists were from the same country.
Gauff beat Alexandra Yepifanova, 13, from Aventura, Fla., 7-5, 6-2, to win the girls' title, while Kodat defeated Martin Damm, 13, of Bradenton, Fla., 7-5, 6-0, in the boys' singles final.
In fact, all four boys’ singles semifinalists were from the U.S., including 13-year-old Alexander Bernard of Bonita Springs, Fla., and 13-year-old Aidan Mayo of Roseville, Calif. And three of the four girls’ semifinalists hailed from the U.S., including 13-year-old Elvina Kalieva of Pembroke Pines, Fla.
That marked the first time in the tournament’s history that seven of the eight combined boys’ and girls’ singles semifinalists were from the same country.
In doubles action, Gauff and 13-year-old Charlotte Owensby of Boca Raton, Fla., won the girls’ title, posting a 4-6, 6-2 [10-6] win over France’s Flavie Brugnone and Anaelle Leclercq in the final. Damm and Mayo, meanwhile, fell to Great Britain’s Joel Pierleoni and Jack Pinnington Jones, 6-3, 7-5, in the boys’ doubles championship.
All eight U.S. players, along with USTA National Coaches Maureen Diaz and Jon Glover, will now travel to Tarbes, France, to play in the prestigious 14-and-under Les Petits As.
Previous finalists at the Teen Tennis event include Andy Murray, Kim Clijsters, Justine Henin and Caroline Wozniacki.
Click here to view the full list of Nike Junior International Teen Tennis singles champions and finalists. And see below for complete results from Bolton:
Boys: Singles | Doubles
Girls: Singles | Doubles