A Long Day at the Eddie Herr

©Colette Lewis 2006
Bradenton FL--

The sun's gone down on a beautiful day at the Eddie Herr, but the tennis is continuing. Immediately behind me on the indoor courts at the IMG Bollettieri Academy there are three matches in progress, and others are being played under the lights. With main draw matches of boys and girls 12s, and qualifying in the other three age divisions, this is one of the busiest days on the junior tennis calendar, and tomorrow, with doubles starting, it will be more of the same.

I didn't realize it until I sat down to help at the results desk at the tournament headquarters this afternoon, but the boys 16s qualifying was completed today. Many of the names are new to me, but Columbia is well-represented. From the U.S., Adam Bernstein and Aaron May earned spots in the main draw which begins on Monday. For the complete boys 16 qualifying draw, click here.

In the 14s, both boys and girls, it takes four wins just to make the main draw, and not all of the boys second round qualifying matches finished on Saturday, so those final matches may extend into Monday.

The final round of 18s qualifying is Sunday, and U.S. boys still alive for a main draw berth are Jared Pinsky, Amed Ismail, Wil Spencer and Jeff Dadamo. Many U.S. girls are still in the hunt for the eight qualifying spots: McCall Jones, Nina Pantic, Katie Rybakova, Whitney Byrd, Daisha Hill-Hurtado, Jacqueline Wu, Christina McHale, Joanna Mather and Olivia Janowicz.

The weather forecast remains excellent for the next several days, so the tennis should be unrelenting.

TAGS: tennis, Eddie Herr, IMG Bollettieri Academy