Six U.S. Players Reach Round of 16 at Les Petits As
There have been a lot of interesting comments posted recently on whether the Junior Orange Bowl or Les Petits As is the most prestigious title for 14-and-under tennis players. I'm leaning toward Les Petits As myself, although I've never been there, just because Hanna Orlik felt that she needed to play it, even though she won the Eddie Herr and Junior Orange Bowl back-to-back last year.
To no one's surprise, Orlik is through to the round of 16, as are all four U.S. girls who made the trip to Europe--Grace Min, Nicole Gibbs, Ellen Tsay and Sloan Stephens. Min, a qualifier, upset the third seed Wednesday in straight sets, while Tsay, who also qualified, took out the 15th seed, losing only two games in the process. Stephens, seeded 12th, and Gibbs, at No. 8, also posted easy wins on Wednesday. Gibbs and Stephens are paired in doubles, and the No. 4 seeds advanced to the quarterfinals with a straight set win on Wednesday.
Emmett Egger and Christian Harrison, who lost in the doubles final at Teen Tennis last week, have also reached the quarterfinals in doubles and the round of 16 in singles. Egger, seeded 7th, and Harrison, seeded 8th, have recorded straight-set victories the past two days in singles and survived a third set super tiebreak in their first round doubles match. The sixth seeds won in straight sets Wednesday to set up a quarterfinal clash with the third seeded team from the Czech Republic on Thursday.
The tournament's website is here.
21 comments:
I'll go with Boys 14s Orange Bowl because there are many more very good players from all over the world. Curious, how did the Americans left in the rd of 16 at Les Petits fare at the orange bowl in December if they played 14s?
Although Les Petits As is the finest junior tournament I've attended (comparable to a nice pro tournament), I have to say that the Orange Bowl is closer to a world championship than Les Petits.
There are no Asian or Australian players at Les Petits and almost no South Americans.
Les Petits is really a European championship.
Emmett Egger reached the rd. of 16 in the main draw and Christian Harrison lost 1st rd. and then won 6 feed-in-consies matches to finish in the top 16. Remember its hard to compare because almost all of the guys who did well at Orange Bowl aged out as of Jan.1st and are not eligible to play 14s as of then. Considering they were basically playing guys who are now in 16s its a pretty good showing as none of those guys would even be able to play Les Petits. Les Petits is played Indoors so that would keep alot of South Americans away just as they stay away from Wimbeldon because of the fast grass surface. As for the Asians and Aussies I dont know why they arent there but dont know that any of them contend for the Orange Bowl title anyway.
Hi colette,
I know they haven't made a decision yet.. but I was wondering if you could please post the new site for the boys 16s and 18s clay courts as soon as you find out?
thanks
anonyme a dit wrote: "As for the Asians and Aussies I dont know why they arent there but dont know that any of them contend for the Orange Bowl title anyway."
There were at least two strong Asian players in the Boys 14s OB: a Japanese player who had won the Eddie Herr the week before and a player from Hong Kong who beat Dennis Kudla and Junior Ore.
"Les Petits is played Indoors so that would keep alot of South Americans away just as they stay away from Wimbeldon because of the fast grass surface."
I think that is silly. Would they skip the OB if it went to indoor courts? The surface doesn't keep the Spaniards from coming here and doing well.
The comment on the age thing is not accurate because there are some very strong December and November birthdays who are essentially the same age as the January birthdays who always have to play up when they play ITFs in the 14s or 16s. The ITF birth rules always gives an advantage to those with a birthday in the early part of the year.
Carlos Boluda is scary good judging by the results. Today he beat 5th seeded Lukas Vrnak (runner-up at Teen Tennis) 6-1, 6-0. He's lost a grand total of four games in four matches, and it seems to be a foregone conclusion that he will win his second consecutive Les Petits As, which I don't believe has ever been done before. This will certainly stoke the Boluda vs. Tomic debate.
Christian Harrison has had a terrific couple of weeks. Semifinals at Teen Tennis in singles, finalist in doubles, and now he's reached the semis at Les Petits in singles and the finals in doubles -- all at the age of 12 years and 8 months. He will very likely be the #1 seed if he returns next year, although that may not happen considering that his brother didn't return last year after reaching the quarterfinals in 2005.
Boluda vs. Tomic debate? Ryan Harrison has a win over Boluda and a 3 set loss to him on red clay in the Czech Republic a few months ago and has never played Tomic. While he may not beat those guys on a regular basis they couldnt beat him regularly either. Whoever was on that day would win according to what surface they played on and where they played. Surface plays a major role in who would have the advantage at the higher levels of junior tennis just as it does in pro tennis because of game styles but you may have a completely different outcome each time if they played alot. Ryans win over Boluda was in Spain on artificial grass and loss was on red clay. Each surface obviously favored their game styles. As for Ryans not playing Les Petits the following year that was because he hadnt played a tournament from August at Kalamazoo to January of that year do to growing pains in both knees and wouldnt have been near 100 percent at that point or he would have gone back. As for Christian playing next year that will be up to him when the time comes but I do know that Ryan can and has proved that he can certainly play with the guys mentioned and has the track record to back it up but then again I may be a little biased since I'm his father. Thanx Pat Harrison
Hi Pat,
Much respect to both your kids for all of their recent success. I was wondering if you chose to travel with Christian to Teen Tennis and Petits As this year? How does the USTA feel about parents and/or coaches traveling with the juniors?
Dear Anon, No I did not go to Les Petits this year and did not go with Ryan in 95. Personally I like to send my kids on their own sometimes to make them learn to be more independent and responsible and also to listen to the U.S.T.A. coach they are with to either get a different point of view on things or reiterate what I have been telling them. I dont know how they feel about other parents going but if it were a problem I would think they would ask them not to go since they are paying for it.
Congratulations to your son on reaching the finals. That's quite an accomplishment, especially at his age. It makes me wonder how good he'll be when he hits a growth spurt. Judging by the pictures I've seen, at least one of his opponents, Commin, had a significant size advantage. Just looking at the pictures, you'd think he would be blown off the court. Obviously not.
Hopefully he can give Boluda his toughest match. Regardless, I think your son got some people's attention.
To Pat Harrison,
Well done for Christian for the good performance against Boluda. You said you let Christian travel with the USTA. Did they communicate with you with regards to what he is working on, what he eats, how you would like him to play, etc...?
Dear Anon. Thanx for the compliment on Christians tournament although he was extremely disappointed with the way he played in the final. He felt like he had a good chance to win and didnt think he played as well as he had in past matches. Obviously the opponent was alot better but he felt like he made alot more unforced errors than he had been especially on serve returns. As for the U.S.T.A. Roger Smith and Jay Berger are the 2 coaches that Christian has dealt with. Jay worked him out along with a few other kids for a few days before the Orange Bowl and Roger had him out in Carson for a few days before they left for Europe. He also had him out for a camp a couple of months ago. During these camps and workouts they always ask if there is anything they need to work on or look for. During tournaments more things about strategy against certain opponents and nutrition are discussed(between Christian and the coach he is with) as it would be difficult to work on things during the tournament. They do make them eat the proper foods and things like that which is good but I have never suggested anything to them as far as what he likes to eat. I just assume he will do what they ask him to do. As for the way I would like for him to play I feel like he has learned an all around game so hopefully he can play any way they think he needs to according to his opponent and the surface and since he is with them that is up to them. He has really enjoyed the 2 coaches he has dealt with as well as the other kids he has traveled with and worked out with. Thanx again Pat Harrison
Would someone please describe Carlos Boluda's game? The guy is obviously one of the most remarkable players for his age in history but virtually no one describes how he plays.
I have heard through the grapevine that he has a very heavy spin forehand, very much like Nadal's and that his serve motion is pretty ugly. I figure that he must have world class foot speed and other strengths but no one has really spelled it out. Perhaps Pat Harrison or David Johnson have some insight.
Also, some have described his body type as very thick and muscular. About 5 ft. 7 or 5 ft. 8. Others say that he looks very mature for his age, perhaps full grown. Others disagree. Some say that he has great power, others disagree and say that he hits mostly with spin.
Can someone help us out here?
Hello, i just wanted to say that i saw Christian Harrison play, this weekend in TARBES, France, and he was just terrific.. Good luck in the future, Christian, hope to see you again next year, and next year, you'll win !! Promise me !!
the entire Hall was with Boltz, but i supported you, and i believed in you !! Too bad i had no opportunity to see the final on sunday, vs Carlos, i wld have supported you even more than on saturday !!
bonne chance !! see you in 2008 !!
Sonia - France feb05/2007
Boluda:
The first thing one notices, esp. when he wears a tank top, is how physically developed he is. He has huge biceps for his age, strong shoulders, a thick chest (again, for his age) and muscular calves.
His forehand is his best shot. It's heavy but he hits more through the ball than Nadal. He can rope it. It is world-class, like Tomic's backhand.
He rolls his two-handed backhand. It's steady, but frequently lands short. It's definitely the side to attack.
On his serve, he brings his racquet back quickly and high, cutting his backswing (if you can call it a backswing) in half, making the shot rather arm-y. I'm not fond of it. He generally places it with spin, to set up his forehand.
When he gets his opponent in trouble, he can and does come to net and put away the volley.
His footwork is excellent.
Since his matches at Les Petits this year were one-sided, it was difficult to judge his court smarts and mental attitude. But he seemed never to go for too much or to hit stupid shots. He is businesslike and mature on the court.
Thank you, David. That was an excellent description of Boluda. Finally, someone spelled it out in great detail.
Two additional questions. (1) Does he appear to be unusually fast (separate from his footwork)?; and (2) Does he look like someone who is likely to grow a lot more. My guess would be "no" if he already has those biceps and chest at his age.
Hi there,
If you want to see what Carlos Boluda looks like, I advise you to go on the website of Les Petits As
http://www.lespetitsas.fr/photos/gallerie-58.html
There are a couple of pictures of the Spanish player. You should also browse through the different sections on the left as he appears in several places. By the way, don't switch into the English version because the pictures haven't been updated yet. Hope that helps.
Pierrick
To Pat and Christian Harrison and whoever wants to read it,
Hi everyone, I’m French and as a tennis player, tennis coach and (obviously) tennis fan, I go to see Les Petits As Tournament every year. And I must admit that I was really stunned by one player, that is………….. Christian Harrison !!! The first thing that struck me and that I appreciated about him was his fist. Contrary to so many players whose fists tend to go up and trigger off some hackneyed ‘COME ON or ‘VAMOS’ when they win a point, Christian’s fist stays down and he doesn’t bark when he hits a winner – though he would have plenty of opportunities to do so. This serenity is a quality that I’m really attached to and that seems to become less and less frequent among players. Secondly, I wanted to underline that Christian’s tennis is one of the most beautiful that I have ever seen (although I wonder if it is relevant to write that as anybody who has seen him play will have noticed it). Even though he’s very young and his technique is still perfectible, I personally loooooooooove his volley! It’s very accurate and few players can boast about having such a good one. But I think what I most admired about him was his epic qualities. When he stepped into the court for his semi-final against the French Sébastien Boltz, my friends and I really feared that he might get butchered given the fact that he was almost the youngest player in the tournament and that his opponent was about one head taller than he was. The reality is that we were wrong! He won in three sets and became a real legend for us! He proved to all the kids in the public that size and age aren’t vital in tennis and that if you know how to move your arms and feet and neurons properly, you can win in the most brilliant manner. Now all the kids in my tennis club keep talking about him and see Christian as a role model. Their motivation has really been boosted up! We even plan to print pictures of Christian and pin them up in our club house. I know I may sound over-enthusiastic but this is the way I feel and I’m really happy that there are such great personalities to liven up the world of tennis. Thank you Christian. I promise you one thing, if you ever come back to France for the next Les Petits As (which you’d better do!!!), my friends and I will be there to support you with banderols and everything ! I hope this message will get through to you. If you get it, answer back, that’d be awesome! Keep being good, keep working hard. We want to see you on TV in the future. We’re fed up with Federer! Sportily,
Pierrick
PS: even though I’m French, I was supporting you during your semi-final against the French guy. You might have noticed me and my blonde friends (among whom Sonia who’s already posted a comment) in the left tribune above the ball-boys as you are facing the main umpire. Haha !
Questions for David Johnson!
Hi David,
I'm writing you from Romania and I'd like to ask your oppinion on a Romanian kid which reached the semis at Tarbes. His name is Ciprian Porumb and some sites wrote that despite the score, he put some real problems to Boluda in the semi and had his chances.
On the other hand, as I read that you also noticed - first of all! -Boluda's physically development, i'd like to ask you if such muscles can be obtained, at this age, only by weightlifting and other exercises, or also - mainly? - with medication. Also, are there lists of approved and forbidden drugs for players at this age? There are also oppinions that by the time the other players he's competing with now will reach a similar physical shape, it's very likely that several of them will be able to beat him. What do you think? Thanks in advance, excuses for my English, it's not really my best :)
To Pierrick, Thanx for the nice words about Christian and your support of him while he was there. He and his teammates had a great time. He was looking forward to it very much because his brother Ryan who had played there 2 years ago had told him so much about it and how professionally run it is. He will definitely be back next year. If you and your kids from the club are ever in the U.S. we can be contacted at academy@newktennis.com. Thanx again Pat Harrison
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