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Thursday, June 5, 2008

May Aces; Wimbledon Junior Acceptances; Monfils Steps Up


There were plenty of notable performances in May, and my monthly feature for The Tennis Recruiting Network features 15 of the best from college, pro circuit and junior events.

I also found my way to the Wimbledon website, where, although it's not entitled acceptances, as it usually is for Grand Slams, the junior field has been published. See the link click here for 2008 entry list.

Speaking of junior Grand Slams, Gael Monfils, who won three straight in 2004 until derailed by Victor Troicki at the U.S. Open in the round of 16, is now the toast of Paris, having reached the semifinals at Roland Garros. Bonnie Ford at espn.com wrote this about Monfils' connection to U.S. college tennis (and other sports).

There won't be a junior slam won this year on the boys side, as Australian Open Junior champion Bernard Tomic lost in the Roland Garros junior quarterfinals to Guido Pella of Argentina. Melanie Oudin also lost, leaving Cesar Ramirez of Mexico and Arantxa Rus of the Netherlands, the No. 2 seeds, as the presumptive favorites. Rus, the Australian Open junior champion, kept her hopes alive with a three-set win over Polona Hercog of Slovenia, but now faces the surging Simona Halep, who has won ten straight Grade A matches on clay in the past three weeks, all in straight sets.

Eleanor Preston at the ITF website talks with Pella, Tomic and Elena Bogdan, who defeated Oudin.

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