Former Collegians Shine in Pro Circuit, Davis Cup, World University Games
Marcia Frost has already posted an article on this theme over at College Tennis Examiner, and I've come across even more collegiate success stories today. I received some photos by email from Brandon L'Heureux, a Dallas-area teaching pro who attended the $50,000 Women's Pro Circuit event in Grapevine, Texas. Although there were no college players in the women's final (Canada's Valerie Tetreault fought off match points to win 2-6, 7-6(6), 7-6(1) over countrywoman Stephanie Dubois, surviving a heat index that reached 110 degrees, he reports), the doubles title was won by Riza Zalameda, the NCAA team MVP when UCLA won the title in 2008 and the NCAA doubles champion (with Tracy Lin) that year. Playing with Lindsay Lee-Waters, the No. 2 seeds defeated the unseeded pair of Kim Couts and Tetreault 7-6(5) 6-3. It is Zalameda's third $50,000 doubles title in the past two months--she previously won in Raleigh with Lilia Osterloh and in Carson with Laura Granville--and not once has her team needed a match tiebreaker to advance. In fact, the tiebreaker in the opening set yesterday was only time an opposing team has taken more than four games from Zalameda and her partner. She is now approaching the Top 100 in the WTA doubles rankings, and I imagine if she doesn't get into the US Open women's doubles draw, she'll be on the short list for a wild card.
Also of note from that tournament, Georgia Tech rising sophomore Irina Falconi reached the semifinals as an unseeded wild card before losing a close match to Dubois. The complete results can be found at usta.com.
Zalameda wasn't the only former Bruin to capture a tournament title last week. Haythem Abid of Tunisia won a $15,000 ITF Men's Circuit event in Syria as a qualifier. The left-hander had reached the final of a $10,000 tournament in his home country last month.
University of Kentucky All-American Bruno Agostinelli of Canada was the hero of his country's bid to stay in the America Zone Group 1, after they had lost 3-2 to Ecuador in March, a tie that Agostinelli, a senior at Kentucky, did not participate in. Yesterday, Agostinelli was not only playing in the deciding match against Peru, on clay, but was forced to sleep on a two sets to one lead when darkness led to suspension of the match. The National Post had this story on the completion of today's match.
Alex Slovic, an All-American at the University of Washington, won the men's tennis gold medal at the World University Games in Serbia, his home country last weekend. Slovic, who was unseeded, beat Tennessee junior JP Smith of Australia in the fourth round and top seed Ivan Sergeyev of Ukraine in the final. See the gohuskies.com for the complete story. I believe that Virginis'a Dom Inglot and his partner won the silver in men's doubles, and that Russia's Ksenia Lykina took the women's gold, but I can't find complete results anywhere online.
And finally, Vanderbilt University's athletic website compiled a list of the highlights of incoming freshman Alison Riske's summer action in this article.
12 comments:
For the Universiade results, start here: http://results.ub2009.org/results/ENG/ZZ/ZZG103A_TEXXXXXXXXXXXXENG.htm
There are drawsheets: if you click on one of the days, wave your mouse over "Available Information" for a match you're interested in and then click "Bracket".
Some random thoughts....
- the list of those playing the 18s at the Clays is sad. Don't know how much of that is the concerns about how that tournament is managed or how much of it is misguided decisions by players thinking that one of their country's national championships is beneath them. I simply don't understand the player who chooses to play a Futures event that week over this. Yes, in the big picture, you want to play the best comp you can every week, but no one's development is going to be damaged by playing the Clays vs. the Timbuktu Futures for one week. Years from now, after never having cracked the top 100, I think these guys are going to have preferred the Clay title vs. another Futures experience or week of practice. Don't get it.
- saw that Jack and Eric Sock had to play each other in the final of the National Open 18s in Colorado. Wouldn't wish that on anybody. Credit to Eric for not pouting in his younger brother's sizable shadow. Obviously playing good ball to reach the final. Think he is going to Nebraska if I remember right.
- noticed there was a 'Chris Harrison' who got a WC into the Challenger qualifying this week - got drilled in the first round. Anyone know if that is Christian Harrison?
Yep, it is sad. They didnt even get the high-ranked boys from the 16's like were used to seeing. Our kids are afraid to play each other under pressure, bottom line. You go play a futures event there is no pressure if youre a junior. Kids realize these things once they get older, but its a little too late.
That was not Christian Harrison in the Challenger. He is still out for a bit longer from a torn hamstring. I don't believe he's ready for that yet.
Pat, will Christian be ready for Kalamazoo? And if so, will he play the 18s?
Colette has commented that Christian has been suffering from growing pains. Just curious, how much has he grown since the U.S. Open and how tall is he now?
Wow, it is so impressive how well the college guys have done at the recent futures events. At Rochester there were 8 guys in the round of 16, most of which were playing as amateurs. Congrats to the USTA, the coaches, players, and summer program.....looks like we may have some up coming players.
David, He is entered but don't know if he will be ready. He hasn't started even hitting and has been out 3 months. He will start hitting this week but it depends on how it feels. He would play 18's if he played and got a wildcard. He has grown a couple of inches since the Open.
Clays for Boys' 18s has lost it's luster since moving to Florida. Not only is it ungodly hot but the tournament is poorly organized. There are plenty of places in the midwest and northeast with abundant clay courts that could take on the challenge of running clays.
Rockville was the best for Clays, too bad it was moved. Delray's management of Clays is atrocious. I'm skipping this year.
It seems like the mismanagement of the Clays is a universally consistent view and dramatic - to the point where players are skipping because of it. Who at the USTA is sleeping at the wheel on this one or where is the alternative viewpoint?
Brent and Austin, I wonder if there is some track the juniors follow that is just not apparent to most of us. Last year the USTA had a handful of 92s (and Sandgren) at a camp the week before 18s Clays. These campers provided the winners and filled most of the semis at 18s Clays, Kalamazoo 16s and Easter Bowl 18s. It seems like we don't see much of this group and then all of a sudden they all show up at certain events. There must be a group of 93s that will be following the same path and maybe we just aren't familiar with them yet.
to the old pro, you should really make sure that you know what your talkng about before you post a comment. not a big deal but a lot of people read this and some do believe what the people who post say. of the semis of clays only one player was from that camp and he was not the winner. not a big deal but that isnt the first time that you have lied on this blog. cmon bud. post any opinion you like, but dont make up facts.
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