Capra Profile; Nike Junior Tour Champions; Harrington Replaces Vinsant on US Jr. Davis Cup Team; Shane Commits to Virginia
My article this week for the Tennis Recruiting Network is a profile of Beatrice Capra, whom I spoke with several times at the U.S. Open. It was the most formal setting we've talked in; at the Open and all junior slams, interviews are formally requested via a written form with the ITF staff, and announced to the entire media center when scheduled. Over the past three or four years, I've spoken with Capra after big wins and big losses, but I can't recall a previous discussion about how she started playing, or her professional ambitions.
Last weekend the Nike Junior Tour National event was held in California to select the four boys and girls who would represent the U.S. in the international competition in the Dominican Republic next month. In the 14s, unseeded Elliott Sprecher and Alexandria Stiteler were the champions. Sprecher is from Wisconsin, and according to this USTA Northern article about his win, he is the first from that section to represent the U.S. in the competition. Stiteler, who lives in Bradenton, Fla., was a finalist in the Junior Orange Bowl 12s last December. The 12s winners are two well-known prodigies: No. 3 seed Stefan Kozlov of Florida, an Eddie Herr 12s finalist last year, and top seed Carolyn Xie of Southern California, who was a finalist at the USTA 12s hard courts this year. For complete results, see the TennisLink site.
The USTA formally announced the Junior Davis Cup team, and Hunter Harrington of South Carolina is replacing Shane Vinsant, who has a stomach injury. Harrington joins Marcos Giron and Bjorn Fratangelo in an attempt to defend the world title won by Denis Kudla, Evan King and Raymond Sarmiento last year. For the complete release, click here.
A second boys blue chip has given a verbal commitment for the fall of 2010, according to the Tennis Recruiting Network. Justin Shane, who reached the round of 16 this year at Kalamazoo, has chosen Virginia.
1 comments:
Justin Shane is way underrated. I watched him play some at kzoo and he has so much potential, I think he has the most potential out of any of the kids in his class. I was surprised the USTA passed him up for a WC for the junior open.....looks like Virginia is going to keep rolling.
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