Keys and Reynolds Win US Open Wild Cards; Anderson, Strode Take US National Open Playoffs for Qualifying WCs

Madison Keys and Bobby Reynolds earned main draw wild cards into the US Open today at the USTA's Wild Card tournament in College Park, Md.

The 16-year-old Keys, the No. 7 seed among the eight players, came back to beat No. 5 seed Beatrice Capra, who won the inaugural tournament last year in Boca Raton, 3-6, 6-4, 6-0 to claim her first spot in the main draw of a grand slam.

The best-of-five men's final was moved indoors at the Junior Tennis Champions Center in College Park due to rain, with the 29-year-old Reynolds, defeating No. 3 seed Daniel Kosakowski, the 19-year-old former UCLA Bruin, 6-2, 7-5, 6-4. Reynolds, who played collegiately at Vanderbilt, has not been in the main draw of the US Open the past two years, losing in the second round of qualifying last year and not playing in 2009.

For more on the event, see Steve Pratt's story for the USTA. More photos and coverage of the tournament can be found at the TennisMaryland blog.

The prize wasn't quite as big in New Haven, Conn. today, but Robin Anderson and Blake Strode can take a bow for getting through two separate tournaments to claim US Open qualifying wild cards. The unseeded Anderson, who won the Middle States sectional title, beat No. 2 seed and former UCLA All-American Yasmin Schnack 5-7, 7-2, 6-1 in today's women's final. Anderson, an incoming freshman at UCLA, beat top seed Marie-Eve Pelletier of Canada in the first round, and then added to her challenge by also playing in the qualifying of the WTA New Haven Open, which was going on at the same time. Anderson won her first round of qualifying, but lost in the second round yesterday, so she only had one match today. The 18-year-old from New Jersey was able to recover from losing five straight games in the opening set after getting out to a 5-2 lead. Anderson, who qualified for the US Open junior championships last year and reached the quarterfinals, beating Laura Robson along the way, will be playing in the qualifying for the first time.

Top Blake Strode defended his title, beating unseeded Nathan Healey 7-6(8), 7-6(4) in a match delayed by rain. Strode, who has twice deferred entering Harvard Law school since graduating from the University of Arkansas in 2009, won one round in the US Open qualifying draw last year.

For more on the US Open National Playoffs, see usopen.org. Complete draws of this weekend's competition can be found at the New Haven Open website.

The National Playoffs for the Mixed Doubles main draw wild card at the US Open begins on Wednesday in New Haven.