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Saturday, September 17, 2011

Scholl Takes ITF Grade 3 in Canada, Oosterbaan and Porter Win Kentucky International Derby Championships; PanAmerican Acceptance Lists Posted


The Kentucky International Derby, an ITF junior tournament in Lexington, went from a Grade 1 in 2009 to a Grade 4 last year, so the international juniors who are in the States for the Canadian Open Grade 1 and the US Open Junior Championships don't play it in the same numbers as in the past. Some returned to Canada to the Grade 3 being held there this week, and several US juniors also went to Montreal, where hospitality is offered, while it is not in Kentucky.

Three of the four semifinalists in both the boys and girls draws in Canada played in the main draw of the US Open juniors last week, but it was American Chalena Scholl, who lost in the final round of qualifying in New York, who claimed the title. Scholl, the No. 8 seed, beat top seed Aliaksandra Sasnovich of Belarus She also topped No. 4 seed Ganna Posnikhirenko of Ukraine in the quarterfinals and No. 2 seed Zarah Razafimahatratra of Madagascar in the semifinals. Christina Makarova of the US reached the semifinals, losing to Sasnovich, and Katrine Steffensen and Denise Starr both were quarterfinalists.

There were few US boys in Canada, with only No. 8 seed Austin Siegel reaching the quarterfinals. Maxim Dubarenco of Moldova won the title, defeating unseeded Samuel Monette of Canada, who did not compete in New York.

Complete results can be found at the ITF junior website.

Although the field was not as strong in Kentucky, it's unlikely that matters to qualifier Paul Oosterbaan, who won the boys singles title in his first ITF tournament. Kalamazoo's Oosterbaan, who turned 16 earlier this month, lost only one set in the tournament, to fellow Midwest section competitor Brian Page, and defeated No. 3 seed Johan Skattum of Norway 7-6(3), 6-3 in the final. Page and Ryan Smith (good to see him back competing after being out most of the first half of the year) took the doubles title.

USTA 16s Clay Courts and Hard Courts champion Peggy Porter, who saw her impressive win streak end in the first round of the US Open juniors, won the girls title, defeating No. 3 seed Catherine Harrison 2-6, 6-0, 6-4 in the final. Porter was the No. 9 seed. Easter Bowl 16s champion Caroline Doyle, who is also back after an injury kept her out of the Clay Courts and Hard Courts, teamed with Mia King to take the doubles.

For complete results, see the ITF junior website.

At the Grade 5 in Honduras, 15-year-old Carter Lin of the US won his second ITF title of the summer, defeating Jordi Arconada of Argentina in the final, via a walkover.

The acceptance lists for next month's ITF B1 Pan American Closed in Tulsa have been posted, and as usual, the fields are strong. Mitchell Krueger tops the list, followed by Marco Nunez of Mexico, defending champion Filip Peliwo of Canada and Connor Farren. Defending girls champion Madison Keys is not entered but 2009 champion Eugenie Bouchard of Canada is, in something of a surprise. Only 17, Bouchard is limited in the number of women's events she can play, so she may be playing Tulsa for the matches and to set herself up to get into the main draws of the junior slams in her final year in 2012. Bouchard, Canada's Francoise Abanda, who at 14 is already at No. 20 in the ITF rankings, Patricia Ku Flores of Peru and Gabby Andrews are the top four on the girls acceptance list.

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