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Sunday, March 30, 2014

Kenin Joins International Spring Championships Field in Carson; Luz, Teichmann Win Grade A Titles in Brazil



The qualifying is complete and play will began Monday morning at the ITF Grade 1 International Spring Championships in Carson, California.

There was a surprise in the girls draw, with Sofia Kenin taking a late wild card into the event. The 15-year-old Floridian is the No. 2 seed behind Egypt's Sandra Samir, with Johnnise Renaud No. 3 and Usue Arconada No. 4.  Christina Makarova, a semifinalist last year and previously as high as No. 11 in the ITF junior rankings, is one of the dangerous floaters, and could face Samir in the second round, should they both advance.

In addition to the two previously announced boys 18s wild cards given to William Genesen and Reilly Opelka, five more were awarded, with Claremont finalist Liam Caruana, Michael Genender, McLain Kessler, Spencer Furman and Austin Rapp given spots the main draw.

Francis Tiafoe is the top seed, with Naoki Nakagawa of Japan No. 2, Alex Rybakov No. 3 and 2013 finalist Henrik Wiersholm No. 4.  Deiton Baughman is unseeded, and he could meet Wiersholm in the second round.

Tiafoe and CiCi Bellis, the No. 5 seed, are scheduled to play Monday, on courts that are scheduled to be streamed. Baughman, Opelka, Renaud and Kaitlyn McCarthy are also slated for action on courts 4 and 5 Monday. I will tweet a link to the streaming Monday when I receive it.

For the complete draws and order of play, see the tournament website.

At the ITF Grade A Campeonato Internacional in Brazil, Orlando Luz of Brazil and Jil Teichmann of Switzerland won the championships.  Luz, seeded No. 6, beat No. 9 seed Clement Geens of Belgium 6-4, 6-2, for his third title in three weeks on the ITF South American circuit. Teichmann avenged her semifinal loss in last week's Banana Bowl, defeating Aliona Bolsova Zadoinov of Spain 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(10). From the looks of that scoreline, it must have been a great final.  Teichmann also took the doubles title with Priscilla Hon of Australia. Quentin Halys and Johan Sebastien Tatlot of France, the top seeds, won the boys doubles title.

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