11 US Juniors Entered in Berlin Grade 1; Seeds Ousted at Grass Courts; Qualifying Complete at Winston-Salem Futures; Paul, Hiltzik Named Davis Cup Hitting Partners; Amherst Tops D-III Recruiting Class Rankings

I spent the day in South Bend watching four finals of the Midwest Section's US Open National Playoffs. Martin Joyce and Sara Daavettila repeated as single champions, while Tyler and Austin Barr won the men's doubles title and Caroline Hammond Varga and Christopher Varga claimed the mixed doubles title.  Tracy Kuhle and Danielle Wolf had won the women's doubles title on Sunday.  I will have a complete report on the day's action for the Tennis Recruiting Network on Wednesday.

The ITF Grade 1 in Berlin begins on Tuesday, with 11 US juniors--six boys and five girls--in the draw.  The US boys in the draw are Nathan Perrone, Alafia Ayeni, Alexandre Rotsaert(11), Brian Cernoch, Kyrylo Tsygura and Trent Bryde(7).  The US girls in the draw are Melissa Plambeck, Victoria Emma, Chiara Lommer, lucky loser Alexandra Angyalosy and Ashley Lahey, who received a special exemption into the main draw after reaching the final last week in the Offenbach Grade 1.

French Open and Offenbach champion Rebeka Masarova of Switzerland is not resting, but continues her quest for the top spot in the ITF junior rankings as the top seed this week in Berlin.  Genaro Olivieri of Argentina is the top seed in the boys draw.

At the Grade 4 International Grass Courts in Philadelphia, the top two girls seeds went out in the first round. No. 1 seed Jessica Livianu lost to lucky loser Mackenzie Clark 7-6(3), 6-1, and No. 2 seed Dalayna Hewitt was beaten by Margaryta Bilokin of Ukraine 6-3, 6-4. Biolkin, 15, just won the women's singles title at the New England section's US Open playoff yesterday. Boys No. 2 seed Tristan McCormick also was eliminated in the first round, losing to Sean Sculley 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-3.

Qualifying for the $25,000 Winston-Salem Open was completed today, with all eight qualifiers having college ties.  Zeke Clark, who will joining Illinois this fall, will be in the main draw with future teammate Aron Hiltzik, recent Georgia grad Austin Smith and his teammate Emil Reinberg, former Tennessee All-American Rhyne Williams, Alabama's Korey Lovett, recent Tulane grad Dominik Koepfer of Germany and former UAB player Daniel Manlow of Great Britain.  Former Florida star Sekou Bangoura is the top seed.

The USTA announced today the hitting partners for the US Davis Cup team's tie with Croatia next month. Recent Illinois grad Jared Hiltzik and Tommy Paul will be accompanying the team to Portland Oregon.

Excited that up-and-coming stars @TommyPaul1, @JaredHiltzik will join #DavisCup team as hitting partners vs. Croatia pic.twitter.com/uX4D6gAVgQ

— US Davis Cup Team (@USDavisCupTeam) June 13, 2016

The Tennis Recruiting Network announced its women's Mid-Major recruiting class rankings last Friday, with Pepperdine taking the top spot, and today announced the Division III men's recruiting class rankings, with Amherst named No. 1.  The women's Division III recruiting class rankings will be out on Friday, the last of the rankings for 2016.