US Boys Rise to Occasion to Reach Semifinals at Junior Davis Cup, US Girls Advance to Semis with Ease; Sewing, Bryde Earn Spots in ITF Grade 2 Finals in Canada; Seven Americans Make Tiburon Challenger Quarterfinals

Huge win Team USA today, saving 5 match points at the decisive(for the position in the group)tie.
Boys showed a lot of resilience!@USTA_PD pic.twitter.com/vb1HN159EV

— Leo Azevedo (@leoazevedo19) September 29, 2016

The semifinals are set for the Junior Davis Cup and Junior Fed Cup competitions in Budapest, with the US teams advancing to the final four in distinctly different ways.

After losing to Brazil on Wednesday, the remaining two members of the fourth-seeded US boys team, Sebastian Korda and Sangeet Sridhar, knew they had to win all three matches against No. 5 seed Czech Republic to get into the semifinals. After Keenan Mayo suffered an ankle injury in his first match Tuesday, leaving him unable to compete in the remaining round robin matches, the US had no margin for error. Sridhar came through with a straight set win at No. 2 singles and Korda did the same at No. 1 singles.  The doubles match was still important however, with the winner of that match taking the top spot in the group and the semifinal berth.  In what turned out to be a thriller, the US prevailed 2-6, 6-3, 14-12, saving five match points in the match tiebreaker.  This is the first year the competition has used no-ad and a match tiebreaker in doubles, having played regular scoring and best-of-three in the doubles previously.

The boys will play top seed Canada in a Saturday semifinal, with No. 2 Russia and No. 7 Argentina meeting in the other semifinal.

In contrast, the second-seeded US girls have had no drama whatsoever in advancing to the semifinals, unless you count Claire Liu's lost luggage. Today they defeated the sixth-seeded Czech Republic 3-0 to move into the semifinals, where they will play No. 3 seed Japan.  Top seed Russia will face No. 4 Poland in the other semifinal.

Complete results from the final day of round robin competition:

Junior Davis Cup by BNP Paribas
Group A
Canada (1) defeated India (8) 2-1
Siddant Banthia (IND) d. Chih Chi Huang (CAN) 16 62 64
Félix Auger-Aliassime (CAN) d. Adil Kalyanpur (IND) 63 60
Félix Auger-Aliassime/Chih Chi Huang (CAN) d. Adil Kalyanpur/Megh Patel (IND) 76(4) 76(3)

Hungary defeated Chile 3-0
Peter Makk (HUN) d. Alan Sanson (CHI) 62 63
Daniel Khin (HUN) d. Ignacio Becerra (CHI) 76(1) 64
Peter Makk/Mate Voros (HUN) d. Garizon Abarzua/Ignacio Becerra (CHI) 3-0 retired

Final Standings:
1. Canada (1) - progresses to semifinals
2. Hungary
3. India (8)
4. Chile

Group B
USA (4) defeated Czech Republic (5) 3-0
Sangeet Sridhar (USA) d. Tomas Machac (CZE) 60 61
Sebastian Korda (USA) d. Ondrej Styler (CZE) 64 75
Sebastian Korda/Sangeet Sridhar (USA) d. Evzen Holis/Ondrej Styler (CZE) 26 63 14-12

Switzerland defeated Brazil 2-1
Yannik Steinegger (SUI) d. Mateus Alves (BRA) 46 64 75
Thiago Seyboth Wild (BRA) d. Damien Wenger (SUI) 67(9) 62 64
Henry Von Der Schulenburg/Damien Wenger (SUI) d. Mateus Alves/Gilbert Soares Klier Junior (BRA) 62 62

Final Standings:
1. USA (4) - progresses to semifinals
2. Czech Republic (5)
3. Switzerland
4. Brazil

Group C
China (3) defeated Morocco 3-0
Mu Tao (CHN) d. Ismail Saadi (MAR) 62 62
Zhao Lingxi (CHN) d. Soufiane El Mesbahi (MAR) 62 46 61
Mo Yecong/Zhao Lingxi (CHN) d. Soufiane El Mesbahi/Achraf Nafaa (MAR) 46 60 10-2

Argentina (7) defeated Bulgaria 2-1
Thiago Tirante (ARG) d. Leonid Sheyngezikht (BUL) 64 63
Sebastian Baez (ARG) d. Adrian Andreev (BUL) 62 26 75
Adrian Andreev/Leonid Sheyngezikht (BUL) d. Sebastian Baez/Tomas Descarrega (ARG) walkover

Final Standings:
1. Argentina (7) - progresses to semifinals
2. Bulgaria
3. China (3)
4. Morocco

Group D
Russia (2) defeated Japan (6) 3-0
Timofey Skatov (RUS) d. Rimpei Kawakimi (JPN) 62 61
Alen Avidzba (RUS) d. Naoki Tajima (JPN) 64 36 60
Alen Avidzba/Alexey Zakharov (RUS) d. Takeaki Ito/Rimpei Kawakami (JPN) 64 75

Germany defeated Egypt 3-0
Leopold Zima (GER) d. Adham Gaber (EGY) 60 62
Henri Squire (GER) d. Yusuf Khamis (EGY) 63 67(0) 63
Leopold Zima/Constantin Zoske (GER) d. Adham Gaber/Faris Zakaryia (EGY) 75 63

Final Standings:
1. Russia (2) - progresses to semifinals
2. Japan (6)
3. Germany
4. Egypt

Junior Fed Cup by BNP Paribas
Group A
Russia (1) defeated Argentina (8) 3-0
Anastasia Potapova (RUS) d. Andrea Farulla (ARG) 60 62
Olesya Pervushina (RUS) d. Lourdes Carle (ARG) 63 63
Varvara Graecheva/Olesya Pervushina (RUS) d. Lourdes Carle/Andrea Farulla (ARG) 61 64

Thailand defeated Belarus 2-1
Thasaporn Naklo (THA) d. Anna Kubareva (BLR) 75 16 61
Yulia Hatouka (BLR) d. Watsachol Sawasdee (THA) 62 76(2)
Thasaporn Naklo/Watsachol Sawasdee (THA) d. Yulia Hatouka/Katyarina Paulenka (BLR) 36 75 10-6

Final Standings:
1. Russia (1) - progresses to semifinals
2. Thailand
3. Argentina (8)
4. Belarus

Group B
Poland (4) defeated Canada (5) 2-1
Maja Chwalinska (POL) d. Isabelle Boulais (CAN) 36 61 75
Iga Swiatek (POL) d. Bianca Vanessa Andreescu (CAN) 36 63 63
Bianca Vanessa Andreescu/Isabelle Boulais (CAN) d. Maja Chwalinska/Stefania Rogozinska-Dzik (POL) 46 64 10-5

Hungary defeated India 3-0
Adrienn Horvath (HUN) d. Shivani Amineni (IND) 64 64
Reka Zadori (HUN) d. Mahak Jain (IND) 36 62 61
Fanni Gecsek/Adrienn Horvath (HUN) d. Shivani Amineni/Sathwika Sama (IND) 63 61

Final Standings:
1. Poland (4) - progresses to semifinals
2. Canada (5)
3. Hungary
4. India

Group C
Japan (3) defeated Great Britain (7) 2-1
Yuki Naito (JPN) d. Eliz Maloney (GBR) 06 63 64
Francesca Jones (GBR) d. Ayumi Miyamoto (JPN) 62 63
Ayumi Miyamoto/Yuki Naito (JPN) d. Francesca Jones/Nell Miller (GBR) 62 63

Uruguay defeated Morocco
Agustina Cuestas (URU) d. Hiba Al Khalifi (MAR) 61 60
Diae El Jardi (MAR) d. Fernanda Secinario (URU) 63 36 62
Agustina Cuestas/Fernanda Secinario (URU) d. Rim Benhadi/Diae El Jardi (MAR) 76(6) 62

Final Standings:
1. Japan (3) - progresses to semifinals
2. Great Britain (7)
3. Uruguay
4. Morocco

Group D
USA (2) defeated Czech Republic (6) 3-0
Claire Liu (USA) d. Karolina Berankova (CZE) 62 61
Amanda Anisimova (USA) d. Denisa Hindova (CZE) 62 63
Claire Liu/Catherine McNally (USA) d. Karolina Berankova/Radka Buzkova (CZE) 64 62

Peru defeated New Zealand 2-1
Dana Guzman (PER) d. Tamara Anderson (NZL) 60 63
Anastasia Iamachkine (PER) d. Nina Paripovich (NZL) 64 62
Tamara Anderson/Emilia Price (NZL) d. Almudena Boza/Dana Guzman (PER) 57 76(4) 10-8

Final Standings:
1. USA (2) - progresses to semifinals
2. Czech Republic (6)
3. Peru
4. New Zealand

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The ITF Grade 2 in Canada has a rare Friday final, with two Americans vying for singles titles.  Sofia Sewing, the No. 4 seed, will face doubles partner and No. 3 seed Maria Jose Portillo Ramirez of Mexico in the girls final, while No. 2 seed Trent Bryde will meet top seed Juan Carlos Aguilar of Bolivia.

Sewing defeated No. 2 seed Carson Branstine 6-4, 6-4, while Portillo Ramirez took out top seed Natasha Subhash 6-4, 6-1.

Bryde outlasted unseeded Canadian Dan Martin 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 and Aguilar beat unseeded Caleb Chakravarthi 6-0, 6-2.

Either Portillo Ramirez or Sewing will sweep the titles this week, as the top seeds won the doubles championship together today, beating unseeded Imani Graham and Taysia Rogers 6-2, 6-1 in the final.

Unseeded Victor Krustev of Canada and Alexandre Rotsaert won the boys doubles title, beating No. 3 seed Jack Mingjie Lin and Luka Vukovic of Canada 6-3, 7-5.

At the $100,000 Tiburon Challenger, Dennis Novikov(5), Frances Tiafoe(4) and wild card Mackenzie McDonald reached the quarterfinals with wins today, with Darian King of Barbados, a 6-7(3), 6-2, 4-2, ret. winner over top seed Benjamin Becker of Germany, the only non-American in Friday's final eight.  Novikov will play King, while McDonald and Tiafoe will face off in the other quarterfinal.

In Southern California, Marcos Giron is the only American remaining in the $10,000 Fountain Valley Futures.  He will play No. 3 seed Markus Kalovelonis of Russia in Friday's quarterfinals.

The $50,000 Women's Pro Circuit tournament in Las Vegas features four Americans in the quarterfinals, including 17-year-old Sonya Kenin. Kenin will face fellow wild card Maria Sanchez in the quarterfinals, while Sachia Vickery(8) and Taylor Townsend(6) play unseeded Nadia Podoroska of Argentina and top seed Alison Van Uytvanck of Belgium respectively.

At the $25,000 women's tournament in Stillwater, Oklahoma, three Americans remain, and two will play each other in the quarterfinals, with qualifier Ronit Yurovsky taking on Caroline Dolehide after both defeated seeded players today.  The third American is qualifier Danielle Collins, who will face unseeded Alexsandra Wozniak of Canada.

The $10,000 women's tournament in Charleston, SC features three Americans in the final eight, all of them in the bottom half.  No. 2 seed Nicole Coopersmith will play No. 5 seed Jaeda Daniel, while No. 3 seed Lauren Embree takes on LSU recruit Jade Lewis of New Zealand.