Qualifier Lys Takes Eddie Herr ITF Grade 1 Girls Title; Tirante Sets Sights on World No. 1 After Winning Boys Championship; Orange Bowl Begins Monday with Parry, Tirante Top Seeds

©Colette Lewis 2019--
Bradenton FL--

Eva Lys did not anticipate leaving Bradenton as the Eddie Herr ITF champion. Nine days and nine matches after she took the IMG Academy green clay courts as a 336th-ranked qualifier, the 17-year-old German defied her own expectations, beating unseeded Jana Kolodynska of Belarus 6-3, 6-3 for her first Grade 1 title.

"Actually I came here without hopes," said Lys, who has been dealing with a series of injuries throughout the year. "That sounds so sad, but I came here just to play. I almost lost in qualies, so I never thought I would go that far."

Lys began the match receiving and lost the first four points, attributing that start to the toll her previous eight matches had taken.

"I was so tight this match," Lys said. "I started this match not so good, lost four points in a row. I couldn't put a ball in because my legs were so tired, my arms everything, but I fought through it, I guess."

After holding serve, Lys began to use her forehand effectively, and converted her second break point to take a 2-1 lead. Kolodynska kept the set close with her uncanny defense, but she was having difficulty getting her first serve in play, and was forced to work hard to hold, while Lys didn't face a break point in the opening set.  With Kolodynska serving at 3-5, Lys again earned two break points and converted the second to take the set, also with a forehand winner.

The second set began with Kolodynska converting her first break point, and after saving a break point her first service game, the 16-year-old held with a forehand winner of her own. Down 2-0 and 0-30 in the next game, Lys looked headed for a third set for the first time in the main draw, but she held and broke, with Kolodynska throwing in a couple of uncharacteristic errors.

"Actually I couldn't really play my game with her," Lys said. "I was so afraid to make a mistake, because she doesn't make many. I was playing defensive and that's not my game, that's why the second set was a tough one."

After struggling in the early stages of the second set, Lys requested a coaching visit from her sister, Lisa Matviyenko, a 22-year-old who is currently playing the ITF World Tennis Tour and has a WTA ranking of 587. Despite going down a break again when losing the fifth game of the second set, Lys took her sister's advice, and used it to win the next four games.

"She told me to play my game," Lys said. "She said even if I make some mistakes at first, it's fine, because first you're going to make three mistakes, but then you're going to win eight. I tried to play by that thought and it worked."

After holding with an ace to go up 4-3, Lys took advantage of a Kolodynska double fault and a backhand error, and suddenly she was serving for the match. Up 40-15, she dumped a backhand on the first match point, but Kolodynska missed a return on the second match point and Lys had her title.

"It's incredible," said Lys, who is considering playing collegiate tennis in the United States, but probably not next year. "When I was up 40-15, I already started crying. But I said, ok, it's not the end, then I made such an easy mistake. I said, come on, you've got this and when I won the point, so many emotions. I can't describe it."

Kolodynska was disappointed in her performance, admitting that her three-hour and eight-minute win over Elvina Kalieva in Saturday's semifinal was a factor.

"I am really tired; it was a really hard match, three hours we play," Kolodynska said of the tense 6-4, 4-6, 7-6(5) victory over the American. "Today, she played very aggressive, amazing. It was very good match for her. My serve today was not good and it's very important part of tennis. Today was not my day."

Both Lys, who received a special exemption, and Kolodynska are in the main draw at next week's Orange Bowl.

While Lys and Kolodynska both spoke of their fatigue, No. 2 seed Thiago Tirante did not mention his, although he was playing his second major final in two weeks, with just one day off in between. Showing no signs of wearing down, the 18-year-old from Argentina fought past unseeded compatriot Roman Burruchaga 6-4, 6-2 to claim a second title in eight days.

Although both are from Argentina, the pair had never played, although they were once on a 10-and-under team at the same time.

"But of course I know his game, and he knows mine," Tirante said.

Tirante earned the first break at at 2-all in the opening set, and began to take control of the match with another to go up 5-2. But Burruchaga broke back and held, putting the pressure back on Tirante, who fell behind 15-40 when serving for the set for a second time.

Burruchaga wasn't able to capitalize however, missing a volley and then failing to get a second serve return back in play, and four points later Tirante converted his second set point to take the lead.

"To win the first set in this match is very important for me," said Tirante, who did not drop a set all week. "When he breaks me, I don't make mistakes, he plays very good points, so I know that. But I say I have to stay more focused."

Tirante began to roll in the second set, eliminating any errors and dictating play with his forehand. Burruchaga tried to stay with him and came out ahead in several captivating rallies, but he couldn't find a way to consistently challenge the Tirante forehand.

"I think I just need to play more aggressive," said the 17-year-old Burruchaga, the son of soccer star Jorge Burruchaga, who scored the winning goal in Argentina's 3-2 World Cup final victory over Germany in 1986. "He take the court with his forehand and I just ran. When I take the court, it is better, but today it was impossible, because he has very good forehand. He play better than me today, but it was a great week, first [Grade 1] final. I play Orange Bowl, the last tournament of the year, and I want to enjoy next week."

Tirante, who won the Grade A in Mexico last Sunday night, heads to the Orange Bowl with a clear goal: ITF World Junior Champion for 2019.

"This means very much to me," Tirante said of the Eddie Herr title. "I stay close to Number 1 and next week if I go for semifinals, final at Orange Bowl I can be Number 1, so I try to do my best and go for everything."

Girls singles draw
Boys singles draw
Girls doubles draw
Boys doubles draw

Tirante is the No. 1 seed in Plantation, with Martin Damm seeded No. 2. Other seeded Americans are wild cards Eliot Spizzirri[10], last year's finalist Zane Khan[12] and Dali Blanch[16].

American boys who qualified today are Hunter Heck, Daniel Milavsky, JJ Tracy, JC Roddick, Max McKennon and Karl Kazuma Lee.

ITF World No. 1 girls junior Diane Parry is the only Top 10 player in the Orange Bowl field, and her ranking is not in danger, but she did not withdraw. French Open champion Leylah Fernandez of Canada, in the No. 3 position, was entered but withdrew in the past few days. Alexandra Eala of the Philippines is the No. 2 seed. The three seeded Americans are Alexandra Yepifanova[3], Robin Montgomery[5] and Savannah Broadus[8].

US girls who qualified today are: Fiona Crawley, Sophia Fornaris, Mary Stoiana, Maya Pitts and Amber McGinnis.

Draws and Monday's order of play is available at the tournament website.

Live scoring is available at
http://orangebowltennis.smtinternetservices.com/Default.aspx