Linda Fruhvirtova Wins Eddie Herr J1 Title, with Sister Brenda Retiring in Final; Bielinskyi Claims Boys Title in Third Set Tiebreaker; Banerjee, Dmitruk Top Seeds at Orange Bowl JA

©Colette Lewis 2021--
Bradenton FL--

The ITF J1 Eddie Herr International finals were a study in contrasts, with the girls final between Czech sisters Brenda and Linda Fruhvirtova ending in Brenda's retirement after just two games, while Viacheslav Bielinskyi of Ukraine needed two hours and 30 minutes to defeat Kilian Feldbausch of Switzerland 6-4, 2-6, 7-6(0).

Brenda Fruhvirtova, the No. 5 seed, had mentioned a hand injury after her lengthy semifinal win over No. 2 seed Diana Shnaider of Russia Saturday, and her right arm was heavily taped below the elbow at the start of the match.  

Several dozen local fans had made the trek from the West Campus to the IMG Academy's Har-Tru courts, eager to see the third consecutive final between the two in the past three weeks, but the first in the United States. Yet the dynamics of a match between sisters, so familiar to tennis fans with the long careers of Venus and Serena Williams, made for an awkward atmosphere.

After their semifinals victories Saturday, Linda explained their feelings about playing in a final.

"It has two sides," Linda said. "First we're so happy that we're both in the final. The first time, I don't think we even believed it. Of course, on the other hand, it's tough to play your sister; you don't really feel like beating, and fighting, and shouting when it's your sister."

"We don't even say c'mon," said Brenda, who won the Eddie Herrs 12s as 10-year-old in 2017 and the 14s a year later. "We have such a good relationship, so it's not like playing against someone else, like today."

Usually animated and competitive on the court, both were subdued, showing no reaction, whether the point ended with winner or an error. Linda held to start, but Brenda, striking the ball tentatively, won only one point in that game and and none in her service game, retiring immediately after those four points.

As of today, both are planning to play the Orange Bowl, and they will make the trip to Plantation. They are seeded No. 3 and 4, and would not play until Tuesday.

The disappointed crowd took their folding chairs from the shaded porch and gathered around warm and sunny Court 3, with the boys final now the only game in town. 

Bielinskyi, the No. 2 seed, could not put any distance between himself and No. 16 seed Feldbausch, going up a break three times, and each time giving it right back. The rallies were not as lengthy as they had been in their respective semifinal matches, with Feldbausch beating top seed Bruno Kuzuhara 6-4, 6-3 and Bielinskyi defeating unseeded Dino Prizmic 6-2, 7-6(4), and the errors they had both avoided in those matches were commonplace as they struggled to hold serve.

Bielinkskyi, an 18-year-old from Kiev, did manage to hold for a second time in the match to end the first set, but got off to a disastrous start in the second set, falling behind 5-0 before winning two games, only to lose his serve again.

The third set produced a better level of tennis than the second, but a hold of serve was a precious commodity.  Bielinskyi got one hold to take a 4-1 lead and broke Feldbausch for the third straight time, but a two-break lead was no guarantee, given the patterns throughout the match. Bielinskyi had two game points to go up 5-1, but Feldbausch hit winners both times, and Bielinskyi's forehand let him down late in the game to make it 4-2.

Feldbausch got his only hold of the set to make it 4-3, and it looked as if a 20-point rally he won at 40-30 to take that game might be a turning point in the match, particularly when he broke Bielinskyi in the next game. But the 16-year-old from Geneva was beginning to show signs of fatigue and he was broken at 15 to give Bielinskyi the chance to serve for the match at 5-4. Perhaps unsurprisingly, he was broken, but to no one's surprise, he broke Feldbausch again to go up 6-5.

Serving for the match a second time, Bielinskyi went up 40-0, throwing in a volley winner to earn the first of three match points. But the first was wasted when he netted a forehand. The second one was lost to a broken string, although he managed to keep the rally going by hitting 12 shots after it snapped before finally missing. After a tight backhand into the net on the third match point, Bielinskyi no longer looked confident, and two wild forehands sent the match into a tiebreaker.

It wasn't difficult for Bielinskyi to take control, as he was able to get first serves in, while Feldbausch could not get any energy behind his shots. Bielinskyi did not falter when given his fourth match point, hitting a drop shot winner to earn his second ITF J1 title.

Bielinskyi said he could tell Feldbausch was struggling physically as the tiebreak approached.

"He was tired, and maybe in tiebreak, he died," Bielinskyi said.

Feldbausch, who won his first four matches coming from a set down before beating Kuzuhara in just under two hours Saturday, admitted he had nothing left.

"At the end, I feel my legs very heavy," said Feldbausch, who is now 0-3 in J1 finals. "A bit of cramp. I tried to do my best and came back, but I lose at the end. It was a good match, an amazing week."

Bielinskyi said he was not frustrated, despite failing to convert those three match points due to errors and a broken string.

"It's ok, it's tennis," said Bielinskyi, who won the ITF JB1 European championships this summer. "I recover because I have good mentality."

Bielinskyi has been working with a sports psychologist for several years, and said he has learned from her how to cope with those disappointments.

"Three match points, we continuing playing, that's it," Bielinskyi said. "I'm very happy, it's an important tournament I win."

Bielinskyi and Feldbausch are both scheduled to compete in the Orange Bowl next week. Bielinskyi, playing in his final junior tournament, is the No. 4 seed. Feldbausch, who is unseeded, drew top seed Samir Banerjee, the reigning boys Wimbledon champion.

The draws for the JA Orange Bowl, which begins Monday, have been released. The top eight seeds are below:

1. Samir Banerjee(USA)

2. Bruno Kuzuhara(USA)

3. Mili Poljicak(CRO)

4. Viacheslav Bielinkskyi(UKR)

5. Jakub Mensik(CZE)

6. Leo Borg(SWE)

7. Adolfo Daniel Vallejo(PAR)

8. Gonzalo Bueno(PER)

1. Kristina Dmitruk(BLR)

2. Alexandra Eala(PHI)

3. Linda Fruhvirtova(CZE)

4. Brenda Fruhvirtova(CZE)

5. Diana Shnaider(RUS)

6. Petra Marcinko(CRO)

7. Solana Sierra(ARG)

8. Clervie Ngounoue(USA)

Qualifying was completed today, with three US girls and five US boys advancing to the main draw: Preston Stearns, Sebastian Sec, Alex Michelsen, Landon Ardila, Jelani Sarr, Maddy Zampardo, Bridget Stammel and 2020 girls 16s champion Valeria Ray.

The girls wild cards, all from the US, are: Tyra Grant, Sophie Llewellyn, Ariana Pursoo, Brooklyn Olson, Daniella Ben-Abraham, Ahmani Guichard and Tatum Evans.

The boys wild cards, all from the US, are: Learner Tien, Alexander Razeghi, Jonah Braswell, Kyle Kang, Alexander Visser, Sebastian Gorzny and Nicholas Godsick.

A portion of the first round of 16s singles was completed today, with top boys seeds Joseph Phillips and Alex Frusina of the US and top girls seeds Yichen Zhao of China and Alexia Jacobs of Canada advancing to the second round. 

For the draws and order of play, see the tournament website. I have been told that there will be no live scoring this year, and all matches will not be chaired, as they have been in the past.