Kennedy's Comeback, Karki's Third Set Tiebreaker Victory Highlight Impressive Second Day for US Boys at Wimbledon Junior Championships; Roehampton Champion Pareja Extends Winning Streak; Fritz and Anisimova Advance to Fourth Round

©Colette Lewis 2025--
Wimbledon--

No. 8 seed Jack Kennedy faced an in-form opponent without the benefit of matches at the ITF J300 in Roehampton last week, and the 17-year-old New Yorker looked out of sorts in dropping the first set of his first round Wimbledon Junior Championships match 6-1 to Roehampton champion Oliver Bonding of Great Britain. But Kennedy hung around, won a tense and bird-interrupted second set tiebreaker, and went on to raise his level in the third set to claim a 1-6, 7-6(5), 6-4 victory.

Although grass courts are rare in the United States, Kennedy and his coach Greg Lumpkin had the opportunity to prepare near his home on Long Island at the Piping Rock Club.

"They have like 14 courts of grass, and we were really fortunate to get on those courts for a little bit," Kennedy said. "The tennis director Greg(Evans) was very welcoming and it was really great preparation leading up to here, Wimbledon, the biggest stage you can play at. A lot of people were asking me, why didn't you play Roehampton? But to be honest, I think it was pretty good, even with everyone here, although they played matches on it."

Kennedy admitted that playing a British player on Show Court 18 was a challenge, especially in the first set.

"It was a little low energy to start the match, some nerves also," Kennedy said. "He had the crowd behind him, giving him that energy, that helped him a lot to start the match. I was getting a feel for everything, his serve--which is really hard to read at first--the crowd, the court, a little bit bigger first round court than you usually play on at a junior tournament."

Kennedy took a toilet break after the 21-minute first set, then changed his strategy for the second set, which featured no breaks of serve, although Kennedy did have his first break point of the match with Bonding serving at 5-6 ad out. Bonding saved it with one of his 13 aces to force the tiebreaker. 

In contrast to the lack of breaks in the second set, seven of the first 10 points in the tiebreaker went to the returner, with Kennedy unable to convert another set point on Bonding's serve at 6-4. But with another opportunity serving at 6-5, Kennedy was preparing to try again, only to have a magpie descend on the court, delaying play for over 40 seconds as it strutted around the court.

"It was on Bonding's side, like in the alley, moving around for like 45 seconds," Kennedy said. "I don't know that it helped, or it let me sit with the nerves a little bit, serving it out. But I just kind of laughed it out and that kind of helped me. It was a funny moment you really don't see that often, although I had it one time with a butterfly at a J200 in Santa Domingo."

Kennedy converted his third set point with a forehand deep in the corner that Bonding was unable to get back in the court.

In the third set, Kennedy earned his only break of the match, clocking a backhand winner with Bonding serving at 2-2, 30-40.

"At that point I was just kind of in flow state," said Kennedy, the 2024 Kalamazoo 18s finalist, who will return to the Nationals in less than a month. "Just reading it, return, got my opportunity. My coaches were just saying stay in it, you're going to get your chances, and we took care of it."

Kennedy consolidated for 4-2 in a two-deuce game, with some confident volleys. In the final game, he hit two forehand winners to give himself two match points, and despite missing the first with a backhand long, Bonding returned the favor, sending a forehand long on the second.

"When I stepped on that court I was in awe," Kennedy said. "But last year I was here, and I kind of knew what to expect. There's no more historic or better place to be at and when you walk on the grounds you just feel history. We're so grateful for all of us to be here and I'm happy to get to stay here a little longer."

While the boys Roehampton champion exited in the opening round, girls champion Julieta Pareja, the No. 6 seed this week, kept her grass court record perfect with a 6-2, 6-3 win over qualifier Maia Burcescu of Romania.

The 16-year-old Californian did not play in these two events last year, but was determined to stay positive when approaching a new surface.

"I think it's really important how your mindset is going into grass," said Pareja, one of only two US girls remaining in singles after the first round. "Going into this week I was practicing a lot on hard court in Spain, and have been super focused. If things are not working on court, I'm not blaming the grass for it, I'm blaming myself. But I know the bounce is much lower and the ball's faster. It's a new challenge, I'm super happy to be here and very excited."

After playing 11 matches, six singles and five doubles, in the six days of Roehampton competition, Pareja is no longer a novice on the surface.

"I think that's really important, having matches, not just practicing," said Pareja, who is planning to plan the USTA National 18s in San Diego next month. "And I played the Giorgio Armani (a junior event in conjunction with the annual pro exhibition there) before Roehampton, played two matches there, which I think was also super important."

Pareja will face British wild card Flora Johnson in the second round Monday, with only girls on the singles schedule.

In addition to Kennedy, seven other US boys advanced to second round action Tuesday, with all three qualifiers collecting their first wins at Wimbledon.

The most dramatic, by far, was Ronit Karki's 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(7) win over Flynn Thomas of Switzerland, with both players serving for the match in the third set before it was decided in a 10-point tiebreaker.

Karki served for the match at 5-3 in the third, but Thomas came up big in the next two points to get back on serve. Thomas held and then broke Karki again for a 6-5 lead, but Karki broke at love to force the tiebreaker.

It was 3-3 and 6-6 at the changeovers, but Karki's forehand was the difference maker, pounding three consecutive forehand winners after he had been dropped serve to fall behind 7-6. The 17-year-old Stanford recruit converted his first match point, with Thomas unable to get a second serve return in play.

Another American earning his first Wimbledon win was No. 7 seed and 2025 Australian Open finalist Benjamin Willwerth, who defeated qualifier Gabriele Crivellaro of Italy 6-3, 6-2. 

Willwerth, who recently de-committed from Arizona State, did not play these tournaments last year, but was confident his game would translate to the surface.

"I hit pretty low and flat, so I think that naturally suits me more," said the 18-year-old from Florida. "It doesn't suit me on clay at all, I'm not a clay player, but the ball stays very low here, skids a little, so that helps, and I really like coming to net. So slices, coming in, and serves, these are my types of points."

Willwerth didn't know what to expect from Crivellaro, but knew that if he could get a break, he would put his opponent in a difficult position.

"He was serving really good," Willwerth said.  "In the rallies I was winning more points, so I just tried to neutralize the rally and start from there. When I got the break, I knew this was my time. The points aren't as long here, so it is tougher to get rhythm, but the more I was out there, the better I was feeling, building from the start."

After the match, he was still processing the experience.

"My whole life I've been dreaming to play here, so walking on the court felt surreal, it didn't even feel real," Willwerth said. "But I tried to enjoy it; it was amazing and I love grass, so it was good to get the first match done."

Top seed Andres Santamarta Roig of Spain defeated British wild card Conor Brady 6-2, 6-2, and 2024 boys Wimbledon finalist Mees Rottgering of the Netherlands beat qualifier Haydar Gokpinar of Turkey 6-1, 6-0.

For the second consecutive day, rain twice disrupted the schedule for more an hour or more, this time accompanied by thunder, but all first round matches did finish.

Sunday's first round Wimbledon junior results of Americans:

Mimi Xu(GBR) d. Thea Frodin 2-6, 6-4, 7-5 

Julieta Pareja[6] d. Maia Burcescu[Q] 6-2, 6-2

Nauhany Leme Da Silva(BRA) d. Maya Iyengar 5-7, 7-6(1), 6-0

Yoana Konstantinova(BUL) d. Aspen Schuman 2-6, 7-5, 6-3

Ruby Cooling[WC](GBR) d. Leena Friedman[Q] 6-1, 6-4

Benjamin Willwerth[7] d. Gabriele Crivellaro(ITA) 6-3, 6-2

Jack Kennedy[8] d. Oliver Bonding(GBR) 1-6, 7-6(5), 6-4

Matisse Farzam[Q] d. Mark Ceban[WC](GBR) 7-5, 6-2

Ivan Ivanov[6](BUL) d. Jack Satterfield 6-1, 6-2

Dominick Mosejczuk d. William Moxon[WC] 6-2, 6-2

Gavin Goode[Q] d. Ludvig Hede(SWE) 6-2, 6-7(4), 6-1

Noah Johnston d. Zangar Nurlanuly(KAZ) 6-2, 6-4

Jagger Leach[4] d. Linus Lagerbohm([Q]FIN) 6-4, 3-6, 6-3

Ronit Karki[Q] d. Flynn Thomas(SUI) 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(10-7)

Monday's second round Wimbledon junior matches featuring Americans:

Juieta Pareja[6] v Flora Johnson[WC](GBR)

Kristina Penickova[4] v Laima Vladson(LTU)

The boys first round of doubles is on the schedule for Monday, which again features a good chance of rain.

The top seeds are Santamarta and defending champion Max Schoenhaus of Germany. Roland Garros champions Oskari Paldanius of Finland and Alan Wazny of Poland are the No. 4 seeds and Australian Open boys champions Maxwell Exsted and Jan Kumstat of the Czech Republic are unseeded.

Kennedy and Keaton Hance are the top American seeds, at No. 5, with Willwerth and Noah Johnston, the Roland Garros finalists, are seeded No. 7, while Jagger Leach and Bonding are the No. 8 seeds.

The top seeds in the girls doubles, which will begin play Tuesday, are Hannah Klugman and Mika Stojsavljevic of Great Britain. Roland Garros champions Eva Bennemann and Sonja Zhenikhova of Germany are unseeded. Roehampton finalists Thea Frodin and Pareja are the top seeded American team at No. 5.

Taylor Fritz and Amanda Anisimova have advanced to the Wimbledon quarterfinals, with No. 5 seed Fritz getting a retirement from unseeded Jordan Thompson of Australia at 6-1, 3-0. No. 13 seed Anisimova closed out the day's action on No. 1 Court, defeating No. 30 seed Linda Noskova of the Czech Republic 6-2, 5-7, 6-4. 

On Monday, No. 10 seeds Ben Shelton and Emma Navarro will look to join them, with Shelton taking on unseeded Lorenzo Sonego of Italy for the third time at a major this year, and Navarro playing No. 7 seed Mirra Andreeva of Russia.

TCU alum Cam Norrie kept alive hopes for a British singles champion, beating qualifier Nicolas Jarry of Chile 6-3, 7-6(4), 6-7(7), 6-7(5), 6-3.