ITF Announces Fields for WTT Junior Finals; UTR Pro Tennis Tour Results Update; Michael Center's Book on His Role in Varsity Blues Scandal

Jeline Vandromme, champion Emerson Jones and Laura Samson at the 2024 ITF Junior Finals 
photo credit: Paul Zimmer/ITF

The International Tennis Federation today announced the names of the eight players and one alternate in each draw who have been selected to compete in the World Tennis Tour Junior Finals October 22-26 in Chengdu China. 

As is always the case for this event, even this year with an increase in the ITF ranking points to the winner from 850 to 1000, several top players have declined their invitations. ITF World No. 1s Julieta Pareja of the United States and Ivan Ivanov of Bulgaria are not playing, nor is Roland Garros girls champion Lilli Tagger[5] of Austria and 2024 Finals champion Emerson Jones[6] of Australia.

The boys, with entry ranking in brackets:

Alexander Vasilev[2], Bulgaria

Andres Santamarta Roig[3], Spain

Jacopo Vasami[4], Italy

Benjamin Willwerth[5], United States

Max Schoenhaus[6], Germany

Yannick Alexandrescou[7], Romania

Jack Kennedy[8], United States

Oskari Paldanius[10], Finland

alternate: Ryo Tabata[12], Japan

In addition to Ivanov, Henry Bernet of Switzerland, the Australian Open boys champion and No. 9 in the entry rankings, declined his invitation. Roland Garros champion Niels Mcdonald, No. 11 in the entry rankings chose not to accept the position of alternate, so it fell to Tabata.

The girls, with entry ranking in brackets:

Hannah Klugman[2], Great Britain

Jeline Vandromme[3], Belgium

Mia Pohankova[4], Slovakia

Kristina Penickova[7], United States

Julia Stusek[8], Germany

Jana Kovackova[9], Czech Republic

Charo Esquiva Banuls[10], Spain

Ruien Zhang[[14], China

alternate: Yushan Shao, China

Zhang receives the eighth spot, reserved for any Chinese player in the Top 25. Shao, who is 23 on the entry list, is the alternate, as provided by the rules for selection, available here. The rules document also provides details on the format, qualification for advancement from round robin to semifinals and travel grants.

There were 34 UTR Pro Tennis Tour events in the United States in the last two months, with the results listed below.

WOMEN:

Aug 4 Newport Beach CA

Kailey Evans d. Veronika Miroshnichenko 3-6, 6-1, 6-3

Aug 7 Boise ID (Summer Slam)

Ariana Pursoo d. Grace Levelston 6-4, 3-6, 6-0

Aug 7 Athens GA (Summer Slam)

Alejandra Cruz d. Zoe Hammond 7-6(5), 6-2

Aug 7 Dallas TX (Summer Slam)

Alina Shcherbinina d. Susana Souhrada 6-2, 6-0

Aug 11 Norman OK

Alina Shcherbinina d. Gloriana Nahum 1-6, 6-4, 6-3

Aug 14 San Diego CA (Summer Slam)

Kailey Evans d. Maria Navarro 6-1, 6-4

Aug 14 Charlotte NC (Summer Slam)

Alicia Herrero Linana d. Lan Mi 6-2, 6-3

Aug 18 Athens GA

Dalayna Hewitt d. Yuliya Hatouka 6-3, 6-3

Aug 25 Knoxville TN

Leyla Britez Risso d. Dalayna Hewitt 6-3, 1-6, 7-5 

Aug 25 Boise ID

Selma Cadar d. Ava Markham 6-2, 6-1

Aug 29 Pro Summer Champs San Diego

Robin Anderson d. Veronika Miroshnichenko 7-6(1). 1-6, 6-3

Sept 1 Denver CO

Ema Bubalo d. Louise Wikander 6-1, 6-4

Sept 1 Champaign IL

Stadfany Nformi d. Ellery Mendell 6-4, 4-6, 7-6(6)

Sept 15 Lincoln NE

Jessica Failla d. Jaedan Brown 6-2, 6-2

Sept 22 Newport Beach CA

Veronika Miroshnichenko d. Anya Arora 6-1, 6-3

MEN:

Aug 7 Athens GA (Summer Slam)

Janmagnus Johnson d. Derrick Chen 5-7, 7-6(4), 6-4

Aug 7 Boise ID (Summer Slam)

Avery Tallakson d. Aleksa Ciric 6-1, 3-6, 6-3

Aug 11 Norman OK

Matthias Uwe Kask d. Reid Jarvis 6-3, 6-3

Aug 14 San Diego CA (Summer Slam)

Landon Ardila d. Sean Hill 6-4, 6-2

Aug 14 Charlotte NC (Summer Slam)

Felipe Pinzon d. Carter Pate 7-5, 6-2

Aug 18 Athens GA

Derrick Chen d. Santiago Giamichelle 6-1, 6-2

Aug 18 Newport Beach CA

Maciej Rajski d. Savriyan Danilov 6-2, 6-2

Aug 18 Waco TX

Luc Koenig d. Louis Bowden 3-6, 6-3, 6-1

Aug 25 Boise ID

Karl Poling d. Avery Tallakson 6-1, 6-3

Aug 25 Knoxville TN

Alejandro Moreno d. Alex Kuperstein 6-2, 6-1

Aug 29 Pro Summer Champs San Diego

Janmagnus Johnson d. Miles Jones 6-2, 7-6(2)

Sept 1 Champaign IL

Sasha Colleu d. Adam Jilly 4-6, 6-1, 6-2

Sept 1 Waco Texas

Louis Bowden d. Luc Koenig 3-6, 7-6(5), 7-6(1)

Sept 1 Denver CO

Aleksa Ciric d. Raffaello Papajcik 6-4, 6-2

Sept 8 Ithaca NY

Eric Verdes d. Rodrigo Fernandes 7-6(3), 6-2

Sept 8 Tallahassee FL

Youcef Rihane d. Alexander Kotzen 6-4, 5-7, 7-5

Sept 15 Lincoln NE

Reece Falck d. Sam Landau walkover

Sept 15 Newport Beach CA

Maciej Rajski d. Jacob Bullard 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-2

Sept 21 Boca Raton FL

Aleksa Ciric d. Alex Kuperstein 6-3, 6-4

Last week I ran across this Kansas City Star article on the book, entitled "Breaking Serve," that former University of Texas men's head coach Michael Center has recently published. The book's focus is the FBI Varsity Blues scandal that resulted in Center's dismissal from his position and eventually, a jail sentence. Center, who was at the University of Kansas before coaching at Texas, explains the circumstances of his arrest and why he pleaded guilty, and how he has stayed involved in tennis since his release.