Davidov Earns Boys World Tennis J300 Pan American Closed Title, Kockinis Claims Girls Singles Championship

©Colette Lewis 2026--
Spring Texas--

After a week of heat and humidity, the finals of the World Tennis Pan American Closed Saturday morning were the last step for a first J300 title for all four finalists, but that achievement took a back seat to survival, according to both winners and losers.

No. 5 seed Armira Kockinis's goal against No. 4 seed Emery Combs was to avoid a repeat of her quarterfinal 6-4 6-3 loss to Combs at the J300 in Tucson last March, and with a 6-2, 6-3 victory today, proved that she had learned from that loss.

"I think in Tucson, I missed way more, wasn't as consistent," said the 16-year-old from La Habra Heights California. "This time I went in knowing how she was going to play, kind of crafty, and I tried to just make a lot of balls."

Combs agreed that Kockinis, who calls her game style "slap and pray," showed much more control than she had in Tucson.

"She has done a much better job of being more consistent and being a little more solid, and I definitely had more trouble with that," said the 15-year-old from Conway South Carolina, who won the doubles title Friday night and is known for her skill at the net. "When she's hitting the ball so hard and making it in, it makes it difficult to counterpunch or neutralize."

Kockinis served well throughout the match, which was a key reason she could keep the aggressive Combs from finding any rhythm.

"I played pretty steady and was serving really, really well, said Kockinis, who lost serve just twice in the match. "I went into the match knowing she has a good serve and she likes to come in off of it, so I thought if I could hold my serve, then maybe I could get a couple games."

It was Combs who struggled with that shot, with a twinge in her arm and overall fatigue playing a role in her managing just three service holds.

"I've had some problems with my arm this week, maybe a little tennis elbow, and I didn't want it to get any worse," said Combs, who took a medical time out at the 2-1 changeover in the second set. "I think we were both tired, you could see that at the beginning of the match, but she ended up handling it better. My first service games were pretty good, but then I started feeling it in my legs and shoulders."

Kockinis was up 6-2, 4-1 in the second set, matching the scenario of her semifinal match with Ellery Mendell, who took the second set before Kockinis finally closed out the match 6-2, 6-7(5), 6-4, and Kockinis hadn't forgotten.

"I was thinking about that as soon as I went up 4-1," Kockinis said. "And it was 4-3 again, but luckily at 5-3 this time, I got it."

 

Combs credited Kockinis for her performance, but was not happy with her own. 

"I was just having some trouble today, making a lot of unforced errors, I was just tired."

Kockinis is hoping this title sets her up for playing the junior slams next year.

"This means a lot," Kockinis said of adding a J300 title to the two J100s and one J200 she has won in 2026. "By next year this should put me around 40, so that's great going into slams, so hopefully I can keep it rolling."

Both finalists are planning to rest in the next couple of weeks, with Combs planning to compete in the two W15s in South Carolina in late October and early November and Kockinis looking to play the J500 in Mexico as well as the Bradenton J300 and Orange Bowl to close out the year.

While the girls were playing their final on Court 11, No. 10 seed Teodor Davidov was facing No. 2 seed Tanishk Konduri on Court 1, where Davidov had outlasted top seed Andy Johnson in a four-hour and 15-minute semifinal.

Davidov was a point away from playing a fifth consecutive three-setter, but he came up big late in the second set to score another upset, beating Konduri 6-4, 7-6(4).

Davidov had to save two break points serving for the first set at 5-4 15-40, but won the next four points to secure the set.

The second set was close throughout, with Konduri getting increasingly frustrated with the chair umpire's calls and having trouble getting anything past Davidov, who continued to keep the ball deep with his right-handed and left-handed forehands.

Konduri finally had his opportunity with Davidov serving at 5-6, 15-40, but Davidov hit a good first serve to save the first set point. On the second, Konduri was in control of the point, pinning Davidov into the corner, but Davidov came up with a perfectly dipped pass as Konduri approached the net.

"I couldn't really think much," said the 16-year-old from Bradenton Florida. "I'm so depleted, I couldn't really think about anything. I didn't even really care to be honest, I was so tired. (On that second match point) I don't even really know what happened, but I'm glad I got it through."

At deuce, a right-handed forehand forced an error from Konduri and another good first serve sent the set to a tiebreaker. By that stage of the match, nearly two hours in, both boys were suffering from mental and physical fatigue, so the tiebreaker produced mostly second serves and unforced errors.

Serving at 3-4, Konduri didn't make either first serve and lost both points, one on a passing shot winner and the next on a netted forehand. Davidov then hit a big forehand on the sideline closest to the chair umpire, and when he made the palm down good sign, Konduri vigorously disputed that call, which stood, giving Davidov two championship points. He only needed one, with Konduri's backhand going long to give Davidov his first J300 title.

Konduri said he sensed both he and Davidov were nervous at the start of the final.

"I was a little tight because I don't know how much I had in me, physically," said the 17-year-old from Cupertino California. "I played a pretty trash first set, but he did a good job of staying solid in the important moments. I had chances, but he didn't give them to me, I didn't get anything for free."

Like Davidov, Konduri was unable to think clearly in the second set. 

"Honestly, I was completely out of it, I didn't care at all about what was happening," Konduri said. "I got a little frustrated that I didn't get the set at 6-5, and I was like, I'm out of here. But he played very well."

Davidov, who could be seen shaking out his legs late in the second set, was still feeling the aftereffect of his marathon semifinal against Johnson less than 24 hours before.

"Yesterday I was cramping so much, my whole leg," said Davidov. "And today it felt like it was about to cramp, I was getting really scared. At one point I couldn't really serve, because it was starting to feel like it was cramping, but overall, I was serving really well today."

Konduri said his own serve wasn't bad, but he was unable to come up with big serves when he needed them, which was not a problem for Davidov. 

"He was on and off serving to be honest," Davidov said. "He was also getting distracted with the ref and other small things. I saw that and just used it."

Davidov will return to Bradenton, where he trains with his father Kalin at the Inspiration Tennis Academy, with a USTA Pro Circuit event in either Austin or Lexington next on his schedule, before the Bradenton J300 and Orange Bowl at the end of the year.

Konduri is taking some time off, as he attempts to heal a nagging foot injury, but is expecting to play the Las Vegas M25 at the end of the month.

"Physically, I'm pretty exhausted and I'm pretty behind on school as well," said Konduri, who has verbally committed to Stanford for next fall. "I just need to reset a bit and come back."

Konduri is also expecting to compete at the last two World Tennis junior events in Florida in December.

September Aces; Davidov Upsets Top Seed Johnson in Four-Hour Epic to Reach Boys Pan Am Closed J300 Final; Combs and Kockinis Meet for Girls Title; Konduri and Johnson, Combs and De Los Reyes Claim Doubles Titles; Pareja Makes Templeton W100 Semis

©Colette Lewis 2026--
Spring Texas--

Before I get to the details on a long and dramatic Friday at the World Tennis J300 Pan American Closed, here's the link to my monthly column for Tennis Recruiting Network on September's notable achievements of junior, college and former college players, from the US Open to the World Tennis Junior Circuit events in Texas.

Heavy rains overnight caused a slight delay in the start of the Pan Am singles semifinals, but few would have guessed that when the match between top seed Andy Johnson and No. 10 seed Teodor Davidov began at 10:22 a.m., the winner had yet to be decided four hours later.

Davidov held off a furious comeback by Johnson, survived several falls, cramping, and a heat index of 102 degrees to earn an improbable but well deserved 3-6, 7-6(4), 7-6(5) victory.

Johnson served for the match at 6-5 in the second set, after breaking Davidov at 5-all 30-40 in a spectacular rally that brought appreciative applause from the small crowd watching from the Giamalava Racquet Center's veranda. That boost of momentum didn't last however, as Davidov broke Johnson at love to force the tiebreaker.

"I started hitting the ball a little more, being a little more confident, in terms of having nothing to lose," said the 16-year-old from Bradenton Florida, who hits only forehands, switching hands when required, and serves both right-handed and left-handed. "I just kept fighting."

Two-and-a-half hours into the match, Davidov was able to pick up his energy in the tiebreaker, with Johnson looking weary and unable to hold any of his four serves. Davidov took a 6-2 lead, and after two winners from Johnson made it 6-4, Johnson double faulted to send the players off court for the 10 minutes mandated by the heat rule.

Davidov was more familiar with that scenario than Johnson, with all four of his matches this steamy week going to three sets, and he returned, his momentum still intact, to take a 5-1 lead in the third set.

With Johnson serving at 1-5, 30-40, Davidov had his first match point, but Johnson saved it with a good first serve and held. Davidov's errors, few in the first seven games, began to pile up, and he won only two points in his next two service games, with Johnson pulling even, then taking a 6-5 lead after saving a break point. 

Davidov did display a few signs of frustration at that point, and darker thoughts began creeping in during the next game.

"At 5-6, I was getting really emotional, like I'd already lost," said Davidov, who managed to hide that negativity well. "I had that eternal battle, but I just said to myself, 'it's ok, your level's there, so just keeping fighting and if you lose, it was a good match, and if you win, great.'"

Davidov recognized that the five-game skid was not simply because his own level dropped.

"He started hitting the ball way more, he started being super aggressive," said Davidov, who requested that his post-match interview be conducted while he was riding the stationary bike in the club gym. "It caught me by surprise a little bit, and I started getting a little shaky with my shots--I almost thought I was pushing at one point, scrapping, running side to side, and that's the exact opposite of my style and mindset."

Davidov finally stopped his five-game skid winning a deuce game to force another tiebreaker, and by this time he'd already taken two falls that left him sprawling on the court.

"I don't think I've ever fallen that many times in a match," Davidov said. "I didn't know what was going on. I fell pretty bad today, I thought I might have done something to my leg, but I was good."

Both players were going to their towels after every point, leaning on the fence, hands on knees, as the final tiebreaker approached.

As in the second set tiebreaker, Davidov got off to a good start, hitting forehand winners both left-handed and right-handed to take a 5-1 lead at the change of ends. Davidov lost the next three points however, then got a reprieve when Johnson made an unforced error on the forehand side to give Davidov two more match points, more than an hour after Johnson saved the first. Johnson bought himself another chance with a forehand volley winner, but Davidov got a first serve in at 40-30 and Johnson sent a forehand long to end it.

Davidov will face No. 2 seed Tanishk Konduri in the first J300 final for both players, after Konduri defeated No. 4 seed Joshua Adamson of Canada 7-6(4) 6-1, more than two hours before his opponent had been decided.

Konduri, who has yet to drop a set in the tournament, said his serve finally began to click in the second set.

"My first three games I think I made only one first serve," said the 17-year-old from Northern California. "And the guy was actually returning super well. As a lefty, he was just ripping middle, and I thought he was playing very well. But I found my rhythm a little bit, figured out what he likes and what he doesn't like and I started making him play at my tempo."

Konduri did not know who he was going to play in the final, but he expressed no preference.

"I'm not sure who's going to win this match, they're both incredible competitors, great players," said Konduri, who has never played Davidov. "But to me, I don't really care. Especially this week, this tournament, if I'm doing things that I do well, playing my game, I'm not really going to have much trouble. The trouble is going to come when I'm not sticking to my game, being mentally unsolid. It's in my control tomorrow, I feel."

The girls final will also feature two J300 finals debutants, with No. 4 seed Emery Combs defeating 2025 finalist and No. 2 seed Carrie-Anne Hoo 6-1, 5-7, 6-3 and No. 5 seed Armira Kockinis getting past No. 11 seed Ellery Mendell 6-2, 6-7(5), 6-4.

Combs started out on top of her game, holding at 15 in all four of her service games, while Hoo was still trying to find her range. In the second set, Hoo began to find her rhythm, while Combs had more trouble holding and was broken for the first time in the  match in the sixth game. Hoo served for the set at 5-3, but Combs got the break and held, giving herself a chance to get through in straight sets. But Hoo held and broke to force a third set, triggering the 10-minute break due to the heat and humidity that have been smothering the event all week.

Hoo's momentum didn't survive that break, with Combs breaking in the first game of the third set, which changed her outlook.

"There was definitely a lot of negative thoughts that I had," said the 15-year-old from South Carolina of getting broken to lose the second set. "But I kept pushing myself, telling myself I want it more than she does, so that helped."

The break was short-lived, with Combs giving it right back, but she broke and held for a 3-1 lead, with Hoo, a 17-year-old from New York, staying close the rest of the set. 

Combs did not feel she could afford to underestimate Hoo despite holding on to the lead.

"I know she's a great player and very tough, she's going to fight," Combs said. "I don't think I relaxed at all; if anything, I expected her to fight more."

Hoo spent much of the match defending Combs' powerful all-court game, which didn't give her the time to take control of the rallies. Serving at 3-5, Hoo fell behind 15-40, but saved the first match point when a Combs slice was wide. On her second match point, Combs made the uncharacteristic decision to stay in the point as long as she could, rather than go for a winner.

"I think every shot was a backhand," said Combs, who is coached by Jimmy Mendieta of Playmakers Tennis Academy in Myrtle Beach. "I told myself I was going to out-rally her, high percentage tennis and I was not going to miss. Instead of going for a big backhand line, I thought that was the only thing that would help me."

Combs did not miss, with Hoo making the error that ended the long rally, and the match.

Unlike Combs, Kockinis was cruising along in the second set against Mendell, leading 6-2, 4-1. 

"At 4-1 she started playing like nothing to lose," said the 16-year-old from Southern California. "She started going for her shots more and mixing it up a bit, so I had to adapt, and I didn't adapt in time."

Serving for the match at 5-4, Kockinis was broken without getting to match point, and in the tiebreaker that followed she couldn't shake Mendell who broke at 5-all and won the next point to earn a third set.

Kockinis took the 10-minute heat break as an opportunity to reset.

"I had a decision to make," Kockinis said. "I could either dwell on the second or change the third. I made sure to go in there, make a lot of balls and stay positive, regardless of what the score was."

Kockinis credited her serve as the difference maker late in the third set.

"I tried to serve really big, because we were both pretty tired and I wanted to start the points out on offense," said Kockinis. "I tried to use a lot of serve plus-ones, which was going pretty well, and at 4-all I served well and it went my way."

Combs and Kockinis played in the quarterfinals of the J300 in Tucson this past spring, with Combs winning 6-4, 6-3.

"I didn't play too well that match but I'm playing much better now, have improved a lot and so has she," Kockinis said. "She's a good doubles player, good at the net. I'm just going to slap it and pray, and you can put that in there too. I'm just going to hit hard, and if I make it, I make it; if I miss it, I miss it. Hopefully I can just keep her back, serve well, make a lot of balls, and pray."

"I feel like Armira's game is pretty straighforward," Combs said. "She's just going to attack, attack, attack. I just need to neutralize and try to get on offense."

Combs has already captured one Pan American Closed title, winning the doubles championship Friday evening with partner Olivia De Los Reyes. The singles semifinals avoided any rain delays, but the doubles finals were interrupted for over an hour, with the girls final in the second set and the boys final in the first set when a brief light shower and lightning caused play to be suspended.

No. 3 seeds Combs and De Los Reyes were trailing No. 2 seeds Isabelle DeLuccia and Hoo 2-3 when play was suspended, and lost the set 6-3, after taking the first 7-6(1). But they were in a familiar position, having won the match tiebreaker in both their quarterfinal and semifinal matches, so they were confident they could raise their level again.

"I think we can read momentum, and that we can trust each other," said De Los Reyes, who now lives in Orlando Florida. "We're very aware of situation, especially in tiebreaks, and that showed this week," Combs said. "We try to stay more active and keep it simple in the tiebreaks."

At 5-all, the pair, who have now won seven World Tennis junior titles in the past 12 months, began to show that trust and teamwork, with Combs hitting a reflex lob winner and De Los Reyes making it 9-5 with a soft drop volley winner.

Combs missed an overhead on their first championship point and DeLuccia held her two serves to make it 9-8, but De Los Reyes and Combs kept it simple, with a De Los Reyes first serve and a Combs volley putaway delivering their biggest WT junior doubles title yet.

"During pressure moments, we trust each other and believe in our skills," said De Los Reyes. "I think she believed in my serve, and obviously I think my serve is a huge weapon, so I focus on that, and I know she's going to put that plus one away. We know our strengths and we can rely on them."

Konduri is also going into Saturday's singles final with a title already secured after taking the doubles championship with Johnson. The top seeds, who started around 5 p.m. in order to give Johnson appropriate recovery time, defeated No. 8 seeds Antoine Clavel and Andy Tichinda Kepche of Canada 6-2, 6-4 under the lights.

Johnson referred to his singles loss as a heartbreaker, but both he and Konduri were happy with their level throughout the match.

"That's a match I won't forget for a while," Johnson said of his loss to Davidov. "It was four and a half hours. But I wasn't thinking about it at all in the doubles, it's a different sport really and I'm feeling fine. We played really well."

Konduri agreed that Johnson didn't need any extra effort from him.

"I couldn't even tell Andy played a match this morning," Konduri said. "He came out with so much positive energy around the court and was volleying really well. We got an early break on the bigger serve and that really loosened us up for the rest of the match."

Although Johnson and Konduri have played together before, this is their first title as a team, with each making a junior slam doubles final this summer with other partners: Johnson with Michael Antonius at Wimbledon and Konduri with Marcel Latak at the US Open.

The singles finals are both scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday, with a chance of thunderstorms again in the forecast for the afternoon.

At the USTA Pro Circuit W100 in Templeton California, unseeded 17-year-old Julieta Pareja has reached Saturday's semifinals, defeating No. 7 seed Caroline Dolehide 4-6, 7-5, 6-4. Pareja will face No. 8 seed Madison Brengle, who beat SMU sophomore Amelie Van Impe of Belgium, a qualifier, 6-0, 6-4. 

In the top half, No. 1 seed Tatjana Maria of Germany will face qualifier Ella McDonald of Great Britain, a junior at LSU. Maria beat wild card Malaika Rapolu(Texas) 6-0, 6-3, while McDonald defeated 17-year-old Kristina Penickova 6-4, 6-3.

Kockinis Takes Out Top Seed Alexander, Rain Disrupts Hoo and Combs on the Brink, Top Seeds Johnson and Konduri Roll into Semifinals at J300 Pan Am Closed; Pareja and Penickova Reach Quarterfinals at W100 Templeton

©Colette Lewis 2026--
Spring Texas--

Carrie-Anne Hoo has had a long junior career, but the 17-year-old from New York had a new experience today in the quarterfinals of the World Tennis J300 Pan American Closed Championships today: a rain delay when she had reached match point.

The second-seeded Hoo, a singles finalist at this tournament last year, had taken control of her match against No. 12 seed Brooke Wallman, building a 5-1 lead in the third set, after Hoo had taken the first set 6-2 and Wallman the second set 6-4. As the sprinkles began and thunder approached, Hoo had worked her way back to 40-30 when the walkie-talkie call to the roving umpires came to suspend play at 11:45 a.m.

"I was actually down 0-30 in that game and I came back, so I felt like good momentum," said Hoo. "That's why I was a little bit upset. I was feeling good, and then the rain delay happened."

The downpour lasted only about 20 minutes, but play didn't resume until 1:45 p.m., so Hoo had a long time to think about how she would approach that match point.

"I was thinking when I went back on court that I had to focus on a first serve, getting that in," Hoo said. "I was definitely a little bit tight, a little nervous, but I tried to forget that it was match point. I was having problems with my serve, my toss, jumping, so I was focusing more on the steps in my serve rather than what the score was."

In ten seconds or less, the match was over, with Hoo getting her first serve in and Wallman sending the return long to secure the 2-6, 4-6, 6-1 victory.

Hoo's opponent in the semifinals, No. 4 seed Emery Combs, was not quite as unlucky as Hoo, but she was serving for the match at 7-6(6), 5-4, 15-0 against No. 10 seed Londyn McCord when play was suspended.

Combs, who had claimed the 95-minute first set by winning the last four points of the tiebeaker, ended up losing the first five points when play resumed after the rain delay, but chalked that up to a failure of execution, not a failure of strategy.

"My goal was just to play my game," said the 15-year-old from South Carolina, who will be playing in her second J300 semifinal Friday. "I have a very aggressive game, I'm an all-court player, so I tried to open up the court with big targets and make my way into the net. But I was very nervous. I think I did the right things, just didn't make the shots."

Combs broke McCord again and served for the match for the second time at 6-5, but didn't get to match point in that game either. In their second tiebreaker, Combs got the mini-break she needed with a great overhead from deep in the court for a 5-3 lead. McCord held for 5-4, but Combs earned her first match point by forcing an error with a big forehand and converted it with an excellent first serve.

Combs and Hoo have been doubles partners but have not played in singles.

"I've seen here play a little bit, but obviously I've never seen how my game would do against her," Hoo said. "I think it'll be a fun match tomorrow. She's younger, they play with no pressure."

"I think I can go into tomorrow with a similar game plan," Combs said. "She's a little craftier, but she's going to force me to make that extra ball."

The semifinalists in the top half both finished before the rain, with No. 11 seed Ellery Mendell ending the run of unseeded Sena Yoon 7-5, 6-1 and No. 5 seed Armira Kockinis taking out top seed Avery Alexander of Canada 7-6(3), 6-4.

Kockinis had beaten Alexander in July in the semifinals of a J200 in Mexico, a win that helped her in her approach to today's match.

"She played really well today and she played really well in Mexico as well," said the 16-year-old from Southern California. "I knew she wasn't going to miss many of balls, so I was definitely trying to be consistent, but when I saw something I could go for, I tried to go for it, move her around a bit."

Kockinis played a nearly flawless first set tiebreaker taking a 6-0 lead before making her only unforced error in the nine points played.

"In the breaker, it's obviously a tight situation, so I'm going to go for it," Kockinis said. "I was starting out in the first set I was going mostly cross, so in the breaker I started going line for the first time in the match."

Down 3-1 in the second set, Kockinis won five of the next six games, but had to come from 15-40 down to close it out serving at 5-4.

Kockinis has been disappointed in her results this summer.

"This whole year I've been working toward getting to the US Open and Hard Courts, I had a pretty bad result, College Park, I had a pretty bad result, and US Open (qualifying), I had a pretty bad result," Kockinis said. "So I've been trying to stay positive from the low, so this is my first tournament since US, so, so far, so good. Just trying to get back on track."

Kockinis knows she will always be trying to calibrate her big game with the errors that are a byproduct of that style.

"Me and my coaches have always said my game is going to have a lot of mistakes," said Kockinis, who is coached by Jay Leavitt at Tier 1 Performance. "But I'd rather go for it than stay in these long rallies. I think in breakers and in tight moments I know how to pull the trigger when other people wouldn't. That gives me an edge in third sets or breakers. I'm trying to be smarter on when to pull the trigger, but it's going to get pulled."

Kockinis and Mendell will be meeting for the first time in the first J300 semifinal for both.

The top two seeds in the boys draw made short work of their opponents today, with No. 1 Andy Johnson defeating 15-year-old qualifier Piotr Gradzki 6-1, 6-2 and No. 2 Tanishk Konduri avenging his loss this spring to No. 7 seed Erik Schinnerer 6-1, 6-1.

Konduri's semifinal opponent will be No. 4 seed Joshua Adamson of Canada, who reached the final of last week's J200 in Corpus Christi. The 17-year-old left-hander avenged his loss last month at a J200 to No. 9 seed Kamil Stolarczyk, beating the 2026 Kalamazoo 16s champion 6-3, 6-4 today.

Johnson will face No. 10 seed Teodor Davidov, who returned from the rain delay still in his second set with wild card Achyuth Binu. The 16-year-old Floridian, who had won the 100-minute first set 7-5, dropped the final two games of the second to give Binu a 6-3 set, but soon took control in the third for a 7-5, 3-6, 6-2 victory and a place in his first J300 semifinal.

Johnson and Davidov played in the quarterfinals of the J300 in San Diego this spring, with Johnson winning 6-1, 6-3.

The doubles finals Friday will feature four of the singles semifinalists.

Top seeds Konduri and Johnson will face No. 8 seeds Antoine Clavel and Andy Tchinda Kepche of Canada for the boys title. Clavel and Tchinda Kepche defeated No. 4 seeds Mason Vaughan and Stolarczyk 6-3, 4-6, 10-7, while Konduri and Johnson beat No. 3 seeds Caden Colburne and Adamson 6-3, 6-4.

Hoo and Combs will play twice Friday, with Hoo and her partner Isabelle DeLuccia, the No. 2 seeds, facing No. 3 seeds Combs and her partner Olivia De Los Reyes. Hoo and DeLuccia beat No. 8 seeds Anya Arora and Sylvana Jalbert 7-5, 7-5; Combs and De Los Reyes defeated No. 5 seeds Thara Gowda and Ireland O'Brien 3-6, 6-4, 10-4.

The three singles semifinals featuring players in doubles are scheduled for 10 a.m. Friday, with the Kockinis - Mendell match second on, not before noon. The doubles finals times are to be determined, after the singles and suitable rest.

At the USTA Pro Circuit W100 in Templeton California, 17-year-olds Julieta Pareja and Kristina Penickova advanced to the quarterfinals with wins today.

Pareja defeated No. 2 seed Mary Stoiana 7-5, 7-5 to avenge her 6-3, 6-4 loss to Stoiana this summer in the second round of the W100 in Evansville.  Pareja will play the winner of tonights second round match between No. 7 seed Caroline Dolehide and UCLA junior Kate Fakih, a qualifier. 

Penickova, who received a Junior Exempt entry into the main draw, defeated No. 6 seed Iryna Shymanovich of Belarus 7-6(4), 6-2 in the first round and LSU sophomore Carolina Kuhl of Germany 6-2, 6-3 in the second round today. Penickova will play another LSU Tiger in the quarterfinals: junior Ella McDonald of Great Britain. McDonald, a qualifier, defeated Whitney Osuigwe 7-6(3), 6-2 today to advance.

Qualifier Gradzki Reaches Pan Am J300 Quarterfinals; Davidov Survives Three-Hour-Plus Battle with Gaines; Top Seeds Alexander and Johnson Need Comebacks to Advance; USTA's Australian Open Wild Card Challenge Begins Next Month

©Colette Lewis 2026--
Spring Texas--

The top seeds struggled in the third round of the World Tennis J300 Pan Am Closed Wednesday, with another steamy day at the Giammalva Racquet Club producing plenty of drama.

Andy Johnson, the top seed and 2025 finalist, couldn't serve out the first set at 5-4 against unseeded William McEwan, and McEwan took advantage of that hiccup by Johnson to take the first set 7-5. But McEwan couldn't continue his success on the serve plus one in the next two sets with Johnson earning a 5-7, 6-2, 6-0 victory.

Avery Alexander's 2-6, 6-1, 6-2 win over 14-year-old Isha Manchala followed a similar pattern, with Manchala taking advantage of Alexander's inability to stay in a long rally in the opening set. But as Alexander began to make more balls, the 16-year-old Canadian started to take control of points and force more errors from Manchala.

Johnson's opponent in Thursday's quarterfinals is 15-year-old qualifier Piotr Gradzki, who defeated No. 6 seed Mason Vaughan 7-5, 3-6, 6-2 to reach the quarterfinals in just his second World Tour junior circuit J300 tournament.

Gradzki had to win three qualifying matches just to reach the main draw, going three sets in his first round match as well, before beating No. 12 seed Felipe Mamede of Brazil 6-3, 6-3 in the second round Tuesday.

"This was like my third three-hour match," said Gradzki, who turns 16 in November. "One of my qualifying matches was a three-hour and 20-minute match and the guy cramped in the (match) tiebreaker. So I'm battling here. I've already had so many long matches, but I'm feeling fine. Go to sleep early, eat a good amount, but I feel fine every day."

Gradzki has confidence in his ground strokes, so he has concentrated on his serving and returning.

"I focus on two things: just making my returns and my first serve percentage," said Gradzki, who trains at the John McEnroe Tennis Academy in New York. "If I can make good returns and play the points after, I can out-rally a lot of people with my ball pace and quality."

Gradzki didn't get discouraged when he dropped the second set, saying reacting with frustration doesn't help him.

"My biggest go-to is being positive," Gradzki said. "Good mentality is always my best friend. Whenever I'm positive, whenever I want to do something, it happens, and I play my best when I'm my best friend."

Gradzki admits that he's didn't anticipate this kind of performance this week. 

"I had no expecatations for this tournament," Gradzki said. "I'm surprised I'm winning, so I don't expect anything. I do whatever feels best for me and if it works, it works."

In addition to a qualifier, the boys quarterfinals also features a wild card, with Achyuth Binu continuing his run with a 6-1, 7-6(4) win over unseeded Gadin Arun.

Binu will next face No. 10 seed Teodore Davidov, who played the longest match of the day, a three-hour and 20-minute, 7-5, 4-6, 6-4 win over No. 8 seed Jerrid Gaines Jr.

The heat rule, which mandates a 10-minute break between the second and third sets, had just been announced when Davidov lost the second set, so it was an opportunity for him to regroup.

"I got some electrolytes in, some gels, went to the bathroom to cool down a little," said the 16-year-old from Bradenton Florida, who beat Gaines 6-3, 7-6(0) this summer in the J200 in Mason Ohio. "I got right back to it, but got broken to go down 2-1. He has a really big serve, so it's really important to hold serve, but I broke back, and we had some really intense games."

Davidov, who is famous among tennis nerds for hitting only forehands and serving both left-handed and right-handed, got the key break at 4-3, but then immediately squandered the opportunity to serve out the match, hitting a double fault and two unforced errors to give Gaines an opportunity to get back on serve.

Gaines then took his second medical timeout, complaining of pain in his legs, although he wasn't showing any of the obvous signs of cramping.

"I got a little distracted with all his shenanigans, but I locked it down," said Davidov, who will be representing the United States as a member of the Junior Davis Cup team that is competing in Egypt in November. "The medical timeout was pretty quick, just 45 seconds or a minute, so it was ok. I saw him mentally breaking down, so I wasn't too worried. I know he's not mentally strong, he's known for it, so it was ok."

Davidov broke Gaines to end the match and will have an opportunity to reach his first J300 semifinal with a win over Binu.

"I played him once, two years ago but he's having some great results," Davidov said, referring to his 4-6, 6-2, 7-5 win in the 16s quarterfinals at IMG in 2024. "Even though he's not seeded, I'm definitely not going to underestimate him."

In the rematch of the rematch of the Kalamazoo 16s final in August, Kamil Stolarczyk retook the lead in the recent head to head, beating Daniel Malacek 7-5, 6-1. Stolarczyk won the Kalamazoo final 6-4, 6-2, but in the semifinals at the J200 in Montreal earlier this month Malacek beat Stolarczyk 7-5, 2-6, 6-2.

Stolarczyk will play the only non-American in the quarterfinals, No. 4 seed Joshua Adamson of Canada, who Stolarczyk beat 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 in the Montreal quarterfinals. Adamson defeated No. 16 seed Sebastian Godoy 6-2, 6-3.

No. 2 seed Tanishk Konduri will have a chance to avenge his loss at the J300 in Tucson this past spring when he takes on No. 7 seed Erik Schinnerer Thursday. Konduri beat No. 13 seed Mauricio Schtulmann Gasca of Mexico 6-1, 6-4, while Schinnerer won a prolonged battle with Sulaiman Syed 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-2.

All but one of the girls quarterfinalists is seeded, with Sena Yoon the exception. Yoon, who beat No. 3 seed Adla Lopez 6-1, 6-4 in a result I completely overlooked yesterday, took out unseeded Adelina Iftime today 6-4, 2-6, 6-1. She will play No. 11 seed Ellery Mendell, who defeated Kalista Papadopoulos 6-0, 6-2. 

Alexander's opponent in the quarterfinals is No. 5 seed Armira Kockinis, who defeated No. 9 seed Thara Gowda 6-0, 7-6(3). Kockinis beat Alexander in the semifinals of a J200 in Mexico earlier this summer 6-3, 3-6, 6-1.

In the bottom half, No. 2 seed and 2025 finalist Carrie-Ann Hoo received a walkover from No. 15 Reiley Rhodes due to illness. Hoo will play No. 12 seed Brooke Wallman, who beat No. 8 seed Isabelle DeLuccia 6-4, 6-3. No. 4 seed Emery Combs defeated Daniella Sales 6-4, 6-1 to set up a quarterfinal with No. 10 seed Londyn McCord. McCord defeated No. 6 seed Ireland O'Brien 6-4, 6-2.

The doubles semifinals are scheduled for 1 p.m. Thursday afternoon, after all eight singles quarterfinals are played at 9 a.m.

Top seeds Konduri and Johnson will face No. 3 seeds Adamson and Caden Colburne of Canada and No. 4 seed Stolarczyk and Vaughan will play No. 8 seeds Antoine Clavel and Andy Tchinda Kepche of Canada to decide the boys doubles finalists.

In the girls doubles, No. 2 seeds Hoo and DeLuccia will play No. 8 seeds Anya Arora and Sylvana Jalbert, and No. 5 seeds Gowda and O'Brien will face No. 3 seeds Combs and Olivia De Los Reyes.

The USTA announced its annual competition to decide the reciprocal wild card it receives for the Australian Open. The full release is below:

2027 Australian Open Wild Card Challenge to Begin Week of October 5 for Women, October 19 for Men

 

Orlando, Fla., September 30, 2026 – The Australian Open Wild Card Challenge, which will utilize indoor and outdoor hard-court and carpet professional tournaments to award an American man and woman a main draw wild card into the 2027 Australian Open, will begin with events the week of October 5 for the women and October 19 for the men.

 

The USTA and Tennis Australia have a reciprocal agreement in which main draw singles wild cards for the 2027 Australian Open and US Open will be exchanged.

 

The women's wild card will be awarded to the American with the most ranking points earned at a maximum of three tournaments during a five-week window, beginning with events starting the week of October 5. The women's Challenge window runs through the week of November 2. All indoor and outdoor hard-court and carpet events at the W35 level and above, including WTA Tour events, will be included in the Challenge.

 

The men's wild card will be awarded to the American with the most ranking points earned from a maximum of four events during a five-week window that begins the week of October 19 and runs through the week of November 16. All indoor and outdoor hard-court and carpet events at the M25 level and above, including ATP Tour and Challenger events, will be included in the Challenge.

 

Ranking points earned in the main draw and qualifying will be counted toward each player's Challenge point total. Should the player with the highest number of Challenge points earn direct entry into the Australian Open, the wild card will go to the next eligible American in the Challenge points standings. In the event of a tie for the men or the women, the player with the best singles ranking on the Monday immediately following the conclusion of the Challenge will earn the wild card. Americans who otherwise earn direct entry into the Australian Open are not eligible.

 

Previous Americans to earn wild cards into the Australian Open (year specified is the year of the tournament):

 

2026: Patrick Kypson (1R); Elizabeth Mandlik (1R)
2025: Nishesh Basavareddy (1R); Iva Jovic (2R)
2024: Patrick Kypson (1R); McCartney Kessler (2R)
2023: Chris Eubanks (2R); Taylor Townsend (2R)
2022: Stefan Kozlov (2R); Robin Anderson (1R)
2020: Marcos Giron (1R); CoCo Vandweghe (1R)
2019: Jack Sock (1R); Whitney Osuigwe (1R)
2018: Tim Smyczek (2R); Kristie Ahn (1R)
2017: Michael Mmoh (1R); Kayla Day (1R)
2016: Noah Rubin (2R); Samantha Crawford (1R)
2015: Denis Kudla (1R); Irina Falconi (2R)
2014: Steve Johnson (1R); Sachia Vickery (1R)
2013: Rhyne Williams (1R); Madison Keys (3R)
2012: Jesse Levine (1R); Madison Keys (1R)
2011: Ryan Harrison (1R); Lauren Davis (1R)
2010: Ryan Harrison (1R); CoCo Vandeweghe (1R)
2009: John Isner (1R); Christina McHale (1R)
2008: Jesse Levine (2R); Madison Brengle (1R)
2007: Madison Brengle (1R); No men’s wild card competition.

###

Binu Topples No. 3 Seed Azam Seconds Before Rain Arrives at Pan American Closed; Top Seeds Alexander and Johnson Advance; Pareja Avenges San Diego Loss to Frodin at Templeton W100

©Colette Lewis 2026--
Spring Texas--

Wild card Achyuth Binu could feel the drops of rain that began when he was leading No. 3 seed Safir Azam 5-1 in the third set of their second round match at the J300 Pan American Closed.

But the 17-year-old from Washington state, who won the match 7-5, 2-6, 6-1, was determined not to force the issue, continuing to stay in the long rallies until he found an opening or forced an error from Azam.

"If I was thinking I've got to finish, I'd probably just rush the points, so I was just focusing on every point," said Binu, who got an error from Azam on match point less than 30 seconds before play was halted on the other courts at the Giammalva Racquet Club. "I think he got a little tired, maybe mentally and physically, and I was just playing solid, fighting for every point."

Binu, who reached the semifinals of the J200 in Corpus Christi last week, where the weather was even more uncomfortable than here in the Houston area, where the heat index was over 100 early this afternoon before the clouds and rain arrived.

Although unsure why he received a wild card from the USTA for this event, Binu said he was relieved to have already posted two wins, acknowledging that his game has taken a big jump since he began training at the HITT Academy in Tamarac Florida.

"It's a small academy near Boca," said Binu, who has been in Florida training for the past four years. "I've been there for the last five months. I've been working really hard and I'm happy the results are showing. I had a tough loss in (the J100) in San Antonio, but I just trusted my training and it's working pretty well now."

Binu will face unseeded Gadin Arun next, after Arun defeated No. 14 seed Caden Colburne of Canada 6-4, 6-1.

That's the only round of 16 match Wednesday featuring two unseeded players, but in addition to Azam and Colburne, three other unseeded players have advanced. The only qualifier in either draw to reach the round of 16 is Piotr Gradzki, who defeated No. 12 seed Felipe Mamede of Brazil 6-3, 6-3. Sulaiman Syed beat No. 11 seed Kayden Colombo 6-3, 7-6(7) and William McEwan defeated No. 15 seed Antoine Clavel of  Canada 7-5, 6-4.

McEwan will play top seed Andy Johnson, who defeated Anay Kulkari 6-2, 6-1 in a match much tougher than the score would indicate.

"He trains in Orlando, so I play with him a lot," Johnson said of the 2026 Easter Bowl 16s champion. "He knows my game, I know his game. Obviously in a first match, it's finding a rhythm, he's already played a match so is going in with some rhythm already. I thought I played better and better throughout the match, maybe had a few more unforced errors than normal."

Johnson, who was playing on the same court where he lost in the final to Michael Antonius last year, says he knows he's in a different position now than he was then.

"I know all these boys here, everyone's good, everyone's out for me," said Johnson, who turned 17 last month. "I'm the one who technically should win the tournament, but anything can happen."

Playing next to Johnson for a brief time was the girls 2025 finalist Carrie-Ann Hoo, who was not coming from Southern California, like Johnson, but from Tokyo, where she made the final of a J200 and the third round at the J500 in Osaka. Hoo, who also was playing on the court where she lost in the final to Melije Clarke, said she only began to shake the jet leg today, but had enjoyed her trip to Japan so much last year that she wanted to return again this year despite the lack of time between that tournament and this one.

After her 6-2, 6-3 win over qualifier Vibha Gogineni, Hoo will face No. 15 seed Reiley Rhodes, who beat Teaghan Jou An Keys 6-3, 6-3.

Top seed Avery Alexander of Canada had to fight off a valiant effort from 15-year-old Kathryn Cragg, but she was able to get off the court in just under two hours, avoiding the worst of the day's heat, with a 6-4, 7-5 victory.

Alexander is making her debut at the Pan Am games, with the 16-year-old's ranking a year ago in the 350 range.

"I don't think I was getting in last year," said Alexander, currently 57 in the WT junior rankings. "It's been a good year so far, I've had a really fun summer, good tournaments, good experience. I'm really excited to play here, I love these courts, and I'm playing solid."

Alexander hadn't faced Cragg before, but she had friends who had, and knew Cragg was dangerous.

"I knew a little bit about her and I knew it was going to be a very tough match," Alexander said. "She's obviously a very good player and younger too, and it's always tough to play someone younger than you. I knew she has a really good serve and it was really who could break serve first. In the second set, at 5-all I got the only break. I hit two aces in the last game, and that helps a lot to close out a match."

Alexander will play an even younger opponent in Wednesday's third round, after 14-year-old Isha Manchala defeated No. 13 seed Camille Allegre 6-4, 6-3.

In addition to Allegre, four other seeds lost in their first matches today. Sena Yoon took out No. 3 seed Adla Lopez 61, 6-4; Kalista Papadopoulos defeated No. 7 seed Olivia De Los Reyes 6-4, 3-6, 6-3; Daniella Sales beat No. 14 seed Andrea Cabio of Canada 6-3, 6-1 and Adelina Iftime outlasted No. 16 seed Anya Arora 6-2, 0-6, 6-2.

The girls doubles second round was underway when the last singles match between Azam and Binu finished, and there was a delay, but all the doubles matches were completed by Tuesday evening.

Girls top seeds Alexander and Cabio lost to Manchala and Sales 6-3, 6-2 and boys No. 2 seeds Azam and Teodor Davidov were beaten by Mamede and Vincent Weaver 7-5, 7-6(5). 

Top boys seeds Johnson and Tanishk Konduri advanced, as did No. 2 girls seeds Hoo and Isabelle DeLuccia, who also competed in the Osaka J500 last week, reaching the doubles quarterfinals with Hoo.

Play begins at 9 a.m. Wednesday with all eight boys third round matches, with the girls third round matches to follow. There is a chance of rain in the forecast again on Wednesday.

A rematch of the USTA Girls 18s Nationals semifinals took place today in the first round of the USTA Pro Circuit W100 in Templeton California, with Julieta Pareja getting her revenge over Thea Frodin, who received a wild card into the tournament. Frodin had beaten Pareja 7-6(2), 7-6(4) in San Diego and today's match was also close, but this time Pareja prevailed 5-7, 6-4, 6-1.

Temperatures Soar for Pan Am Closed J300 First Round; Drenser-Hagmann Sweeps at J200 in Uruguay; Stratton and Bosso Claim Singles at J100 in Canada

©Colette Lewis 2026--

Spring Texas--

The Giammalva Racquet Club has plentiful shade and an air-conditioned clubhouse with Tennis Channel playing on mjltiple monitors, which was certainly a relief on Monday, when temperatures reached the low 90s for the first round of the World Tennis J300 Pan American Regional Closed.

With 48-player draws, no seeds play until Tuesday, but there were plenty of competitive matches, as well as the first round of doubles.

Those players who qualified with wins on Sunday were back on court today, and of 12 qualifiers, two boys and two girls earned their places in the second round. All played fellow qualifiers in the first round, with Piotr Gradzki, Antanas Daugis, Molly Widlansky and Vibha Gogineni set to play seeds in their second round matches Tuesday.

Three of the 12 wild cards also are through to the second round: Elijah Mireles, Achyuth Binu and 14-year-old Nadia Poznick.

The seeds (USA unless noted):

Boys:
1. Andy Johnson
2. Tanishk Konduri
3. Safir Azam
4. Joshua Adamson, Canada
5. Daniel Malacek
6. Mason Vaughan
7. Erik Schinnerer
8. Jerrid Gaines Jr
9. Kamil Stolarczyk
10. Teodor Davidov
11. Kayden Colombo
12. Felipe Mamede, Brazil
13. Mauricio Schtulmann Gasca, Mexico
14. Caden Colburne, Canada
15. Antoine Clavel, Canada
16. Sebastian Inaki Godoy

Girls:

1. Avery Alexander, Canada

2. Carrie-Anne Hoo

3. Adla Lopez

4. Emery Combs

5. Armira Kockinis

6. Ireland O'Brien

7. Olivia De Los Reyes

8. Isabelle DeLuccia

9. Thara Gowda

10. Londyn McCord

11. Ellery Mendell

12. Brooke Wallman

13. Camille Allegre

14. Andrea Cabio, Canada

15. Reiley Rhodes

16. Anya Arora

Play begins on Tuesday at 8 a.m. with girls top seeds Avery Alexander facing Kathryn Cragg.

Two of the Americans in action today at the Pan American J300 won J100 titles in Quebec City. Tristan Stratton, the top seed in Canada, defeated Loic Massotte, the No. 2 seed, 6-2, 6-4 in Saturday's final. Today Stratton beat qualifier Joshua Dolinsky 6-1, 6-1 and will play another Joshua Tuesday--No. 4 seed Joshua Adamson of Canada. Fourteen-year-old Isabella Bosso, the No. 2 seed in Canada, defeating top seed Eve Thibault 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 for her second WT junior circuit singles title. Today Bosso lost to Elicia Lin of Canada 6-4, 7-6(5).

Kennedy Drenser-Hagmann has opted for the clay of South America instead of this hard court Texas swing, with the 17-year-old from Michigan capturing both the singles and doubles titles at the J200 in Uruguay. The top seed in singles, Drenser-Hagmann didn't drop a set all week, beating No. 4 seed Maria Eduarda Carbone dos Santos of Brazil 6-3, 6-2 in the final. Seeded No. 2 in doubles, Drenser-Hagmann and Alexandra Korneeva of Armenia defeated top seeds Carbone dos Santos and Nathalia Pontes Tourinho of Brazil 6-1, 6-3 in the final.

Sixteen-year-old David Beckles won his second straight J60 in Ghana last week, defeating Antoine Baudot of France 6-3, 1-6, 6-3. 

At the J30 in Nicaragua, 17-year-old Daven Aga won his first two titles on the WT junior circuit. Aga, unseeded, defeated Ricardo Dorantes Ramos of Mexico 6-1, 6-2 in the singles final. In the doubles final, he and Tyler Stout won when No. 4 seeds Francisco Correa Iguiniz of Argentina and Aziel Elie of Peru retired.

Sofia Mills reached the singles final, and won the doubles title in Managua with Clarice Ouvarova of Great Britain. The top seeds defeated the unseeded team of Seemontini Pal of Canada and Emelie Barbara Valdes 6-1, 6-0 in the final.