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.