U.S. Open junior wild cards released

I want to preface this post by saying that like seeding, it's a lot easier to criticize wild card selection than it is to do it.

Here are the USTA's boys wild card selections for the main and qualifying draws of the U.S. Open Junior Championships:

MAIN
1. Brennan Boyajian
2. Mike McClune
3. Wil Spencer
4. Marcus Fugate
5. Bradley Klahn
6. Rhyne Williams
7. Chase Buchanan
8. Jarmere Jenkins

QUALIFYING
1. Ryan Thacher
2. Ryan Harrison
3. JT Sundling
4. Alex Domijan
5. Austin Krajicek
6. Tatsuma Ito

The 16s winner in Kalamazoo traditionally gets a main draw, and the finalist a qualifying. As you've probably gathered, I believe that Ryan Thacher should have been given a main draw wild card, given his performance in Kalamazoo, Palm Springs, Rockville and Scottsdale. He played every major USTA event, including the 16s Intersectionals and 18s Team Championships, won by Southern Calfornia, and yet he is not considered to have played the "competition" that the other wild cards have.

Rodney Harmon was kind enough to explain to me the reasoning behind the USTA choices, and basically, they come down to birth year. Ryan Thacher should be compared to Mike McClune and Wil Spencer, who also have 1989 birth years (as does Boyajian), not to Klahn and Jenkins (1990s), who finished behind him in Kalamazoo, or Williams and Buchanan (1991s) who played the 18s in Kalamazoo. (Thacher has two wins over Buchanan this spring.) I understand the value of giving younger players experience, but that must be balanced by putting on the court players with a realistic chance of winning matches.


And speaking of players born in 1989, where is Tyler Hochwalt's wild card? Seeded 27th, he finished sixth in Kalamazoo, losing to McClune and Kellen Damico, who will be seeded in New York. Not even a qualifying wild card (he beat Fugate in qualifying in last year's Open)? I can't begin to understand that reasoning. How about Adam El Mihdawy, who finished third in Kalamazoo?

Wil Spencer will not be playing in New York due to the ankle injury he suffered in his quarterfinal match in Kalamazoo, so that will free up a main draw wild card for someone. I'm too confused to even guess who it may be.

The girls wild cards are as follows:

MAIN:
1. Lauren Embree (16s winner)
2. Jamie Hampton
3. Mallory Burdette
4. Melanie Oudin
5. Ashley Weinhold
6. Christina McHale
7. Mary Gambale
8. To be confirmed

QUALIFYING
1. Mallory Cecil
2. Beatrice Capra
3. Alexandra Anghelescu
4. Brittany Augustine
5. To be confirmed
6. Matoba Yuka

Interesting that Chelsey Gullickson was given a women's qualifying wild card, but, unlike Marcus Fugate, not a main draw junior wild card. Gail Brodsky, who won the Women's National Open last December and was a Junior Orange Bowl 14s finalist, is out of luck, as is Ellah Nze, who is 585 in the WTA rankings. Both are "alternates" as of yesterday.

And could somebody please explain to me why we are trading qualifying wild cards with Japan? Australia, France or Great Britain I could understand, but nothing that Japan can give entry to can possibly compare to what we're providing.

Top Seeds Take Different Routes to Kalamazoo Championships:: The Tennis Recruiting Network

My wrapup for tennisrecruiting.net was posted today. I did have an opportunity to speak with Ryan Thacher Tuesday evening (he ran for a plane Sunday afternoon without talking to the media; he ended up missing the flight and staying in Kalamazoo an extra night) and I can assure everyone who is worried about him after the heartbreaking loss in the 16s final that he's just fine. He's looking forward to starting his junior year in high school, and if he doesn't get a main draw wild card into the U.S. Open juniors, he's not going to mope about it. Is there anybody who has seen him play that thinks he shouldn't get one?

Speaking of wild cards, the men's choices were released today. I guess with Ryan Sweeting getting a main draw wild card, it's official that he's no longer playing under the Bahamian flag.

As for the qualifying wild cards, the second, third and fourth place winners in Kalamazoo (Levine, Smyczek and Fugate) got them, as did 2003 winner Robert Yim and 2004 finalist Scott Oudsema. Ryler DeHeart, a recent graduate of Illinois who has had an excellent summer on the Futures circuit, may be a name unfamiliar to those who follow only pro tennis, but he's a good choice.

A final note: It appears that what was first thought to be food poisoning is now more likely a viral infection that's responsible for the illness of several Kalamazoo finalists over the weekend. After an investigation, there's no evidence of any widespread food-borne illness in the area.

SMASH Column, Kalamazoo Edition

My SMASH online column is up, and although I feel I left out more than I included, it certainly wasn't a chore to write.

Also, the USTA has announced the women's U.S. Open wild cards. Only Alexa Glatch, and Lauren Albanese, who won hers in the Girls 18s Nationals in San Jose, are juniors in the main draw group. The qualifying wild cards are a much younger bunch, with six girls--Julia Cohen, Madison Brengle, Chelsey Gullickson, Jamie Hampton, Ashley Weinhold and Mary Gambale--all aged 17 and under.

Marcia Frost will not be happy; Audra Cohen, the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Player of the Year from the University of Miami, did not receive a qualifying wild card; no college players did.

DePalmer miffed by USTA's model:: Knoxnews.com

More fallout from the Mike DePalmer Jr. Open Letter to the USTA in this article from the Knoxville newspaper (free registration required.) Included is a rebuttal from Rodney Harmon and an interesting perspective from University of Tennessee assistant tennis coach Chris Woodruff.

I'm hearing that Sports Illustrated is working on a story about tennis development and the USTA's role in it. Stay tuned, this is going to get really interesting.

Perspectives on Sunday's 16 Final

Pam Shebest of the Kalamazoo Gazette has covered the Nationals for over 20 years and her finals story is here. She had no way of knowing how ill Boyajian was after the match, but he spent Sunday night in a Florida emergency room receiving treatment.
Other tidbits from the final day are here.

Erik Boal of the Los Angeles Daily News gives the 16s championship match account from Ryan Thacher's point of view. (There's one mistake--Boyajian didn't lead in the third set until he went up 6-5.)

Usta.com has all the details of the other National winners at sites around the country.

How Bizarre: Nats End with a Bang and a Whimper

I never saw this coming: the whole week was nearly perfect and then food poisoning strikes. Jamie Hunt sick during the 18s doubles final; Jesse Levine unable to take the court for the 18s final due to food poisoning; Brennan Boyajian doubled over with stomach pain during the 16s championship match and vomiting after.

It's hard to imagine a 7-6 in the third final (I believe the first ever in the 16s) being overshadowed or upstaged, but this episode of ER has almost done it.

See ustaboys.com for the match story.