Juniors playing professional senior tennis

Oakland2002 · All-time great

Juniors playing professional senior tennis

indiana · Tennis legend

Juniors playing professional senior tennis 2018

Oakland2002 · All-time great

Well unfortunately 13 is unlucky for Jake who gave a walk over to fellow 17 year old Matteo Lugari (JCH 658) a wildcard in only his second futures tournament.

Jack Draper in contrast not so, playing the F13 Egypt, he had some success in Sharm El Sheikh beating American 23 year old Alexander Gornet UNR (JCH 1105= in Jan 3rd 2011) in three sets 6-2 1-6 6-1.

Alexander is in his 39th futures event, 5 weeks in Egypt, 3 in Portugal and a week in Bahrain this year he has managed t get directly into the main draw twice this year loosing both all the other wise he is yet to emerge from qualifying. He is quite unusually in that he is from Louisville, not really a tennis hotbed, no professional sport in town so college sport has a big profile.

Alexander chose to stay and play for the University if Louisville in the ACC a power conference with some of the strongest tennis programmes in the US. He has the advantage of being from a tennis family his father also playing college tennis at Louisville. He was able to get into the side as a freshman down at 4,5 and 6 working his way up year by year to the number slot, 21 wins getting him to no 108 in the nation. I think by most people's standard that would be consider an excellent college tennis career but as one can see from Alexanders results professional tennis is at a whole different level and there are some very good 16 year olds out there.

Oakland2002 · All-time great

Jack saw off another Sharm longstayer, 28 yr old Ivan Krivic who gave him a walk over 2-0 down in the second set after loosing the first 6-1.

Ivan has been "in residence" since November 2017 and is now playing his 14th Futures event there. In his second week he won through qualifying and won a first round main draw match otherwise it has been slim pickings either failing to make it out of qualifying or loosing in the first round on the occasions he made DE to the MD. in the 6 yrs he has held a rank he sits 3 off his career high at =1201"

Up next Dominik Kelloviski an altogether different proposition, the 21 year old Czech presently sits at 832 but was ranked at 468 in December 2016, that year he won a Greek futures and lost a final, at the end of 2015 he lost a final in Qatar to Luke Bambridge. Following his good performances in futures he has played a number of challengers across Eastern Europe winning the odd first round MD match but mainly n qualifying. Of note he missed a good chunk of the summer of 2017 August through to October and retired last week in Sharm.

Oakland2002 · All-time great

A great win for Jack yesterday coming back to win 3-6 6-4 7-6(4) against an opponent who is a clear step up in quality from that went before. Dominik had a track record of past futures success so an encouraging step.

Next up Marat Deviaitiarov, a 23 year old Ukrainian who has been playing at this level almost continuously for 5 years. He has played 117 futures tournaments almost all around a Sharm, Turkey, Ukraine, Belarusian circuit. A couple of finals loses over the years but never quite reached a sustained level of performance to break the top 500. He lost to Finn Bass last week, a ATP point for Jack will be a challenge after yesterdays efforts but definitely not an imposdiblr task on current form.

Oakland2002 · All-time great

After a good start winning the first set 6-3 I think the hard work of Monday where he game back to win in 3 after loosing the first caught up with him and he retired having been broken twice 4-0 down. A great week for Jack winning three matches two three set matches and taking the first set in the fourth match. His last two opponents were experienced futures players with a record of going deep into tournaments at this level indeed the guy he beat in final qualifying had won a tournament at this level.

Oakland2002 · All-time great

WEEK 15

A bigger week for junior participation on the futures circuit (5 in qualifying) a couple of girls playing in Antalya, Turkey

Q1: HEATH, Gemma (GBR) UNR [16yo JCH=70] v YANIKLAR, Beyza (TUR) UNR [14yo]
Q1: RUGGIERI, Alessandra (GBR) UNR v Bye

Q2: HEATH, Gemma (GBR) UNR [16yo JCH=70] v IANSITOVA, Svetlana (RUS) UNR [17yo]
Q2: RUGGIERI, Alessandra (GBR) UNR v

Ali Collins and Aidan are in Tunisia, Ali in Hammamet

Q1: COLLINS, Ali (GBR) UNR [17yo JCH=64] v Bye

Aidan in Jerba.

QR1: (q5) Aidan McHugh WR 1249 (= CH) vs BYE

Jack Draper should continue in Sharm where he won through qualifying last week

And a retrospective entry in Palm Coast, Florida:

Zvonko Bencedic who appears to be US based with a junior rank of =1245. He has played 5 junior ITF events all but 1 in the southern United States (Atlanta/South Carolina) the exception being in a Trinidad made his futures debut and did quite well in Palm Coast last winning two rounds In qualifying.

Q1 Zvonko Bencedic (UNR) JCH=1245 beat Caspar Schuetze (Ger)UNR age 23 6-2 6-2

Q2 Zvonko Bencedic (UNR) JCH=1245 beat Ranan Perdigao (Bra) UNR age 18 6-4 6-1

Q3 Zvonko Bencedic (UNR) JCH=1245 lost to Patrick Daciek (USA) 1572 age 28 0-6 3-6

In deepest darkest Argentina our only junior straight into the main draw at Villa Dolores, population 29k slap bang in the middle famous for spuds and wine.

R1: JONES, Francesca (GBR) 664 v LOPEZ, Daniela Macarena (CH) 1012 CH=960 9/4/18

-- Edited by Oakland2002 on Monday 16th of April 2018 05:32:47 PM

-- Edited by Oakland2002 on Sunday 22nd of April 2018 08:34:06 AM

Oakland2002 · All-time great

So Jack withdrew from qualifying on the 12/4, he retired in the first round of the main draw last week after going down 4-0 in the second set hopefully nothing too serious but it looks like a decision was made on Thursday to give this week a rest.

Oakland2002 · All-time great

Ali Collins had a good start beating 19 year old French girl Mathilde Dury. Ali is now in her 4th Futures event, she also got through a round of qualifying in Antalya back in February.

Mathilde although yet to win through qualifying in what is her 6th futures event did have some success in qualifying in Macon beating ranked (943) 16 year old Swiss girl Kritina Milenkovic (6-2, 6-3)

Tomorrow Ali rakes on Emiline Dartron (996) another French girl (18y/o) she took 3 sets to put out an unranked Slovenian 16 year old whose junior successes have really been limited to grade 4 in the first round. So hopeful Ali will progress.

QR2: (q5) Aidan McHugh WR 1249 beat Ezequiel Agustín Santalla (ARG) UNR (JCH 163). 6-4, 6-3. The young argentine is in his 6 th week of residence in Tunisia, he made the last 16 last week and has got through qualifying in 3 out of 6. Not a bad win for Aidan. Aidan is in his first week in Tunisia after a pretty successful trip to Egypt earlier on this year achieving 2 QF appearances out of 3, loosing to top 500 players in both.

FQR: (q5) Aidan McHugh WR 1249 vs (q14) Tiran Sanghera WR 1682

Tiran arguably would never had made this thread (he would have) as he hasn't acknowledged the existence of junior tennis, in his 23rd futures tournament, still only 19 he handed out a two set beating to Curtis Clarke back in 2013 aged 13! A fascinating contrast in terms of two different ways to meet in the same place.

Q1: HEATH, Gemma (GBR) UNR [16yo JCH=70] def. YANIKLAR, Beyza (TUR) UNR [14yo] 6-2 6-1. Beyza in her third futures event did better than last week taking two more games.

not so good yesterday for Gemma but up against Tiran's Russian equivalent 17 year old Svet Lana is in her 33rd futures event, never played juniors and spent a lot of time in Antalya over the last couple of years.

Q2: HEATH, Gemma (GBR) UNR lost to IANSITOVA, Svetlana (RUS) UNR [17yo] 2-6 4-6

Q2: RUGGIERI, Alessandra (GBR) UNR v CHLPAC, Agustina (ARG) UNR CH=1170 12/6/17 (9)6-7 0-6

Alessandra obviously fought tooth and nail in what appears to have been an epic first set.

-- Edited by Oakland2002 on Monday 16th of April 2018 05:49:20 AM

-- Edited by Oakland2002 on Monday 16th of April 2018 06:43:07 AM

Oakland2002 · All-time great

FQR: (q5) Aidan McHugh WR 1244 defeated (q14) Tiran Sanghera WR 1680 by 3 & 3

A good win for Aidan against Tiran who as mentioned has plenty of futures experience.

Two juniors into MD's this week both up against South Americans Aidan in Tunisia

L32: (5) Matías Franco Descotte (ARG) WR 563 (CH = 519 at the staart of this month) vs (Q) Aidan McHugh WR 1244

Fran kicks off her week in Argentina

R1: JONES, Francesca (GBR) 664 v LOPEZ, Daniela Macarena (CH) 1012 CH=960 9/4/18

Apologies to Ali Collins who also won through in Hammamet.

-- Edited by Oakland2002 on Wednesday 18th of April 2018 04:56:30 AM

Oakland2002 · All-time great

Fran progresses in Argentina seeing off 21 year old Daniela who has played 47 futures tournaments and represented Chile in the Fed Cup in doubles. She has a couple of long stays ie a month or more in Both Tunisia and Sharm, she has made a couple of 15K QF's and played some 25K's but struggled to get out of qualifying.

R32: JONES, Francesca (GBR) 664 beat LOPEZ, Daniela Macarena (CH) 1012 CH=960 9/4/18 7-6(5) 6-3

In Hammamet Ali qualified but then list out to Slovenian Pia Cuk 3-6, 5-7. A 21 year old with a JCH of 147, Pia has not played since November but in her 60 plus futures tournaments has won a 10K and made a number of SF's

Q3: COLLINS, Ali (GBR) UNR def DARTRON, Emeline (FRA) 1 997 CH=996 19/3/18 18yo JCH=208 6-3 2-6 6-4

R1: COLLINS, Ali (GBR) UNR Q lost to CUK, Pia (SLO) Q UNR 3-6 5-7

Aidan is second on court 3 today in Jerba. Up against Matias a 23 year old with a JCH in the 190's, he has played a lot of futures last year traveling to a lot of the low tier tournaments with points accumulation a priority, has a lot of points accumulated in Israel, where he has won a final. Also tested the Challenger qualifying waters, he's probably the type of player near his peak who will struggle to make that next step through the tougher European and N American futures.

L32: (5) Matías Franco Descotte (ARG) WR 563 (CH = 519 at the staart of this month) vs (Q) Aidan McHugh WR 1244

-- Edited by Oakland2002 on Wednesday 18th of April 2018 04:58:00 AM

Oakland2002 · All-time great

Unfortunately Aidan is out but it looks like a very close second set no suggestion of quitting against an experienced opponent

L32: (5) Matías Franco Descotte (ARG) WR 563 defeated (Q) Aidan McHugh WR 1244 by 6-2 7-6(2)

Fran is due on court 5 any minute up against 23 year old Caroline Romeo another French girl with a JCH of >1000 but CH of 401 back in the summer of 2016. A futures centurion having played 140 futures events predominantly in North Africa and Turkey

Oakland2002 · All-time great

Fran wins in three to be the last junior standing this week.

R2: JONES, Francesca (GBR) 664 def ROMEO, Caroline (FRA) 8 659 6-0 3-6 6-2

More of the same beckons, her next opponent turns 22 in a couple of weeks lots of futures experience a couple of 10K wins back in 2016 but many more doubles tittles. She has been around the top 500 for a couple of years now and probably close to her peak as a stream of younger players march past.

QF: JONES, Francesca (GBR) 664 v ALVES, Carolina Meligeni Rodrigues (BRA) 4 532 CH=425 16/10/17

Oakland2002 · All-time great

And Fran marches past

QF: JONES, Francesca (GBR) 664 def ALVES, Carolina Meligeni Rodrigues (BRA) 4 532 3-6 6-0 6-4

Alice Garcia is not more of the same, she was at Winthrop College graduating in the summer of 2016. Regularly a member of the all conference Big South first team, she played at No 2 in her final year with a 19-6 record as a senior. So a decent player in one of the weaker Div 1 conferences. Since hitting the futures tour this is her 18th tournament and the first time she has progressed beyond the 2nd Rd.

SF: JONES, Francesca (GBR) 664 v GARCIA, Alice (BRA) Q 1212 =CH

Oakland2002 · All-time great

Very impressive work from Fran but not unexpected given the calibration of her opponent. Fran and Emily Arb went toe to toe this summer and Emily is a strong player in a strong conference.

SF: JONES, Francesca (GBR) 664 beats GARCIA, Alice (BRA) Q 1212 =CH 4-6, 6-1, 6-1