Boys: 2019 US Open, hard (Week 36)

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

Boys: 2019 US Open, hard (Week 36)

ROSAMUND · Futures level

Joanna Garland is surely going to do better tennis coverage wise if she represents the UK rather than Taipei. One of the reasons that Greg Rusedski opted for UK rather than Canada was because at the time tennis coverage was far better here than in Canada if you were successful. Perhaps someone should point out to her that she has the same christian name as the two most recent successful Brits. I'm referring to Joanna (Jo) Durie and Johanna(Jo) Konta. Additionally she was born in Stevenage so nobody is going to be troubled about her background like JoKo etc.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Worth pointing out that Italy is such a powerhouse in junior/young adult tennis at the moment in the boys.

They have the clear all-out best player - young Sinner is born 2001, like Jack, and is currently ATP 137.

On top of which they have other 2001 juniors ranked ATP 470 and 672

PLUS, way more impressively, a lad born 2003 (!!!) who is ATP 495.

Plus approx. 10 junior players ranked in the 1000-2000 range or so.

AND have fielded five in the MD of the US Open Grand Slam (not the top ones, of course)

DavidC · Tennis legend

Arthur was competitive for a set, but the Canadian ran away with the second

R2

(10) Liam Draxl (CAN) d. Arthur Fery 7-6(5) 6-1

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

The young Martin Damm (born 2003), and 3rd seed, about whom there's been a of noise and hoo-hah, has just lost.

The top seed in the girls, Navarro, WTA 461, has also been put out in three sets.

DavidC · Tennis legend

British involvement in doubles was brief

Doubles R1 (L32)

(4) Nakashima/Royer (USA/FRA) d. Fery/Makk (GBR/HUN) 6-1 6-1
(5) Draxl/Nanda (CAN/USA) d. Mitsui/Wendelken (JPN/GBR) 6-2 6-2

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

Joanna lost in 3. She won a comfortable first set in about 20 mins, 6-1, but lost the second 2-6 which was nearer an hour, and had many deuce games. She got herself into a 4-2 lead in the decider, but then lost the final 4 games. She has her doubles on the same court a little later, so another stream, but I'm not as fussed about that.

#2 seed Parry also out, but #3 Noel (Wimbledon finalist) just about sneaked through, and the Chinese youngster Zheng, who did well in the UK last month, eased through against her wildcarded opponent.

Edit - Garland was playing a 15 year old American, who now plays another 15 year old American in R3, Katrina Scott who beat Katie S in USO quals. There's a few 15 year old American's around these days...

-- Edited by Ace Ventura on Tuesday 3rd of September 2019 10:50:01 PM

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

#3 Noel being, of course, the girl who Erin Richardson had such a close match with at Roehampton.

See that #2 Rune lost too - he's the player who made such a song and dance about losing to Anton in junior Wimbly

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

An interesting girls match about to begin on C17 (so streamed on Prime) between recent USTA nationals U18 champ Volynets, who gave a decent account of herself against Andreescu in the main draw first round, against the Colombian 4th seed Osorio Serrano who has won 2 very recent clay W25 titles and is now up to 222 in the live rankings. Both turn 18 in December.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Bit of havoc being played with the seedings so far (as is often the case with junior rankings)

In the last 8 girls, there are three who are seeded to be there (although only the 4th, 5th and 7th, none of the top 3 players made it to QFs)

And no lower seeds.

Rather, two 2004-born wildcards from the US, including one who is JWR 2047 !

Also, a 2003-born qualifier, and two 2003-born unseeded players.

In the last 8 boys, we only have the 4th and 8th seeds through.

Three lower seeds are there, though.

Also, three unseeded players.

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

Coup Droit wrote:
Bit of havoc being played with the seedings so far (as is often the case with junior rankings)

In the last 8 girls, there are three who are seeded to be there (although only the 4th, 5th and 7th, none of the top 3 players made it to QFs)

And no lower seeds.

Rather, two 2004-born wildcards from the US, including one who is JWR 2047 !

Also, a 2003-born qualifier, and two 2003-born unseeded players.

In the last 8 boys, we only have the 4th and 8th seeds through.

Three lower seeds are there, though.

Also, three unseeded players.

Yeah, it's quite an interesting last 8 in the girls. 2 US WCs as you say, but both were QWCs in the senior qualifying the other week and gave good accounts of themselves - Katrina Scott obviously beating Katie S and then putting up a decent enough showing againt Kalinskaya in Q2, and Brantmeier, who won their recent U16 nationals, took a set off Allertova in Q1 who ended up qualifying. Never heard of the qualifier Yepifanova. Zheng who was in the UK last month is still there, and the Colombian 4th seed was impressive in the match I watched against Volynets in round 2.

The overall junior girl's landscape is probably not as strong as it has been in recent years, as there has been so much talent coming through and making a big impact on the WTA scene recently, but encouraging to see a lot of these are like 15/16 rather than 18.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Yes, the interesting thing is how young some of them are.

THere's been a bit of hoo-hah with Rune just having publicly announced that he is quitting juniors (at the tender age of 16). As Colette says, Sinner seems to have set a trend.

Colette Lewis

@zootennis
23h23 hours ago

It's becoming something of a trend now among younger boys to exit juniors after they've won a junior slam. Rune, the French boys champion, is only 16.

More Colette Lewis Retweeted Mouratoglou Tennis Academy

"Junior career: Done

Now for new challenges on the professional tour, but dont you worry well keep the window sticker as a memory, Holger Rune"

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

An interesting mix in the finals.

In the girls', we have qualifier Yepifanova, born 2003, from the USA. She's the girl who Sasha Hill very, very nearly beat in Nottingham this year (and who beat Holly Staff extremely easily in junior WImbly qualifiying). She was at Roehampton too, came through qualis and won one match, but I didn't see her.

She's playing 4th seed, top-10 junior, WTA 271, from Colombia, but born 2001 - Maria Camila OSORIO SERRANO

The boys shows what can happen if you buck the trend and stick around in juniors. Both lads are 2001-born, both current or ex-top 5 in juniors, seeded 4th and 8th, Jonas FOREJTEK (CZE) ATP 565 v Emilio NAZA (USA) ATP 924.

The Czech lad is the boy that James Story beat in R1 of Junior Wimbly ! Maybe it was the grass but guess James is looking at Jonas' final now with slightly mixed feelings....

(I saw him beat Harry W at Roehampton, a very nice player to watch).

Nava beat Jacob Fearnley at Roehampton but lost in his next round. Didn't play Wimbly for some reason (injury, presumably, if he'd bothered to come over here in the first place).

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

I saw the Yepifinova vs Zheng semi final match yesterday (after the women's final) and she did so well to come though having had an MTO in her quarter final also that day, with heavy strapping on her leg. I reckon the quantity of matches, having come through quals and 2 3 set matches yesterday will likely catch up with her and Osorio Serrano and her forehand will prove too much.

Osario Serrano won another W25 the other week which will see her at roughly 227 in tomorrow's WTA rankings - I bet she wishes this was at Wimbledon on a packed Court 1, where she would be pretty much guaranteed a MDWC if she won, asuming that 227 ranking at least remains the same, or improves further. The USTA blanked 2018 Winner Wang Xiyu despite being just outside the top 100 and the highest seed in Harriet's qualifying section, so she pretty much has no chance of getting a WC here next year.

It's 2nd on Court 17 where play starts at 5pm UK, so we'll be looking at anywhere from 6.30-8pm for it to start. Think I'll catch it on Prime.

Mervatron2 · Challenger qualifying

Do we know why Matilda skipped this US hardcourt tour? She did initially enter the grade 1's and then withdrew.