18s TOP SEEDS TESTED BUT STILL ADVANCE AT USTA
BILLIE JEAN KING GIRLS’ 16s & 18s NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
Girls’ 16s Second Seed Valencia Xu Ousted in Thrilling Three-Setter
SAN DIEGO – (August 8, 2018) – The top three seeds in the Girls’ 18s division were tested on Wednesday at the USTA Billie Jean King Girls’ 16s & 18s National Championships, but they all advanced to the Round of 16 after winning hard-fought fourth-round matches at the Barnes Tennis Center.
Top-seed Kayla Day of Santa Barbara, Calif., fell behind 5-2 in the opening set of her match against unseeded Camille Kiss of Redlands, Calif., but recovered and went on to win 7-5, 6-3 in one-hour and 38 minutes. Day, who won the tournament title in 2016, will face 11th seeded Gabriella Price of New City, N.Y., on Thursday at 10:30 a.m.
Third-seeded Cori Gauff was extended to a tie-breaker in the first set of her fourth-round match but the 14-year old from Delray Beach, Fla., came through with a 7-6 (9), 6-2 victory in two-hours and 15 minutes over 33rd seed Carly Briggs of Calhoun, Ga. Gauff takes on 33rd seed Connie Ma of Dublin, Calif., tomorrow at 10:30 a.m.
Whitney Osuigwe, the Girls’ 18s second seed, also advanced to the Round of 16 as she got past 17th seeded Emma Navarro of Charleston, S.C., 6-3, 6-4. After winning the first set in 43 minutes, Osuigwe scored a key service break at 4-4 in the second set to take a 5-4 lead and then served out the match at love in the next game.
A year ago, Osuigwe reached the Girls’ 18s singles semifinals. After competing on the USTA Pro Circuit earlier this year, the 16-year old from Bradenton, Fla., comes into the tournament with a different outlook.
“I really don’t have any expectations. It’s a different year. Last year I was playing a lot of matches with the juniors and winning a lot,” she said. “This year it’s different because I’m stepping up to the next level. I’ve done well, but you can’t expect me to win as much as I did last year. It’s a different ballgame.”
Osuigwe added, “It’s a hard transition going from the juniors to the pros. Most people don’t see that. They think it’s the same thing. It’s a lot different. It’s good to win a couple of matches (here). We’ll see how far I can go.”
On Thursday, Osuigwe, who is ranked No. 400 in the current Women’s Tennis Association singles rankings, will meet 16th seeded Chloe Beck of Watkinsville, Ga., in the Round of 16 at 10:30 a.m.
In the Girls’ 16s division, top-seeded Gianna Pielet of El Paso, Texas, reached Thursday’s quarterfinals, but it wasn’t easy as she needed two-hours and 20 minutes to dispatch 33rd seeded Hailey Stelse of Scottsdale, Ariz., 6-3, 1-6, 6-1. Pielet is scheduled to play 33rd seed Elaine Chervinsky of Boca Raton, Fla., tomorrow at noon for a place in Friday’s semifinals.
The big upset of the day took place on the other side of the Girls’ 16s singles draw as 17th seeded Misa Malkin of Tucson, Ariz., eliminated second-seeded Valencia Xu of Livingston, N.J., 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 in three-hours and 3 minutes.
For updated tournament draws in each division, please go to: https://tennislink.usta.com/tournaments/TournamentHome/Tournament.aspx?T=208363#&&s=7
This past April, the USTA renamed the USTA Girls’ 16s & 18s National Championships to honor tennis icon Billie Jean King, a member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame. King is scheduled to attend the final two days of the tournament.
All tournament matches played on Stadium Court at the Barnes Tennis Center will be streamed live on the tournament website through Friday, August 10. The link is available at www.ustagirlsnationals.com/
The Tennis Channel schedule for the final two days of the tournament will be as follows:
Saturday, August 11
Girl’s 18s Singles Semifinals – 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. PDT (2 to 6 p.m. EDT)
Girl’s 16s Singles Final – 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. PDT (7:30 to 9:30 p.m. EDT)
Sunday, August 12
Girl’s 18s Singles Final – 1 to 3 p.m. PDT (4 to 6 p.m. EDT)
Over 400 of the top junior tennis players in the country, aged 16 and 18 and under, are competing for the title of National Champion, as well as a wild card entry into the Women’s Singles main draw of the 2018 US Open (for the 18s Champion) and a wild card into the 2018 US Open Junior Championships (for the 16s Champion). The 18s Doubles Champions will also receive a wild card into the US Open Women’s Doubles main draw.
The updated starting times for each day of the tournament will be as follows:
Thursday, August 9 through Sunday, August 12 — 9 a.m. (PDT)
(Starting times subject to change)
Admission and on-site parking at the Barnes Tennis Center is free each day of the tournament.
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18s TOP SEEDS TESTED BUT STILL ADVANCE AT USTA
BILLIE JEAN KING GIRLS’ 16s & 18s NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
Girls’ 16s Second Seed Valencia Xu Ousted in Thrilling Three-Setter
SAN DIEGO – (August 8, 2018) – The top three seeds in the Girls’ 18s division were tested on Wednesday at the USTA Billie Jean King Girls’ 16s & 18s National Championships, but they all advanced to the Round of 16 after winning hard-fought fourth-round matches at the Barnes Tennis Center.
Top-seed Kayla Day of Santa Barbara, Calif., fell behind 5-2 in the opening set of her match against unseeded Camille Kiss of Redlands, Calif., but recovered and went on to win 7-5, 6-3 in one-hour and 38 minutes. Day, who won the tournament title in 2016, will face 11th seeded Gabriella Price of New City, N.Y., on Thursday at 10:30 a.m.
Third-seeded Cori Gauff was extended to a tie-breaker in the first set of her fourth-round match but the 14-year old from Delray Beach, Fla., came through with a 7-6 (9), 6-2 victory in two-hours and 15 minutes over 33rd seed Carly Briggs of Calhoun, Ga. Gauff takes on 33rd seed Connie Ma of Dublin, Calif., tomorrow at 10:30 a.m.
Whitney Osuigwe, the Girls’ 18s second seed, also advanced to the Round of 16 as she got past 17th seeded Emma Navarro of Charleston, S.C., 6-3, 6-4. After winning the first set in 43 minutes, Osuigwe scored a key service break at 4-4 in the second set to take a 5-4 lead and then served out the match at love in the next game.
A year ago, Osuigwe reached the Girls’ 18s singles semifinals. After competing on the USTA Pro Circuit earlier this year, the 16-year old from Bradenton, Fla., comes into the tournament with a different outlook.
“I really don’t have any expectations. It’s a different year. Last year I was playing a lot of matches with the juniors and winning a lot,” she said. “This year it’s different because I’m stepping up to the next level. I’ve done well, but you can’t expect me to win as much as I did last year. It’s a different ballgame.”
Osuigwe added, “It’s a hard transition going from the juniors to the pros. Most people don’t see that. They think it’s the same thing. It’s a lot different. It’s good to win a couple of matches (here). We’ll see how far I can go.”
On Thursday, Osuigwe, who is ranked No. 400 in the current Women’s Tennis Association singles rankings, will meet 16th seeded Chloe Beck of Watkinsville, Ga., in the Round of 16 at 10:30 a.m.
In the Girls’ 16s division, top-seeded Gianna Pielet of El Paso, Texas, reached Thursday’s quarterfinals, but it wasn’t easy as she needed two-hours and 20 minutes to dispatch 33rd seeded Hailey Stelse of Scottsdale, Ariz., 6-3, 1-6, 6-1. Pielet is scheduled to play 33rd seed Elaine Chervinsky of Boca Raton, Fla., tomorrow at noon for a place in Friday’s semifinals.
The big upset of the day took place on the other side of the Girls’ 16s singles draw as 17th seeded Misa Malkin of Tucson, Ariz., eliminated second-seeded Valencia Xu of Livingston, N.J., 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 in three-hours and 3 minutes.
For updated tournament draws in each division, please go to: https://tennislink.usta.com/tournaments/TournamentHome/Tournament.aspx?T=208363#&&s=7
This past April, the USTA renamed the USTA Girls’ 16s & 18s National Championships to honor tennis icon Billie Jean King, a member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame. King is scheduled to attend the final two days of the tournament.
All tournament matches played on Stadium Court at the Barnes Tennis Center will be streamed live on the tournament website through Friday, August 10. The link is available at www.ustagirlsnationals.com/
The Tennis Channel schedule for the final two days of the tournament will be as follows:
Saturday, August 11
Girl’s 18s Singles Semifinals – 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. PDT (2 to 6 p.m. EDT)
Girl’s 16s Singles Final – 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. PDT (7:30 to 9:30 p.m. EDT)
Sunday, August 12
Girl’s 18s Singles Final – 1 to 3 p.m. PDT (4 to 6 p.m. EDT)
Over 400 of the top junior tennis players in the country, aged 16 and 18 and under, are competing for the title of National Champion, as well as a wild card entry into the Women’s Singles main draw of the 2018 US Open (for the 18s Champion) and a wild card into the 2018 US Open Junior Championships (for the 16s Champion). The 18s Doubles Champions will also receive a wild card into the US Open Women’s Doubles main draw.
The updated starting times for each day of the tournament will be as follows:
Thursday, August 9 through Sunday, August 12 — 9 a.m. (PDT)
(Starting times subject to change)
Admission and on-site parking at the Barnes Tennis Center is free each day of the tournament.
USTA Billie Jean King Girls’ 16s & 18s National Championships
Barnes Tennis Center
San Diego, Calif.
Wednesday’s Results
Girls’ 18s Singles
Fourth Round
Kayla Day (1), Santa Barbara, Calif., def. Camille Kiss, Redlands, Calif., 7-5, 6-3
Whitney Osuigwe (2), Bradenton, Fla., def. Emma Navarro, (17) Charleston, S.C., 6-3, 6-4
Cori Gauff (3) Atlanta, def. Carly Briggs, (33), Calhoun, Ga., 7-6 (9), 6-2
Salma Ewing, (4), Lakewood, Calif., def. Michelle Sorokko (17), Little Neck, N.Y., 6-2, 6-1
Caty McNally (5), Cincinnati, def. Chelsea Kung (17), Fort Worth, Texas, 6-1, 6-4
Connie Ma (33), Dublin, Calif., def. Elli Mandlik, (13), Bradenton, Fla., 6-3, 6-2
Chloe Beck (16), Watkinsville, Ga., def. Vivian Cheng, Santa Monica, Calif., 6-4, 6-0
Vanessa Ong (17), Oklahoma City, def. Peyton Stearns, (14), Mason, Ohio, 6-4, 7-5
Abigail Forbes (17), Raleigh, N.C., def. Alexa Noel (6), Summit, N.J., 6-0, 6-1
Girls’ 16s Singles
Round of 16
Gianna Pielet (1), El Paso, Texas, def. Hailey Stelse (33), Scottsdale, Ariz., 6-3, 1-6, 6-1
Misa Malkin (17), Tucson, Ariz., def. Valencia Xu (2), (Livingston, N.J., 6-3, 2-6, 6-4
Allura Zamarripa (4), Saint Helena, Calif., def. Lauren Anzalotta (16), Trujillo Alto, P.R., 6-2, 6-1
Hibah Shaikh (8), Teaneck, N.J., def. Victoria Mulville (17), Hoschton, Ga., 6-3, 6-0
Maribella Zamarripa (33), Saint Helena, Calif., def. Bridget Stammel (17), Dallas, 6-4, 6-0
For complete scores and results, go to: https://tennislink.usta.com/tournaments/TournamentHome/Tournament.aspx?T=208363#&&s=8Results0
