Taylor Townsend Leads Strong US Junior Field at French Open
TAYLOR TOWNSEND RETURNS TO JUNIOR COMPETITION AT FRENCH OPEN
Townsend to Play First Junior Event in 2013;
Stefan Kozlov Among Youngest in Boys’ Field
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., May 13, 2013 – Taylor Townsend (17, Chicago), the No. 1-ranked junior in the world at the end of 2012, will play in her first junior event of 2013 at the Roland Garros French Open Junior Championships June 2-8 in Paris.
Townsend finished last year as the No. 1-ranked junior in the world, becoming the first American girl in 30 years to hold that distinction. She remains No. 10 in the ITF world junior rankings despite thus far having played only professional tournaments in 2013. In her first WTA-level main draw match, Townsend beat then-No. 57 Lucie Hradecka in the first round of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Calif., in March.
Townsend, who in 2012 won the Australian Open junior singles title and junior doubles titles at the Australian Open, Wimbledon and US Open, headlines an American girls’ contingent accepted to play in the French Open Junior Championship that includes Victoria Duval (17, Delray Beach, Fla.), currently No. 285 in the WTA rankings. In 2012, Duval won the USTA Girls’ 18s national title to earn a wild card into the US Open main draw, where she played Kim Clijsters in the first round.
Christina Makarova (16, San Diego), currently No. 11 in the ITF world junior rankings, No. 29 Sachia Vickery (18, Hollywood, Fla.) and No. 39 Jamie Loeb (18, Ossining, N.Y.) are also in the girls’ main draw, while No. 56 Louisa Chirico (16, Harrison, N.Y.), was accepted for qualifying.
Townsend, Duval and Vickery each train at the USTA Training Center – Headquarters in Boca Raton, Fla., while Chirico trains at the USTA Training Center – East in Flushing, N.Y.
Thai-Son Kwiatkowski (18, Charlotte, N.C.), currently the top-ranked American junior boy at No. 16 in the world, leads the Americans accepted to play the boys’ main draw, followed by No. 19 Stefan Kozlov (15, Pembroke Pines, Fla.), No. 23 Noah Rubin (17, Rockville Centre, N.Y.), No. 38 Luca Corinteli (17, Alexandria, Va.) and No. 40 Spencer Papa (17, Edmond, Okla.). No. 49 Martin Redlicki (17, Hawthorn Woods, Ill.) was accepted for qualifying.
Stefan Kozlov
Photo: Cynthia Lum/USTA
Kozlov is the youngest player in the Top 20 of the world junior rankings and is the second youngest player in the French Open boys’ main draw. Rubin, who has been ranked as high as No. 6 in the world junior rankings, reached the quarterfinals of last year’s French Open Junior Championship, while Papa advanced to the third round last year.
Currently, Kozlov and Papa train at the USTA Training Center – Headquarters in Boca Raton, Fla. Kwiatkowski and Redlicki previously trained there, Kwiatkowski for three years, and Corinteli trains at the Junior tennis Champions Center in College Park, Md., a USTA Certified Regional Training Center.
—USTA
Fitness Fascism: USTA Eats Own Young
The USTA owes more than a hotel room and a plane ticket to Townsend
This entire US Open is making me question the respect the USTA gives its young talent. First, you’ll remember the ridiculous headline on USOpen.Org referring to Christina McHale as “McFail” after an early exit from the tournament. I was willing to chalk that gaffe up to a freelance writer and not blame the entire USTA.
Now, I’m not so sure.
The news that US and World #1 Taylor Townsend was derided by some fitness fascists in Player Development is absolutely disgusting. The USTA wanted to bench Townsend from the Open. Or at least make it harder for her to get there. The Wall Street Journal broke the news, and if you’re reading this blog, you already know the story.
I don’t want to watch an endless procession of cookie-cutter Sugarpovas out there. We celebrate diversity of body types in other sports, whether its wiry wide receivers, bulky linebackers, titanic power sluggers, or 5’9 point guards. But it seems that the ratings-driven White Plains Trash want to shape tennis in its own misogynistic image.
If you think that sounds harsh, remember that there hasn’t been any talk like this about the guys. On the mens side with its higher TV ratings, the USTA hums ‘the Home of the Brave’: Seldom is heard a discouraging word and the skies are not cloudy all day.
Reimbursing Townsend and her mom for plane tickets, a hotel room and cab fare isn’t going to cut it, boys. It really is time to fire Patrick McEnroe and his posh posse at Player Development. Even if he didn’t personally make the decision to bar her, the buck stops with him. His back-pedaling has been embarrassing and his unapologetic ongoing conflict-of-interest as a television commentator already compromised him before this latest incident.
I promise you this: Townsend will win at least one more grand slam than PMac’s none. The man made one grand slam semifinals singles appearance. I pray to God that Townsend and Gabby Andrews destroy their opponents in the doubles final today and Serena Williams vanquishes Vika. If Serena wants to give back to the game, she ought to take over Player Development in the near future.
Patrick McEnroe and his Kangaroo Court Need to Hop Along into the Outback
As for you, Taylor, you are one of the sweetest, soft-spoken and talented players I have ever met. I’m sorry the USTA treated you like they did.
I attempted to cancel my USTA membership effective immediately today, but they wouldn’t let me. Someone is supposed to call me back. Control freaks.
Like a predatory insect, the USTA eats its own young.
–S. Fogleman, USTA Member #2010241838
Taylor Townsend Takes Two Titles, Five Towels
TTT: The extra T is for Thank You from America!
The Southpaw from Stockbridge, GA has struck again. Last night, she worked her way through three grueling sets against Russian Yulia Putintseva to earn the 2012 Australian Open Junior’s Singles title. This is, of course, not her first Grand Slam title. She won the Girl’s Doubles trophy just a day earlier with fellow yank Gabby Andrews.
Townsend’s powerful serve and groundstrokes allowed her to dominate the first set 6-1. But Putintseva came roaring back and Townsend’s problems at the net allowed the Russian to finish off the second set 6-3. Townsend was down 4-0 in that set and seemed to get her rhythm back at the end of the set.
Putitntseva has learned to throw a racquet...and a fit
The third set was as entertaining as an erupting volcano. Putintseva, who had fist-pumped and screamed at almost every point in the match to date, now began to unravel. She clearly was having trouble recovering emotionally after each lost point. I counted 12 racquet tosses and stopped counting. Townsend controlled her errors long enough to allow the young Russian to continue to over-hit balls and Townsend served it out at 3.
Though Putintseva tried to steal the show with her emotions, the night belonged to the American.
After the match, she told USTA.com’s Special Aussie Correspondent Craig Gabriel that she liked the fact that she’d had experience with Hawk Eye challenges during her match on the Pit (Court 17) at last year’s US Open.
“I didn’t feel like a newbie. I felt like I knew what I was doing and then kind of went over and clarified with the guys, like, Okay, we get three challenges per set, right? ”
Later, she added that she wouldn’t have dreamed of coming all the way Down Under just to make the trip.
She said “I wasn’t gonna come here regardless. This is a long trip. It’s a lot of money that’s being spent. We weren’t gonna come here if I wasn’t confident that I could win the tournament.”
That is such an important point. The personal financial and physical strain on the players and their families are enormous and often-overlooked.
Couldn't have happened to a nicer person!
A great gift from the Open, other than the mantel pieces she earned, was that “I’m so happy I got a towel. That’s what I really wanted!”
Later, she said “I was actually surprised that I saw four towels, like two towels on one seat, two towels on the other. I was like, Whoa, I’m gonna snag these. That’s exactly what I did.”
Finally, under tough cross-examination by Gabriel about her one towel comment, she admitted: “I now have five”.
Take as many towels as you like, TT. Tennis Maryland would have invaded the laundry room and shipped a hundred back. Let’s hope your towel collection will only be surpassed by your trophy collection.
Speaking of laundry, thanks for doing the dirty work & bailing out the US of A!
Taylor Townsend: American Thunder Down Under #AusOpen #USTA
TT
Stockbridge Georgia Southpaw Taylor Townsend is roaring down under, earning her first grand slam swag with a Girl’s Doubles trophy in Melbourne earlier today after grabbing a spot in the Girl’s Singles final. Townsend and Gabrielle Andrews, a Pomona, CA native and former Winter 18s champion, took out the top-seeded pair of Irina Khromacheva and Danka Kovinic in a third set super tiebreak, 10-8.
Did we mention that she took the Girl’s Doubles title just a couple of hours after reaching the Singles final? In this case, she bested former Orange Bowl champion Krista Hardebeck 7-6(3) 6-4.
While she came into the event ranked #428 in singles and #233 in doubles, we now believe that Williams Sisters Superdad Richard Williams is a sage for the ages. After watching Townsend in US Open qualifying, he told the New York Times five months ago that “if you just give her a few years, she’ll be beating a hell of a lot of people.” Unfortunately, we don’t have that kind of time. We need her now, and she’s delivering.
The #14 seed, Townsend will face #4 Yulia Putintseva in tonight’s Girl’s Singles final. Putintseva is Paris-trained by Martina Hingis. The match will be played at 9 p.m. EST on Rod Laver Arena.
The future is bright, TT. Thanks for giving the USA a reason to cheer for our own on this exciting final weekend of the Australian Open.
Australian Open Wild Card Playoffs: Day 1 Women’s Recap
Top seeds Coco Vandeweghe and Alison Riske won with relative ease today, while Madison Keys upset world #141 Jamie Hampton and Gail Brodsky knocked out local favorite Melanie Oudin at the Racquet Club of the South in Norcross, Georgia in Australian Open Wild Card Playoff Quarterfinals matches.
She's back!
Keys, who was also the #6 seed en route to winning the US Open Wild Card Playoffs in College Park, Maryland over the summer, struggled in the first before edging Hampton 3-6, 6-4, 9-7. That’s 9 games to 7, as no tiebreak is played and the matches are considered Grand Slam qualifiers. Vandeweghe recorded 5 aces in a row en route to a 6-4, 6-4 win over upstart Taylor Townsend. Brooklyn’s Gail Brodsky outlasted Melanie Oudin 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, finishing Oudin’s mediocre season on a sour note. Second seeded Alison Riske had the easiest match of the day by far in double bageling Grace Min.
Taylor Townsend was gracious in defeat and her attitude will win her support going forward. She claimed that she had not even read the USA Today article about her.
Attendance was impressive, especially for an opening round. The sea of fans was in stark contrast to the College Park event, making one wonder if Atlanta might indeed be America’s tennis town. There were unconfirmed reports that tickets are almost sold out for the remainder of the weekend. With the exit of Oudin, Hampton, Townsend and Min, no women with connections to Georgia or Racquet Club of the South are left in the event. Speaking of Georgia connections, Irina Falconi was everywhere today. She stayed for every match and must have posed for 500 photographs with fans. She took a little time to hit when there was a break in the action. It was a perfect chance to test the slow motion video option on the camera. It’s dark. Not Edgar Allen Poe or Morrissey dark, but it should be more interesting during outdoor court season.
Australian Open Wild Card Draw (Norcross, GA December 16-18, 2011)
| 1. Bobby Reynolds (127) | ||||||||
|
|
| | |||||||
| 8. Rhyne Williams (511) | | |
|
| | |||||
|
|
| | | | ||||||
| 4. Robby Ginepri (318) | | |
|
| | |||||
|
|
| | | | | | |||||
| 5. Steve Johnson (369) | | |
|
| | | | ||||
|
|
| | | | ||||||
| 3. Denis Kudla (275) | | |
|
||||||
|
|
| | | | ||||||
| 6. Jack Sock (380) | | |
|
| | | | ||||
|
|
| | | | | | |||||
| 2. Jesse Levine (164) | | |
|
| | |||||
|
|
| | | | ||||||
| 7. Daniel Kosakowski (410) | | |
|
| | |||||
|
|
| | |||||||
| 1. CoCo Vandeweghe (127) | ||||||||
|
|
| | |||||||
| 8. Taylor Townsend (432) | | |
|
| | |||||
|
|
| | | | ||||||
| 4. Melanie Oudin (164) | | |
|
| | |||||
|
|
| | | | | | |||||
| 5. Gail Brodsky (227) | | |
|
| | | | ||||
|
|
| | | | ||||||
| 3. Jamie Hampton (141) | | |
|
||||||
|
|
| | | | ||||||
| 6. Madison Keys (270) | | |
|
| | | | ||||
|
|
| | | | | | |||||
| 2. Alison Riske (135) | | |
|
| | |||||
|
|
| | | | ||||||
| 7. Grace Min (352) | | |
|
| | |||||
|
|
| | |||||||
Kangaroos and Didgeridoos: Pat Jensen Prepares to take Atlanta Tennis Down Under
On Thursday, we had a great conversation with the First Mother of American Tennis, Patricia Jensen, who is also serving as Director of tournament operations for the Australian Open Wild Card Playoffs in Norcross, Georgia next weekend. When we learned that Jensen raised four children who played professional tennis at some point in their lives, doubling our guess, it became clear that she is easily up to the task of organizing a national event with international implications.
Jensen confirmed that USTA Director of Player Development Patrick McEnroe will once again be playing in the WTT Exhibition match on Friday night, and although Courier is not 100% confirmed to play as of the date of the interview, the tournament will set up separate cheering sections for each player. They’re even bringing in the Master of Ceremonies from the Kansas City Explorers and a US Marines Color Guard with US and Australian flags. Finally, there will be the singing of both national anthems to open the ceremonies on Saturday night.
The Player party on Friday night is sponsored and inspired by Outback Steakhouse, and will include decorating the entire banquet room in Aussie flair complete with didgeridoos. Only Australian wines will be served at the event. Unfortunately, Foster’s and Cooper’s will not be served due to other brewer commitments.
Woz is cuckoo for Kangaroo (stories)
The Australian theme is pervasive, and could include kangaroos again on display during kid’s day activities on Saturday. Kid’s day activities are Jensen’s personal favorites. “Last year, we did as much as we could to create a virtual experience in Australia”. An entire ‘Down Under Village’ is once again under construction, and consultation and items will again be provided by the Australian Embassy in Washington and the Australian Business Consulate in Atlanta to authenticize the event.
The Racquet Club of the South will also be the first location outside of Australia to purchase official 2012 Australian Open commemorative posters, It’s a great gift for a tennis fan.
Jensen readily made her case when asked if Atlanta was the “best tennis town” in the United States. “We are the world capital of tennis”, she declared, and noting that Atlanta didn’t even enter itself into the 2010 nationwide contest. Without campaigning, it came in second to Charleston, S.C. “Atlanta has 12 different competitive leagues, 125,000 recreational players and a magazine distribution of 87,000. ALTA is very competitive with the USTA.” It appears the USTA also knows there’s tennis gold in those Georgia hills.
Jensen was diplomatic when asked who would get the biggest cheers at Racquet Club of the South next weekend. Jamie Hampton used to drive from Birmingham, Alabama every day to train at RCS. Although Melanie Oudin may train in Boca Raton as of late, “she will always be from Marietta”. On the men’s side, she expects crowd support for Bobby Reynolds, but notes that “Atlanta loves Jesse Levine and fell in love with Robby Ginepri”.
Though Tennis Maryland won’t be in Norcross until Thursday, there will be interview opportunities with Irina Falconi and Donald Young on Wednesday, with a possible hit with Young and the press. We are truly crushed. If you’re weren’t already, we bet you wish you were going to the Wild Card Playoffs now.
Who will make ‘Main Draw Roll Call’ Down Under?: USTA Australian Open Women’s Wild Card Playoffs
Ten days from today, one lucky American woman in Norcross, Georgia will land herself a trip down under. The USTA Australian Open Wild Card Playoffs features up-and-comers on both the men’s and women’s sides at the Racquet Club of the South outside Atlanta from December 16-18. We’ll break down the women’s field today and feature the men next week. All seeds are based upon the current field and their USTA ranking of November 28.
PLAYERS
Vandeweghe has beaten many names you know, including Zvonareva
#1 Coco Vandeweghe: The twenty year old Vandeweghe, ranked #122 internationally, has played in 25 events this year and reached her career high of World #89 in April. Even with an 18-25 singles record, she was able to appear at all 4 Grand Slam main draws and reach the second round at Flushing Meadows. She is an AO Wild Card former finalist and champion. Last year, as a quarterfinalist at the Toray Pan Pacific Open, she knocked off Julia Georges, Tathiana Garbin, Jarmilla Gajdosova, Klara Zakopalova, and Aravane Rezai IN THE SAME WEEK! Vandeweghe, the 2008 US Open girls’ singles champion, is definitely a strong favorite. Her expected first round opponent would be Taylor Townsend. And yes, we believe Vandeweghe will the tallest competitor in the field at 6’1″.
Alison ready for Riske vs. Reward at the Wild Cards
#2 Alison Riske, a Tennis Maryland favorite, has had a very busy 2011 with a respectable 35-27 singles in 29 events. She is tied with Oudin for the most 2011 appearances of any player in the field and showed up at the main draw of every Grand Slam except Roland Garros this year. Currently the world #135, her expected first round opponent would be Grace Min.
Hampton is one of the more accessible players on the tour
#3 Jamie Hampton: Currently the world #141, Hampton has a middling 26-24 singles record this year, having played in the main draw of the Australian and US Opens this year. She could face Madison Keys in the first round. Unbelievably, Hampton is the ‘oldest’ player in the field, meaning that she will turn the ungodly age of 22 between the Playoffs and the Australian Open. She also trains in Marietta and can be considered a local at the event.
If there's a home-court advantage, Melanie's got it
#4 The Melanie Oudin: Marietta native Oudin is clearly going to be a crowd favorite as the darling of the host facility where she trains and former darling of the entire nation in 2009. At #164, she probably wishes she didn’t have to pull a play-in to the Australian Open after sitting pretty at #31 less than 18 months ago. Though she’s composed a 10-33 singles record in 2011, she has played a lot of tennis in 29 events. She may face Gail Brodsky in the first round quarterfinals.
Brodsky is very intimidating on-court, very friendly off-court
#5 Gail Brodsky: Brooklyn’s Brodsky brings an impressive 42-22 year-to-date singles record to the Playoffs. Her world ranking of #227 may be deceptive given her run this year. She would likely face Melanie Oudin in the opener, which could be the best Friday match-up on the women’s side.
Madison made a nice drive to Flushing Meadows. Could she get the Keys to go to Melbourne?
#6 Madison Keys (#270): With only 9 events behind her in 2011, the 16 year old excited tennis fandom with a first round victory at the US Open while being ranked #455. She is the current defending Wild Card Champion, having plowed through the field at the US Open Playoffs in College Park, Maryland in August. Keys is likely to face Jamie Hampton in the opener.
#7 Grace Min (#352): At 17, Atlanta native and local fave Grace Min would like to be the next Madison Keys in terms of a run into the main draw. She boasts a 2-1 record over Keys in 2011 and has competed in 9 events this year. She won the US Open Girl’s singles championship in September after taking the Wimbledon Girl’s Doubles title earlier this year. Min would probably take on the #2 seed Alison Riske.
#8 Taylor Townsend: 16 year old Stockbridge, GA resident Townsend is the only southpaw in the field. At #432, we admit that this is all we know about her: 1) she will likely face #1 seed Vandeweghe, 2) she was coached by Donald Young, Sr. and 3) Richard Williams thinks “she’ll be beating a hell of a lot of people.” She is currently competing in the third round at Orange Bowl 18s as the #16 seed.
ANALYSIS
Like the top 30, the Women’s Wild Card field is equally competitive and probably just as topsy-turvy. The players in this field haven’t met as often as one might initially surmise. While Grace Min and Madison Keys have played each other three times this year (with Min winning twice), no other players have that much head-to-head experience in 2011. Melanie Oudin, although posting only 10 wins in 43 singles matches this year, is 4-0 against the field, having defeated Hampton twice and Riske and Brodsky once.
Min, Townsend, Oudin and even locally-trained Hampton will have large local cheering contingents, but no one will get more crowd support than Melanie. Madison Keys recent emergence makes her a very strong threat to the five higher-ranked players above her. And Vandeweghe, Riske and Hampton could be considered #1 co-seeds.
Tennis Maryland is going to go with Oudin or Vandeweghe based on expreience to win for the automatic main draw berth but a team effort by Riske, Brodsky, Hampton and Keys will force it to stay intensely interesting. We’re predicting close matches, especially Hampton/Keys and Oudin/Brodsky in the Friday openers.
Tennis Maryland is thrilled to be able to be on location during the Playoffs to provide you with live twitter coverage of all matches of the USTA Australian Open Wild Card Playoffs, all well as press conference video and interviews with key players throughout the event. Live coverage will begin at 9:30 a.m. on Friday, December 16. If you can make it to Racquet Club of the South, tickets are reasonably priced, available at australianwildcard.com and linked here. There’s a reason they call it wild, because anything can happen.
Most recent case and point: #6 seed Madison Keys, with the same seeding at Racquet Club of the South and at the Tennis Center at College Park in August.
Tennis Maryland to cover USTA Australian Open Wild Card Playoffs
Tennis Maryland had so much fun at the US Open Wild Card Playoffs at the Tennis Center in College Park in August that we are very intrigued about the 3rd annual USTA-sponsored Australian Open Wild Card Playoffs at Racquet Club of the South in Norcross, Georgia, part of a reciprocal international pact on these things. One American man and woman from the playoffs will automatically advance to the main draw of the Australian Open in Melbourne in January.
The most exciting and intimate tennis event and the USTA’s finest platform for dedicated fans, the playoffs offer a genuine chance for fans to see the future and the future-of-the-future American upstarts, as witnessed by Tennis Marylanders in College Park in August at the US Open Wild Card Playoffs. It is the closest thing to VIP-style access that the average fan can experience without going into debt. And, most importantly, you’ll have bragging rights that you saw them when.
Racquet Club of the South is hosting 16 players, at least 12 or more who can genuinely be considered true upstarts.
We are pleased to announce that we will be there for you. Expect interviews, live twitter coverage of every match, frequent website updates, photos, and video press conference coverage beginning on December 16, with first matches (quarterfinals!) beginning at 10 am all the way through the Finals on Sunday afternoon. If there is any player you want us to cover (even for your website), drop us a line at TennisMaryland@gmail.com.
We’ll also provide coverage of Jim Courier and Patrick McEnroe leading a WTT exhibition and a player’s party taking place Friday night along with kid’s day events on Saturday. We’re sorry that we won’t be able to see the sights of Atlanta, but this is one compact weekend tournament–about 56 hours.
For tix and info, visit www.australianwildcard.com or just click on the promotional banner at the top of the post.
