My tennis students compete at National Open tournaments

The hierarchy of USTA junior tennis tournaments is set up to accommodate all levels of athletes. Beginning with regional ZAT tournaments and extending up to international invitational tournaments like the Orange Bowl, the USTA setup integrates those with recreational goals while offering a strict pecking order for players with loftier ambitions. The National Open tournaments are level two national events, the second highest junior events in the United States. This past weekend many of ATA’s junior athletes disbursed across the country to compete in various National Opens, and showcase their hard work against peers with similar intentions in tennis.
Traveling to Irvine, California, Jeff Offerdahl and Chase Curry entered the boys’ 16s singles and teamed up for the boys’ 16s doubles. Curry started strong, earning a tough three set victory first round 5-7, 6-3, 6-4, over M. Alves from CA. Next he faced H. Porutiu, also from CA., taking the match 6-1, 6-1. In the third round Curry faced the nine seed, C. Kipouras, winning 6-2, 6-1 to earn a spot in the final eight. Offerdahl opened the tournament with a convincing 6-1, 6-2 victory over N. Hu from CA. Second round he fell in a tough three-set match, 0-6, 6-4, 6-3 to S. Eswaran from CA.
Mobile, Al. served as host to ATA’s 14s. Brittany Brewster won her opening round match 6-0, 6-2. She then rebounded from a second round loss to win two matches in the back draw while only dropping a collective two games. After dropping her opening round to the nine seed, Sydney Young fell in an epic consolation match, 5-7, 7-5, 6-3, to C. Fruge from Louisiana.
Claire Cahill traveled to Ann Arbor, MI. to compete against the top 16s girls in the country. In her opening match she battled G. Spindler from MI. in a tough three-set match. Spindler took the first set 6-3, but Cahill bounced back to earn the second set 7-5. Spindler ultimately came out on top, taking the decisive set 6-2. Next Cahill faced I. Ng, also from MI. Cahill came out strong, claiming the opening set 6-4. Ng responded however, winning the next two sets 6-2, 6-3.
While the National Open tournaments offer far tougher competition, the experience earned by competing on a national level is immeasurable. The ATA junior athletes who chose to compete in these events have ambitions that reach beyond the borders of the state. By showcasing their skills against the nations best in their age division, they now know exactly what it will take to succeed at this level.