Blake Leads 5 Florida Players Winning Titles at USTA National Jr. Hard Courts

Boca Raton’s Angelica Blake

Florida players won five titles with three runner-up efforts, led by Boca Raton’s Angelica Blake who swept the singles and doubles in the girls’ 16s at the USTA National Jr. Hard Court Championships, held in the 18s-12s divisions across the country last week.

Blake, coached by Nick Saviano and Eric Riley, won the USTA Girls’ 16s National Championships at the Barnes Tennis Center in San Diego, Calif. In the singles final as the No. 9 seed she defeated No. 14 seed and fellow Floridian Nikki Redelijk (Windermere) 3-6, 6-2, 6-4. In the doubles final she teamed with Redelijk as the No. 17 seeds to upset the No. 5-seeded team of Kylie Collins (Savannah, Ga.) and Shelly Yaloz (Little Neck, N.Y.) 6-2, 7-5.

“The third set was filled with lots of ups and down, breaks and holds,” Blake told Tennis Panorama. “We were trying so hard and we were both so tight, but I think we ended up playing pretty well. It was a competitive match. I just thought, ‘Go out there and go for it.’ I’ve been on a court with line officials before, but the atmosphere with Tennis Channel and everyone watching, it was very nerve-wracking.”

The final was broadcast on Tennis Channel for the first time in tournament history. Blake will received a wild card into the main draw of the US Open Junior Championships, and Blake/Redelijk into the junior doubles.

The 18s boys’ and girls’ winners received main draw wildcards into this month’s US Open. The singles runners-up in the boys’ and girls’ 18s divisions are traditionally offered wild card entries into the US Open Qualifying Tournament, while the Boys’ and Girls’ 16s champions earn wild card entries in to the US Open Junior Championships.

From left: Connor and Jake Krug of Lakewood Ranch

Tampa’s Vasil Kirkov won the boys’ 18s doubles championship, while the team of William Grant (Boca Raton) and Tyler Zink (Bradenton) captured the boys’ 16s championship, and the team of brothers Connor and Jake Krug (Lakewood Ranch) won the boys’ 14s championship.

Kirkov was top-seeded at the USTA Boys’ 18s National Championships in Kalamazoo, Mich., with partner Danny Thomas (Reynoldsburg, Ohio). In the final they defeated No. 2 seeds Patrick Kypson (Raleigh, N.C.) and Oliver Crawford (Spartanburg, S.C.) 7-6(1), 6-2, earning a US Open main draw doubles wild card. The No. 3-seeded team of Grant-Zink at the USTA Boys’ 16s National Championships, also in Kalamazoo, Mich., defeated No. 24 seed Siem Woldeab (La Mesa, Calif.) and Eshan Talluri (San Diego) 6-2, 6-3 in the final to earn a wild card into the junior doubles tournament.

The top-seeded Krug brothers won the USTA Boys’ 14s National Championships in Mobile, Ala., in the final defeating the No. 8-seeded team of Evan Lee (Cos Cob, Conn.) and Thomas Navarro (Williamsville, N.Y.) 6-1, 7-5. The twins lost only one set in the tournament, and are the grandsons of ESPN basketball commentator and Lakewood Ranch resident Dick Vitale.

Finishing runner-up in singles were Gainesville’s Ben Shelton, son of University of Florida coach and former ATP World Tour player Bryan Shelton, in the 14s final, and Plantation’s Natalie Block in the 12s final.

Shelton at the USTA Boys’ 14s National Championships in Mobile, Ala., as the No. 17 seed fell in the final to No. 4-seeded Saud Alhogbani (Alexandria, Va.) 7-5, 6-3. Block at the USTA Girls’ 12s National Championships in Alpharetta, Ga., as the No. 9 seed lost in the final to No. 2-seeded Eleana Yu (Mason, Ohio) 6-3, 6-1.

Final Results:

USTA Boys’ 18s National Championships
Kalamazoo College, Kalamazoo, Mich., August 5-13
Singles: (2) Patrick Kypson (Raleigh, N.C.) d. J.J. Wolf (Cincinnati), 6-7(1), 6-4, 1-6, 6-3, 6-2
Doubles: (1) Vasil Kirkov (Tampa, Fla.) / Danny Thomas (Reynoldsburg, Ohio) d. (2) Kypson / Oliver Crawford (Spartanburg, S.C.), 7-6(1), 6-2
 
USTA Girls’ 18s National Championships
Barnes Tennis Center, San Diego, August 5-13
Singles: (3) Ashley Kratzer (Newport Beach, Calif.) d. (33) Kelly Chen (Cerritos, Calif.), 6-2, 4-6, 6-4
Doubles: (5) Claire Liu (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) / Taylor Johnson (Redondo Beach, Calif.) d. (6), Hailey Baptiste (Washington, D.C.) / Ellie Douglas (McKinney, Texas), 6-7, 6-3, 6-2
 
USTA Boys’ 16s National Championships
Kalamazoo College, Kalamazoo, Mich., August 5-13
Singles: (1) Brandon Nakashima (San Diego) d. (8) Stefan Dostanic (Irvine, Calif.), 6-0, 6-1
Doubles: (3) William Grant (Boca Raton, Fla.) / Tyler Zink (Bradenton, Fla.) d. (24) Siem Woldeab (La Mesa, Calif.) / Eshan Talluri (San Diego), 6-2, 6-3
 
USTA Girls’ 16s National Championships
Barnes Tennis Center, San Diego, August 5-13
Singles: (9) Angelica Blake (Boca Raton, Fla.) d. (14) Nikki Redelijk (Windermere, Fla.), 3-6, 6-2, 6-4
Doubles: (17) Blake / Redelijk d. (5) Kylie Collins (Savannah, Ga.) / Shelly Yaloz (Little Neck, N.Y.), 6-2, 7-5
 
USTA Boys’ 14s National Championships
Mobile Area Tennis Association, Mobile, Ala., August 5-12
Singles: (4) Saud Alhogbani (Alexandria, Va.) d. (17) Ben Shelton (Gainesville, Fla.), 7-5, 6-3
Doubles: (1) Connor Krug / Jake Krug (Lakewood Ranch, Fla.) d. (8) Evan Lee (Cos Cob, Conn.) / Thomas Navarro (Williamsville, N.Y.), 6-1, 7-5
 
USTA Girls’ 14s National Championships
Metro Tennis Associates, Peachtree City, Ga., August 5-12
Singles: (17) Robin Montgomery (Washington, D.C.) d. (33) Reese Brantmeier (Whitewater, Wisc.), 6-0, 6-1
Doubles: (1) Savannah Broadus (Carollton, Texas) / Kailey Evans (Ennis, Texas) d. (5) Carson Tanguilig (Alpharetta, Ga.) / Elise Wagle (Niskayuna, N.Y.), 6-2, 3-6, 6-1
 
USTA Boys’ 12s National Championships
Mobile Area Tennis Association, Mobile, Ala., August 5-12
Singles: (4) Lucas Brown (Plano, Texas) d. (1) Aidan Kim (Milford, Mich.), 6-2, 3-6, 6-4
Doubles: (1) Brown / Learner Tien (Irvine, Calif.) d. (2) Nicholas Godsick (Chagrin Falls, Ohio) / Kim, 7-6(8), 6-7(4), 6-4
 
USTA Girls’ 12s National Championships
Windward Lake Club, Alpharetta, Ga., August 5-12
Singles: (2) Eleana Yu (Mason, Ohio) d. (9) Natalie Block (Plantation, Fla.), 6-3, 6-1
Doubles: Brooklyn Olson (Mission Hills, Kan.) / Natalia Perez (Guaynabo, P.R.) d. (2) Katherine Hui (San Diego) / Madeleine Jessup (Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif.), 6-0, 4-6, 6-1
 
For more info go to www.usta.com/news.