Florida Players Osuigwe, Salu Win Titles at Eddie Herr Junior Chps. Tennis

Whitney Osuigwe

Bradenton’s Whitney Osuigwe last weekend won the Eddie Herr International Junior Championships for the first time, in the process clinching the year-end world No. 1 ITF junior ranking, and in the final defeating unseeded Clara Burel of France 6-4, 4-6, 6-1.

The 15-year-old top seed was competing at the Eddie Herr for the eighth time.

“I’m pretty good in third sets to be honest,” Osuigwe told zootennis.com. “She’s been playing a lot more games than me, and I could tell that she was tired, so I just moved her around.”

It was the biggest result of the year for the French player.

“I was too tired,” said the 16-year-old Burel. “I played a lot matches in three sets this week, so I was tired and she played better in the third set.”

Osuigwe says WTA results will be her priority in 2018 but she is not ruling out playing some junior events. She is competing this week at the Orange Bowl.

In the boys’ 14s singles final Naples’ Alex Bernard, the top seed, fell to No. 2 seed Shintaro Mochizuki of Japan 6-3, 6-2.

Osuigwe paired with U.S. Junior Fed Cup teammate Caty McNally to win the doubles title as the top seeds, in the final rolling past No. 7 seeds Thasaporn Naklo of Thailand and Naho Sato of Japan 6-3, 6-1.

Another doubles winner was Sarasota’s Andrew Salu, who teamed with Californian Kyle Kang to win the boys’ 12s doubles final after a walkover against Japan’s Lennon Jones and Yutti Oki.

Lakewood Ranch’s Ava Krug was runner-up in the girls’ 12s doubles with Californian partner Tsehay Driscoll. The No. 2 seeds were edged 7-6(5), 2-6, 12-10 by the top-seeded pair of Czechs Brenda Fruhvirtova and Linda Fruhvirtova.

For the full Eddie Herr results including draws go to
http://tennislink.usta.com/Tournaments/TournamentHome/Tournament.aspx?T=206163#&&s=8Results0.