Tennis Briefs: American Day Wins US Open Girls’ Title; Powershares Orlando

Orlando Powershares Tennis Moved to Jan. 5, McEnroe Added

A date change from December to Jan. 5, and John McEnroe replacing an injured Andre Agassi mark the PowerShares Series event to be played at the Amway Center in Orlando in early 2017.

McEnroe will open up play against Jim Courier at 7 p.m. to be followed by Andy Roddick taking on James Blake. Each PowerShares Series event features two one-set semifinal matches and a one-set championship match. For the second straight year players will make their own line calls with assistance of electronic line-calling.

Agassi has been forced off the PowerShares Series tour for an undetermined time due to a back injury. In his only tournament appearances this season, he lost to Roddick in the final of Charleston, and fell to Blake in the semifinals of Chicago in April.

Mark Philippoussis leads the PowerShares Series rankings through eight events with 1,600 points, going undefeated in match play while winning five tournament titles in Memphis, Tulsa, Newport, Winston-Salem and New Haven. Roddick is in second place in the rankings with 1,100 points and tournament titles in Charleston, S.C., and St. Louis, Mo.

The Orlando Community & Youth Trust will be the official charity for the event. For more info contact Tom at Thomas.sweitzer@cityoforlando.net.

For tickets, as well hit-with-the-pros opportunities and VIP backstage access, go to www.PowerSharesSeries.com.

American Day Wins, Florida’s Kenin Semifinalist at US Open Girls’ Championships

Kayla Day (photo: Pete Staples/USTA)

Californian and No. 5 seed Kayla Day won the US Open junior girls’ title over the weekend, in the final defeating Russian Viktoria Kuzmova 6-3, 6-2 for her first junior slam title.

“It means so much to me to play for my country and win,” Day said afterwards.

No. 8-seeded Sofia Kenin of Pembroke Pines, Fla., reached the semifinals where she narrowly fell to the No. 13-seeded Kuzmova 6-7(2), 7-5, 7-6(3). The Russian delivered 23 aces against Kenin en route to the win.

Day is the first American junior to win a Grand Slam singles title since Samantha Crawford at the US Open title in 2012.

The 16-year-old ran out to a 4-1 lead in the first before wrapping up the set, and in the second comfortably built a 4-0 lead before eventually clinching the title.

Day, who will rise to No. 1 in the next ITF junior world rankings, also reached the doubles final with countrywoman Caroline Dolehide.

The pair fell in the doubles final to the Californian wild card team of Jada Hart, a freshman at UCLA, and Ena Shibahara, who won the first all-American final at the US Open in 24 years 4-6, 6-2, 13-11.

“These were the best two weeks of my life,” Day said. “Every day was great!”

For more info go to www.usta.com/news.