Austin Tennis Academy News

January 6, 2009

ATA's Top Juniors Travel to Arizona for Winter Nationals

The nations top talent in junior tennis traveled to Arizona over the holidays to take part in the USTA Winter National Championships. ATA’s best accepted invitations to enter the year-end championships and play against peers from coast to coast.

While the 16s and 18s were sent to Scottsdale, the 12s and 14s traveled to Tucson. In the girls’ 12s, Maggie O’Meara matched up against Rianna Valdes first round. Valdes, the nine seed and eventual semi-finalist took the match 6-0, 6-0. O’Meara next faced Hawaii’s Alyssa Tobita. After Maggie took the first set 6-0, Tobita claimed the next two sets 7-5, 6-1 to earn the match. After a third loss, Maggie entered the southeast consolation draw, where she found her stride. O’Meara fought to earn three wins and a spot in the finals where she faced Arizona’s Sarah Parker. After splitting the first two sets 6-2, 4-6, O’Meara would not be denied, snatching the third set 6-0 to secure the championship and celebrate her fourth straight victory.

Allie Burak faced Emma Davis first round. Davis, the seventeen seed, took the match 6-1, 6-3. Burak bounced back however, defeating New York’s Mia Vecchio 2-6, 6-1, 6-1. Nexted she faced A. Kevakian out of California, who won the match 6-3, 6-3.

In the girls’ 14s, Brooke Hughes faced Alexa Anton-Ohlmeyer from California first round. Hughes rebounded after dropping the first set 3-6 to claim the next two 6-2, 6-2. She next faced A. Benotto Wood, also from California. Wood, the seventeen seed, came out on top 6-1, 6-1. In her next match Hughes faced E. Gebes from Colorado, falling 6-0, 6-3.

Brittney Brewster faced Emily Hahn from Richmond, VA first round. Hahn moved on taking the match 6-2, 6-1. Brewster next matched up against Joulia Likhanskaia out of San Diego. Likhanskaia advanced by a score of 6-2, 6-1.

In the boys’ 14s, Josh Hagar faced the seventeen seed Joshua Goodman first round. Goodman prevailed in a tough three set match, 6-1, 2-6, 6-4. Hagar rebounded to win his next two matches while only dropping four games. First he faced Colorado’s Harrison Lang, defeating him 6-2, 6-1. Next was Florida’s J. MacKenzie who fell to Hagar 6-1, 6-0.

The Phoenix area played host to the 16s and 18s divisions for their USTA National Winter Championships. Jeffrey Offerdahl first matched up against Zachary Katz of Boca Raton, FL. Katz, the nineteen seed, took the match 6-4, 6-4. Jeff next faced Joe Dorn from Washington, DC. Offerdahl out worked Dorn, defeating him 6-3, 6-4. Next up for Offerdahl was Alex Patron of Staten Island, NY. Patron, the twenty-two seed, took the match 6-3, 6-4.

Chase Curry entered the tournament as the fifteen seed. In his first round match he faced Connor Farren of Hillsborough, CA. Curry fell to Farren in two tight sets, 6-4, 6-4. Curry next matched up with Robbie Mudge of Winston Salem, NC. Mudge managed to claim the match 6-0, 6-4.

The two Texan’s teamed up to play doubles and were awarded the number ten seed. First they faced the duo of Hirschberg and Steinroeder out of Westport, CT and Concord, MA respectively. After Jeff and Chase earned the first set 6-3, the New England pair claimed the second set 6-7(4). In the third set the Texas team proved to be to much, taking the match 6-1 in the decisive set. The second round matched Curry and Offerdahl against another Texas team, Korinek and Martinez from Mansfield and Houston. After taking the first set in a tie breaker 7-6(3), Korinek and Martinez claimed the second set 6-3 to earn a spot in the round of 16.

Taylor Shamshiri and Claire Cahill also competed in the doubles draw. Shamshiri teamed up with Stratton Gilmore out of Madison, WI. They faced a Florida team of Bogolomov and McCourt who claimed the match 6-4, 6-4. Cahill combined with Marina Fileva of Marlborough, MA to take on the California duo of Matsuoka and Onaga. The West coast pair prevailed, talking the match 6-3, 6-0.

For many junior tennis players competing in a National Championship event is a goal that is only reached in dreams. The ATA junior athletes who were invited to Arizona showed once again the dedication and sacrifice necessary to succeed at this level by foregoing their winter vacations for the opportunity to compete against the best America has to offer. Participating in this event highlights their commitment both to the game they love and the lifestyle required to succeed in it.

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