May 25, 2009
ATA Athletes Dominate 18s National Opens
Five of ATA’s top junior athletes competed in various national opens this past weekend, each earning successful results against the nations best.
National Opens are Level 2 national events. Entry is determined by the most current National Standing List, with the top 56 players selected from the age division of the event, and the top 8 players from the next lower age division.
Chase Curry and Jeff Offerdahl traveled west to El Paso to compete in the USTA National Open hosted by the El Paso Youth Center.
Curry came into the draw as the number 11 seed. After securing six straight wins in the boy’s 18s, he exited El Paso at the top, as draw champion. In the semi finals he faced Bryan Welnetz, who he beat 6-1, 1-6, 6-1. The final round pitted Curry against Texas’ Daniel Whitehead, the number 1 seed. Curry came up with his best tennis at the business end of both sets, taking the match and the tournament title 7-5, 7-5.
Jeff Offerdahl started his tournament with two tough wins to reach the round of 16. He defeated California’s M. Radford 6-2, 6-1 for his second win. After dropping his third match, Jeff rallied to earn four straight wins and a spot in the consolation finals. He defeated J. Reindel 6-1, 6-1 in the semi finals.
Curry and Offerdahl then teamed up to take on the doubles draw. Coming in seeded number six, the dominant duo surpassed their seeding prediction by earning four straight wins to claim the doubles draw championship.
While Curry and Offerdahl went west to El Paso, Blake Davis and Taylor Shamshiri traveled east to Norcross, GA to compete in a different USTA National Open.
Davis opened play with a streak of four wins to reach the semi finals. In the round of 16 Davis defeated Jimmy Roebker 6-2, 6-3. In the quarters he faced the number one seed Christian Schultz, who he eliminated 6-4, 6-3. After Shamshiri fell in two tough singles matches, the Texas twosome teamed up for doubles. They defeated the four seeds of Pfister and Roebker for their third straight win and a spot in the semi finals.
Brooke Hughes competed in California, in the Elk Grove USTA National Open. Brooke beat Emily Fraczek in her first singles match 6-1, 6-0. After falling to the number 1 seed, Hughes defeated Darya Ashim 6-1, 6-2. With parter, Craft, the duo earned four doubles matches to reach the finals.
These five athletes represented themselves and ATA with pride, even as they traveled far and wide to compete against peers from across the country. With two draw championships and another finalist between our athletes, to label it a successful weekend would be something of an understatement.
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