Taylor Townsend, Connor Farren Lead U.S. Competition

Written by: Staff on 18th January 2012

Taylor Townsend, Connor Farren Lead U.S. Competition |

TAYLOR TOWNSEND, CONNOR FARREN LEAD U.S. COMPETITORS

AT 2012 AUSTRALIAN OPEN BOYS’ AND GIRLS’ CHAMPIONSHIPS

Townsend is Top-Ranked Player in USTA Girls’ 18s Standings;

ITF World No. 16 Farren is the Top-Ranked American in Either Field

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., January 18, 2012 — The USTA announced today the ten girls and four boys who have been accepted into the main draw and the qualifying draw at the 2012 Australian Open Junior Championships. The main draw will be played January 22 – January 28 at Melbourne Park in Melbourne; qualifying will be played January 19-20.

The following juniors have been accepted into the girls’ and boys’ singles draws and will represent the United States:

U.S. Girls – Main Draw

Gabrielle Andrews, Pomona, Calif.

Samantha Crawford, Tamarac, Fla.

Christina Makarova, San Diego

Kyle McPhillips, Willoughby, Ohio

Stephanie Nauta, Bradenton, Fla.

Taylor Townsend, Stockbridge, Ga.

Sachia Vickery, Miramar, Fla.

U.S. Boys – Qualifying Draw

Mackenzie McDonald, Piedmont, Calif.

John Harrison Richmond, Pawley’s Island, S.C.

Trey Strobel, Bradenton, Fla.

U.S Girls – Qualifying

Julia Elbaba, Oyster Bay, N.Y.

Krista Hardebeck, Santa Ana, Calif.

Catherine Harrison, Germantown, Tenn.

U.S. Boys – Main Draw

Connor Farren, Hillsborough, Calif.

Townsend, a 15-year-old who trains full-time at the USTA Training Center Headquarters in Boca Raton, Fla., is the highest-ranked American girl in the field at No. 24 in the ITF World Junior Rankings. She is currently the top-ranked player in the USTA Girls’ 18s National Standings. Farren, 17, is the only American boy to earn direct entry into the main draw, and is the highest-ranked American in either field at No. 16 in the ITF World Junior Rankings after reaching the final at the Coffee Bowl in Costa Rica earlier this month. Vickery, 16, has had strong performances of late, reaching the semifinals of the 2011 Orange Bowl before capturing the Coffee Bowl to start 2012. Andrews, 15, is the reigning USTA Girls’ 18s National Clay Court Champion.

Madison Brengle (2007) was the last American to reach a junior singles final at the Australian Open. Three Americans – Donald Young (2005), Andy Roddick (2000) and Kim Kessaris (1989) – have captured Australian Open junior singles titles in the Open Era, while Lindsay Davenport (1992), Brian Dunn (1992), Andrea Farley (1989), Tim Wilkison (1977) and Jay Dilouie (1976) were also singles finalists.