Townsend And Kozlov To Lead Americans In US Open Junior Championships

Written by: Bob Larson Tennis on 26th July 2013

Townsend And Kozlov To Lead Americans In US Open Junior Championships

epa03617243 Taylor Townsend of USA Ana prepares to serve to Ivanovic of Serbia during their match at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament in Indian Wells, California, USA, 09 March 2013. Ivanovic won the match. EPA/PAUL BUCK |

Former world No. 1 junior Taylor Townsend (17, Chicago) and Stefan Kozlov (15, Pembroke Pines, Fla.), the youngest player in the Top 20 of the world junior rankings, lead the Americans accepted to play in the US Open Junior Championships, September 1-8 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, N.Y.

Townsend, currently No. 5 in the world junior rankings, will play in her third junior Grand Slam in 2013 after reaching the finals at Wimbledon and the quarterfinals at the French Open. She made history in 2012 by finishing the year as the world’s top-ranked junior – the first American girl to hold that distinction in 30 years – before turning pro this year.

Kozlov, the only 15-year old in the Top 20 of the world junior rankings at No. 15, leads the American boys in the main draw after reaching the junior quarterfinals at Wimbledon. Kozlov, who trains out of the USTA Training Center – Headquarters in Boca Raton, Fla., played his first ATP-level main draw match in July in Newport, R.I., pushing then-No. 113 Michal Przysiezny to three sets, nearly winning in a second-set tiebreak.

Also accepted to the girls’ main draw are No. 21 Christina Makarova (17, San Diego), and Sachia Vickery (18, Hollywood, Fla.). Accepted for qualifying (August 30-31) are No. 48 Johnnise Renaud (17, North Miami, Fla.), No. 67 Katrine Isabel Steffensen (17, Scarsdale, N.Y.), No. 76 Alicia Black (15, Boca Raton, Fla.) and Brooke Austin (17, Indianapolis). They are all competing to become the third straight American US Open girls’ singles champion, following Samantha Crawford (2012) and Grace Min (2011).

Americans accepted into the boys’ main draw are No. 29 Thai-Son Kwiatkowski (18, Charlotte, N.C.), No. 44 Luca Corinteli (18, Alexandria, Va.) and No. 50 Martin Redlicki (17, Hawthorn Woods, Ill.). Accepted for qualifying are No. 59 Spencer Papa (17, Edmond, Okla.) and No. 82 Michael Mmoh (15, Temple Hills, Md.).