Sixth-Seeded Brooke Austin Dispatches Defending Champ Victoria Duval in Girls’ 18s Quarterfinals

Written by: Staff on 10th August 2013

Sixth-Seeded Brooke Austin Dispatches Defending Champ Victoria Duval in Girls’ 18s Quarterfinals |

San Diego, Calif. – (August 9, 2013) – A year ago, Victoria Duval of Bradenton, Fla. captured the USTA Girls’ National Championship. During her title run, she defeated Brooke Austin of Indianapolis, Ind. in a tough three-set semifinal match.

On Friday afternoon, in a re-match between 17-year-olds, Duval, seeded No. 3, met the sixth-seeded Austin in the Girls’ 18s quarterfinals at the Barnes Tennis Center. This time it was Austin’s turn to advance as she ousted the defending champion with a hard-fought 6-3, 4-6, 6-0 victory, which took two hours and 10 minutes.

“It’s a great feeling. Last year I lost to her and I was up 4-1 in the third set,” Austin said. “She’s a really good player. I know her really well. We’re good friends. It was a tough match to play. It was a good one.”

When asked if she was thinking of the US Open wild card that is award to the Girls’ 18s champion, Austin said, “Obviously it’s a big deal in this tournament, so I’m trying not to think about it, but (yes), it would be pretty cool to get it.”

In other Girls’ 18s Quarterfinal action, top-seeded Sachia Vickery of Miramar, Fla., second-seeded Allie Kiick of Plantation, Fla., and fourth-seeded Taylor Townsend of Boca Raton, Fla. all advanced to the Saturday’s semifinals with straight-set victories.

In Saturday’s Girls’ 18s semifinals, Townsend will face Kiick at 9:30 a.m. (PDT) and Vickery will play Austin in the second semifinal, which will not begin before 11 a.m. (PDT).

Girls’ 16s top-seed Ena Shibahara of Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif. advanced to Saturday’s singles championship as she recovered from the lost of the first set to defeat 17th seeded Raveena Kingsley of Fulton, Md., 1-6, 7-6 (3), 6-0.

Later in the afternoon, Shibahara teamed with Savannah Slaysman of Phoenix to win the Girls’ 16 doubles championship as the top-seeds edged the sixth-seeded doubles team of Francesca Dilorenzo of New Albany, Ohio and Lauren Goodman of Fort Wayne, Ind., 7-5, 6-3.

In tomorrow’s Girls’ 16s singles final, which will not begin before 1 p.m. (PDT), Shibahara will face second-seeded Katerina Stewart of Miami, who defeated 7th seeded Meredith Xepoleas of Huntington Beach, Calif., 7-5, 6-3 in a semifinal match.

Tournament officials named Brienne Minor of Mundelein, Ill., the No. 5 seed in the Girls’ 16s, as the Babolat Player of the Day. Minor reached the singles quarterfinals on Thursday and nearly upset Shibahara, giving the No. 1 seed all she could handle, before falling 6-4, 5-7, 7-5.

The award, which is presented to a player each day of the event, is based equally on competitive achievement and sportsmanship.

Nearly 400 girls aged 16 and 18 and under are competing for the title of National Champion, as well as a Wild Card entry into the singles main draw of the US Open Women’s Championships (for the 18s Champion) and a Wild Card into the US Open Junior Championships (for the 16s Champion). The 18s Doubles Champions will also receive a Wild Card into the main draw of the US Open Women’s Doubles competition.

Spectator admission and on-site parking at the Barnes Tennis Center is free.

For Saturday’s full order of play, go to: http://www.ustagirlsnationals.com/Home_Page.php

To view the complete tournament draws go to: http://tennislink.usta.com/Tournaments/TournamentHome/Tournament.aspx?T=121938t

Topics: Sports, Tennis, Tennis News, USTA Girls’ National Championship