SECOND SEEDED CICI BELLIS MOVES INTO 4TH ROUND AT USTA GIRLS 18S NATIONALS

Written by: Staff on 5th August 2014

SECOND SEEDED CICI BELLIS MOVES INTO 4TH ROUND AT USTA GIRLS 18S NATIONALS |

Photos by J. Fred Sidhu

It was another day filled with exciting tennis at the USTA Girls’ 18s & 16s National Championships Presented by adidas as top seeds in the Girls’ 18s advanced to the fourth round at the Barnes Tennis Center.

The surprising result of the day came in the Girls’ 16s as top-seeded Ryan Peus of Palos Verdes, Calif., was upset by 17th seeded Lexi Milunovich of New Canaan, Conn., 6-0, 6-4 in a fourth-round match.

Girls’ 18s top-seed Louisa Chirico of Harrison, N.Y., avoided an upset in her third-round match as she rebounded from the loss of the first set to get past 17th seeded Caroline Dolehide of Hinsdale, Ill., 2-6, 6-2, 6-3. Chirico will face ninth-seeded Caroline Lampl of Bluemont, Va. in Wednesday’s fourth round.

Fifteen-year-old CiCi Bellis of Atherton, Calif., the Girls’ 18s second seed had an easier time in her third-round match as she overwhelmed unseeded Alexandra Valenstein of Laguna Hills, Calif. 6-0, 6-1.

Bellis has compiled a 34-4 record in international junior competition this summer, winning four International Tennis Federation junior singles titles. She arrived at the USTA Girls’ 18s National Championships as the No. 2 ranked junior player in the world.

“I’ve been playing really well this summer. I went to Europe and played a bunch of tournaments there and that helped my ranking a lot by doing well in those. It was really fun,” Bellis said. “I love my forehand, but I’ve been working on everything and making everything (in my game) stronger.”

When asked if she was thinking about the US Open main draw wild card, which is awarded to the 18s champion, Bellis answered, “No, not until the very end will it be on my mind. It’s such a hard tournament and everyone is so good. You just have to go match by match.”

In other Girls’ 18s third-round action, third-seeded Katerina Stewart of Coral Gables, Fla. eliminated unseeded Amy Yang of Alpharetta, Ga., 6-2, 6-1 and fourth-seeded Brooke Austin of Indianapolis defeated unseeded Sara Daavettila of Williamston, Mich., 6-3, 6-4 to reach the fourth round.

Also advancing was fifth-seeded Tornado Black, a 6-4, 6-1 winner over fellow Boca Raton, Fla. resident and 17th seed Ellie Halbauer.

For complete match scores, results and draws, please go to: http://tennislink.usta.com/Tournaments/TournamentHome/Tournament.aspx?T=139068#&&s=7

Wednesday’s matches are scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. (PDT). The USTA Girls’ 16s & 18s National Championships Presented by adidas continue through Saturday, Aug. 9
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Friday and Saturday’s action at the USTA Girls’ 18s & 16s National Championships Presented by adidas will be broadcast live on RadioTennis.com, which will offer audio play-by-play of matches on Stadium Court throughout each day.

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 US Open Women’s Doubles main draw.

Admission and on-site parking are free at the Barnes Tennis Center. The starting times for the remaining days of the tournament are as follows (all times are PDT):
Wednesday, Aug. 6 8:30 a.m. Barnes Tennis Center
Thursday, Aug. 7, Friday, Aug. 8 and Saturday, Aug. 9 9 a.m. Barnes Tennis Center

Starting times are subject to change. For latest updates, go to: http://www.ustagirlsnationals.com/

About USTA Girls’ 16s & 18s Nationals Presented by adidas:
The USTA Girls’ 16 & 18s National Championships Presented by adidas are the premiere hard court tennis tournaments for amateur and professional American girls aged 18 and 16 and under in the United States. In 2010, both age groups began playing their events concurrently at San Diego’s Barnes Tennis Center. Tournament participants, who represent nearly every state in the United States, have been endorsed by their respective USTA Section or have received USTA special exemptions based on their results in qualifying tournaments, junior rankings, or results on the WTA Tour or International Tennis Federation Junior Circuit. Past tournament champions include Chris Evert, Tracy Austin, Andrea Jaeger, Zina Garrison, Mary Joe Fernandez, Jennifer Capriati and Lindsay Davenport.

About George E. Barnes Family Junior Tennis Center:
The Center is owned and operated by Youth Tennis San Diego. It was built in 1995 and completed in 1997. The $4.5 million dollar junior tennis facility was made possible with generous public and private donations and is named after the lead donor family – the “George E. Barnes Family Junior Tennis Center.” The Center, which is dedicated to the youth of San Diego, offers children 18 and under court priority over adults with advanced reservations.

USTA Girls’ 16s & 18s National Championships

Barnes Tennis Center

San Diego, Calif.

Surface: Hard Court

Tuesday’s Results

Girls’ 18s Singles

Third Round

Louisa Chirico (1), Harrison, N.Y., def. Caroline Dolehide (17), Hinsdale, Ill., 2-6, 6-2, 6-3

Catherine Bellis (2), Atherton, Calif., def. Alexandra Valenstein, Laguna Hills, Calif., 6-0, 6-1

Katerina Stewart (3), Coral Gables, Fla., def. Amy Yang, Alpharetta, Ga., 6-2, 6-1

Brooke Austin (4), Indianapolis, def. Sara Daavettila, Williamston, Mich., 6-3, 6-4

Tornado Ali Black (5), Boca Raton, Fla., def. Ellie Halbauer (17), Boca Raton, Fla., 6-4, 6-1

Jessie Aney (7), Rochester, Minn. def. Risa Nakagawa, Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., 6-3, 6-0

Caroline Lampl (9), Bluemont, Va., def. Raquel Pedraza, Claremont, Calif., 6-3, 6-1

Jessica Ho (17), Wexford, Pa., def. Mia Horvit, Parkland, Fla., 6-3, 6-3

Michaela Gordon (17), Saratoga, Calif., def. Francesca Dilorenzo (8), New Albany, Ohio, 6-3, 6-7 (4), 6-3

Ingrid Neel (17), Bradenton, Fla., def. Kelly Chen (10), Cerritos, Calif., 6-2, 6-3

Sofia Kenin (15), Pembroke Pines, Fla., def. Arnelle Sullivan, Brooklyn, N.Y., 6-2, 6-3

Josie Kuhlman (16), Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., def. Kaitlyn McCarthy (17), Cary, N.C., 6-4, 7-5

Gabrielle Andrews (17), Pomona, Calif., def. Katharine Fahey (11), Fair Haven, N.J., 7-5, 6-2

Usue Arconada (17), Rio Piedras, P.R., def. Andie Daniell (12), Douglasville, Ga., 6-4, 6-4

Brienne Minor (17), Mundelein, Ill., def. Chloe Ouellet-Pizer, Chapel Hill, N.C., 6-3, 6-1

Ena Shibahara (14), Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., def. Christina Rosca (17), Princeton, N.J., 6-3, 6-2

Girls’ 16s Singles

Fourth Round

Lexi Milunovich (17), New Canaan, Conn., def. Ryan Peus (1), Palos Verdes Estates, Calif., 6-0, 6-4

Kayla Day (2), Santa Barbara, Calif., def. Abigail Desiatnikov, Atlanta, Ga., 5-7, 6-3, 7-6, (7)

Morgan Coppoc (12), Tulsa, Okla., def. Maria Mateas (8), Braintree, Mass., 6-3, 1-6, 6-3

Alexandra Sanford (4), Westerville, Ohio, def. Helen Altick (17), Monroe, La., 6-2, 6-4

Chiara Lommer (6), Glenview, Ill., def. Adriana Reami (17), Miami, 6-3, 6-1

Kylie McKenzie (9), Anthem, Ariz., def. Sabrina Xiong (17), Fresh Meadows, N.Y., 6-1, 6-2

Makenna Jones (3), Greenville, S.C., def. Priya Niezgoda, Austin, Texas, 3-6, 6-4, 6-1

Riley McQuaid (17), Tustin, Calif., def. Carson Branstine, Orange, Calif., 7-6 (5), 6-4

For complete scores and results, please go to: http://tennislink.usta.com/Tournaments/TournamentHome/Tournament.aspx?T=139068

Topics: 16 and over tennis, 18 and over tennis, American tennis news, California Tennis, Lexi Milunovich, Ryan Peus, Sports, Tennis, Tennis News, USTA Nationals

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10sBalls_com says:

August 5, 2014 at 9:11 pm

SECOND SEEDED CICI BELLIS MOVES INTO 4TH ROUND AT #USTA GIRLS 18S NATIONALS – http://t.co/em7Ia5t67w @USTAProCircuit #tennis
JFredSidhu says:

August 5, 2014 at 9:12 pm

RT @10sBalls_com: SECOND SEEDED CICI BELLIS MOVES INTO 4TH ROUND AT #USTA GIRLS 18S NATIONALS – http://t.co/em7Ia5t67w @USTAProCircuit #ten…
JFredSidhu says:

August 6, 2014 at 6:53 am

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