92618_NWSLTR:SCTA Senior MAR 11/25/08 3:42 PM Page 1 SCTAwww.scta.usta.com Southernnews California Tennis Association DECEMBER 2008 The B’s And C Earned A’s Mark Winters Gabriela Paz Franco of Venezuela in a battle of unseeded players, 7-6, 6-1, to become the first American to win the Girls’ title since Tara Snyder in 1995. (Southern Calif- ornia’s Meilen Tu was the 1994 champion.) “I’m on cloud nine right now,” she said after the victory. “This is my first junior Mike and Bob Bryan All Photos: cameraworkusa tournament win in the he US Open was a SoCal showcase, as International Tennis Federation, and to do it Bob and Mike Bryan won their second at the US Open is an even greater achieve - Ttitle in New York and the sixth major ment for me. So, I’m just really happy.” of their career. Coco Vandeweghe, in only Though she lives in Rancho Santa Fe, the her third appearance in a junior Grand Slam Vandeweghe family has strong New Jersey event, captured her first big title. Were connections. Her family has a home there, Coco Vandeweghe grades given, the B’s and C earned A’s. and her grandparents are residents there. The twins defeated Lukas Dlouhy/ Her uncle Kiki is the General Manager of included her ever-present mother Tauna, Leander Paes 7-6, 7-6 in the Men’s Doubles the pro basketball team, the New Jersey who looked as if she could still swim and final. Mike said, “It feels really good to win, Nets, and the entire clan was on hand when play volleyball as she did as an intercollegiate especially in the US. This ranks as one of she performed. The Vandeweghe collection athlete at UCLA and her grandmother, our top achievements, especially playing Coleen Hutchins, a former Miss America. against those guys. The level of tennis and With an “other world dynasty” providing the crowd was spectacular. It felt like a support, Vandeweghe was asked if she was Davis Cup crowd out there.” given any advice, she responded that the Bob added, “We got better every match. group told her to “Smile”. We played an awesome semi (defeating She also received a wild card into the Tommy Robredo/Sergio Roitman 6-2, 6-1). I main draw and played Jelena Jankovic in the thought we even played better today. first round. The No. 2 seed triumphed 6-3, Leander was magical, as always. In a big 6-1. When asked if before the junior com - match you know he’s always going to bring petition, she could visualize being the win - his best stuff. He was hitting some crazy ner, Vandeweghe said, “I’d probably say what shots, and Lukas was ripping away. We had I said when I found out I was playing to play our best to beat those guys.” Jankovic. ‘You got to be kidding me. You’re Vandeweghe, a wild card entry, downed Sam Querrey (continued on next page) 92618_NWSLTR:SCTA Senior MAR 11/25/08 3:42 PM Page 2 www.scta.usta.com joking, right?” Or had to earn it; I did - majors. Of the part - something like that.” n’t just give it to him. nership, she admit - As impressive and That game, I think ted, “We first played satisfying as these he saved five or six at Pittsburg at the results were, there was a or seven break end of last year, and good deal more to the points. I was playing got to the final. We fortnight from a sec - the deuce points have played maybe tional perspective. just unbelievably, and seven events, but we Sam Querrey, who the ad points not know each other made his Grand Slam so good. It’s nice to very well and are tournament debut, know he actually very good friends.” reaching the quarterfi - had to go out there Spears pointed nals at the 2004 US and fight for it out that “we both Open Junior Boys’ rather than me played college tennis Championships, fol - handing it to him.” so we know what lowed his Beijing As always is the it’s like to have to Olympic experience, case since he turned adjust to different by playing his way into pro in June of 2006, partners. Going to the second week. Raquel Kops-Jones a group of Sam’s school gives you a “I made it to the “Samurai” provided chance to under - Alexa Glatch CBS weekend,” he said with a grin. “That encouragement in the match stand things better was the goal.” He added, “My first fourth against the Spaniard. “Four of my friends – and you can mature.” round of a major, and it’s great that it’s the Shane Poppen, Chap Way, Dan Farrugia and During the fall, they planned to play ITF US Open. It’s the one that, if I had to pick a Wes Burrows – flew out, took the red-eye Circuit events Kops-Jones said, “We are tournament to win, it would be this one. It’s last night, and they’re going back.” working on our schedules. We want to fun to play here. I had a blast on the court (In his inaugural Davis Cup match, fol- improve our singles rankings so we will play with the crowd behind me.” lowing the tournament, Querrey some $75,000s and He impressively downed Tomas Berdych – substituted for an exhausted Quebec. But, our 6-3, 6-1, 6-2; Nicolas Devilder 7-6, 6-4, James Blake – was again defeated goal is to get into 4-6, 6-3; and Ivo Karlovic 7-6, 7-6, 6-2. Rafael by Nadal, when the US faced the main draw in Nadal, the top seed, brought his Open to an Spain in the semifinals. The doubles at the end 6-2, 5-7, 7-6, 6-3. After the match the game’s top player won 6-7, Australian Open.” winner said, “I know him. He’s a good 6-4, 6-3, 6-4.) Wildcards Jill player, no? We know Raquel Kops-Jones/ Craybas/Eric Butorac that.” Abigail Spears were also earned “best Admitting that he brilliant defeating showing” praise. was nervous at the Yung-Jan Chan/Chia- They edged Ai start, Querrey said, “I Jung Chuang, last Sugiyama/Kevin definitely got looser as year’s finalists and Ullyett, the No. 3 the match went on. It the No. 3 seeds, 7-5, seeds, 6-4, 6-4 and was pretty windy. The 6-1 in the first round. reached the Mixed wind died down, and I Anabel Medina Doubles semifinals felt the longer the Garrigues/Virginia before Liezel Huber/ match went on, the Ruano Pascual, a wily Michael McClune Jamie Murray side - harder and more free I tandem, slipped past lined them 6-3, 6-4. was on my forehand, the duo 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 in the Kaes Van’t Hof earned a doubles wild especially hitting inside Women’s Doubles quarter - card winning the NCAA title with Robert out to his forehand. I finals. It was the Cal/UCLA Farah. Unfortunately, Farah was unable to was wailing on it. My partnership’s best showing at a play so Van’t Hof teamed with Michael forehand was feeling major. McClune. The duo surprised Butorac/ really good, especially “This was pretty amazing,” Jaroslav Levinsky 5-7, 6-3, 6-4. In their sec - in the fourth set.” Spears said. She had played ond match, tour veterans Martin Damm/ He continued, “He Grand Slam tournaments in Pavel Vizner had “one of those” days, dis - had to earn the third the past while Kops-Jones was missing the Newport Beach tandem 6-0, 6-0. set and fourth set. He Abigail Spears in her rookie year of the “I was going to sign-up originally with 2 92618_NWSLTR:SCTA Senior MAR 11/25/08 3:42 PM Page 3 www.scta.usta.com Tim Smyczek, but I was told we wouldn’t get For Lin, whose brother Eric was a in,” McClune said. “Kaes and I got together. UCLA All-American and is now an We both have big serves, hit the ball hard orthopedic surgeon specializing in and have good hands. Against Damm/Vizner the spine, it was her last match. it didn’t matter. They didn’t miss. They made “School is very important in my us play every point. We didn’t serve well. In family,” she said. “I’m planning to go fact, we returned better. We were trying to to medical school. It’s sad, I won’t grind it out, but they played too well.” get the adrenalin rush from playing Van’t Hof, the son of former NCAA sin - anymore, but I won’t miss practice.” gles winner, pro star and coach of Lindsay She continued, “I told Riza after Davenport, Robert, added his name to we lost that I was disappointed, but USC’s Open doubles success list, duplicating playing together was one of the best the first round win that Eric Amend/Byron experiences of my life. I wasn’t in Black scored in 1989 (defeating Andrei the doubles line-up at the beginning Olhovsky/Horst Skoff, 7-5, 6-3). “It was a of the year. All of a sudden, we got very weird process,” Van’t Hof said of get - Kaes Van't Hof and Riza Zalameda together and we became No. 1. ting in the draw. He went on to say, “I doubles, proved that a good doubles team Winning the NCAA Team Champ- remember coming to New York when my was better than two stars playing singles on ionship and the doubles was fantastic.