ITF Backspin (Wk.50)- The Star-Spangled Bannerettes Yet Wave

The 2009 preview has started, but the young Americans are just revving up in 2008.

And they don't have to duck flying shoes, either.




ITF PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Tereza Hladikova/CZE
...the 20-year old Czech Maiden, ranked #221, won her first ITF singles titles in the week's biggest event, a $25K in Prevov, Czech Republic. In fact, she swept both the singles AND doubles, notching wins over Anna Floris and Andrea Hlavackova.
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SURPRISE: Maria-Teresa Torro-Flor/ESP
...the 16-year old Spaniard won her first career ITF title in Benicario, Spain's $10K event. Ranked #1020 in the world, Torro-Flor defeated 19-year old American Ashley Weinhold in the final. Speaking of Americans...
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FRESH FACES: The Young Americans

Orange Bowl champ Julia Boserup
...more and more often, American teenagers are making tennis headlines again. Last week, Lauren Embree won the Eddie Herr junior event. This week, it was 17-year old Julia Boserup winning the 18s in the junior Orange Bowl tournament, defeating fellow Boca Raton camper American Christina McHale, 16, in a very competitive 6-4/2-6/6-3 final. It was Boserup's first ITF junior title. Five of the final eight girls were Americans, and all four semifinalists (including Embree and Sloane Stephens, who destroyed #1-seed Ana Bogdan 6-0/6-0 in the QF). Meanwhile, Embree and Asia Muhammad took the doubles over Brooke Bolender and Beatrice Capra in another all-American final. The search for "The Next One" continues, but the pool appears to be far wider and deeper than it has been in years. Colette Lewis has her usual great junior recap of the Orange Bowl action at Zoo Tennis.
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1. Australian Open Wild Card Playoff 1st Rd. - Brittany Sheed d. Jessica Moore
...6-2/6-3. The 17-year old Aussie thereby places her name in the upcoming young Sheilas discussion.
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2. Australian Open Wild Card Playoff 1st Rd. - Jelena Dokic d. Sophie Letcher
...6-3/6-0. Fitter and saying all the right things (so far), Dokic begins her most recent comeback... err, I meean continues it... or is it begins? It's hard to keep it straight after all this time.
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There's only one ITF event this coming week, but it's a fairly well-attended $75K in Dubai that includes the likes of Urszula Radwanska and 2008 circuit title-leader Masa Zec-Peskiric.


All for now.