Hey Tennis Friends!
This year I had the privilege of emceeing the finals weekend of the 2010 Easter Bowl National Spring Championships held at the Rancho Las Palmas Country Club in Rancho Mirage, California. This is the only National Championships where the top juniors in multiple age groups and gender divisions compete at the same venue at the same time.
I was not able to get any video of me performing my duties, as the event was being covered by television, however, I was allowed to report on the event. As I have mentioned before, I cannot always get my MacBook’s built-in camera in the best location, or at the best angle, but you can definitely get a feel for the action!
Here is my report from Day One of the finals:
There was so much more going on than the action on Center Court, but, I can only cover so much. It’s great to see so many promising young Americans fighting their way to the top with so much class and sportsmanship.
Here are the results of the matches that I mentioned:
Boy’s 14s Singles Final
(#11 seed) Jordan Belga def. (#4 seed) Stefan Kozlov 1-6, 6-2, 6-1
Girl’s 18s Singles Final
(Unseeded) Krista Hardebeck def. (#1 seed) Lauren Davis 7-5, 6-3
Krista Hardebeck is the reigning USTA Clay Court champion, and had just won the International Spring Championships in Carson the previous week. The last time a junior won both of these tournaments back-to-back was two years ago by someone you may have heard of recently . . . Melanie Oudin!
Girl’s 14s Singles Final
(#1 seed) Gabby Andrews def. (#4 seed) Kimmie Yee 4-6, 6-3, 6-2
Girl’s 18s Doubles Final
(#1 seeds) Grace Min / Lauren Herring
def. (#6 seeds) Courtney B. Dolehide / Ellen Tsay 6-4, 6-4
Next week, I’ll conclude my report on the 2010 Easter Bowl with coverage of Day Two of the finals.
I’ll see you next time, with more tennis, . . . outside the lines!
– Marcus Tennis
Tags: 2010, Coachella Valley, Courtney B. Dolehide, Easter Bowl, Ellen Tsay, Gabby Andrews, Grace Min, Jordan Belga, Kimberly Yee, Kimmie Yee, Krista Hardebeck, Lauren Davis, MacBook, Mary Lynn Baker, Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa, Rancho Mirage, Southern California, Stefan Kozlov, Tennis, USTA Juniors