Junior Orange Bowl 49th International Tennis Championship
Posted on 01. Dec, 2010 by john.maxsween
in Tennis Championship
(CORAL GABLES, FL, NOV 2010) – The world’s best 14 & under (U14) and 12 & under (U12) tennis players will be coming down to Coral Gables for the 49th annual Junior Orange Bowl International Tennis Championship. This prestigious junior tournament has received over 1200 entrant applications from 75 countries including Asia, Europe, North, South, and Central America. About 40 US states will be represented. The Junior Orange Bowl International Tennis Championship will be holding a qualifying event December 14-16. The main draw is set for December 17-23.
The Junior Orange Bowl International Tennis Championship is broken up into four divisions: Boys 14 & under, Girls 14 & under, Boys 12 & under, and Girls 12 & under. Each division will take place at a different location. Boys 14 & under will take place at the University of Miami Tennis Center. Girls 14 & under will be held at the Biltmore Tennis Center. Boys 12 & under will be held at the Tropical Park Tennis Center. Girls 12 & under will be at Salvadore Park.
Twenty of the twenty-five top-ranked US Boys 14 & under have entered the tournament, including #1 Daniel Kernerman from Brooklyn, NY; #2 Zandrix Acob from Hilo, HI; and #3 Javier Andres Restrepo from Miami, FL. Some other Floridians include #14 Stefan Kozlov of Pembroke Pines, who was the Junior Orange Bowl runner-up last year in the Boys 12 & under division and #18 David Crisovan of Hallandale Beach. Some of the prominent European players attending this year include #1 Gianluigi Quinzi from Italy and #3 Joshua Sapwell from Great Britain.The top 14 & under South American boys attending are #3 Christian Garin from Chile and #6 Lautaro Pane from Argentina.
Twelve of the twenty top-ranked US Girls 14 & under are participating, including #3 Brooke Austin from Indianapolis, who was the 2009 Junior Orange Bowl Girls 14 & under runner-up. #7 Dasha Ivanova from Beaverton, OR will also be participating. Local players include Julia O’Loughlin and Rianna Valdes both of Boca Raton.
#1 Ulyana Ayzatulina from Russia and #4 Ioana Ducu from Romania are among the top European girls in the 14 & under division. South American 14 & under girls include #11 Ingrid Martins Gamarra from Brazil and #20 Claudia Negron from Peru
Also attending, are several of the top-ranked boys in the 12 & under division, including US #1 Nathan Ponwith from Scottsdale, AZ and #2 William Blumberg from Greenwich, CT. #6 Alex Del Corral of Doral will be a local favorite. Top-ranked 12 & under girls participating include #1 Cristina Rovira of Port St. Lucie, FL and #3 US player Anna Sofia Kenin from Pembroke Pines, FL. Many of the top international 12 & under boys and girls will also be participating.
The Junior Orange Bowl International Tennis Championship has a rich history of attracting the world’s most promising young tennis players to Coral Gables. Past participants of the Junior Orange Bowl International Tennis Championship have included Juan Martin Del Potro, who won the 2002 Boys 14 & under championship and is the 2009 US Open champion as well as Justin Henin, who won the 1996 Girls 14 & under championship and is a seven-time Grand Slam winner. Other notable past participants are Andy Roddick, Caroline Wozniacki, Kim Clijsters, Andre Agassi, Monica Seles, Chris Evert, Jim Courier, and Mary Jo Fernandez.
This year’s finals for the Boys 14 & under, Girls 14 & under, and Boys 12 & under will all be held at the University of Miami Tennis Center on December 23, starting at 9:00 AM. The finals for the Girls 12 & under will be held at Salvadore Park at 8:00 AM on December 22.
The International Tennis Championship is one of 20 athletic, artistic, and cultural events that make up the 20010-2011 Junior Orange Bowl International Youth Festival. The Festival spans four months and is highlighted by the Junior Orange Bowl Parade, which is being held on January 2, 2011 at 4:00 PM.
The Junior Orange Bowl Festival is possible with the support of the City of Coral Gables, Miami Children’s Hospital, The Orange Bowl Committee, the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Tourist Development Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor, and Board of County Commissioners. The JOBC, Inc. is a non-profit 501 (c)(3) organization that serves the community of South Florida and the Youth of the world by providing opportunities for wholesome, competitive and multi-cultural experiences. For more information, please contact Director Jodi Steinbauer at 305-662-6072 or visit our website at www.jrorangebowl.org/tennis.
