From the USTA: WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., April 20, 2016 – The USTA today announced that eight top junior boys qualified for the 2016 Team USA National Junior Team, a training program designed to give a collection of America’s best young players, born in either 2000 or 2001, opportunities to train together during the summer and travel to play against top junior competition from around the world. The girls’ team will be selected in May.
Players qualified for the team through a playoff, held this past weekend at the USTA Training Center in Boca Raton, Fla. Players were invited for the playoff based on tournament results, USTA national or ITF world ranking.
2016 Team USA National Junior Team – Boys
Christian Alshon (Boca Raton, Fla.; Coach: Eleazor Magallon)
Andrew Fenty (Washington, D.C.; Coach: Asaf Yamin)
Michael Heller (Weston, Fla.; Coach: Arthur Heller)
Jaycer Lyeons (San Antonio, Texas; Coach: Joe Lyeons)
Govind Nanda (Cerritos, Calif.; Coach: Vahe Assadourian)
Adam Neff (Bradenton, Fla.; Brandon Wagner)
Axel Nefve (Hinsdale, Ill.; Jack Sharpe)
Sangeet Sridhar (Glendale, Ariz.; Lou Belken)
(Full results from the playoff are listed below)
USTA Player Development will provide the National Junior Team with training opportunities and coaching and travel assistance to select ITF junior tournaments throughout the summer, beginning with the Delray Beach ITF junior event on April 28.
Alshon, the No. 2-rated player in the USTA Boys’ 16s national standings, won the Boys’ 16s singles title at the USTA Winter National Championships in December and recently reached the Boys’ 16s singles quarterfinals at the prestigious Easter Bowl junior tournament. Fenty, the son of former Washington, D.C., mayor Adrian Fenty, is the No. 12-ranked sophomore in the country by Tennis Recruiting Network, while Heller is its No. 5-ranked freshman nationally. Lyeons, also a Boys’ 16s quarterfinalist at the 2016 Easter Bowl, is rated the No. 1 freshman in America by Tennis Recruiting Network.
Nanda has risen more than 600 spots in the ITF world junior rankings for all players ages 18 and under in 2016, to No. 212, after winning an ITF singles title in Guatemala and reaching two additional ITF singles finals. Neff, who has been profiled by the Wall Street Journal, was a Boys’ 16s singles quarterfinalist at the Easter Bowl and finalist at the USTA International Spring Championships this year. Nefve, meanwhile, defeated Neff for the USTA International Spring Championships Boys’ 16s singles title. Sridhar reached the Boys’ 16s semifinals at the prestigious Eddie Herr junior tournament in December.
2016 TEAM USA National Junior Team – Boys
Day 1 Results:
Keenan Mayo d. Drew Baird, 6-4, 6-3
Michael Heller d. Jaycer Lyeons, 6-1, 2-6, 6-1
Sangeet Sridhar d. Nathan Han, 6-2, 6-1
Adam Neff d. Trey Hilderbrand, 6-1, 6-2
Andrew Fenty d. Robert Hammond, 6-3, 6-1
Christian Alshon d. Brian Shi, 7-6(5), 6-3
Govind Nanda d. William Grant, 5-7, 6-3, 6-4
Axel Nefve d. Tomas Kopczynski, 6-4, 6-1
Day 2 Results:
Michael Heller d. Drew Baird, 7-5, 7-6(4)
Christian Alshon d. Robert Hammond, 6-1, 6-0
Govind Nanda d. Tomas Kopczynski, 6-4, 5-7, 6-3
Sangeet Sridhar d. Adam Neff, 5-7, 7-6(4), 7-6(1)
Jaycer Lyeons d. Keenan Mayo, 6-4, 7-6(5)
Trey Hilderbrand d. Nathan Han, 7-5, 6-2
Andrew Fenty d. Brian Shi, 6-2, 6-1
Axel Nefve d. William Grant, 6-1, 6-2
Sangeet Sridhar d. Trey Hilderbrand, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3
Adam Neff d. Nathan Han, 6-4, 6-3
Michael Heller d. Keenan Mayo, 7-6(4), 6-2
Christian Alshon d. Andrew Fenty, 6-1, 6-2
Brian Shi d. James Ignatowich (alternate), 6-3, 6-2
Govind Nanda d. Axel Nefve, 6-3, 7-5
Tomas Kopczynski d. William Grant, 4-6, 6-2, 7-6(4)
Jaycer Lyeons d. Drew Baird, 6-2, 6-2
Day 3 Results:
Adam Neff d. Keenan Mayo, 6-4, 6-4
Andrew Fenty d. Trey Hilderbrand, 6-4, 6-7(3), 6-2