Inordinately valuable second places

The Road to THE TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP 2023

June 25 - UTR 18U - Tennis Central Foundation Open

June 25 - USTA 14U and 18U Boys' and Girls Waterfall

A new player took control of the 16U rankings thanks to what turned out to be Tennis Central's version of the most expensive game in sports. Solomon Ravitz finished second in his group of three at the USTA event postponed by rain from Saturday to Sunday. He needed all of his might to defeat Rishi Alimchandani 6-4, and with those thirty points Ravitz ascended to first place in 16U, ahead of Jon Ozenci.

Ozenci still holds the top position in 12U, 14U, and 18U. Eleven points separate him from Ravitz at 16U. Shiloh Auzoux remains in first after the points drop and an idle 10U schedule this week.

The player who won Ravitz's group, however, and along with it shared the USTA 18U Boys championship was Connor Young, in his first TCJC event, dropping just one game over the two matches and commanding the tournament. He debuts in the 18U rankings at No. 18, tied with Miguel Zein and many of the other champions this week, including Patrick Young, who won the other 18U group. He faced slightly stiffer resistance, from Ryan Ferrer, another newcomer.

Tyler Wang and Arjun Gupta raced through their 14U USTA events, which were the most balanced overall with five players in each group. Only Kiran Mathura could challenge for either title, making Wang sweat at 6-3. Both champions are first-time TCJC players with massive jumps into the top 50 in the 200-deep 14U field.

The girls' events were somewhat closer, with Tamara Fritz matching Daniela Corona Shturman until the end when the latter closed out the de factor 18U final 6-3 in a deeper tournament than the 14U. But the 14U likely had the match of the day, seeing Kyra Kuriakose and Anya Naga fight for the championship to 6-4 in favor of Kuriakose. But Naga lost to the group's second place player, Taylor Hoyle, to give it the distinction of the closest and deepest group.

Those in groups of three found that match deciding second and third place weighted more heavily than most by the freak accident of the points system. Five points were given for third place, but a whopping thirty for second. It was one more thing that made the fight for second dramatic.

More traditional in its single-elimination format, the Tennis Central Foundation Open, a UTR 18U, was played concurrently with the USTA events in an old-NFL-style playoff. Top seeds Alvaro Orlove and Eddy Hoover both received byes in the six-player field and both advanced to the final with little fuss. After a tale of two sets, Hoover outlasted the veteran 10-8 to win his first championship.

Orlove only jumped up to 17th place in the 18U, but he made incredible strides at 16U, up to 11th place. No other big changes in the Top 10s surfaced aside from jostling for one or two spots; no one fell out of the Top 10 or climbed into it except Abir Kedar at 10U, replacing Asher Roush.

Remember the newly added feature to the rankings: the Plus / Minus, which will tell you how far up or down the player has moved within the last week.

Champions

6/25 USTA Boys 14U: Tyler Wang, Arjun Gupta

6/25 USTA Boys 18U: Connor Young, Patrick Young

6/25 USTA Girls 14U: Kyra Kuriakose, Julia Willard

6/25 USTA Girls 18U: Daniela Corona Shturman

6/25 UTR 18U: Eddy Hoover

The full tables now look like this.

Each weekend this spring and summer, Tennis Central is bringing you USTA and UTR tournaments at Holton-Arms School. Earn points for advancing through each round, just like on the pro tours, and qualify for the TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP at season's end.

Bigger events offer more points, with the TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP offering the most, as well as prizes.

Check here for updates each week to the Tennis Central Tour Rankings, a 52-week points system based on the pro tours, as well as recaps of all the action and photos.

2023 Tour Schedule

March

Mar 18: USTA L7 Boys and Girls 12U

Mar 19: USTA L7 Boys and Girls 14U

April

Apr 8: UTR 14U - Sweet Spotter Open

Apr 16: USTA L7 Boys and Girls 12U

Apr 16: USTA L7 Boys and Girls 14U

Apr 23: UTR 14U and 16U - Potomac Spring Tennis Festival Open

Apr 29: 15U UTR - Teen World Open Classic

Apr 30: 12U UTR - Anguilla Service Trips Open

Apr 30: 10U Green Dot UTR - Anguilla Service Trips Open