Tennis fans were treated Friday to 4 stellar boys and girls semifinal matches on the hard courts of the Costa Rica Country Club. Play commenced at 11:30 am with the 2 girls singles semifinals, followed by the 4 doubles matches, and closing with the boys singles semifinals in night play.
In the morning girls matches with all players from USA, 7th seed Shannon LAM ranked 112 upset top seed Kaitlyn ROLLS ranked 63 by a comfortable 6-4,6-1. ROLLS had not dropped a set in the tournament but for this match LAM was the better player. LAM`s WTN rating of 13.1 vs. 14.8 for ROLLS was indicative of the final result, despite the rankings. In the other girls semifinal of 2 unseeded and evenly matched players, 137TH ranked Kristina PENICKOVA eliminated Thea FRODIN ranked 123 by 6-4, 6-4. Both are solid, crafty players with strong groundstrokes, and today PENICKOVA prevailed.
In the boys SF Ian MAYEW continued with his winning ways, eliminating unseeded Maximus DASSAULT of USA ranked 123 in straight sets. MAYEW ranked 269 has come from the Qualy all the way to the final and evidently his ranking is not indicative of his level of play. His WTN rating of 11.4 vs. DASSAULT`s 13.8 foretold the results of the match. The other boys semifinal featured unseeded Matisse FARZAM of USA ranked 106 vs. 2nd seed Rafael TOBON of Colombia ranked 69, and the only seeded player in the boys draw as of the quarterfinals. Both are strong players yet FARZAM was able to dominate the South American in straight sets. It is now an all USA affair in both boys and girls singles draws.
Saturday Finals are to begin at 4pm on Stadium Court starting with Girls Singles, followed by Girls Doubles. Shannon LAM is in both finals, so singles go first. In the doubles, LAM partners with Thea FRODIN as they square off against the Slovakian duo of Ema MRAVCOVA and Mia POHANKOVA. In night play the Canadian doubles team of brothers Mikael and Nicolas ARSENAULT will do battle with the American team of Noah JOHNSTON and Benjamin WILLWERTH. The final match of the tournament will be the boys final of MAYEW – FARZAM.
In the singles matchups, who will be the favorite? The reader should decide. Following are data about each player`s road to the final to help make this determination.
Shannon LAM, from USA, seeded 7, ranked 112, WTN 13.1
round opponent country WTN seed/ranking score
1 Neus TORNER Spain 16.4 no / 232 6-1, 6-3
2 Krisha MAHENDRAN India 15.0 no / 128 3-6,6-3, 6-1
QF Margot PHANTHALA France 15.9 4 / 88 4-6,6-2,6-0
SF Kaitlyn ROLLS USA 14.8 1 / 63 6-4, 6-1
Kristina PENICKOVA, from USA, unseeded, ranked 137, WTN 13.1
round opponent country WTN seed/ranking score
1 Flora JOHNSON Britain 18.3 no / 353 5-7, 6-3, 6-4
2 Kayla CHUNG USA 13.2 no / 194 6-2, 4-6, 6-4
QF Monika EKSTRAND USA 12.8 3 / 85 6-0, 7-6
SF Thea FRODIN USA 14.7 no / 123 6-4, 6-4
Ian MAYEW, from USA, unseeded, ranked 269, WTN 11.4
round opponent country WTN seed/ranking score
1 Jakub JEDRZEJCZAK Poland 13.5 no / 182 6-3, 6-3
2 Nikita FILIN USA 10.5 1 / 58 6-1, 7-6
QF Kase SCHINNERER USA 12.2 no / 105 6-3, 6-2
SF Maximus DUSSAULT USA 13.8 no / 123 6-3, 6-1
Matisse FARZAM, from USA, unseeded, ranked 106, WTN 11.5
round opponent country WTN seed/ranking score
1 Andres DELGADILLO Mexico 13.8 no / 167 6-4, 6-1
2 Meecah BIGUN USA 12.6 no / 162 7-5, 6-4
QF Yubel UBRI USA 14.4 no / 193 6-0,6-2
SF Miguel TOBON Colombia 12.2 2 / 69 6-4, 6-1
