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2011 Daily Coverage 

2011 Tournament Program

Dominic Thiem Repeats as B18s Singles Champ
Dominic Thiem [1] (AUT) has accomplished something no other player has ever done! He has won back-to-back Eddie Herr B18s singles titles. Thiem, the defending 2010 B18s champion, became a repeat champion Sunday with a 6-1, 6-0 victory over his countryman and doubles partner Patrick Ofner [6] (AUT) in the B18s final.

Upon learning no one had accomplished back-to-back Eddie Herr age division titles before, a happy Thiem exclaims, “Unbelievable! I didn’t know that had never been done before.”

Thiem is on a roll. He won the ITF Yucatan Cup prior to arriving at the Eddie Herr, and successfully defended his Eddie Herr championship without dropping a set.

As fellow Austrians, Thiem and Ofner have been competing against each other since they were ten years old. Both agreed each knows the other’s game very well. “I knew the match would be very difficult,” Thiem explains. “I think the break early in the first set was pivotal.” he adds, “Patrick is not in his best shape, he is injured.”

Although he confirms his thigh has been sore all week, Ofner offers no excuses for his loss. Rather, he says, “He [Thiem] played very good today.”

Yulia Putintseva Wins G18s Singles Title
In an all-Russian final, Yulia Putintseva [2] (RUS) defeated Victoria Kan [9] (RUS) 6-3, 7-6(4) to become the 2011 G18s singles champion.

The champion, who is 16, played an aggressive match against the determined Kan. “She [Kan] played really well today,” Putintseva acknowledges. “I just kept fighting and stayed aggressive on my serve.”

“I hope maybe someday we [she and Kan] will play the finals of the U.S. Open,” the champ adds with a smile.

Listing clay as her favorite surface, the champion reports she is happy the 18s were played on clay at this year’s Eddie Herr. Putintseva was the 2010 Eddie Herr G18s finalist.
 

Tornado Black Crowned G16s Singles Champion
The third time was the charm for Tornado Black (WC) (USA) at the 2011 Eddie Herr. This year Black, the 2009 G12s and 2010 G14s Eddie Herr finalist, advanced to the G16s final and came away with the title. The new champion, who is only 13, put in a workman-like performance to defeat 16-year old Alyssa Smith (USA) 6-1, 6-2.

In a match punctuated by long and deep rallies, both Black and Smith moved the ball, and each other, around the entire court. As the rallies went on, Black was able to out steady her opponent to eventually elicit an error. Black said, “I played really well and tried to mix things up.”

Smith said she went into the match planning to be more aggressive, but actually became less aggressive as the match went on. “I didn’t finish points well,” the finalist reflected.

Black, who is noticeably calmer and more focused than in previous years, credits a new attitude for her improved performance. “I changed my attitude,” she notes, “so I could be a good role model.” Her coach, Freddie Rodriquez of the USTA, confirms the 2011 G16s champion has developed a new train of thought. “Now she realizes it takes more than talent to be a champion; it takes hard work. She’s developed a work ethic,” Rodriquez points out. Six months ago, Black began training at the USTA Training Center in Boca Raton, Florida. Rodriquez believes the highly structured environment there has done Black a world of good. To underscore his point, Rodriquez adds, “After her semifinal match, she went for a two-mile run.”

Black is also the recipient of the 2011 Eddie Herr Rising Star Award. The tournament staff presents this award to a young player it believes shows promise to evolve into a top-level professional player.

Tommy Mylnikov Takes B16s Singles Title
Tommy Mylnikov [WC] (CAN) won the B16s singles championship, ending the dream run of Andrew Schafer [Q] (USA) 7-5, 6-2. After eleven closely contested games, Mylnikov was able to break Schafer at 5-6 to take the first set and grab the momentum.

“He [Schafer] played really well. I think the home crowd helped me out,” Mylnikov says. (The champion trains year-round at IMG Bollettieri Tennis Academy.)

A veteran Eddie Herr player; Mylnikov began in the B12s division at age eight. He says, “It feels great to finally see my name up there with all the great Eddie Herr champions.”

Although Mylnikov proved too much for him Sunday, Schafer had a great tournament. He defeated the number one seed in the qualies to advance to the main draw, where he defeated two seeds on his way to the final. “It’s been a long week-and-a-half,” sighs the finalist. “Today I tried to hit a lot of balls and make Tommy play. He just played really well,” Schafer notes.

Alejandro Tabilo Wins B14s Singles Championship
Alejandro Tabilo [16] (CAN) rallied to defeat Chan Yeong Oh [KOR] 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 and take home the 2011 Eddie Her B14 singles title. After getting off to a slow start, Tabilo found his way back into the match. “I missed a lot of shots in the first set, then I found my rhythm,” the champion says. “When I started pulling him wide, I was able to close out the point.

The Canadian’s serve was also a factor in the match. “I think I served better throughout the match,” he says.

Winning the Eddie Herr means a lot to Tabilo. “It’s an incredible feeling,” he declares, “that many of my idols on the pro tour have won this tournament!”

G14s Singles Crown Belongs to Mariya Shishkina
Mariya Shishkina (USA) survived a fierce final match to upset Anhelina Kalinina [6] (UKR) and win the G14s singles championship, 6-7(4), 7-6(8), 6-3. The match turned around late in the second set tiebreak, when Kalinina lost her footing chasing down a ball and twisted her ankle. Prior to the fall, she was up in the tiebreak and appeared to be on the verge of closing out the match. After the fall, the finalist failed to convert on a number of match points, opening the door for the ever-game Shishkina.

“If you have heart and spirit, nothing is impossible,” the G14s champion explains. “Winning feels great and exciting, and I can’t wait to get more experience and play ITF tournaments,” she adds.

This is Shishkina’s second Eddie Herr title; she won the G12s championship in 2009.

Looking back on the match, Kalinina notes, “I had chances to win in the second set, but didn’t capitalize on them. Maybe I lost my focus a little because of my ankle and my nerves. I’ll be back next year.”

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