UVA Recruit Justin Shane Headlines 2010 Class

Justin Shane will play for Virginia in the fall.

UVA Recruit Justin Shane Headlines 2010 Class

More than 50 Mid-Atlantic Recruits Have Committed to Play Next Year

Tennis fans in the Mid-Atlantic region will have a lot to root for this upcoming school year, as many local Class of 2010 graduates will be playing for colleges across the country. Leading the recruiting class is Justin Shane, a blue chip recruit from Falls Church, VA, who has signed a National Letter of Intent to play for the University of Virginia.

Shane, who is the No. 7 overall recruit by tennisrecruiting.net, played for Jeb Stuart High School and claimed the 2009 Virginia AAA Singles Championship. Shane has also won several USTA Boys 18 National Opens and was the No. 3 ranked Mid-Atlantic Boys’ 18 player last year, behind only internationally ranked Denis Kudla and Junior Ore.

While Shane chose to stay close to home, fans and family members will have to travel a bit further to root for other Mid-Atlantic recruits. This includes 5-star recruit John Kelly of Owings Mills, MD, who is taking his talents to Dartmouth College in New Hampshire.

Rounding out the top boy recruits are 4-star Kevin Castellow of Burke, VA, who will be playing at Virginia Tech and 4-star James Davis of Manassas, VA, who will be at Longwood.

On the girls’ side, 5-star recruit Natalie Blosser of Arlington, VA, leads the way and will be playing for Harvard next year. Joining Shane at UVA is 4-star recruit Marjorie Baker of Washington, DC.

Other notable girls include 4-star Alexandra Bush of Vienna, WV, who has committed to play for Cleveland State, 4-star Gabrielle Devlin of McLean, VA, who will be at Amherst, and 4-star Katelyn Stokes of Lanham, MD, who will be staying local at Howard University.

And as the Mid-Atlantic Class of 2010 begins its next tennis chapter, look out for these young, talented players to journey into record books at their respective schools.

This article was written for the USTA/Mid-Atlantic website and can be viewed here.

Denis Kudla Wins First ATP Match

Denis Kudla is a boy turning into a man.

Kudla, 17, has won his first ATP match and is now ranked No. 615 in the world.

The Arlington, Virginia resident was given a wildcard at the Campbell’s International Hall of Fame Championships, where he defeated Santiago Ventura of Spain 6-3, 3-6, 7-5.

“It was a great experience to finally achieve a huge goal,” he said. “I am looking forward to the Legg Mason and the US Open.”

This year has been memorable for Kudla, who is the ninth-ranked Boys’ 18 junior in the world, according to the International Tennis Federation.

Playing in just his second Wimbledon, Kudla made significant strides from his 2009 campaign, which resulted in a first-round exit.

Kudla, who was seeded seventh in the juniors, eventually lost in the Quarterfinals to Facundo Arguello of Argentina 6-3, 6-3, but took many positives away from the experience.

“I felt less nervous and way more confident,” he said. “I was definitely more successful.”

Kudla’s great results did not come easily. “The success comes from complete dedication to tennis and taking it so serious,” he added.

As Kudla’s body fills out so he can better compete with the men on the ATP Tour, he is serious about rising up the ATP rankings.

Other Notable Wimbledon Results

In his second Wimbledon, Mitchell Frank lost a tight match in the second round to fifth seeded Jiri Vesely of the Czech Republic 2-6, 7-6(9), 4-6.

“Wimbledon this year was easier for me because I already knew what to expect,” he said. “I wasn’t quite as nervous and I enjoyed it more as I played a really great match in the second round but just came up short.”

In his Wimbledon debut, Junior Ore fell to 13th seed Marton Fucsovics 6-7(3), 4-6.

Frank and Ore teamed up in doubles but lost in the second round to fifth seeded Peter Heller and Kevin Krawietz of Germany 6-7(5), 2-6.

Kudla also participated in Doubles with Raymond Sarmiento of Fontana, California, as the third seeded team but lost 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 to Liam Broady and Tom Farquharson of Great Britain in the second round.

To read more about Kudla’s Wimbledon run, click here.
This article was featured on the USTA/Mid-Atlantic website and can be reached here.

Skylar Morton Will Play in Mid-Atlantic US Open Qualifying

Skylar Morton Has Beaten Roger Federer

Will Play in Mid-Atlantic US Open Qualifying

By Kelyn Soong and Tammy Reeher

Beating Roger Federer. No problem.

At Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day, Skylar Morton hit more forehand targets than the No. 1 player in the world to become the Target Champion.

She is looking to be named champion again when she competes in the Mid-Atlantic National US Open Playoff Sectional Qualifying tournament May 17 at the Tennis Center at College Park.

Morton, who trains at TCCP’s Junior Tennis Champions Center, will look to continue her dominant form for a chance to play in the US Open.

The Easter Bowl Doubles Champion just placed third in the Clay Court Super Nationals 16s.

“I’m excited about [the US Open Playoffs],” said Morton, who lives in Bethesda, MD. “I’m really excited about playing on my home court. And I expect to win and will try my best to qualify.”

Morton, who had just returned from the Grade 4 International Tennis Federation/USTA tournament in Naples, Florida, admits that adjusting to playing tennis exclusively was tough at first.

“The school days are longer and more rigorous,” explained Morton. “There is much less of a social life, and there are always tournaments. But it will be worth it for the long run.”

Reflecting on being the Target Champion at the US Open, Morton expressed, “It was really fun. I couldn’t stop smiling and it was such a great experience.”

When asked about her Easter Bowl experience, Morton replied, “It was a really big win. I had tough matches but I had fun on the court.”

Besides being successful in tennis, she has been successful in four other sports.

At the Sidwell Friends School in Washington, DC, Skylar not only excelled on the field hockey team (She was named MVP three years ago.), but also played basketball, lacrosse, and soccer.

While Morton only recently devoted herself exclusively to tennis, it has been a part of her life from a very young age. She started at age five by taking a six-week tennis class offered through the Montgomery County Parks and Recreation program. The following Spring she took another six week class at the YMCA in Bethesda, where she realized she loved the game.

She started playing year-round as a 6-year-old at the Tennis Center at College Park (TCCP) after becoming one of the few students chosen to be a part of the Champions Center program for kids' age 11 and under but soon left at the age of nine to play for facilities in the DC/Maryland area, including the non-profit park leagues in Washington, DC's Southeast Tennis and Learning Center and the William Fitzgerald Tennis Center (home of Legg Mason), Rozzell Lightfoot's non-profit One-Ace-One tennis program and Sabine Guibal Britt's Bethesda Tennis Academy. These local programs were essential to her budding tennis skills. Upon reaching high school, Morton rejoined TCCP.

And despite the busy days, Morton is enjoying herself on the tennis court. She expects big things to come her way.

“My goal is to go pro in two years,” said Morton. “And I feel close to reaching this goal.”

That goal might become a reality. Who would have thought that she could beat Roger Federer? But that became a reality.

This article was written for the USTA/Mid-Atlantic website and was featured on the USTA.com. It can be viewed here.