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1997-1998 Juniors: Wiersholm, Nava, Kozlov, Tiafoe, Mmoh, Blumberg, Ponwith, etc.

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#1 ·
I decided to create another junior thread after all. It will easier to keep track of different age groups this way.

For fun - Who will be the next big shot from the 1997-1998 Group?




Henrik Wiersholm
03-27-1997 (14 years old)
Notable Accomplishments:
2012 ITF Copa Gatorade Champion (Impressive run :bowdown: , playing in only his 2nd ITF Tourny)
2011 Les Petits As Champion
2011 AEGON Junior International Finalist



Eduardo Nava
03-11-1997 (14 years old)
Notable Accomplishments:
2011 NIKE Junior Tour USA Masters Finalist
2011 Les Petits As Quarterfinalist
2011 AEGON Junior International Quarterfinalist



Stefan Kozlov
02-01-1998 (14 years old)
Notable Accomplishments:
Youngest player in the top 150 ITF Junior Ranking :yeah:
2011 ITF Waco Champion
2011 Junior Orange Bowl Finalist
2011 AEGON Junior International Champion



Francis Tiafoe
01-20-1998 (14 years old)
Notable Accomplishments:
2012 Les Petits As Champion (Impressive run :bowdown:)
2012 AEGON Junior International Champion



Michael Mmoh
01-10-1998 (14 years old)
Notable Accomplishments:
2012 AEGON Junior International Finalist
2012 Les Petits As Semifinalist
2011 VRSA Summer Cup Champion



William Blumberg
01-26-1998 (14 years old)
Notable Accomplishments:
2012 USTA National Open Finalist
2012 Les Petits As Finalist
2012 AEGON Junior International Quarterfinalist



Nathan Ponwith
04-28-1998 (13 years old)
Notable Accomplishments:
2012 Les Petits As Semifinalist
2012 AEGON Junior International Semifinalist
2011 USTA National Open Champion
 
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#620 ·
Colette Lewis ‏@zootennis 1h

Kozlov wins 46, 64, 63 over Escobedo. Entertaining match that lasted over 2 1/2 hrs. #ISC2013
:cheerleader:

Colette Lewis ‏@zootennis 1h

Escobedo seems to be having trouble with left leg. Down 3-0 in 3rd to Kozlov #ISC2013
Hope he is okay.

Colette Lewis ‏@zootennis 3h

Lucky loser Jake Stefanik def. Michael Mmoh(12) in straight sets #ISC2013
Michael :unsure:


Winners from yesterday:

Code:
Henrik WIERSHOLM (USA)        6-2 6-4     Arkadijs SLOBODKINS (LAT) 
Francis TIAFOE (USA) [14]     7-6(6) 7-5  Walker DUNCAN (USA)
Tommy PAUL (USA)              6-3 6-2     Milen IANAKIEV (GER) 
Alex RYBAKOV (USA)            6-0 6-2     Jordi ARCONADA (ARG) [13]
 
#621 ·
Colette Lewis ‏@zootennis 1h

No. 2 B18s seed Stefan Kozlov has another long 3-setter but adv to 3rd rd with 75, 36, 63 win over qualifier Stefan Doehler #ISC2013
Stefan and 3-setters, feels like 2012 all over again.


In the 16s, William Blumberg(1) def. Connor Hance(15) 76(5) 61. Connor :hug:


Two young pro prospects who may someday follow the same path met in the first round on Tuesday in the boys’ 18s division and battled for more than two-and-a-half hours, before No. 2-seeded Stefan Kozlov, 15, of Pembroke Pines, Fla., pulled away from 16-year-old wild-card Ernesto Escobedo from West Covina, Calif., winning 4-6, 6-4, 6-3.

Kozlov was a finalist here last year as a 14 year old, a year before he turned professional. He currently trains at the USTA National Training Center in Boca Raton, Fla.

"I really like playing here. The conditions fit my game great," Kozlov said. "I had never played Ernesto before, but he has a big game. I’ve seen forehands like that in the juniors, but not that often."

Just two weeks ago, Kozlov made the final of an ITF Grade A event at the Copa Gerdau tournament in Porto Alegre, Brazil, losing to the top-seeded player from Italy in the final.

Escobedo is currently ranked in the 900s on the ATP Tour and was playing in his first ITF junior event of the year. He has instead decided to concentrate on ITF Pro Futures-level events, playing in four of them already this year, including two in Southern California.
http://www.usta.com/Youth-Tennis/Ju...e_at_usta_international_spring_championships/



An International Spring Championships finalist in 2012, 15-year-old Stefan Kozlov thought he was on his way out in the first round this year. Against wild card Ernesto Escobedo, Kozlov had dropped the first set, and had squandered a 3-1 lead in the second, losing three straight games.

Serving at 3-4, Kozlov was at deuce after a double fault, but he survived, winning the next two points. It was the boost of confidence he needed, and he took the next five games, and eventually, a 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory.

"In the second set, down a set and 4-3 deuce, I thought I was going down," said Kozlov, who reached the final of the ITF Grade A Copa Gerdau on Brazilian clay just ten days ago. "I started playing a lot more freely after I won that game, and I just came through some how, started playing well in the third set."

The 16-year-old Escobedo, who reached the semifinals of a Futures in Mexico in January and has an ATP ranking inside the Top 1000, immediately put Kozlov under pressure, winning the first three games of the match. Although the weather conditions on Tuesday were much better than on Monday, when the wind created havoc, Kozlov made a number of unforced errors and had difficulty staying in the longer points in the opening set.

Kozlov recovered to take the next three games, but serving at 4-5 in the first set, he threw in two double faults, the second to give Escobedo set point number two. Kozlov tried the surprise tactic of serving and volleying, but his backhand volley went wide, giving Escobedo the first set.

Late in the second set, Kozlov took a 5-4 lead when Escobedo made a series of unforced errors in one of his few loose games and Kozlov served out the set, hitting an ace to close it out.

With Kozlov finding more rhythm on both his serve and his ground game, he challenged Escobedo early in the third set, and Escobedo was unable to stay with him. Broken the first two times he served, Escobedo began flexing his left leg with what looked like a cramp, and Kozlov had two points to take a 4-0 lead, but Escobedo hung tough, broke and held to make it 3-2.

The match was well past two hours and many of the points included lengthy baseline rallies that challenged both players' stamina.

"I played three-hour matches in South America and doubles and felt fine," said Kozlov, who found the hard courts at the Home Depot Center more physically demanding. "Here, I played one match and am feeling it in a lot of places."

Although Escobedo, from West Covina, Calif., continued to fight, he couldn't get that second break back, with Kozlov serving better when he needed to. Kozlov held for 5-3, and Escobedo couldn't hold, netting a backhand at 30-40 to end the two and a half hour contest.

"I'm not complaining, but I thought maybe I should have made it not as long," said Kozlov, who did not play for three months at the end of last year due to an elbow injury. "It was a long first round and when I play tomorrow, it's going to be a little tougher."
http://tenniskalamazoo.blogspot.com...tter&utm_campaign=Feed:+Zootennis+(ZooTennis)
 
#625 ·
So....

Stefan will play Papa. They train together daily and should be familiar with each other's game. Spencer has been struggling since last summer, so a good chance for a win. Still hard to believe that Stefan is seeded ahead of Spencer.

Henrik will play Rubin whom he lost to last year (61 64). This is Noah's first tournament back from a broken wrist injury and he seemed to be struggling a bit so Henrik might have a chance.

Francis will play Daniel Kerznerman. Not sure what to expect.
 
#631 ·
Bragging rights on the line ;)

In the boys’ 18s, two 16-year-olds and a pair of 15-year-olds all won big matches Friday to make the Final Four weekend. Henrik Wiersholm, 16, of Kirkland, Wash., upset top-seeded top Noah Rubin of Rockville Centre, N.Y., 6-4, 6-3. Just like Yee’s revenge win, the same was true for Wiersholm, who fell to Rubin in their only other meeting at the ITF Pan American Championships in Tulsa, Okla., last fall.

“The ’97 and ’98s (years born) are coming through here,” Wiersholm said. “We all train together and push each other a lot so when we come to big events like this it really shows.”

Wiersholm is a former winner of Les Petits As, a prestigious Under-14 event played in France, and he’s joined in the semifinals by another former Les Petits As victor, 15-year-old Francis Tiaofe of College Park, Md.

Tiafoe, the No. 14 seed who is No. 114 in the ITF world rankings, won his second consecutive third-set tiebreak match, and said afterward that he doesn’t fear anyone in the draw, including his semifinal opponent, fellow 15-year-old Stefan Kozlov.

“He’s considered the best from ’98 in the U.S., and I put myself at No. 2,” Tiafoe said of Kozlov. “He’s an unbelievable player, Top 15 in the world. I’ve never been able to beat him and he’s gotten the better of me the three or four times we’ve played.”

Tiafoe said his confidence level is at an all-time high. “I know I can beat anyone in the draw,” he said. “You can never be too confident. Every match I play I believe I can win.”
http://tenniseastcoast.com/2013/04/...v-showdown-set-usta_isc-spring-championships/
 
#632 ·


Henrik Wiersholm was expecting top seed Noah Rubin to fight back. After failing to hold serve for a place in the ITF Grade 1 International Spring Championships semifinals at 6-4, 5-1 Friday afternoon, Wiersholm didn't panic.

"I wouldn't have been surprised if it had gotten to 5-all, or even if he had won the set," said Wiersholm, who was relieved to get off the court with a 6-4, 6-3 victory. "I was expecting a battle and I think that was why it didn't really bother me when he gave me one."

Rubin held for 5-2 in the third and broke Wiersholm on his third break chance in the next game, playing aggressively and finishing the game with a forehand that forced a rare error from Wiersholm. But in the next game, Rubin couldn't maintain the pressure, with a badly missed drop shot and an unforced error putting him in a 15-30 hole. On the next point, Wiersholm blasted a forehand winner to earn two match points, but Rubin saved the first by forcing a volley error from Wiersholm. On match point No. 2, however, it was Rubin who blinked, making a backhand error after a short rally to give Wiersholm the victory.

It was sweet revenge for Wiersholm, who had been soundly beaten by Rubin in the second round of the ITF Grade B1 Pan American Closed in their only prior meeting.

"In Tulsa I came out not really believing I could win the match and I played more defensive because of that," said Wiersholm. "He's a great player when he's pressing you. He doesn't make errors and he's obviously a very good defensive player, but you've got to take the lesser of two evils and make him move, make him hit in uncomfortable positions. He hits great in uncomfortable positions, but if you make him do it enough, forcing the issue, that's what my goal was today."

Wiersholm played some excellent defense of his own, yet was dictating most of the rallies, hitting with pace and depth to control the points, while Rubin was scrambling to keep up. Wiersholm also served better than Rubin, and admitted there was little he could have done better.

"I was playing very solid today," said Wiersholm. "I was moving very well, serving great, doing what I was talking about, and that's what won it for me."

Wiersholm will play No. 4 seed Naoki Nakagawa of Japan in Saturday's semifinals, which will be their first meeting. For the second day in a row, Nakagawa dropped the first set, but took charge in the next two, posting a 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 quarterfinal victory over No. 11 seed Alexander Zverev of Germany.

Wiersholm, who won the 2011 Les Petits As Championship, has not lost a set in this week, while the 2012 Les Petits As Champion, Francis Tiafoe, has needed third-set tiebreakers two consecutive days to reach the semifinals.

Against No. 10 seed Daniel Kerznerman, Tiafoe was broken serving at 3-4 in the third set, giving Kerznerman the opportunity to serve out the match, but 30-all was as close as he would get to victory. A routine backhand flew several feet long to make it 30-40, and Tiafoe broke back with a forehand putaway at the net, then held for 5-all.

After more than two and a half hours on the court, both players were looking less than energetic, and Kerznerman was broken in the next game to give Tiafoe, the No. 14 seed, the chance to serve out the match. He was unable to do so, losing serve to 15, but Tiafoe regrouped quickly in the tiebreaker, hitting two winners to start it and going up 6-2 when Kerznerman double faulted. Tiafoe dropped the first of his four match points when he sent a backhand long, but at 6-3 he put away a second overhead for a 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(3) victory and his first Grade 1 semifinal

His opponent in the semifinals will be another 15-year-old American, albeit a more experienced one, Stefan Kozlov, the 2012 finalist. The No. 2 seed defeated USTA Boca Raton training partner Spencer Papa, seeded sixth, 6-2, 6-2 in Friday's quarterfinals.
http://tenniskalamazoo.blogspot.com...tter&utm_campaign=Feed:+Zootennis+(ZooTennis)
 
#634 ·
Colette Lewis ‏@zootennis 18m

Stefan Kozlov(2) def. Francis Tiafoe(14) 3&4 to advance to 2nd straight @USTA_ISC final. He will play Wiersholm Sunday #ISC2013
Stefan vs Henrik for the gazillionth time....the rivalry is so one-sided though. I do feel bad for Henrik. They had many tough 3-set battles, but Stefan always come out on top. At this point, it is all mental.
 
#636 ·
Man Wanted Francis Tiafoe too win, I wonder will Francis Tiafoe & Michael Mmoh play Junior RG this year since they didn't play the Aussie Open in Junior hoping the do
 
#638 ·
I think it is going to be a while for the other '98 kids to figure out how to play Kozlov. He is just too crafty for them at this time. I don't think he has lost a match to any '98 juniors and is almost perfect against the '97s.

Kinda funny that I never really thought much of him when I first joined this forum, but he has now become my favorite '98. Liked his game the most from this group.

I also hope that Tiafoe and Mmoh can play RG this year. Not sure when the cut-off date is, but I think the ranking cut-off is around 50.
 
#640 ·
Yeah i been following Kozlov result he been doing petty great i heard his style game kinda like tomic, never heard much about Henrik how good is he and what type game style do he play ?
 
#644 · (Edited)
Yeah, I guess Kozlov's game is kinda similar to Tomic's (different from your typical baseliners). Smart kid who understands the importance of court positioning and has good variety (slices, spin, dropshots, lobs, good hands at the net). What impresses me the most is how he reads his opponents so well.

I have never seen a full match from Wiersholm, just a very short highlight clip from his Les Petit As win in 2011. I don't really have much to say at this time. He and Kozlov represented USA at international events at a very young age and both train at the USTA headquarter in Boca Raton. It is safe to say that the USTA favors them quite a bit.

Michael Mmoh trains at IMG and Francis Tiafoe trains at College Park, MD. Francis has a twin brother, who also plays tennis. Mmoh is tall, athletic, and is probably the most offensive player from this group. I think he will have an easier time transitioning to the pro than the others. Several people like to compare him to Monfils. Tiafoe is a baseliner whose game is probably along the line of maybe Djokovic type of player.

I really enjoyed following them last year (probably more than the pros) and I hope they all do well this year.
 
#645 · (Edited)


Their rivalry extends back to the 2008 Copper Bowl, when they were nine and ten years old, but unseeded Henrik Wiersholm will be looking for his first win over No. 2 seed Stefan Kozlov when they take the court on Sunday in the final of the ITF Grade 1 International Spring Championships.

"So far it hasn't been much of a rivalry," said Wiersholm, who is 0-7 against Kozlov, his training partner at the USTA's National Center in Boca Raton. "I haven't gotten a win yet, it's pretty ridiculous."

Wiersholm earned yet another shot at Kozlov with a 6-4, 6-3 win over No. 4 seed Naoki Nakagawa of Japan on a warm and sunny day at the Home Depot Center. After his big win over top seed Noah Rubin in Friday's quarterfinals, Wiersholm was able to refocus.

"Sometimes you have letdowns after big wins, but I still played at a high level today," said the 16-year-old. "It's just how it has to be if you want to win the next match."

Wiersholm was able to keep the ball to Nakagawa's backhand, his less dangerous side, and beat him to the net to finish points.

"He has a great forehand and very solid strokes in general," said Wiersholm, of Kirkland, Washington. "I was trying to hammer his backhand, get in, pressure him and make plays happen."

Kozlov, who lost in last year's final as a 14-year-old, returned with a 6-3, 6-4 win over No. 14 seed Francis Tiafoe in Saturday's other semifinal.

Down 3-1 in the first set, Kozlov saved three break points to keep within striking distance.

"It was a huge game," said Kozlov. "My serve helped me out a lot, I hit a couple, like maybe three, aces in that game and then I kind of got a little bit loose and started playing a lot better."

After all his success against Wiersholm in the past, including last summer when he beat Wiersholm 0-6, 6-3, 6-3 in the first round of the Godfrey Futures, Kozlov still spent some time this week observing Wiersholm's game.

"I watched his match earlier today, and I watch most of his matches," said Kozlov. "He's a good friend and we have the same coach (Nicolas Todero), so we know each other pretty well. We practice sometimes in Boca. I think, to be honest, whoever dictates more is going to win more points tomorrow."

Wiersholm has an idea why he has had been unable to post a win over Kozlov.

"Playing Stefan you have to adapt how you are going to play each point," Wiersholm said. "He's going to change up how he's playing to get that advantage. He's one of the smartest players I know on the court. You have to try to keep up with him, while doing the basics well. It's very difficult to do; it takes a lot of concentration."
Probably the hardest thing about playing Stefan. He is really good at giving his opponent different looks and doesn't give them much rhythm.
 
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