The Barnes Tennis Center, a 24-court tennis facility which has been dedicated to serving the youth of San Diego since 1995, will host the United States Tennis Association Girls’ 16s & 18s National Championships July 31 through August 9, 2014.
This year marks the fifth year the combined USTA Girls’ 16s & 18s National tournament will be played at the Barnes Tennis Center, located at 4490 W. Point Loma Blvd, San Diego, Calif., 92107.
“We are honored to host this prestigious junior tennis event,” said Kerry Blum, Executive Director of Youth Tennis San Diego, which owns and operates the Barnes Tennis Center. “Events such as the Girls’ Nationals affirm our mission to promote the educational, physical, and social development of all youth through organized tennis and educational activities.”
Nearly 400 girls aged 16 and 18 and under will compete for the title of National Champion, as well as a Wild Card entry into the singles main draw of the US Open Women’s Championships (for the 18s Champion) and a Wild Card into the US Open Junior Championships (for the 16s Champion). The 18s Doubles Champions will also receive a Wild Card into the US Open Women’s Doubles main draw.
“It is exciting to see past tournament participants such as Sloane Stephens, Alison Riske, Madison Keys, Christina McHale, Lauren Davis, Jamie Hampton, Taylor Townsend and Coco Vandeweghe competing on the women’s professional tennis tour,” said Co-Tournament Director Ellen Ehlers. “There is no doubt we will be watching some stars of the future at the Barnes Tennis Center during this year’s tournament.”
Victoria Duval, the 2012 Girls’ 18s singles champion, is currently ranked 114 in the Women’s Tennis Association rankings (as of 6/23/14). As a qualifier at last year’s US Open, she upset 2011 US Open champion Samantha Stosur of Australia in the first round.
Qualifying rounds in the Girls’ 18s division will be played on Thursday, July 31 and Friday, Aug. 1. Eight qualifiers will advance to the 128-player main draw which begins with first-round action on Sunday, Aug. 3. The Girls’ 18s finals are scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 9.
In the Girls’ 16s division, qualifying rounds will also take place on Thursday, July 31 and Friday, Aug. 1. Eight qualifiers will advance to the 128-player main draw, scheduled to begin with first-round matches on Saturday, Aug. 2. The Girls’ 16s finals will be played on Friday, Aug. 8.
All qualifying matches will be played at the Barnes Tennis Center. Early-round main draw matches will also be played at the tournament’s secondary site at the San Diego State University Tennis Complex, 5375 Remington Rd., San Diego, Calif., 92115, from Saturday, Aug. 2 through Tuesday, Aug. 5.
The tournament’s Opening Ceremony is scheduled for 5 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 2 at the Barnes Tennis Center. The guest speaker will be Patrick McEnroe, former U.S. Davis Cup captain and current General Manager of USTA Player Development. David Haggerty, Chairman of the Board, CEO and President of the USTA, will also be in attendance.
To view the official tournament website, please go to: http://www.ustagirlsnationals.com/
About USTA Girls’ 16s – 18s Nationals: The USTA Girls’ 16 & 18s National Championships are the premiere hard court tennis tournaments for amateur and professional American girls aged 18 and 16 and under in the United States. In 2010, both age groups began playing their events concurrently at San Diego’s Barnes Tennis Center. Tournament participants, who represent nearly every state in the United States, have been endorsed by their respective USTA Section or have received USTA special exemptions based on their results in qualifying tournaments, junior rankings, or results on the WTA Tour or International Tennis Federation Junior Circuit. Past tournament champions include Chris Evert, Tracy Austin, Andrea Jaeger, Zina Garrison, Mary Joe Fernandez, Jennifer Capriati and Lindsay Davenport.
About George E. Barnes Family Junior Tennis Center: The Center is owned and operated by Youth Tennis San Diego. It was built in 1995 and completed in 1997. The $4.5 million dollar junior tennis facility was made possible with generous public and private donations and is named after the lead donor family - the “George E. Barnes Family Junior Tennis Center.” The Center, which is dedicated to the youth of San Diego, offers children 18 and under court priority over adults with advanced reservations.
About Youth Tennis San Diego: Youth Tennis San Diego is a non-profit 501 (c)(3) organization that has been in existence since 1952. The YTSD Mission is: “To promote the educational, physical, and social development of all youth through organized tennis and educational activities.” Their community programs encourage youth participation, personal integrity, leadership, and competitive spirit in a friendly environment that builds responsible citizens. YTSD provides thousands of youngsters each year the opportunity to play tennis after school at their neighborhood school. The After School Tennis program provides a safe haven for hundreds of youngsters who are not supervised after school. Through tennis, the children learn the success skills which will give them the confidence and self-esteem needed to confront the negative influences so often found on the streets where they live.
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