The United States Tennis Association (USTA) Girls’ 16s & 18s National Championships, featuring the top girls from across the United States, are scheduled to be played August 3-11 at the Barnes Tennis Center, San Diego, Calif..
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 main draw of the US Open Women’s Doubles competition.
The tournament’s Opening Ceremony will begin at 4:30 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 3 with a performance by the United States Navy Band Southwest at the Barnes Tennis Center, followed by the presentation of colors by the U.S. Marine Corps Recruit Depot Color Guard at 5 p.m.
The opening ceremony guest speaker will be Gretchen Magers, a former number one junior player in world, who later competed on the women’s professional tennis tour and reached the singles quarterfinals at the French Open, Wimbledon and US Open. She is the current women’s tennis head coach for Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges in Claremont, Calif.
"We are looking forward to a fantastic week of tennis at these USTA National Championships," said co-tournament director Lisbeth Blum, "I encourage everyone to come to the Opening Ceremony. All of the players will be in attendance at this memorable event, which is always filled with lots of color and pageantry."
In addition to the Barnes Tennis Center, early round matches are also scheduled at San Diego State University and University of San Diego. (Please see schedule below) Spectator admission is free at all sites each day of the tournament. Parking is free at the Barnes Tennis Center. There is a nominal charge for parking at SDSU and USD.
Past tournament champions include Chris Evert, Tracy Austin, Andrea Jaeger, Jennifer Capriati and Lindsay Davenport. Victoria Duval, last year’s Girls’ 18s National Champion, fell to Kim Clijsters of Belgium in an entertaining first round match on opening night of the 2012 US Open before a large crowd on Arthur Ashe Stadium. The 17-year-old Duval, a resident of Bradenton, Fla., is ranked No. 291 in the world (as of 6/24/13).
Tournament Information
Starting times – 8:30 a.m., Saturday, Aug. 3 – Thursday, Aug. 8
9 a.m., Friday, Aug. 9 – Sunday, Aug. 11
Locations
Saturday, Aug. 3 – Sunday, Aug. 11, Barnes Tennis Center, 4490 W. Point Loma Blvd., San Diego, Calif. 92107
Saturday, Aug. 3 – Tuesday, Aug. 6, (Early Rounds) San Diego State University, Aztec Recreation Center, 5301 55th Street, San Diego, Calif. 92182
Sunday, Aug. 4 – Wednesday, Aug. 7, (Early Rounds) University of San Diego, 5998 Alcalá Park, San Diego, Calif. 92110
About USTA Girls’ 16s – 18s Nationals:The USTA Girls’ 16s Nationals has been directed by Youth Tennis San Diego (YTSD) since 1990. This year will be the 24th anniversary of this event in San Diego, and 2013 marks the fourth year of the combined G16s – G18s event at the Barnes Tennis Center. As the largest and most prestigious junior girls’ tennis event in the United States, the USTA National Championships field consists of two draws, 192 players in each, selected from the top players who enter the event. The participants represent every USTA Member Section and nearly every state in the United States.
About Youth Tennis San Diego: The USTA Girls’ Nationals is the most prestigious of over 40 tournament events held at the Barnes Tennis Center each year. The Center is owned and operated by Youth Tennis San Diego, 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. Our community programs encourage youth participation, personal integrity, leadership, and competitive spirit in a friendly environment that builds responsible citizens.” For information on sponsoring the USTA Girls’ Nationals or to be a tournament volunteer, please contact the Barnes Tennis Center at 619-221-9000.
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. This $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. The capital campaign was spearheaded by Dr. Homer Peabody Jr. Youth Tennis San Diego gratefully acknowledges Dr. Peabody's tremendous contribution to make the dream a reality.
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