The finals matches of the Wimbledon junior championships illustrate how tennis has become a strong international sport. An Italian defeated a Korean in the finals of the boys’ singles and Switzerland’s top player defeated an American in the girls’ finals.
The performance of the American boys at Wimbledon was nearly as dismal as their counterparts in the mens’ event. Spencer Papa, Noah Rubin, and Luca Corinteli fell in the first round.
Stefan Koslov fared slightly better; he won three matches before losing in the quarterfinals. Overall the boys won three matches and lost four.
Of the five American girls, only Louisa Chirico (15) and Taylor Townsend (5) were seeded. Overall the five girls won 12 matches and lost five. Dasha Ivanova and Johnise Renaud lost in the first round. Jamie Loeb won three matches (3-1) before losing in the quarterfinals, Louisa Chirico won four matches (4-1) before losing in the semifinals and Taylor Townsend won five matches (5-1) before bowing out in the finals.
This was the second consecutive strong showing for Chirico and Townsend. Chirico lost in the semifinals and Townsend lost in the quarterfinals at the French Open. The U.S. girls are likely to have a strong showing at the U.S. Open in late August. Stay tuned!