U.S. Junior National Singles

The 2005 U.S. Junior Singles relocated to the hospitable Tuxedo Club for a great weekend of watching current and future stars of the game.  The event included players from Aiken, Tuxedo, Philadelphia, New York, Newport, and one (Chris Herbert) from Manchester, England.

Front row, left to right: Ian Steyer, Alex White, Chris Herbert, Pat Winthrop, Lenny Young, Yanni Nikolla.  Back row, seated in galleries, left to right: Alex Rodzianko, Phoebe Livingston, Chili Bernstein, Cam Riviere.  Not pictured: Laurenson and Dylan Ward, Jake McFadden, Andrew Emil.

Cam Riviere (Aiken), already the #1 ranked amateur in this country, had never won this event, but now no future archivist need wonder why his name is not among the winners.

Walter Deane congratulates Cam Riviere while finalist Pat Winthrop looks on.

He competed against Pat Winthrop of Newport, a past winner of this event, and while Pat played quite well, Cam’s game is simply too strong at this point, and he was never seriously challenged, winning 0,1.

There were a number of very close and exciting matches in this event, which featured a “15 and Under” division for some of the younger, newer  players. 

Chelsea Bernstein and Andrew Emil had a great three setter, a rematch of their final in a junior event in December.

Perhaps the best of these was the 15 and Under final, featuring two Tuxedo players, Lenny Young and Ian Steyer.  Anyone watching these two young men cannot help but believe that more juniors should be playing the game in the U.S. … the two were quite knowledgeable about strategy, and athletically more than capable of engaging in long rallies and superb shotmaking.  It was a shame that someone had to lose the match, but although he held seven match points in the second set, Steyer could not close it out, and lost 6/4 in the third to the lefthanded Young.  Clearly, this is a lifelong rivalry in the making.

Lenny Young accepts his trophy from Charles Neuhauser.

In addition to the tournament, there was a Saturday evening exhibition match between Cam and Bryn Sayers, Newport’s assistant pro, 

Bryn Sayers and Cam Riviere

who had accompanied his juniors as coach.  The handicaps of these two players are virtually identical, ensuring an exciting match, and it was, with Cam prevailing 6/3 in the third.

Players of the future: Laurenson Ward (pictured right) and his brother Dylan, came from Philadelphia to play in this event with very little experience.  Both highly ranked squash players, look for them to do well in court tennis in future events!

The players and the USCTA are extremely grateful to the Tuxedo Club, to Walter Deane, the Tennis Chairman and organizer of the event (and generous host to players and chaperones!), and to Tom Greevy (pictured)  and Ken Jacobs, the latter who organized a great pick up game of court tennis football during an open hour on a rainy Saturday afternoon!

Leftie Chili Bernstein launches a serve in court tennis football on Saturday afternoon.