News & Features

The world's best juniors descend on South Florida in late November prepared for the intensive competition the Eddie Herr International in Bradenton and Orange Bowl in Miami always provide.

This year, it was players from the United States who captured the most titles, with Marietta, Ga.'s Melanie Oudin leading the way. With an unbeaten streak in ITF Junior events that began back in September, Oudin's confidence was in full flight, taking the 16-year-old right-hander to the Eddie Herr final, where the No. 5 seed defeated Poland's Katarzyna Piter, the seventh seed, 6-1, 6-4. Oudin is the first American girl to win the Eddie Herr 18s title since 1993, the first year for which records are available.

While Oudin's victory was unique, it was business as usual for U.S. boys in the 12s division. Joe Di Giulio of Newport Beach, Calif., became the third straight American boy to capture the Eddie Herr title, joining Emmett Egger (2005) and Mitchell Krueger (2006) on the list of champions when he downed Roy Lederman, also of the U.S., 6-0, 6-0 in the final. The U.S. could claim all four finalists in the 12s, with Floridians Madison Keys and Sachia Vickery battling for the girls' championship. In a match that took nearly two and a half hours to complete, Boca Raton's Keys prevailed over Miramar's Vickery 3-6, 6-4, 6-3.

In the other five Eddie Herr divisions, a U.S. player reached the final, but didn't claim the winner's trophy.