With the fall college season ending last month and a diminishing number of professional events in December, this month’s top performances come primarily from the big junior tournaments in Florida. Fourteen different juniors claimed singles trophies at these prestigious events, with two champions earning titles on both coasts of the Sunshine State.
Although she had clinched the International Tennis Federation’s title of 2017 World Junior Tennis Champion last month, the 15-year-old played on, winning the Grade 1 Eddie Herr on her home courts at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, and closing an outstanding year with the title at the Grade A Orange Bowl in Plantation. Osuigwe, the top seed in both events, defeated unseeded Clara Burel of France 6-4, 4-6, 6-1 in the Eddie Herr final and unseeded Margaryta Bilokin of Ukraine 6-1, 6-2 in the Orange Bowl championship match. The French Open girls champion finished 2017 with a 62-9 record on the ITF Junior Circuit.
Shintaro Mochizuki
The 14-year-old from Japan started the month with the Eddie Herr title, and, like Osuigwe, he claimed the winner’s trophy on the IMG Academy courts where he trains. Seeded No. 2, Mochizuki defeated top seed Alexander Bernard of the United States 6-3, 6-2 in Bradenton, then found himself facing Bernard again for the Junior Orange Bowl 14s title in Coral Gables. Mochizuki, again seeded second, got the better of No. 1 seed Bernard a second time, coming from 3-0 down in the final to post a 6-3, 6-3 victory. Mochizuki is the first Japanese boy to win the Junior Orange Bowl 14s title in the 56-year history of the tournament.
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