Special from
Zoo Tennis
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INDIAN WELLS, Calif. - For Cooper Woestendick, the ITF J300 FILA International Junior Championships proved a breakthrough, while fellow 16-year-old Clervie Ngounoue confirmed her position as one of the world's top juniors as she balances professional and junior competition.
Girls Singles Champion Clervie Ngounoue
© Zoo Tennis
Until this year, the tournament was an International Tennis Federation J300 event as part of the USTA National Spring Championships Easter Bowl, with only Americans allowed to participate. While the venue remained the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, the event was shifted two weeks earlier, and expanded to include Canadians, giving juniors a chance to compete alongside WTA and ATP professionals at the BNP Paribas Open.
Although many juniors had previously been onsite for Easter Bowl competition, which includes 12s, 14s, 16s divisions as well the ITF event, none had experienced the thrill of playing matches as the roars from the Stadium courts reverberated throughout the venue. Players watched the professionals compete in high stakes second week matches, while hitting sessions with Karen Khachanov, Andrey Rublev and Jack Draper were reported.
