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The 2008 Girls' 18 National Championships…

The 2008 Girl’s National Championships, won by Ukrainian born and Brooklyn raised Gail Brodsky, marked the passing of the torch from the National Tennis Championships to the Berkeley Tennis Club Foundation. For over 10 years, the National Tennis Championships, a non-profit corporation founded by co-tournament directors Andrea Norman and Jennifer Pitzen, has been at the helm of this event. Next Year, the Girls’ 18 Championships will be conducted under the auspices of the BTCF. The tournament itself served up its usual plate of dramatic matches, witnessed play by a fine group of local and nationwide players alike, welcomed a celebrity visit, and culminated with the crowning of a new National Champion as well as a contentious if not controversial ending in the doubles final.
The opening ceremonies launched the tournament with appreciation and a fond farewell to Jennifer Pitzen, who was in her last year of direct involvement in the tournament. Welcoming words were spoken by local officials, sponsors and attending USTA dignitaries and a rules of conduct review was definitively delivered by Tournament Referee Chris Preston.

Local players who made it into this national tournament included El Cerrito’s 15 year-old Layla Sanders, San Francisco’s Natalie Dillon, Hayward’s Ariel Ellis (the only one-handed backhand in the tournament) and San Jose’s Tayler Davis who is U.C. Berkeley bound. The most dramatic match was that between Coco Vandeweghe and Julia Boserup in one of the semifinals. Down 1-4 in the third, eventual finalist Vandeweghe found a way to come back to win 6-4 in the deciding set. This set up the final between Brodsky the 17 year-old from Brooklyn and Vandeweghe the 16 year-old from Rancho Santa Fe. The first set was close, but the steadier and craftier Brodsky prevailed. When Vandeweghe first serve percentage dipped lower in the second set, it became clear that the end was inevitable. Brodsky’s tenacity and Vandeweghe’s inability to win the longer rallies led to Brodsky prevailing 6-1 to wrap up the straight set victory and championship.
The doubles finals matched Brodsky with partner Mallory Cecil, against 2008 Maureen Brinker Award recipient Jamie Hampton and Vandeweghe. It was here that Brodsky’s combative spirit finally caught up with her. Serving in a dramatic 4-5 game in the third set…after numerous deuces, game points and saved match points, Brodsky struck a deuce point ball into the net and immediately grazed the court with her racket in frustration. Vandeweghe questioned the umpire about racket contact with the court. The umpire was obliged, by rule, to assess a point penalty. Game set and match went to Hampton and Vandeweghe… a disappointing end to a great match.

A definite highlight was the appearance of Patrick McEnroe on Thursday of tournament week. Patrick, recently agreeing to coach Andy Roddick, had also been named General Manager of USTA Elite Player Development. An engaging hour of question and answer about Patrick’s life in tennis, his philosophy on coaching and vision for U.S. tennis was ably conducted by Joel Drucker.
The Girls’ 18 National Championships does not happen without great planning, volunteering and generosity. Thanks go to the entire Steering Committee, Andrea Norman, Jen Pitzen and Lynne Rolley in particular, all the volunteers that made the tournament possible and to those sponsors who donated and/or played in the June Girls’ 18 Mixer. Next year’s Girls’ 18 Championships Tournament looks forward to new leadership by the BTCF and great tennis by the next crop of young American tennis players.