Coco Vandeweghe and Ryan Harrison Earn 2010 Australian Open Wildcards
Under a reciprocal arrangement with Tennis Australia, the USTA awards one male and one female American player a wildcard into their respective Australian Open main draws while the USTA offers the Australians the same slots into the U.S. Open singles main draws. A couple of years ago, the USTA started holding a wildcard playoff event which has the players
earn the opportunity to compete in the main draw at the Australian Open. This year the eight player playoff was contested in Atlanta for the coveted wildcard spot into the singles main draw at the 2010 Australian Open. A pair of seventeen year olds, Coco Vandeweghe and Ryan Harrison, played their way to the wildcards for the 2010 Australian Open (Vandeweghe actually turned 18 during the event on December 6th). Both Vandeweghe and Harrison have impressive credentials, but they had to defeat a trio of talented players to claim the wildcard spots.
On the women’s side, the fourth-seeded Vandeweghe, who is also the 2008 U.S. Open Junior Girls’ Singles Champion and the recipient of a wildcard into the 2008 U.S. Open singles main draw, beat 2009 wildcard recipient, Christina McHale, in the final, 7-6(2), 0-6, 6-3. In previous rounds, Vandeweghe, who is from Rancho Santa Fe, California, defeated fifth-seeded, Asia Muhammad, 6-4, 6-2, and eight-seeded, Julia Boserup, 6-4, 6-4.
On the men’s side, the sixth-seeded Harrison beat Number One seed, Jesse Levine, 6-4 6-1 6-3 in the final. In earlier rounds, Harrison defeated third-seeded, Alex Kuznetsov, 6-3, 6-3 and second-seeded, Donald Young, 6-3, 6-4. Harrison, who started playing at age two and turned pro at fifteen, is the son a former college player and now the head teaching pro at John Newcombe’s Tennis Ranch in Texas. Ryan reached the second round of the 2008 U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championships in Houston as a qualifier and captured two Futures titles in 2009. Harrison reached career-high ranking of 362 this fall.
The women’s field for the wildcard playoff also included:
Lauren Albanese (20, Coral Springs, Florida) – Currently ranked 172, she is the 2006 USTA Girls’ 18s National Champion and reached two USTA Pro Circuit finals in 2009.
Madison Brengle (19, Dover, Delaware) – Currently ranked 164 (she reached a career-high 158 this fall), she was the Junior Girls’ Singles finalist at the 2007 Australian Open and at Wimbledon and was a member of the 2008 U.S. Fed Cup team. She also won the wildcard playoffs to earn spots into the 2007 and 2008 Australian Opens and the 2008 French Open.
Julia Cohen (20, Miami, Florida) – She was a 2009 All-American at the University of Miami and reached a career-high ranking of 248 this fall.
Ester Goldfeld (16, Brooklyn, New York) – Her career-high ranking to date is 588 and she reached her first career USTA Pro Circuit final this past summer.
Christina McHale (17, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey) – She reached a career-high ranking of 204 this fall and is currently ranked 231. She won the 2009 USTA Girls’ 18s singles and doubles titles, as well as the Australian Open wildcard playoff last year.
Asia Muhammad (18, Henderson, Nevada) – Currently ranked 379, she reached a career-high of 348 his fall. She started playing tennis at the Andre Agassi Boys’ and Girls’ Club in Las Vegas and reached the final of a USTA Pro Circuit $50,000 event in 2008.
Allison Riske (19, McMurray, Pennsylvania) – She reached a career-high ranking of 220 this fall and won her first USTA Pro Circuit title in October. She was runner-up at the 2007 USTA Girls’ 18s National Championships.
The men’s field also included:
Alex Kuznetsov (22, Tampa, Florida) – Currently ranked, 200, he was the 2004 French Open Junior Boys’ runner-up and won a Challenger event in July.
Jesse Levine (22, Boca Raton, Florida) – Currently ranked 118th, he reached the third round at Wimbledon in 2009 as a qualifier and is a former University of Florida All-American.
Michael McClune (20, Irvine, California) – Currently ranked 331 (reached career-high of 290 this fall), he is the 2007 USTA Boys’ 18s National Champion and has won five USTA Pro Circuit titles.
Wayne Odesnik (24, Weston, Florida) – Currently ranked 105, but reached a career-high of 77 in April after reaching his first ATP Final.
Jack Sock (17, Lincoln, Nebraska) – He is the top-ranked player in the USTA Boys’ 18s and recently won his first career USTA Pro Circuit title in Amelia Island, Florida.
Ryan Sweeting (22, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida) – Currently ranked 158 (reached a career-high of 140 recently), he is the 2005 US Open Junior Boys’ Singles Champion and won a Challenger earlier this year.
Donald Young (20, Atlanta, Georgia) – Currently-ranked 197th, but reached a career-high of 73rd in 2008. He was the USTA Boys’ 18 National Champion in 2005 and 2006 and also won the 2005 Australian Open Junior Boy’s title becoming the Youngest ITF World Junior Champion at the age of 16.
On the women’s side, the fourth-seeded Vandeweghe, who is also the 2008 U.S. Open Junior Girls’ Singles Champion and the recipient of a wildcard into the 2008 U.S. Open singles main draw, beat 2009 wildcard recipient, Christina McHale, in the final, 7-6(2), 0-6, 6-3. In previous rounds, Vandeweghe, who is from Rancho Santa Fe, California, defeated fifth-seeded, Asia Muhammad, 6-4, 6-2, and eight-seeded, Julia Boserup, 6-4, 6-4.
On the men’s side, the sixth-seeded Harrison beat Number One seed, Jesse Levine, 6-4 6-1 6-3 in the final. In earlier rounds, Harrison defeated third-seeded, Alex Kuznetsov, 6-3, 6-3 and second-seeded, Donald Young, 6-3, 6-4. Harrison, who started playing at age two and turned pro at fifteen, is the son a former college player and now the head teaching pro at John Newcombe’s Tennis Ranch in Texas. Ryan reached the second round of the 2008 U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championships in Houston as a qualifier and captured two Futures titles in 2009. Harrison reached career-high ranking of 362 this fall.
The women’s field for the wildcard playoff also included:
Lauren Albanese (20, Coral Springs, Florida) – Currently ranked 172, she is the 2006 USTA Girls’ 18s National Champion and reached two USTA Pro Circuit finals in 2009.
Madison Brengle (19, Dover, Delaware) – Currently ranked 164 (she reached a career-high 158 this fall), she was the Junior Girls’ Singles finalist at the 2007 Australian Open and at Wimbledon and was a member of the 2008 U.S. Fed Cup team. She also won the wildcard playoffs to earn spots into the 2007 and 2008 Australian Opens and the 2008 French Open.
Julia Cohen (20, Miami, Florida) – She was a 2009 All-American at the University of Miami and reached a career-high ranking of 248 this fall.
Ester Goldfeld (16, Brooklyn, New York) – Her career-high ranking to date is 588 and she reached her first career USTA Pro Circuit final this past summer.
Christina McHale (17, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey) – She reached a career-high ranking of 204 this fall and is currently ranked 231. She won the 2009 USTA Girls’ 18s singles and doubles titles, as well as the Australian Open wildcard playoff last year.
Asia Muhammad (18, Henderson, Nevada) – Currently ranked 379, she reached a career-high of 348 his fall. She started playing tennis at the Andre Agassi Boys’ and Girls’ Club in Las Vegas and reached the final of a USTA Pro Circuit $50,000 event in 2008.
Allison Riske (19, McMurray, Pennsylvania) – She reached a career-high ranking of 220 this fall and won her first USTA Pro Circuit title in October. She was runner-up at the 2007 USTA Girls’ 18s National Championships.
The men’s field also included:
Alex Kuznetsov (22, Tampa, Florida) – Currently ranked, 200, he was the 2004 French Open Junior Boys’ runner-up and won a Challenger event in July.
Jesse Levine (22, Boca Raton, Florida) – Currently ranked 118th, he reached the third round at Wimbledon in 2009 as a qualifier and is a former University of Florida All-American.
Michael McClune (20, Irvine, California) – Currently ranked 331 (reached career-high of 290 this fall), he is the 2007 USTA Boys’ 18s National Champion and has won five USTA Pro Circuit titles.
Wayne Odesnik (24, Weston, Florida) – Currently ranked 105, but reached a career-high of 77 in April after reaching his first ATP Final.
Jack Sock (17, Lincoln, Nebraska) – He is the top-ranked player in the USTA Boys’ 18s and recently won his first career USTA Pro Circuit title in Amelia Island, Florida.
Ryan Sweeting (22, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida) – Currently ranked 158 (reached a career-high of 140 recently), he is the 2005 US Open Junior Boys’ Singles Champion and won a Challenger earlier this year.
Donald Young (20, Atlanta, Georgia) – Currently-ranked 197th, but reached a career-high of 73rd in 2008. He was the USTA Boys’ 18 National Champion in 2005 and 2006 and also won the 2005 Australian Open Junior Boy’s title becoming the Youngest ITF World Junior Champion at the age of 16.
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