Players to look for in the 18's include, Rajeev Ram, Carmel, IN who won the 16 singles and doubles Super National championships last year. This year he has captured the 18 singles title at the Easter Bowl in California and also won the T-Bar International tournament in Texas last November. Josh Cohen, Weston FL, who was last year's Super Nationals 16 other finalist, is also doing well in tournament play this season. He won the Port Washington International tournament last year and reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Hardcourts this winter. Two other contestants expected to return to Kalamazoo are Ytai Abougzir who was a singles finalist at the Coffee Bowl in Costa Rica and semifinalist in the Easter Bowl, and Brian Baker, Columbus Indoor Singles Champion, who finished 2000 ranked number one by the USTA in the 16 & under.

Local players to watch in the 16's include Eric Hodgman, Kalamazoo, MI who took the high school division two state championship and reached the quarters of the Mitsubishi and Jr. Orange Bowl; Scott Oudsema, Portage, MI who reached the singles quarterfinals at the Orange Bowl; Nick Rinks, Kalamazoo, MI singles semifinalist, Midwest Closed; Trevor McLeod, Kalamazoo MI singles quarterfinalist, National Open and Ryan Berger, Grand Rapids, MI, singles quarterfinalist, National Open.

Timon Corwin, tournament director, said, "The local talent is very good and will make for a great tournament. It would be great if they all got in."

Most of these young players have been on the tennis circuit all year competing in International and USTA sanctioned tournaments to eventually compete for the National title in either the 16 or 18 age divisions when match play begins on August 3 at Stowe Tennis Stadium on the campus of Kalamazoo College. It is the most important tournament of the tennis year because each winner in singles and doubles will hold the National title.

This is the 59th year Kalamazoo has held the 10-day Super National Championships that will begin Friday, August 3 and culminate with the singles finals Sunday, August 12. Many of the players will arrive in Kalamazoo fresh from European competition which includes, among others, the Junior Wimbledon Championships.

For tournament ticket information call (616)337-7343.

Source: Darlene Pontello (Tournament Office)