USTA Boys' 18 & 16 National Championships

August 2 – 11, 2024

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Aug. 18, 2006
August 2006
Aug. 18, 2006
September 2006

Our Most Memorable Moments of 2006

USTABOYS.COM announces its sixth annual tournament awards:

Rookie of the Year Award

  • Gold Ball: Alex Domijan
  • Silver Ball: Chase Buchanan

    Best Match

  • Gold Ball: Brennan Boyajian vs. Ryan Thacher 16s singles championship
  • Silver Ball: Adam El Mihdawy vs. Jarmere Jenkins 16s singles quarterfinal

    Most Photogenic Award

  • Gold Ball: Kellen Damico
  • Silver Ball: Casey Watt

    Players We Can't Wait to See at the "Zoo" Next Year

  • Gold Ball: Donald Young winner of 14 consecutive matches in Kalamazoo and if he returns in 2007, will be aiming for an unprecedented third consecutive 18s championship
  • Silver Ball: Bradley Klahn, upset in the fifth round, went to work in the backdraw and finished fifth

    When Pigs Fly Award

  • Gold Ball: Ten rain-free tournament days
  • Silver Ball: Every third/fourth and fifth/sixth match in both divisions, singles and doubles, was played

    Welcome Back

  • Gold Ball: Todd Martin and Aaron Krickstein, back in the "Zoo" for the first time since competing as teenagers
  • Silver Ball: Mark Merklein, the 1988 16s champion, returning for the first time in his new position as USTA High Performance coach

    The Upset of the Tournament Award (and we don't mean stomach)

  • Gold Ball: Nicholas Andrews and Jamie Hutter over No. 1 16s doubles team of Brennan Boyajian and Zach Hunter
  • Silver ball: Unseeded Jared Pinsky ousting 2005 18s semifinalist Jamie Hunt in the second round

    Most Improved Award

  • Gold Ball: Davey Sandgren, who lost 6-4, 6-0 to Kellen Damico in 2005 and 4-6, 7-6(8), 6-4 to Damico in 2006
  • Silver Ball: Reid Carleton, who lost his first match in 2005, but in 2006 made it to the quarterfinals of the feed-in

    Golden Microphone Award

  • Gold Ball: Don Flesche, who called Gautam Vaidyanathan and Mousheg Hovhannisyan to their matches as if he said their names every day
  • Silver Ball: Jesse Levine, who explained to the crowd face-to-face why he couldn't play the final

    Andy Roddick Courtside Bucket Award

  • Gold Ball: Jamie Hunt
  • Silver Ball: Mac McAnulty

    Brother Can You Spare a Seed Award

  • Gold Ball: Ty Trombetta, 16s singles quarterfinalist
  • Silver Ball: Steve Forman and Cory Parr, future teammates at Wake Forest who beat four seeded teams and finished third in 18s doubles.

    Most Painful Match Ending

  • Gold Ball: Marcus Fugate vs. Wil Spencer
  • Silver Ball: Bo Seal vs. Casey Watt

    Best Debut, non-junior division

  • Gold Ball: US Open blue courts
  • Silver Ball: ZGH Design, website development

    Nick of Time Award

  • Gold Ball: Johnny Hamui, who lost the coin toss and the first game in his third round match with Thomas McGeorge for reporting late but won 4-6, 6-3, 6-1.
  • Silver Ball: 16s doubles champions Bradley Klahn and Adam El Mihdawy, who got together as a team the day before the tournament started

    Best Reason to Play Kalamazoo even if you've playing mostly Futures events

  • Gold Ball: U.S. Open wild cards
  • Silver Ball: More fans watching your matches than you'll have in New York--unless it's a night match against Agassi or Roddick

    Our Favorite Shotmakers:

  • Forehand: Roy Kalmanovich
  • First Serve: Marcus Fugate
  • Second Serve: Donald Young
  • Volley: Devin Britton
  • Lob: Adam El Mihdawy
  • Backhand: Jesse Levine
  • Service Return: Tim Smyczek
  • Action: Lloyd Clayton

    For previous years' awards see: 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001

    Source: Colette Lewis (Tournament Office)