Noah Rubin (3), Rockville Centre, N.Y., is headed to the U.S. Open after defeating defending champion Collin Altamirano (5), Saratoga, Calif., 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 in the best-of-five singles final Sunday afternoon. Rubin, who also won Junior Wimbledon, earned the wild card into the singles main draw with the win. “I think it was pure mental toughness,” Rubin said of his win. “I came out very well in everything. Even though I changed my game plan because I knew it could go five sets, so I knew I couldn’t run down every ball, I’d be exhausted. So I kind of shortened the game and stayed more on top of the baseline and I think that really played in my favor, it kinda took the angles away from him because he’s a great ball mover. I know that.” Said Altamirano: “I felt like he believed, I didn’t. I felt like that was the big difference. He believed from the get-go and it took me two and one-half sets to believe. That’s just too late.” In boys 16s, top seed John McNally, Cincinnati, defeated Connor Hance (9), Torrance, Calif., 6-4, 6-4. “I played pretty well I thought today, but to beat John I’d have to play a lot better,” Hance said. “He was just taking advantage of my short balls and finishing them every time and I couldn’t do anything about it.” Said McNally, who earned a wild card into the Junior U.S. Open when he won the match on his fourth match point: “He played some good points and I missed some easy shots. It’s all right. It happens. I knew he was going to fight for every last point.”

Source: USTA Nationals Staff