The heat blazed throughout the third day of the Nationals on Sunday. Another 192 matches were scheduled, and the day finished without any rain delays .

Second round of 16 & under singles played, as well as the second round of both 16 & under and 18 & under doubles. This marked the debut for seeded players in the 16s for this year’s tournament. 

Gus Grumet of Mill Valley, California, the top seed this year in 16s, defeated Michael Lorenzetti of Milford, Connecticut, 6-3 6-2. Second seed Gavin Goode of Raleigh, North Carolina, fought hard against Aidan Xu of Katy, Texas. Goode ultimately won 6-7(4), 6-1, 6-2.

The United States Tennis Association recognized two players for their character and excellence. 

Karan Raghavendra of Dublin, California, received the Bill Talbert Sportsmanship Award. Named after legendary American tennis player Bill Talbert, the award recognizes players who exhibit outstanding sportsmanship. The recipients of this award display “the values of fair play, respect and dedication to the sport, serving as role models for aspiring athletes.” Raghavendra was ranked among the top high school recruits this year, and will play Division I tennis at Indiana University in the fall. He has won numerous national and sectional sportsmanship awards, and his coaches describe him as a “fair and gracious competitor and a natural leader.” 

Shaurya Bharadwaj of Charlotte, North Carolina, received the USTA National Scholar-Athlete Award. This award recognizes one female and one male high school junior or senior nationally ranked in the top 100 with an unweighted grade point average of 3.75 or higher. The recipients also display strong leadership, personal characters and achievements in the tennis community. Bharadwaj was a two-time captain of his high school’s tennis team, and spent time volunteering as a tennis coach for an adaptive tennis program. Graduating with a weighted grade point average above a 4.0, Bharadwaj will play Division I tennis at the University of Pennsylvania. 

Upset Alert: No major upsets occurred.

Source: Victoria Ryan