Three Texans Compete at U.S. Open

Three Texans Compete at U.S. Open

Three Texans, Ashley Weinhold of Austin and Lilly Kimbell and Ryan Harrison of New Braunfels all competed at the 2007 U. S. Open held at the Billie Jean King Tennis Center in Flushing Meadow, N.Y.

Ashley Weinhold at the 2007 U.S. Open

Weinhold, who turned professional last week, qualified for the main draw of the women’s singles by capturing the 2007 USTA Girls' 18 National Championships at The Berkeley Tennis Club in Berkeley, Calif. She fell in the first round to eventual semifinalist and sixth-seeded Anna Chakvetadze, 6-1, 6-1.

In the doubles main draw, Weinhold teamed with 2007 Wimbledon Juniors finalist, Madison Brengle. The pair lost to eventual quarterfinalists, Yaroslava Shvedova Stephanie Foretz, 6-0, 6-3.

Weinhold paired with Ryan Sweeting, the 2005 U.S. Open Junior boys singles champion, losing a heart-breaking 4-6, 6-3, 10-8, decision to Vladamira Uhlirova and Simon Aspelin.

The following week, in the U.S. Open Junior Championships, Weinhold won a pair of matches before bowing out in the third round. Weinhold held off the hard-hitting and ninth-seeded Kai-Chen Chang of Taipei, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 in the first round. She followed that win up with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Romana Tabakova of Slovakia. In the third round, Weinhold fell to Sacha Jones of New Zealand, 6-1, 6-3.

Lilly Kimbell rips a backhand at the 2007 U.S. Open

Also in the girls’ draw was Lilly Kimbell, who put up a fine effort. Kimbell was granted a wild card after winning the USTA National Girls 16 Championships at the Barnes Tennis Center in San Diego in August.

Kimbell took the first set in her match against Elena Chernyakova 6-4, before the Russian took the second set, 6-4, and even the match. Kimbell raced out to a 3-1 lead in the third, but Chernyakova wouldn’t go down without a fight, rallying to a 6-3 final set win.

Harrison, who has also had a magnificent summer, reaching the round of 16 at the 2007 USTA Boys' 18 National in Kalamazoo, Mich., had a tough first round match. He faced the hard-serving lefty, Borut Puc of Slovenia. In a match that was tight throughout, Harrison fell, 6-4, 6-4.

Ryan Harrison serves at the 2007 U.S. Open

In doubles, Harrison teamed with Adam El Mihdawy, defeating the sixth-seeded team of Guillermo Rivera Aranguiz and Ricardo Urzua-Rivera of Chile, 7-6, 6-4. they couldn’t maintain that momentum and fell in the next round to Devin Britton and Jared Easton, 6-2, 3-6, 6-1.

Congratulations to each of these players and thank you for representing Texas tennis so well, not only at the U.S.Open, but all year long.