The world’s best 14 and under and 12 and under tennis players are coming to Coral Gables for the 50th annual Junior Orange Bowl International Tennis Championship.
This year’s tournament has received a record 1,325 entrants from 75 countries and 40 U.S. states. The qualifying matches will take place Dec. 14-16 with the main draw taking place on Dec. 17-23.
Former professional tennis player and two-time Junior Orange Bowl Tennis Champion Mary Joe Fernandez will serve as the honorary chair of this year’s event. A new venue has been added to this year’s tournament as the Girls 14 and under matches will be at the Tennis Center at Crandon Park on Key Biscayne.
There will be four divisions of the Junior Orange Bowl International Tennis Championship: boys 14 and under, girls 14 and under, boys 12 and under, and girls 12 and under. Each division will take place at a different location. Boys 14 and under will take place at the University of Miami Tennis Center; girls 14 and under will be at the Tennis Center at Crandon Park; Boys 12 and under will be at the Salvadore Park Tennis Center, and the Girls 12 and under will be at The Biltmore Tennis Center.
Twenty out of the 25 top-ranked U.S. 14 and under boys have entered the tournament, including No. 1 Cameron E. Klinger from San Jose, CA, and No. 2 Stefan Kozlov from Pembroke Pines, who was the 12 and under Junior Orange Bowl runnerup in 2009.
Sixteen of the top 20 American 14 and under girls are participating including local players, No. 1 ranked Katerina Stewart from Miami, No. 3 Julia O’Loughlin and No. 7 Mia Horvit. Second ranked Kaitlyn Harris McCarty from Cary, NC also will be competing.
Also attending are several of the top- ranked boys in the 12 and under division, including local favorite, U.S. No. 1 Alexander del Corral of Doral and No. 2 Patrick Kpyson from Greenville, NC. Top-ranked girls 12 and under participants include No. 1 Catherine Cartan Bellis of Atherton, CA, and No. 6 U.S. player Anna Bight from Boca Raton.
The Junior Orange Bowl International Tennis Championship has a rich history of attracting the world’s most promising young tennis players to Coral Gables. Past participants of the Junior Orange Bowl Tennis Championship include 2002 U14 winner and 2009 U.S. Open winner Juan Martin Del Potro. Other professional players who have played are Andy Roddick, Caroline Wozniacki, Justine Henin, Kim Clijsters, Andre Agassi, Monica Seles, Chris Evert, and Jim Courier.
This year’s finals for the boys 14 and under, girls 14 and under, and girls 12 and under will all take place at the University of Miami Tennis Center on Dec. 23, starting at 9 a.m. The finals for the boys 12 and under will be at Salvadore Park at 9 a.m. on Dec. 22.
For more information on the Junior Orange Bowl Committee (JOBC) call 305-662-1210 or visit online at www.jrorangebowl.org>
