INDIAN WELLS, Calif. – Alexandre Rotsaert isn’t the most well-known American junior tennis player, but knows a few more wins at the 50th Annual Adidas Easter Bowl USTA Junior National Spring Championships this week would do a lot to change that.
The 17-year-old Rotsaert from Boca Raton, Fla., continued his winning ways as he beat Bill Duo, 6-0, 6-1, on Wednesday in the second round of ITF 18s singles action at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. Rotsaert winning streak reached eight straight as he captured the International Spring Championships in Carson last week.
Photo of Alex Rotsaert by David Kenas
Ranked No. 32 in the world ITF rankings, the No. 9 seeded Rotsaert doesn’t want the added pressure of being labeled a potential Next Generation ATP star. “I truly couldn’t care less if I was well-known or not,” he said. “It’s the juniors and it’s completely irrelevant what your ranking is unless you are top 10.”
He continued: “When I younger that may have mattered that people knew who I was, but now I don’t care. I just have to stay focused. Winning this tournament would be absolutely awesome for me. Gianni [Ross] did it last year, and Donald Young has done it. Plenty have players have. But at the end of the day you have to be able to take the next step and this is just one of them.”
Winning Carson was the biggest title Rotsaert has even won as he beat Ross in the final. “The first day [Monday] I’ve never gotten so many text in my life,” he said. “We had a nice meal and then forgot about it. My coach [Ernesto Ruiz] wants me focused on this week so we haven’t said a word about it. That tournament is irrelevant now. Now it’s a new week and a completely different tournament.”
Rotsaert played nearly flawless tennis in dropping just one game. “I thought I played really well today and was dictating and serving well and was being aggressive,” he said. “I didn’t make too many unforced errors which is important for me and a plus for me; was just really zoned in. I think the conditions were nice. It’s not too hot.”
He said he feels “not fresh” but “normal” after playing in a Sunday final and opening play Tuesday.
Rotsaert will next play Patrick Kypson in a tough third round on Thursday.
Moving on in Girls’ ITF 18s play were top-seeded Claire Liu, No. 3 Whitney Osuigwe and No. 6 Caty McNally. Upset included seeded girls’ players No. 9 Natash Subhash beaten by Alexa Noel, and No. 8 Nicole Mossmer taken out by unseeded Rachel Lim, 7-6 (5), 6-2
Finals will be contested in the Boys’ and Girls’ 12s and 14s on Thursday morning. In the Boys’ 14s finals, Alexander Bernard (No. 9 seed; Bonita Springs, Fla.) will face Aryan Chaudhary (No. 2; Santa Clara, Calif.) Bernard upset top-seeded Maxwell McKennon of Newport Beach, Calif., 6-3, 6-1 while Chaudhary needed three sets to gets past the son of former ATP doubles star Martin Damm, who goes by the same name.
In the Girls’ 14s finals, top-seeded Gianna Pielet of El Paso, Texas, will play Charlotte Owensby, the No. 8 seed from Boca Raton, Fla.
In the Boys’ 12s final, two unseeded players have advanced all the way to the finals with Kyle Fang of Fullerton, Calif., meeting Nishesh Basavareddy of Carmel, Ind.
In the Girls’ 12s final it will also be two unseeded player going at it as Priya Nelson of Sacramento, Calif., will face Eleana Yu of Mason, Ohio. Yu upset top-seeded Matilyn Wang of Scottsdale, Ariz., 6-4, 6-2.
SIGHTINGS ON WEDNESDAY: Kent Kinnear, USTA Player Identification and Development Director; 15-time doubles Grand Slam champion Rosie Casals; USTA Director of Junior Tournament Bill Mountford;
In addition to live streaming the Easter Bowl again this year, the tournament has a new and improved mobile app, which can be found in both the Apple iTunes store or at Google Play. Search “Easter Bowl” to download the app. The live stream commentating duties are being provided by the popular Southern California tennis commentator Marcus Tennis. Check www.easterbowl.com to watch the live stream and for all Easter Bowl news, results and schedules.
USTA Wednesday’s Results
Boys’ 16 Singles (Round of 16)
Alex Lee (11) (Oak Brook, IL) def. Cannon Kingsley (2) (Northport, NY) 7-6(5), 6-3
Ryder Jackson (8) (Nicasio, CA) def. Pierce Rollins (Tulsa, OK) 6-4, 6-3
Stefan Dostanic (13) (Irvine, CA) def. Nicholas Garcia (Hollywood, FL) 6-1, 6-3
Jacob Bullard (Calabasas, CA) def. Nathan Han (9) (Tulsa, OK) 6-3, 6-2
Nathan Arimilli (10) (Austin, TX) def. Eliot Spizzirri (Greenwich, CT) 6-3, 6-4
Andrew Dale (4) (Leesburg, VA) def. Marcus McDaniel (16) (Vacaville, CA) 6-1, 6-2
Leighton Allen (6) (Austin, TX) def. andres martin (Flowery Branch, GA) 6-0, 6-0
Brandon Nakashima (1) (San Diego, CA) def. Phillip Jordan (14) (Spartanburg, SC) 6-2, 6-2
Girls’ 16 Singles (Round of 16)
Emma Navarro (5) (Charleston, SC) def. Marcella Cruz (Marlboro, NJ) 6-0, 6-2
Jayci Goldsmith (9) (Dripping Springs, TX) def. Chidimma Okpara (Vienna, VA) 6-4, 6-1
Eryn Cayetano (12) (Corona, CA) def. Addison Guevara (7) (Keller, TX) 3-6, 6-4, 6-3
Dasha Kourkina (2) (Brooklyn, NY) def. Elle Christensen (16) (Los Angeles, CA) 7-5, 6-3
Fiona Crawley (San Antonio, TX) def. Lauren Anzalotta (Trujillo Alto, PR) 6-0, 3-6, 6-4
Audrey Boch-Collins (11) (Las Vegas, NV) def. Yolanda Lin (Sammamish, WA) 6-3, 6-4
Sedona Gallagher (3) (Henderson, NV) def. Gabriella Cusano (Austin, TX) 6-3, 6-0
Ava Hrastar (8) (Duluth, GA) def. Kiana Graham (10) (Austin, TX) 6-2, 6-3
Boys’ 14 Singles (Semifinal Round)
Alexander Bernard (9) (Bonita Springs, FL) def. Maxwell McKennon (1) (Newport Beach, CA) 6-3, 6-1
Aryan Chaudhary (2) (Santa Clara, CA) def. Martin Damm (Bradenton, FL) 6-3, 3-6, 6-3
Girls’ 14 Singles (Semifinal Round)
Gianna Pielet (1) (El Paso, TX) def. Kailey Evans (6) (Ennis, TX) Wo (inj)
Charlotte Owensby (8) (Boca Raton, FL) def. Connie Ma (14) (Dublin, CA) 6-3, 6-3
Boys’ 12 Singles (Semifinal Round)
Kyle Kang (Fullerton, CA) def. Lucas Brown (3) (Plano, TX) 4-6, 6-1, 10-5
Nishesh Basavareddy (Carmel, IN) def. Cooper Williams (4) (New York, NY) 6-2, 6-4
Girls’ 12 Singles (Semifinal Round)
Priya Nelson (Sacramento, CA) def. Violeta Martinez (9) (Port Saint Lucie, FL) 6-4, 2-6, 10-2
Eleana Yu (Mason, OH) def. Matilyn Wang (1) (Scottsdale, AZ) 6-4, 6-2