She seems to be everywhere I've gone the past few years -- New Jersey, California, Arizona, Alabama. She's consistently in the top 10 of the USTA Girls' 18 Rankings and appearing in the final rounds of national tournaments. She may not have a collection of gold balls like many of the other girls in the top 10, but Eleanor Peters is definitely a player to watch.
The USTA National Spring Championships was a rough tournament for the sixteen year old from our nation's capital. The No. 6 seed faced a string of three setters and lost two tough matches to Lindsay Burdette. The first was the singles semifinal, 6-3,7-6(4), and then a short time later it was the doubles final, 6-4,3-6,6-2. After allowing herself a short time to grieve the losses, Eleanor put herself back together and picked up the bronze in the singles to go with that doubles silver.
Eleanor Peters started 2005 by sweeping the singles and doubles a the February National Open in Ohio. Even though those were her first USTA National wins, she has reached third place (2004 National Claycourts), second place (2004 National Open, 2002 Texas Open & 2001 National Open singles), semifinals (2004 Chanda Rubin & National Hardcourt doubles, 2003 Easter Bowl & National Open Singles), as well as too many national quarterfinal finishes to mention.
I sat down with Eleanor at the USTA National Spring Championships in Mobile. I have heard from (many) of her fellow players how much she is liked and found it easy to feel the same.
by Marcia Frost
Q: What do you like better -- singles or doubles?
A: "I like single. Actually doubles is a lot more fun because there's less pressure, but singles is what counts."
