2002 USTA NATIONAL OPEN
MEN'S & WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIPS
USTA National Tennis Center - Flushing Meadow, New York
December 26-30, 2002
College and Junior players were in the winners circle at the USTA National Open Men's & Women's Championships. The USTA National Tennis Center played host to 113 players during the holiday season. Though they varied from twelve year old girls to forty year old men and represented college tennis, junior tennis, the pro ranks and the club players, they all came for the same thing -- a wildcard into a USTA Pro Circuit event. In the end, it was the college players who dominated the men's draws while the junior players were the tops in the women's events.
Wake Forest junior David Lowenthal was both a singles winner and a doubles finalist. In the singles final, he eliminated Notre Dame freshman Eric Langenkamp and in the doubles he partnered with Princeton's Kyle Kliegerman in a doubles final that came down to 11-9 in the third set tiebreaker. (Janecek/Porter, the winning team, are two former touring pros.) The University of New Mexico was well represented at this tournament. UNM's Divan Coetzee was the third place singles and doubles winner (with Bart Scott) and Jasmin Hodzic took sixth place in the singles.
Though the draws were called "womens" championships, the meaning was lost on the majority of the final group. Twelve year old Irina Falconi downed the number one seed before challenging touring pro (and former Auburn standout) Agnes Wiski for the third place playoff. Fourteen year old Elizabeth Kobak was the sixth place winner and the singles finals came down to two sixteen year olds. Stacia Fonseca prevailed against Dominique Liguori in the singles, though she lost the doubles (with partner Becky Gordon) to the more experienced duo of Princeton Assistant Coach Laura Glitz and former pro player Elizabeth Purpura.
Winners at the USTA National Open Men's & Women's Championships will be able to pick from a number of USTA Pro Circuit events to which they will receive a wildcard. The tournament was a successful showcase of up and coming talent that players were already planning to attend again next year.
 Singles Winner David Lowenthal with Tournament Director Tom Tvedt |
 Doubles Finalists Stacia Fonseca & Becky Gordon and Winners Laura Glitz & Elizabeth Purpura |
 Coach Carol Watson and fifth place Winner Elizabeth Kobak |
 Singles Finalist Eric Langenkamp |
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