Locals Loeb and Elbaba Selected for 2015 American Collegiate Invitational

July 16, 2015 | By New York Tennis Magazine Staff
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Photo credit: Adam Wolfthal

The USTA has announced that 2015 NCAA champions Jamie Loeb of the University of North Carolina of Ossining, N.Y., and Ryan Shane of the University of Virginia, will lead the group of top American collegiate players selected to play in the second annual American Collegiate Invitational at the 2015 U.S. Open, Sept. 10-12 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, N.Y.

Joining Loeb and also representing the New York area will be Winston Lin, a senior at Columbia from Williamsville, N.Y., and Oyster Bay, N.Y.’s Julia Elbaba, a junior at the University of Virginia.

The American Collegiate Invitational, open only to American college players, began last year as a way to spotlight college tennis during the U.S. Open. Eight men and eight women will again play single-elimination singles tournaments Thursday to Saturday during the second week of the U.S. Open, with the winners receiving a wild card into the 2016 U.S. Open, main draw or qualifying, depending on their ranking next summer.

“It is important that college tennis continue to be a part of the U.S. Open,” said U.S. Open Tournament Director David Brewer. “We are excited to once again feature a high level of competition between some very talented players with the American Collegiate Invitational.”

The men’s field will consist of (italics indicates that the player is a graduating senior and/or has turned pro/exhausted collegiate eligibility):

Gonzales Austin, a senior from Vanderbilt from Miami, Fla.
Mitchell Frank, a senior at Virginia from Annandale, Va.
Thai-Son Kwiatkowski, a sophomore at Virginia from Charlotte, N.C.
Winston Lin, a senior at Columbia from Williamsville, N.Y.
Mackenzie McDonald, a sophomore at UCLA from Piedmont, Calif.
Quentin Monaghan, a junior at Notre Dame from Chatham, N.J.
Ryan Shane, a junior at Virginia from Falls Church, Va.

The women’s field will consist of (italics indicates that the player is a graduating senior and/or has turned pro/exhausted collegiate eligibility):

Robin Anderson, a senior at UCLA from Matawan, N.J.
Brooke Austin, a freshman at Florida from Indianapolis
Julia Elbaba, a junior at Virginia from Oyster Bay, N.Y.
Lauren Herring, a senior at Georgia from Greenville, N.C.
Josie Kuhlman, a freshman at Florida from Ponte Vedra, Fla.
Jamie Loeb, a sophomore at North Carolina from Ossining, N.Y.
Maegan Manasse, a sophomore at Cal from Redondo Beach, Calif.

In addition to the participants listed, the USTA will issue one men’s and women’s wild card to fill out each field of eight. The fields are comprised of the top two players in the ATP/WTA rankings (as of June 1) and the top five players in the year-end Intercollegiate Tennis Association singles rankings (excluding those selected by pro ranking), including at least two graduating seniors or players who have turned pro/exhausted their collegiate eligibility.

The men’s/women’s American Collegiate Invitational champions will receive main draw wild card entries into the 2016 U.S. Open if either is ranked 120th or better by the U.S. Open entry deadline next summer. Otherwise, the winners will receive qualifying wild cards. The champions will also get wild cards into two USTA Pro Circuit events, while each runner-up will get one.


New York Tennis Magazine Staff
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