UNITED STATES TENNIS ASSOCIATION
MIDWEST CLOSED - 2017
JULY 28, 2017
PREPARED BY SCOTT GERBER
OHIOTENNISZONE.COM
The USTA Midwest Closed is the most prestigious junior tournament in the Midwest Section, and it is one of the most important junior tournaments in the United States. This document summarizes the performance of the competitors and it ranks by performance the thirteen districts that make up the Midwest Section.
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From the Ohio Valley District -Wellington's Connor Biernat in the B18's - Click to enlarge |
The tournament was held primarily at the North Central High School Courts in Indianapolis, IN from June 24 to June 29, 2017.
This document includes performance information for the B16, B18, G16, and G18 events and it includes a table of all 511 competitors. Since OhioTennisZone (OTZ) covers the state of Ohio, it also includes additional information about OTZ members.
Rather than include comments and suggestions at the end of the document, the comments will be presented at the beginning so that readers can hopefully follow the reasoning as they go through the document.
Strongest and Weakest Districts
Ranked by average points per player, Southeast Michigan, Chicago, Central Indiana, and Western Michigan led the way as the strongest districts. The middle tier districts were Ohio Valley, Northeastern Ohio, Northeast Michigan, Northern Illinois, and Northern Indiana. (See the charts to the right and note that they can be enlarged.) |  |
The Districts that are way (way) off the pace are: Northern Michigan, Northwestern Ohio, Mid-South Illinois, and Wisconsin.
The states with the highest performance are: Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois. Note that the Ohio Valley District includes a portion of West Virginia and Kentucky.
Still too Many "Quota Spots" for Weak Districts
This tournament is too important to prevent deserving players from competing simply because they are in the wrong zip code. It is also unfair for fortunate players to be able to play against weak players from weak districts in early rounds. Every player goes through the trepidation of "I hope I don't have to play someone from Chicago in my first round". Let's fix this.
There are two ways to address this.
1) Reduce the number of spots for the weak districts. This would increase the average points per player by reducing the number of players from that district. The weakest districts year after year are: Northern Michigan, Northwestern Ohio, Mid-South Illinois, and Wisconsin. This would encourage these weaker districts to "step it up" and it would provide the other, more deserving players in the other districts with more spots.
2) Reduce the quota spots for all Districts. Really - all Districts? Yes, then use TennisRecruiting.net and/or Universal Tennis Ratings to identify the players for the non-quota spots. Tennis is fortunate to have great technologies to identify the deserving players, so let's make better use of these new tools. The current method was probably used before fax machines were invented.
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The second suggestion listed above is recommended because it would involve less "politics" of pitting one district against another. It is difficult for districts to argue that their weaker players deserve to be included at the expense of more deserving players.
Kudos to the USTA Midwest staff for combining Southern Illinois and Middle Illinois since the last analysis document was created in 2014. Southern Illinois was extremely weak prior to this change and Middle Illinois was moderately weak.
To see the most recent quota numbers, click to view the 2016 Midwest Closed Player Selection Process. Note the statement about how the USTA has "frozen memberships as of December 13, 2013". It would be interesting to know why this is being done, since quota spots are determined by the number of memberships in each district.
As a side-note, OhioTennisZone (OTZ) main mission is to cover Ohio high school tennis. OTZ provides no coverage of Michigan tennis, yet OTZ has a bigger audience from Southeast Michigan than northwestern Ohio. As this year's strongest Midwest district, what is Southeast Michigan doing to generate this much interest in tennis?
Seeding. Not Great. Not Bad.
It is nice to see another approach being used for the seeding of the high level players, but any approach has its pros / cons. This year, Universal Tennis Ratings are used to seed the top 16 players.
When the last OTZ analysis of the Midwest Closed was performed in 2014, the top four seeds were in 56% of the semi-finals. This year, the percentage is the same at 56%. (For example, in the 2017 B16's, Komatineni (1 seed), Goli (2 seed), Hiryur (4), and Z. Kim (17) competed in the semi-finals, so 75% of the Top Four seeds were in the semi-finals.) Click to view the OhioTennisZone.com 2014 Midwest Closed Analysis. Click to see the TennisLink info for the USTA Midwest Closed for 2014
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Personally, I think the best approach is using a combination of these great tools (TennisRecruting.net and Universal Tennis Rating) and subjective opinions. For example, Northeastern Ohio's Paul Gota just won the Ohio High School Division I singles championship so he should have been given a seed higher than #8. (Note the "blip-up" effect in the graph above since Gota finished second in the B18's.)
Return to "Best 2 of 3" for Doubles
Tennis continues to look for new ways to chip away at things that have made it successful. Why shift from the best of three for doubles (with 10 point tie-break in lieu of third set) to an eight game pro set?
It is bad enough that these players are getting short-changed out of a few games. The bigger question is if this approach is enabling the "best team" to win? In the 2016 Boys 16-18, there were roughly 100 doubles matches played. 24% of the matches went to three sets. Of those 24%, approximately 33% of the teams came back after losing the first set to win the match.
In an email exchange with USTA Midwest Director of Junior Competition, Chad Docktor, he stated that the reasons to shorten doubles were due to:
1. If/when there is rain the first two days it would be impossible to finish the matches with the shortage of indoor court options.
2. To decrease overall expenses for the long days of hosting this event.
This is the Cadillac event of the summer for the Midwest Section. Let's splurge a bit more on these players. Since there were only one singles match played on Sunday and one played on Monday, many kids were bored. The price of entering the Midwest Closed has not changed for a few years so parents will not mind if they have to pay a few more dollars at the most prestigious Midwest event, especially when considering all of the other costs (lessons, clinics, travel, and other tournament entry fees) it takes to achieve entry into the Midwest Closed. Of course, if rain is on the horizon, shifting to an 8-game pro set makes sense, but please make that decision on game day.
Note that Kalamazoo is playing best of three (with a "10 point third set"). Also note that last year's Kalamazoo B18 winners (the Midwest Ohio Valley's John McNally and JJ Wolf) came back from being down 3-6, 0-3 in their first match to win the entire event.
Facebook Live Feeds of the Championships
The use of Facebook Live was a great offering - when it worked. Viewers gained a better understanding of how players acted on the court, what their strokes were like, and what playing styles were used. Unfortunately the technology was too erratic to really "get into" a match. The sun's glare prevented viewers from seeing the Bill Duo / Paul Gota B18 match, and a fragile stand (or tape job) caused the camera to fall or jostle whenever a ball hit the fence.
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Facebook Live of Duo | Gota - Click to enlarge |
OTZ Photos from the Closed (or lack thereof)
OhioTennisZone's intent was to recognize Ohio players via the OhioTennisZone.com web site and via Tweets by posting photos of the Closed. After having on-court photo access at Ohio Valley Districts, USTA Boys National Championship in Kalamazoo, NCAA D1 and D3 matches, Ohio High School Athletic Association State tournament, and Ohio Tennis Coaches Association Team Championship matches, it was not expected to be difficult to get on-court access at the Midwest Closed. It was. Should I have requested access a week or two in advance, rather than simply expecting to get onto the courts? Yep. Still though, one or two calls should have resolved this situation in less than a half hour. I was eventually even prohibited from taking photos through the fence at the end of the courts so I just returned to Columbus.
I got one (1) reasonably good photo from the event, and it is included above.
It is weird how I can get pictures of the top players in the world (click to view Angelique Kerber, Madison Keys, and Andy Murray) from a few feet away using my media credentials at the Western & Southern Open, but I was not permitted to shoot through a fence at the Midwest Closed.
Who is the Audience for this Document?
Those most interested in this document will be the USTA, college coaches, players, parents, and tennis enthusiasts.
The Districts
The thirteen Districts that make up the Midwest District are as follows:
| DISTRICTS | MAJOR CITIES (AND AREAS) |
| Central Indiana | Indianapolis, Terre Haute, Greenwood, Carmel, Bloomington |
| Chicago | Chicago, Hinsdale, Lake Forest, Winnetka, Deerfield, Glenview, Wilmette |
| Mid-South Illinois | Peoria, Springfield, Decatur, Quincy, Champaign, Effingham, Salem |
| N.E. Michigan | Midland, Grand Blanc, Saginaw, Flint |
| Northeastern Ohio | Cleveland, Akron, Shaker Heights, Chagrin Falls, Hudson, Medina |
| Northern Illinois | Naperville, Rockford, St. Charles, Batavia |
| Northern Indiana | Fort Wayne, Munster, Granger |
| Northern Michigan | Harbor Springs, Traverse City, Williamsburg, Glen Arbor |
| Northwestern Ohio | Toledo, Perrysburg, Maumee, Wapakoneta, Findlay, Holland, Union County |
| Ohio Valley | Columbus, Dayton, Cincinnati, Dublin, Zanesville, Upper Arlington, New Albany, Middletown, Springfield, and West Virginia’s Huntington, Parkersburg, and Charleston |
| S.E. Michigan | Detroit, Ann Arbor, Bloomfield, Rochester Hills, Gross Pointe, Novi |
| Western Michigan | Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids, Lansing, Battle Creek, Augusta |
| Wisconsin | Milwaukee, Mequon, Green Bay, Brookfield, Whitefish Bay |
Report Options
Note that the table is long but it contains numerous ways to sort the players. This is the main value of this report. Click on Player to sort by player name (the default); State to sort by state and player name; Event to sort by event and player name; District to sort by District and player name; Points to sort by Midwest points earned from this event and player name; and OTZ Membership identify OTZ members sorted by player name.
All players who earned 240 points or more from the tournament have their points high-lighted in blue.
For more information about each player, click on the TennisRecruiting.net graphic to obtain each player's current national ranking. Click on the photos or links of the Ohio players to view their OhioTennisZone profiles.
| PLAYERS |
CITY |
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GRAD YEAR |
HIGH SCHOOL |
TR.NET LINK |
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Aggarwal, Ananya | Mason | OH | G16 |
Ohio Valley |
180
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2020
|
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Alcala, Cassie | Pickerington | OH | G18 |
Ohio Valley |
240
|
2020
|
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Arquette, Madison | Oregon | OH | G16 |
Northwestern Ohio |
180
|
2019
|
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Ball, Trevor | Westerville | OH | B16 |
Ohio Valley |
210
|
2020
|
||
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Biernat, Connor | Columbus | OH | B18 |
Ohio Valley |
180
|
2018
|
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Brdicka, Stuart | Galena | OH | B18 |
Ohio Valley |
180
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2018
|
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Buchinsky, Rachel | Solon | OH | G16 |
Northeastern Ohio |
158
|
2020
|
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Cash, Robert | New Albany | OH | B18 |
Ohio Valley |
338
|
2019
|
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Coburn, Morgan | Cincinnati | OH | G16 |
Ohio Valley |
270
|
2020
|
||
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Cohen, Carly | Pepper Pike | OH | G16 |
Northeastern Ohio |
270
|
2020
|
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Dabek, Jack | Dublin | OH | B18 |
Ohio Valley |
210
|
2018
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Daverio, Isabella | Richfield | OH | G16 |
Northeastern Ohio |
158
|
2019
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DeCurtins, Max | Cincinnati | OH | B16 |
Ohio Valley |
180
|
2019
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Fisher, Caitlin | Cincinnati | OH | G16 |
Ohio Valley |
210
|
2019
|
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Ghidotti, Claire | Dublin | OH | G18 |
Ohio Valley |
210
|
2018
|
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Gillinov, Nicole | Moreland Hills | OH | G16 |
Northeastern Ohio |
240
|
2020
|
||
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Goli, Saiprakash | Mason | OH | B16 |
Ohio Valley |
750
|
2020
|
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Gota, Paul | Moreland Hills | OH | B18 |
Northeastern Ohio |
638
|
2017
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Hirsch, Gracey | Cincinnati | OH | G18 |
Ohio Valley |
180
|
2018
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| PLAYERS | POINTS |
||||||||
GRAD YEAR |
HIGH SCHOOL |
TR.NET LINK |
|||||||
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Hiryur, Ronit | West Chester | OH | B16 |
Ohio Valley |
570
|
2020
|
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Hsia, Joshua | Twinsburg | OH | B18 |
Northeastern Ohio |
210
|
2017
|
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Jones, Kathleen | Lewis Center | OH | G18 |
Ohio Valley |
158
|
2018
|
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Joranko, Charles | Shaker Heights | OH | B16 |
Northeastern Ohio |
210
|
2020
|
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Jose, Joel | New Albany | OH | B16 |
Ohio Valley |
338
|
2019
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Kalaiarasan, Varun | Montgomery | OH | B18 |
Ohio Valley |
0
|
2017
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Karev, Alex | Cincinnati | OH | B16 |
Ohio Valley |
158
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Katragadda, Akhil | Sylvania | OH | B18 |
Northwestern Ohio |
158
|
2018
|
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Kelly, Joseph | Cincinnati | OH | B18 |
Ohio Valley |
0
|
2019
|
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Komatineni, Niraj | Mason | OH | B16 |
Ohio Valley |
638
|
2019
|
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Lawrence, Austin | Delaware | OH | B18 |
Ohio Valley |
158
|
2017
|
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Leizman, Ryan | Moreland Hills | OH | B18 |
Northeastern Ohio |
158
|
2018
|
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Liu, Jiaqi | Dublin | OH | G16 |
Ohio Valley |
0
|
2018
|
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Lynch, Madeleine | Chagrin Falls | OH | G16 |
Northeastern Ohio |
300
|
2019
|
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McQuillin, Ava | Waterville | OH | G16 |
Northwestern Ohio |
0
|
2020
|
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Neal, Emily | Dublin | OH | G18 |
Ohio Valley |
270
|
2017
|
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Norman, Charles | Aurora | OH | B16 |
Northeastern Ohio |
158
|
2020
|
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Norman, Irene | Aurora | OH | G18 |
Northeastern Ohio |
0
|
2018
|
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O'Connor, Gabriella | Blue Ash | OH | G18 |
Ohio Valley |
210
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2018
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Phelps, Jordan | Lewis Center | OH | B18 |
Ohio Valley |
180
|
2018
|
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| PLAYERS | POINTS |
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GRAD YEAR |
HIGH SCHOOL |
TR.NET LINK |
|||||||
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Pregel, Andrew | Cincinnati | OH | B18 |
Ohio Valley |
240
|
2018
|
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Qiang, Megan | Solon | OH | G16 |
Northeastern Ohio |
180
|
2019
|
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Reddy, Shashank | Mason | OH | B16 |
Ohio Valley |
240
|
2018
|
||
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Resor, Reagan | Dublin | OH | G16 |
Ohio Valley |
0
|
2020
|
||
 |
Reynolds, Anna Marie | Columbus | OH | G18 |
Ohio Valley |
158
|
2017
|
||
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Roggenburk, Anna | Avon Lake | OH | G16 |
Northeastern Ohio |
413
|
2019
|
||
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Rondini, Olivia | Euclid | OH | G16 |
Northeastern Ohio |
210
|
2020
|
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 |
Rotnov, Vlad | Solon | OH | B18 |
Northeastern Ohio |
270
|
2017
|
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 |
Shulman, Stephanie | Gates Mills | OH | G16 |
Northeastern Ohio |
240
|
|||
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Srinath, Vishnu | Mason | OH | B18 |
Ohio Valley |
0
|
2018
|
||
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Thai, Mitchell | Galloway | OH | B18 |
Ohio Valley |
210
|
2017
|
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Thenappan, Nethra | Dublin | OH | G18 |
Ohio Valley |
0
|
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Tuckerman, Georgia | Columbus | OH | G18 |
Ohio Valley |
0
|
2018
|
||
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Vesikallio, Alexandra | Bay Village | OH | G18 |
Northeastern Ohio |
240
|
2018
|
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Viswanathan, Pranav | Mason | OH | B16 |
Ohio Valley |
0
|
2019
|
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Wang, Katherine | Dublin | OH | G16 |
Ohio Valley |
158
|
|||
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Weil, Zoey | Columbus | OH | G18 |
Ohio Valley |
270
|
|||
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Wolf, Rebecca | Pepper Pike | OH | G16 |
Northeastern Ohio |
180
|
2019
|
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 |
Zhang, Nathan | Montgomery | OH | B18 |
Ohio Valley |
0
|
2018
|
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More about OhioTennisZone.com
The emphasis of OhioTennisZone.com is on the recognition of Ohio High School Tennis players and the promotion of Ohio High School Tennis. OTZ includes state-wide results with extensive coverage of the Columbus and Cincinnati-area high school teams. OhioTennisZone (OTZ) also takes and publishes hundreds of tennis photos to further recognize players. To my knowledge, there are no other entities that provide this level of high school tennis recognition in any other state.
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OTZ Member A. Pregel - Click to view all OTZ Members |
OTZ also follows the Ohio high school graduates who play in college, as well as in the pro ranks.
Clicking on the image to the right lists the players who are members of OhioTennisZone.com web site. Click on player names to see their OhioTennisZone player profiles, their school names to view team information, or the TennisRecruiting.net logo for their TR.net profile.
Additional Midwest Closed Coverage
Colette Lewis of ZooTennis wrote a nice summary article of the MW Closed for TennisRecruiting.net. Click to read her Midwest Closed article. Sign-in first to read the entire article.
Improvements / Corrections / Attribution
A major benefit of the Internet is that it is relatively easy to improve existing products and services. This report will likely be enhanced over time. The date of the report will be modified to reflect any changes.
Does this document include any mistakes? Hopefully not, the data was carefully entered and the numbers were double checked, but it is possible. Please send a Feedback message with any significant discrepancies.
Note that this report required a significant amount of time to produce. Attribution is required if any portion of this document is used by others.
Please let me know if you have any questions or comments.
Scott Gerber
OhioTennisZone.com
Gerber Analytics, LLC
