Shristi Selvan wins 16s singles title at Barnes Center
· Glae Thien · 2026-08-16T03:45:05+00:00 · nguồn gốc
One game after taking a medical timeout, top-seeded Shristi Selvan required another and needed the support of two officials to step off the court in the USTA Billie Jean King Girls 16s National Championship singles final.
Then the 16-year-old from Laurel, Md., came back from hand and leg cramping to overcome her longtime training partner Aarini Bhattacharya from nearby Oakton, Va., 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 in a three-hour endurance test at the Barnes Center on Saturday.
As the second timeout expired, Selvan faced a deadline to withdraw or continue playing. Ultimately, she was greeted by the tourney namesake for the awards.
“I’ll do anything (to play),” said Selvan, who also won the Winter Nationals to start the year. “I was determined to win this match. It’s always been a dream to go into U.S. Open Juniors to win and have Billie Jean give me the award, such a big dream.”
The 18s title is on the line at 1 p.m. Sunday with third-seeded Thea Frodin of Woodland Hills set to face No. 4 Janae Preston of Henderson, Nev. Frodin recorded a 7-6 (2), 7-6 (4) semifinal victory over top-seeded Julieta Pareja of Carlsbad, who lost in the semifinals for the second straight time.
A year ago, the two players combined to reach the doubles final of the Wimbledon Juniors. When Selvan experienced her second injury flare-up, she was also called for a delay that cost her game and cut her third-set lead to 3-2.
Upon her return, she won her service in five points and let out her loudest “C’mon” of the match.
“I wanted to keep moving,” said Selvan. “If I was able to move her enough and test her physically, I could pull it out.”
The 14th-seeded Bhattacharya also had a medical timeout early in the second set to treat tightness in her back.
She dropped the last two games to lose the set.
“My movement was a little tough, but I make no excuses,” said Bhattacharya.
“The match changed in the second set. I had a point to go up 4-2 but made a drop shot into the net. I just made too many of those bad errors.”
Preston prevailed 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 in the semifinals over No. 33 Chukwumelije Clarke of Humble, Texas.
A year ago, Preston lost to Pareja in the quarterfinals.
Carlsbad’s Kiana Smith reached the round of 32 in the 16s for the best showing by a local player. Bhattacharya ousted 13-year-old sensation Nikol Davletshina, the second seed, from Boca Raton, Fla., in the semifinals 6-2, 6-2.