By Steve Pratt, special to USTA.com
 
CARSON, Calif. – The ITF World Junior Rankings may not show it, but Mayo Hibi and Brooke Austin represent two of the top tennis players currently playing on the international junior circuit.
 
Unfortunately matched against each other in the first round of the USTA International Spring Championships that started on Monday at the Home Depot Center, Japan’s Hibi, of Irvine, Calif., downed Indianapolis’ Austin, 6-3, 6-0, in a battle of unseeded players with extensive tennis resumes.
 
Hibi, who turns 17 on Wednesday, is currently ranked No. 367 in the WTA world rankings, just 18 spots lower in the rankings than highly touted young American Taylor Townsend (No. 349). Austin is currently at No. 542 in the world rankings.
 
"That’s a pretty tough opponent for a first round," said Hibi, who has spent more time playing professional-level events than she has ITF junior tournaments. "We’ve played so many of the same events but have never played each other."
 
In last year’s Easter Bowl, Townsend got past Hibi in the semifinals and then Austin in the final. She turned pro later in the year.
 
Hibi said the moderate wind at the Home Depot Center hurt Austin more than her but not because she’s more used to the breeze, being from Southern California.

"She takes the ball early, and it threw her timing off a bit," Hibi said. "I was moving well, which is always tough to do in the first round."

 

Added Hibi, "The ultimate goal is to play pro tennis, so I figure my WTA ranking is more important to me now than my ITF ranking."
 
Top-seeded boys’ 18s player Noah Rubin of Rockville Centre, N.Y., got off to a good start, opening with a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Shane Monroe of Ventnor City, N.J.
 
In one big upset in the boys’ 18s, Logan Smith of Carlsbad, Calif., overcame a blanking in the first set to beat No. 5-seeded Luca Corinteli of Alexandria, Va., 0-6, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (2).
 
For a complete rundown of Monday’s scores and updated draws, click here.
 

Boys' 18 Singles First Round
Grant Solomon, Dallas, TX  def.  Nicholas Crystal, Waccabuc, NY,  6-3, 6-4
Deiton Baughman, Carson, CA  def.  Adrian Ortiz (15),  6-1, 6-2
Alex Rybakov, Coral Springs, FL  def.  Jordi Arconada (13), Rio Piedras, PR,  6-0, 6-2
Andres Alfonso, Paredes  def.  Luke Gamble Boise, ID,  6-3, 4-1  Ret (inj)
Francis Tiafoe (14), College Park, MD  def.  Walker Duncan, 7-6(6), 7-5
William Bushamuka, Princeton, NJ  def.  Farzin Amiri (16), Port Saint Lucie, FL  4-6, 6-2, 6-1
Tommy Mylnikov (9), Bradenton, FL  def.  Nathan Ponwith, Scottsdale, AZ  6-4, 6-3
AJ Catanzariti, Pittsburgh, PA  def.  Robbie Bellamy, Pacific Palisades, CA  7-5, 6-1
Martin Redlicki (8), Hawthorn Woods, IL  def.  Andrew Li Hei Yin,  7-5, 6-2
Henrik Wiersholm, Kirkland, WA  def.  Arkadijs Slobodkins, 6-2, 6-4
JC Aragone, Yorba Linda, CA  def.  Dennis Uspensky, Atlantic Beach, NY  6-2, 7-5
Dylan Nunez, Boca Raton, FL  def.  Santiago Cevallos,  6-3, 6-4
Tommy Paul, Deerfield Beach, FL  def.  Milen Ianakiev, 6-3, 6-2
Carter Lin, Bradenton, FL  def.  Christian Langmo, Boca Raton, FL  7-5, 6-2
Noah Rubin (1), Rockville Centre, NY  def.  Shane Monroe, Ventnor City, NJ  6-2, 6-2
Logan Smith, Carlsbad, CA  def.  Luca Corinteli (5), Alexandria, VA  0-6, 7-6(5), 7-6(2)
Joseph DiGiulio  def.  Toshiki Matsuya, Redmond, WA  6-0, 6-3
 
Girls' 18 Singles First Round
Maria Shishkina (11), Bradenton, FL  def.  Mary Haffey, Naples, FL  6-3, 6-2
Adeliya Zabirova, Pembroke Pines, FL  def.  Jessica Ho, Wexford, PA  7-6(7), 7-5
Victoria Rodriguez (2), Weston, FL  def.  Josie Kuhlman, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL  6-2, 4-6, 6-2
Johnnise Renaud (9), North Miami, FL  def.  Raveena Kingsley, Fulton, MD  6-3, 5-7, 7-6(1)
Denise Starr, Boca Raton, FL  def.  Alexandra Morozova, Plantation, FL  6-1, 6-1
Alyssa Smith, Laguna Niguel, CA  def.  Constanza Gorches,  6-4, 6-3
Rianna Valdes (6), Boca Raton, FL  def.  Alexandria Stiteler, Bradenton, FL  6-2, 6-0
Mayo Hibi, Irvine, CA  def.  Brooke Austin, Indianapolis, IN  6-3, 6-0
Ayla Aksu, San Francisco, CA  def.  Teertha Iska, Bradenton, FL  6-2, 6-0
Alejandra Cisneros, Gomez (3)  def.  Chloe Ouellet-Pizer, Chapel Hill, NC  4-6, 6-3, 6-2
Ellie Halbauer (12), Daniel Island, SC  def.  Sydney Riley, Dallas, TX  6-2, 6-3
Camila Wesbrooks, McKinney, TX  def.  Anita Safronenka, Bradenton, FL  7-6(2), 6-2
Maegan Manasse, Redondo Beach, CA  def.  Alexandra Bourguignon, Boynton Beach, FL  2-6, 6-3, 6-4
Jamie Loeb (5), Ossining, NY  def.  Mingxiu Du,  6-1, 6-0
Marie Norris (13), Burdett, KS  def.  Emma Higuchi, Los Angeles, CA  6-4, 7-5
Cassandra Vazquez (16), Houston, TX  def.  Elysse Graci, Ocean Ridge, FL  6-3, 7-6(4)
Maddie Pothoff, Tucson, AZ  def.  Lauren Proctor, Bradenton, FL  6-2, 6-2
Spencer Liang, Potomac, MD  def.  Jessica Hinojosa,  2-6, 6-1, 7-5
Kaitlyn McCarthy (15), Cary, NC  def.  Gabriela Knutson, Fair Oaks, CA  6-3, 6-7(3), 6-4
 
Boys' 16 Singles First Round
Jacob Brumm, Rancho Santa Fe, CA  def.  Max Liu, San Diego, CA  6-3, 6-4
Maxwell Cancilla, Huntington Beach, CA  def.  Jonathan Star, Calabasas, CA  6-3, 6-0
Charles Pei, San Diego, CA  def.  William Genesen, Tulsa, OK  7-6(5), 6-1
David Goulak, Oak Park, CA  def.  Andy Zhou, Palo Alto, CA  6-4, 3-6, 6-1
Liam Caruana, New Braunfels, TX  def.  Ryan Cheng, San Marino, CA  6-2, 6-1
Michael Genender, Los Angeles, CA  def.  Alex Ross, Burr Ridge, IL  6-2, 6-2
Emil Reinberg, Atlanta, GA  def.  Oliver Sec, New York, NY  7-6(6), 6-7(5), 7-5
Ryan Shen, Newbury Park, CA  def.  Hady Habib, Irvine, CA  6-1, 7-5
Alexander Lebedev, Island Park, NY  def.  Konrad Kozlowski, Irvine, CA  6-1, 6-0
Steven Christie, New Braunfels, TX  def.  Victor Miglo Kew, Gardens, NY  6-1, 4-6, 6-2
Evan Zhu, Greenbelt, MD  def.  Gianni Ross Burr Ridge, IL  6-3, 6-3
Ethan Young-Smith, Ojai, CA  def.  Eric Wagner, Roslyn Hts, NY  6-4, 6-2
James Wasserman, New York, NY  def.  Max Pham, Newport Coast, CA  6-2, 2-6, 7-6(4)
Vasil Kirkov, Tampa, FL  def.  Fernando Ramirez, Plano, TX  6-4, 6-1
Daniel Gealer, Los Angeles, CA  def.  Noah Makarome, Wesley Chapel, FL  6-3, 6-4
Kalman Boyd, Rancho Santa Fe, CA  def.  Justin Lee, Cos Cob, CT  7-5, 7-5
 
Boys’ 16s Doubles First Round
Hady Habib / Max Pham  def.  Steven Christie /  Fernando Ramirez  6-3, 6-2
Maxwell Cancilla / Victor Miglo  def.  Alexander Lebedev /  Oliver Sec    Wo (inj)
Ethan Young-Smith / Andy Zhou  def.  Alex Ross / Gianni Ross  6-0, 6-4
Michael Genender / James Wasserman  def.  Ninan Kumar / Cotter Wilson  6-0, 6-2
Zac Brodney / Connor Hance  def.  Peter Shin / Eric Wagner  6-2, 6-1
Kalman Boyd / Konrad Kozlowski  def.  David Goulak /  Brandon Lam  6-1, 7-5
Max Liu / Charles Pei  def.  Jacob Brumm /  Justin Lee  6-4, 7-5
 
Girls' 16 Singles First Round
Sarah Hu, Oakland, CA  def.  Riley McQuaid, Tustin, CA  6-7(3), 7-5, 7-5
Claire Liu, Thousand Oaks, CA  def.  Darya Possokhova, San Francisco, CA  6-2, 6-3
Marjorie Antohi, El Paso, TX  def.  Delaney Nothaft, Tempe, AZ  6-0, 6-3
Angela Kulikov, Sun Valley, CA  def.  Jennifer Lu, Cypress, CA  6-0, 6-1
Jessica Livianu, Brooklyn, NY  def.  Yuki Asami, Irvine, CA  6-2, 6-2
Sydney Van Alphen, Laguna Beach, CA  def.  Hanna Chang, Fontana, CA  6-4, 6-3
Kenadi Hance, Torrance, CA  def.  Felicity Maltby, Sunnyvale, CA  6-4, 6-3
Paulina Ferrari, San Diego, CA  def.  Caitlin Calkins, Tulsa, OK  6-0, 6-3
Alexis Nelson, Saint Paul, MN  def.  Savannah Slaysman, Phoenix, AZ  6-3, 6-2
Abigail Desiatnikov, Gates Mills, OH  def.  Kelly Chen, Cerritos, CA  6-3, 7-6(5)
Jaeda Daniel, Port Charlotte, FL  def.  Rylie Cox, Rockwall, TX  6-2, 6-0
Jessica Failla, Ramona, CA  def.  Risa Nakagawa, Rancho Palos Verdes, CA  6-1, 6-0
Ryan Peus, Carpinteria, CA  def.  Elizabeth Yao, Sunnyvale, CA  6-2, 6-2
Andrea Kevakian, Glendale, CA  def.  Stephanie Hazell, Irvine, CA  6-4, 5-7, 6-1
Deepa Dhore, Monte Sereno, CA  def.  Madison Tedford, Dallas, TX  6-4, 6-4
Ashley Lahey, Hawthorne, CA  def.  Paige Cline, Kentfield, CA  6-2, 3-6, 6-3
 
Girls' 16 Doubles First Round
Marjorie Antohi / Rylie Cox  def.  Sarah Hu / Elizabeth Yao  6-0, 7-6(4)
Ena Shibahara / Savannah Slaysman  def.  Jaeda Daniel /  Jessica Livianu  6-0, 7-5
Kelly Chen / Annette Goulak  def.  Claire Liu /  Riley McQuaid  6-3, 6-4
Abigail Chiu / Madison Tedford  def.  Jennifer Lu / Ally McKenzie  6-0, 6-4
Yuki Asami / Risa Nakagawa  def.  Julia Goldberg /  Andrea Kevakian  6-3, 6-4
Ashley Lahey / Ryan Peus  def.  Deepa Dhore / Felicity Maltby  7-5, 6-4