Ashlyn Krueger headlined a trophy-laden American effort at the 2020 Orange Bowl, closing out the week as the ninth American champion at the Frank Veltri Center in Plantation, Florida.
Krueger, who claimed the 16s singles title last year, backed that up with a win at the top tier this season, defeating two seeded players en route to lifting the girls' 18s singles trophy as a wild card. The Texas resident's victory extends the streak of American girls' 18s champions to four, following Whitney Osuigwe (2017), Coco Gauff (2018) and Robin Montgomery (2019).
Team USA swept the 16s singles titles for two more trophies, with Jonah Braswell (Sarasota, Florida) and Valeria Ray (Doral, Florida) taking home the honors.
The week was rounded out with three all-American teams winning doubles crowns, led by girls' 18s champs Reese Brantmeier (Whitewater, Wisconsin) and Kimmi Hance (Torrance, California). In the 16s events, Nicholas Godsick (Chagrin Falls, Ohio) and Ethan Quinn (Fresno, California) won the boys' title and Vivian Miller (Sillivan's Island, South Carolina) and Maddy Zampardo (Grosse Pinte Farms, Michigan) claimed the girls' crown.
The 6-foot-1 Krueger, still just 16 years old, spoke about "fight" and "fun" being the keys to her Orange Bowl victory. She defeated No. 7 seed and 2019 18s finalist Jana Kolodynska of Belarus, 6-4, 6-4, in a dramatic final, needing multiple match points to close it out after leading, 5-1, in the second.
Facing the Belarusian's tricky and variety-filled game, Krueger surprised herself in tracking down a drop shot in the final game of the first set in one of the highlights of the match, helping her secure the opener.
On the final match point, she clinched the title with a winner: "I hit a kick serve and we just had a very long point," she said. "She hit a lob, and I just decided to come in, and I hit a swinging volley."
The American also defeated No. 2 seed Victoria Jiminez Kasintseva of Andorra, 6-3, 7-6, in Round 3.
"I found a level of fight I didn't know I had," she said after the title match. "These matches, from the very first one... In the 16s, I kind of worked my way in, but the first match [in the 18s] was tough, and I wasn't used to that. I think it's just my mentality now."
Looking back on her two-year run of Orange Bowl success, she had a simple explanation for her results: "I like this tournament; it's fun. When you have fun you play well° Last year I did get way more upset than I did this year. And for me, it's really about staying positive. Because when I get negative, I don't play well."
Despite playing six tough matches, she dropped just one set, to compatriot Hina Inoue in their 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 quarterfinal.
Krueger, who cites Kim Clijsters, Maria Sharapova, Amanda Anisimova, and Bianca Andreescu as players she looks up to and learns from, said her biggest goal for 2021 is to compete in a junior Grand Slam.
The No. 15 seed stormed into the semifinals without dropping a set, then recovered from a slow start to reach the final after knocking off No. 9 seed Ethan Quinn, 0-6, 6-2, 6-3 in an all-American matchup.
Credit: usta.com
