De Vroome Claims Junior Orange Bowl Title
The Junior Orange Bowl is one of the world's most sought-after titles for 12 and 14-year old competitors, and Team Elite member Indy de Vroome of the Netherlands earned her silver bowl of oranges by taking the girls 12s crown in the Coral Gables, Florida tournament.

De Vroome, who lost in the fourth round as an 11-year-old in 2007, returned to the Salvadore Park courts as a favorite for the title, and she dropped only one set on her way to the championship. De Vroome edged past Alexandria Stiteler of the United States 7-5, 7-5 in a two-and-a-half hour final. Trailing 4-1 in the second set, de Vroome fought back, winning four straight games, but she could not close it out, letting three match points slip away serving at 5-4. She broke Stiteler in the next game however, and with a second chance, served out the championship, returning to her home country for the holidays with the most prestigious title of her young career.

In the boys 12s, Team Elite member Silas Cerqueira of Brazil reached the championship match, cruising through his first six matches without the loss of a set. In the final, the left-hander battled Eddie Herr champion Hyeon Chung of Korea shot for shot, but Cerqueira, came out on the short end of the 6-3, 6-4 score.

Team Elite member Victoria Duval, who had reached the semifinals of the Eddie Herr in the girls 14s division, went one better at the Junior Orange Bowl, reaching the final in that division. Duval, who trains at the IMG/Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Bradenton, Florida, finished second to qualifier So Ra Lee of Korea, who took the championship match 7-5, 6-3.

"She played really well, and I thought she deserved it," said Duval, the USTA 14s National Champion in 2008.

Team Elite member Noah Rubin of the U.S. reached the boys 12s semifinal, the only unseeded player to advance to the final four.