Hunter Reese of Georgia and Catherine Harrison (pictured left) of Tennessee won the Southern Junior Closed Boy's 18s and Girl's 18s Tennis Championships at Burns Park Tennis Center in North Little Rock, Arkansas. Hunter Reese defeated an injured Garrett Brasseaux of Louisiana 6-4, 6-0 in the Boy's 18s finals. The most interesting match was in the Girl's 18s in which Catherine Harrison defeated Whitney Kay of Georgia 6-2, 7-6. Harrison played an aggressive backcourt game by ripping two-handed forehand winners from all over the court. Kay was forced to play defensive tennis most of the match and rely on Harrison to commit unforced errors in order to win points. It was a very fun match to watch with the two contrasting styles of play. The finalists were blue-chip college tennis recruits receiving attention from top college programs across the nation.
A list of Arkansas juniors that performed well in the tournament included Ryan Hudelson, Mario Martinez, Grant Adams, Kaitlin Ray, Lindsey Liles, and Darby Brandon. Other Arkansans participating in the event included Amy Andersen, Bishop Bass, Caleb Fackler, Forrest Hickey, Robert Hodous, McKenna Kraus, Seth Laster, and Caleb McReynolds.
