Sixteen-year-old twin sisters Kristina and Annika Penickova are unusually half a world apart this month, but both advanced to the final on Sunday.
Kristina will play for the title at the Final ITF World Tennis Tour juniors against Jeline Vandromme from Belgium, while Annika has advanced to her first professional final at the W15 in Hilton Head South Carolina.
Kristina recorded her third win in four meetings against 2025 Wimbledon girls champion Mia Pohankova in today’s semifinals, taking a 6-3, 7-6(8) decision. Vandromme defeated Britain’s Hannah Klugman 6-4, 6-2 to take her record against Klugman on the year to 3-0.
US Open girls champion Vandromme is 2-0 against Penickova, with a third-round win in New York this year and a 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 victory over Penickova in group play Thursday.
I believe Penickova will now take over the ITF Junior No. 1 ranking regardless of the outcome of the finals.
The boys final will feature No. 6 and No. 4 seeds, with No. 6 Yannick Alexandrescou of Romania facing No. 4 Max Schoenhaus of Germany.
Jack Kennedy and Benjamin Willwerth play for fifth place; Kennedy defeated Willwerth 6-2, 3-6, 6-4 in group play on Friday; Kennedy has won all three of their meets on the ITF Junior Circuit.
Semi-final results Saturday:
BOYS:
Max Schönhaus[4](DU) d. Jacopo Vasami[3](ITA) 5-0, born
Yannick Alexandrescou[6](ROU) d. Andrés Santamarta Roig[2](ESP) 6-2, 6-4
5-8 seeding matches for Americans:
Jack Kennedy[5](US) d. Aleksandra Vasilev[1](BUL) 6-4, 6-4
Benjamin Wilwerth[7](US) d. Oskari Paldanius[8](FIN) 6-3, 6-3
GIRLS:
Jeline Waterkamer[4](BEL) d. Hanna Klugman[2](GBR) 6-4, 6-2
Kristina Penickova[1](US) d. Mia Pohankova[3](SVK) 6-3, 7-6(8)
Final Sunday:
Jeline Waterkamer[4](BEL) in Kristina Penickova[1](USA)
Max Schönhaus[4](GER) v Tammocl Alexandrescou[6](ROU)
Annika advanced to the final in Hilton Head with a 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 win over 15-year-old wildcard Janae Preston. Penickova will face 16-year-old qualifier Kennedy Drenser-Hagmann, who defeated No. 2 seed Carolina Bohrer Martins of Brazil 6-4, 7-5. Drenser-Hagmann will play in her first professional event this week.
No. 2 seeds Elena-Teodora Cadar of Romania and Dia Evtimova of Bulgaria won the doubles title today, beating unseeded teenagers Bella Payne and Sara Shumate 6-1, 2-6, 10-4 in the final.
University of Oklahoma teammates Oscar Lacides of Guadeloupe and Bruno Nhavene of Mozambique won the doubles title today, defeating Gavin Young (Michigan) and Felix Corwin (Minnesota) 7-6 (5), 6-4 in the final.
Current colleagues Alice Battesti (Auburn) of France and Barakat Quadre (Oklahoma) of Nigeria won the doubles titles, with the unseeded pair beating top seeds Daniel and Switzerland’s Leonie Kung 3-6, 6-2, 10-6 in the final.
The unseeded Stoiana defeated No. 8 seed Olivia Gadecki of Australia 6-4, 7-6(7) to reach the final, where she will face No. 3 seed Petra Marcinko of Croatia. Marcinko defeated top seed Renata Zarazua of Mexico 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 in the semifinals.
No. 4 Seeeds Weronika Falkowska of Poland and Dalayna Hewitt won the doubles title today, while Unseeded Eryn Cayetano (USC) and Victoria hu (Princeton) won 6-2, 6-3 in the final.
In Sioux Falls, Kypson continued his impressive play, beating qualifier Antoine Ghibaudo (Kentucky) of France 6-3, 6-1, not facing a break point for the second consecutive match. Kypson, who will be playing for his third Challenger title this year, faces unseeded Johannus Monday of Great Britain, who is seeking his first Challenger title. The former Tennessee All-American defeated qualifier Mats Rosenkranz of Germany 6-4, 7-6(4) in today’s other semifinal.
Top seeds Rinky Hijikata and Mac Kiger, both North Carolina alumni, won the doubles title today, defeating unseeded Juan Jose Bianchi (SMU, Boston College) of Venezuela and Andrew Fenty (Michigan) 6-4, 6-4 in the final.
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