Kastles’ Reynolds also earns spot in New York Playing the role of high school sensation at the U.S. Open was a thrill last summer for Ellicott City’s Beatrice Capra.
On Sunday at the Junior Tennis Champions Center in College Park, 16-year-old Madison Keys showed why she might be the next in line — and did so at the expense of Capra.
Firing huge serves and booming winners from the baseline, Keys rallied from a rough start for a 3-6, 6-4, 6-0 victory over Capra in the U.S. Open Wild Card Playoffs.
While Keys receives a berth in the main draw of the U.S. Open from Aug. 29 to Sept. 11, Capra will have to go the qualifying route this week in New York.
“I’m excited,” said Keys, a native of Rock Island, Ill. “I didn’t want to go to New York tonight. I wanted to go next week.”
In the men’s wild card finals, Washington Kastles standout Bobby Reynolds rolled to a 6-2, 7-5, 6-4 victory over Daniel Kosakowski of Huntington Park, Calif., to advance to the U.S. Open main draw.
Capra, 19, an incoming freshman at Duke, was hoping for a second straight trip to the U.S. Open via the wild card. The event was played last year in Boca Raton, Fla., where she and Keys are residents at the USTA Training Center. Capra made a splash at the Open last year, upsetting No.?18 seed Aravane Rezai to reach the third round before losing to Maria Sharapova.
Capra appeared on her way back to Queens in the first set Sunday as she used precision, patience and a superior array of shots to frustrate Keys. Capra’s control extended into the second set as she broke serve in the third game.
Keys’ aggravation was evident when she questioned a line call.
“Are you kidding me?” she asked. “It’s like a foot and a half out.”
But after trailing 3-1 in the second set, Keys won 11 of the last 12 games. Capra appeared to rebound late in the second set when she won four straight points against Keys’ serve. But in the next game, Capra double-faulted at deuce, then poked a backhand into the net on set point.
There was no back-and-forth in the final set. With a storm fast approaching College Park, Keys made quick work of Capra, overpowering her with sharp strokes from the baseline.
“I started taking advantage of her second serve a little more,” Keys said. “I was trying to move her and keep the ball deep.”
It was a satisfying comeback for Keys, the seventh seed in a field of eight who toppled the Nos. 2 and 3 seeds Friday and Saturday.
“That was one of the bigger ones that I’ve had to fight and dig to come back from,” Keys said. “I’m really proud of it. Hopefully I don’t have to do it again.”
