by Leon Smart
The USCTA National Amateur Championships unfolded at the Tennis & Racquet Club of Boston from April 18th to 21st, 2024, drawing players from Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Newport, and Manchester.
The action commenced Thursday with a thrilling New England showdown between Meringoff/Spence and Batstone/Stockton. The hometown favorites clinched the match, setting the stage for an exciting tournament.
All seeded players breezed through the first round in straight sets in singles. Two newcomers to the US Amateur, Tyler Sloan and John Eder, represented Boston but fell short. Nonetheless, the tournament provided valuable learning opportunities for them, hinting at promising futures.
The singles quarterfinals on Friday showcased intense matchups, notably Hudson vs Hazelton, where Hudson’s precision clashed with Hazelton’s versatility. Hudson emerged victorious 6-4 6-5. Former US Amateur champion Meringoff stunned the number 2 seed, Jon Crowell, with a dominant 6-1 6-0 victory.
The doubles semifinals featured fierce rallies, culminating in Meringoff/Spence upsetting the number 2 seeds, Crowell and Mackin, securing them a spot in the finals against the top-seeded Shenkman and Stein. In singles, Batstone outlasted Meringoff 6-2 6-5 in a closely contested match.
The stage was set for the finals: Shenkman (1) vs. Batstone (3) in singles and Shenkman/Stein (1) vs Spence/Meringoff (3) in doubles. Finals transitioned to best-of-five sets from the previous best-of-three format. Shenkman/Stein claimed the doubles title with a 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 victory. In singles, Shenkman defeated Batstone 6-0, 6-2, 6-1 to become the 2024 Singles Champion.
Ned Batstone, Robert Shenkman & Arthur Drane
Ben Stein, Robert Shenkman, Todd Meringoff & Alex Spence
