Epshteyn-Losev Pulls Off ASICS Easter Bowl upset

INDIAN WELLS, Calif. (April 8, 2014) – Mark Epshteyn-Losev couldn’t have picked a better day to come up with the biggest win of his young tennis career.

On his 17^th birthday, the Sunny Isles, Fla., resident upset No. 2-seeded and ITF-ranked No. 45 player in the world Henrik Wiersholm, 6-2, 6-1, in the first round of the Boys’ 18s singles on Tuesday at the ASICS Easter Bowl being played at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.

“For sure that was the best present I have ever given myself,” said Epshteyn-Losev, who was born in New York but now trains near Miami with Robert Gomez. “Henrik didn’t play his best today and made a lot of errors.”

Also moving on on Tuesday was unseeded girls’ 18s player Gabby Andrews of Pomona, Calif. She beat Paris Corley, 6-1, 6-1, in her first-round match.

The ASICS Easter Bowl is a special tournament for Andrews. In 2011 Andrews, then 14, lost in the 18s Easter Bowl final to Kyle McPhillips a year after winning the Girls’ 14s.

“I’ve had some minor injuries,” said Andrews on Tuesday before she and doubles partner Jessica Ho beat Olivia Hauger and Marie Norris in a first-round match, 6-0, 6-2.

“I took a break last year from tennis after the Claremont ITF and I didn’t play Carson or the Easter Bowl,” she said. “I was just trying to get my mind back together. It was just a mental break. I’m just trying to play as many matches and tournaments as I can.”

Andrews added: “I love the Easter Bowl and it’s so great to be back here.”

Andrews made international headlines in 2012 when she teamed with current WTA pro Taylor Townsend to win both the Australian Open and US Open junior doubles titles.

She spent some time with her best friend Townsend last month during the BNP Paribas Open. “We hung out all day and just talked,” she said. “It was great to be with her, even if it was just for one day.”

One of the new features at this year’s ASICS Easter Bowl is a speed gun on the main court that tracks how fast a player is serving. On Tuesday 16-year-old No. 7 seed Taylor Fritz cranked a couple at 130 mph during his 6-4, 6-2 win over McClain Kessler.

Epshteyn-Losev was not the only one with the big upset on Tuesday as 15-year-old Caroline Dolehide of Hillsdale, Ill., beat No. 3-seeded player Johnnise Renaud, 6-3, 6-3.

“I was just getting to every ball and playing my game,” said Dolehide, who lost in the 16s finals last year to CiCi Bellis. “Being back is here in nice. It’s a little hot. Last year was a great tournament for me.”

Dolehide said she doesn’t look ahead in the draw, giving that chore to her coach Tom Lockhart. “I don’t look at the draw,” she said. “My coach does. It’s best not to look ahead. You just have to go out there and play.”

Another player recording a significant upset on Tuesday in the first round of the 18s was 14-year-old Kayla Day of Santa Barbara, Calif. She beat last week’s Carson International Spring Championship finalist and No. 9-seeded Raveena Kingsley, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4.

Sponsors include: ASICS, Laurel Springs School, Indian Wells Tennis Garden, the Taylor Dent Junior Academy, Tennis Warehouse, TennisPlayer.net Digital Magazine, the tennis website 10sBalls.com, USTA, The Old Spaghetti Factory, SCTA and Mind Matters.

To keep up with all the ASICS Easter Bowl news, visit the website at www.easterbowl.com and check out the tournament on Facebook (www.facebook.com/EasterBowl) and Twitter (@easterbowl). For more information on ASICS, check out: www.ASICSAmerica.com and follow on Twitter @ASICSAmerica.

Tuesday’s Scores

Boys' 18 Singles (Round of 64)

Blumberg, William  def.  Boykin, Kenneth  6-2, 6-4

Kerznerman, Daniel (6)  def.  Tsao, Brian  6-3, 6-1

Kodali, Anudeep (11)  def.  Wasserman, James  7-6(5), 3-6, 7-6(5)

Nava, Eduardo  def.  Chari, Vikram  6-2, 3-6, 6-1

Duncan, Walker (14)  def.  Ji, Henry  6-4, 7-5

Fritz, Taylor (7)  def.  Kessler, Mcclain  6-4, 6-2

Chamdani, Adrian  def.  Caruana, Liam  6-2, 6-1

Silverstein, Josh  def.  Young-Smith, Ethan  6-7(2), 6-2, 6-3

Jorgeson, John  def.  Tao, Kenneth  6-4, 2-6, 6-0

Kumar, Sameer (5)  def.  Rozenstein, Julian  6-1, 6-0

Tiafoe, Francis (1)  def.  Ruder-Hook, Jesse  6-1, 6-1

Arconada, Jordi (4)  def.  Madonia, Stephen  6-2, 6-4

Epshteyn-Losev, Mark  def.  Wiersholm, Henrik (2)  6-2, 6-1

Boys' 18 Doubles (Round of 32)

Blumberg, William / Opelka, Reilly  def.  Blanch, Ulises /  Cargill, Christian (4)  6-3, 6-3

Hiltzik, Aron / Smith, Logan (8)  def.  Ross, Alex / Sweet, Alan  6-3, 6-3

Nava, Eduardo / Ponwith, Nathan  def.  Kumar, Sameer /  Thirouin, Jean (6)  6-3, 6-3

Duncan, Walker / Reinberg, Emil  def.  Jorgeson, John /  Lenhard, Rafael  6-2, 7-5

Lin, Vincent / Lorenzini, Michael  def.  Boyd, Kalman / Klinger, Cameron  7-5, 3-6, 10-6

Kessler, Mcclain / Staggs, Logan  def.  Silverstein, Josh /  Tsao, Brian  6-3, 6-2

Chamdani, Adrian / Kaiser, Kial  def.  Caruana, Liam /  Ji, Henry  6-2, 2-6, 10-6

Madonia, Stephen / Restrepo, Javier  def.  Chari, Vikram /  Gealer, Daniel  6-4, 6-4

Gordon, Henry / Rapp, Austin  def.  Furman, Spencer /  Tao, Kenneth  2-6, 6-4, 10-6

Mateas, Catalin / Zlobinsky, Julian (5)  def.  Boykin, Kenneth /  Ruder-Hook, Jesse  4-6, 6-3, 10-6

Schalet, Myles / Tishman, Gabe  def.  Epshteyn-Losev, Mark / Rozenstein, Julian    Wo (inj)

Janglin, Victor / Levine, Robert (7)  def.  Schaefer, Fabian /  Young-Smith, Ethan  7-5, 6-4

Girls' 18 Singles (Round of 64)

Arconada, Usue (2)  def.  Graci, Elysse  6-3, 6-4

Flores, Victoria  def.  Nemtsova, Stephanie  7-5, 6-3

Traxler, Karina  def.  Anderson, Rebekah  6-2, 6-0

Smith, Gabrielle  def.  Schaefer, Dominique  6-2, 6-2

Ho, Jessica (12)  def.  Valenstein, Alexandra  4-6, 6-4, 6-2

Dolehide, Caroline  def.  Renaud, Johnnise (3)  6-3, 6-3

Kalhorn, Nicole  def.  vazquez, cassandra (13)  1-6, 6-4, 6-3

Pedraza, Raquel (6)  def.  Vias, Ines  6-3, 7-5

Kenin, Sofia (1)  def.  McKenzie, Ally  6-3, 6-1

Day, Kayla  def.  Kingsley, Raveena (9)  6-4, 4-6, 6-4

Andrews, Gabby def.  Corley, Paris  6-1, 6-1

Gordon, Michaela (7)  def.  Sanford, Allie  6-1, 6-2

Bellis, CiCi (4)  def.  Turner, Caroline  6-0, 6-1

Dilorenzo, Francesca  def.  McKenzie, Kylie  2-6, 6-4, 6-4

Haffey, Mary  def.  Chang, Hanna  6-4, 6-4

Girls' 18 Doubles (Round of 32)

Larner, Erin / Letzt, Alexandra  def.  Turner, Caroline /  Zogg, Ellie  6-4, 6-2

Aney, Jessie / Rosca, Christina  def.  Graci, Elysse / Wiktorin, Claudia  6-4, 6-2

Fahey, Katharine / Lampl, Caroline  def.  Anderson, Rebekah / Valenstein, Alexandra  6-2, 6-2

Ruder-Hook, Mira / Smith, Gabrielle  def.  Renaud, Johnnise /  Vazquez, Cassandra (2)  6-4, 7-6(3)

Dolehide, Caroline / Minor, Brienne  def.  Bourguignon, Madison / Kingsley, Raveena (3)  6-4, 6-4

Friedel, Jenna / Golovin, Jessica  def.  Miller-Krasilnikov, Ally / Pedraza, Raquel (8)  6-2, 6-3

Shibahara, Ena / Slaysman, Savannah  def.  Appel, Madison /  Atanasson, Amanda  6-4, 6-1

Gordon, Michaela / Higuchi, Emma (4)  def.  Altick, Helen / Nelson, Alexis  7-6(4), 4-6, 10-7

Bellis, CiCi / Horvit, Mia (5)  def.  Traxler, Karina / Vias, Ines  6-3, 6-1

Hart, Jada / Hazell, Stephanie  def.  Bortles, Alexa /  Ouellet-Pizer, Chloe  6-4, 6-2

Andrews, Gabby / Ho, Jessica  def.  Hauger, Olivia / Norris, Marie (6)  6-0, 6-2

Haffey, Mary / McCarthy, Kaitlyn (7)  def.  Kelley, Meghan / Riley, Sydney  7-5, 6-1

Hamlin, Ellyse / Moldovan, Bianca  def.  Corley, Paris / Smith, Alana  6-3, 6-4

Dilorenzo, Francesca / Kenin, Sofia  def.  Arconada, Usue / Swan, Katie (1)  6-2, 7-6(2)

Day, Kayla / Flores, Victoria  def.  Nemtsova, Stephanie /  Smith, Maria  7-5, 6-2

Chang, Sophie / Daniell, Andie  def.  Chen, Kelly / Xepoleas, Meredith  6-3, 6-2