Crossley, Lee make history as they win U18 Orange Bowl International tennis titles

Japan’s Mayu Crossley and South Korea’s Gerard Campana Lee won the girls’ and boys’ 18s singles titles, respectively, at the 76th Orange Bowl International Tennis Championships, which concluded Sunday at the Frank Veltri Tennis Center in Plantation.

Crossley, a 16-year-old who trains in nearby Boca Raton, completed the junior tennis equivalent of the “Sunshine Double” by winning the Eddie Herr International Junior Championships, held last week in Bradenton, and the Orange Bowl in consecutive weeks. Unseeded in Plantation, she knocked off fifth-seeded American Clervie Ngounoue (16; Washington, D.C.) in the final, 1-6, 6-3, 6-3.

“I didn’t think that I would win (the tournament), I was just happy to make the final,” said Crossley. “I had no pressure on me. I’m always the challenger so that’s good for me. I was able to play relaxed.”

With the victory, Crossley became the first Japanese player to win the prestigious event.

No. 1 seed Campana Lee also made history as he became the first player representing South Korea to win an Orange Bowl 18s singles title. The 18-year-old knocked off No. 2 seed Rodrigo Pacheco Mendez of Mexico, 7-6 (3), 4-6, 6-3, in the boys’ 18s final.

“The first day with my coach we saw the list (of former champions) before my first match and we didn’t see any Korean players so I told him it would be funny to see my name up there and now I guess it’s going to be there,” Lee said. “It’s amazing to see more Asian players coming up competing against the best in the world.”

On Saturday, Naoya Honda won the Boys 16s title and Alexis Nguyen of El Dorado Hills, California, won the Girls 16s. She beat fellow American Claire Hill of North Carolina 6-1, 6-2.

.Jr. Orange Bowl for U12s, U14s

While the professional tennis tours are on hiatus this month, the stars of tomorrow will be all over South Florida courts competing in the Junior Orange Bowl International Tennis Championships. Over the next nine days, fans can get a closeup glimpse at future Grand Slam champions compete for titles in the 128-player draws in the boys’ and girls’ 12s and 14s divisions.

More than 800 youngsters from 76 countries will battle it out at three different sites, including the Biltmore Hotel and Salvadore Park in Coral Gables, as well as Key Biscayne’s Crandon Park Tennis Center, former home of the Miami Open.

Past Junior Orange Bowl champions such as Chris Evert, Steffi Graf, Monica Seles, Coco Gauff, Jennifer Capriati, Jimmy Connors, Justine Henin and Andy Murray have all passed through this prestigious 61-year-old event.

San Diego native Brandon Nakashima, who played in this event in 2012 when he was 11 and is now ranked 47th in the world, is the honorary chair of the tournament.

“It means so much to the Junior Orange Bowl that he able to be involved a decade later and inspire young players,’’ said Grant Souviron, president of the Junior Orange Bowl.

Fans can rub elbows with Hall of Fame greats like fiery Aussie Lleyton Hewitt while he cheers on his son Cruz in the 14s’ division. South African Johan Kriek, winner of two Australian Open titles, is certain to be watching his daughter Karolina in the 12s qualifying division. Karolina lost in the round of 16 at the recently concluded Level 2 Eddie Herr International Tennis Championships in Bradenton

.Russian Mikhail Youzhny, ranked 8th in the world in 2008 and winner of 10 ATP singles titles, is working with expected 12s seed Alexander Lerman of New York, who last week used the Casely International Championships in Cooper City’s Piccolo Park as a warmup. Alabama’s Tabb Tuck, who fell in the finals of the Eddie Herr 12s to top seed Michael Antonius of Buffalo, will hope to go one step farther.

No doubles at this event, but Greece’s Erikas Maskolaitis and Aussie Taiki Takizawa, winners of the Herr 12s’ doubles title, are in the singles draw. Antonius is moving up to the 14s’ draw this week. All eyes will be on Keaton Hance of Torrance, Calif., after winning the Herr 14s doubles title with Long Island’s Jack Kennedy, and losing in the singles final to second-seeded Se Hyuk Cho of Korea, who may be the top seed this week.