Edan Shpigel & Liam Spiers
This past weekend, Feb 15 – 18, The Tennis Academy hosted 16 of Alberta’s top U18 athletes in the first ever Alberta Indoor Junior Open. Liam Spiers won his final 7-5 6-1 against Edan Shpigel. Alexandra Jewitt won 6-7(2) 6-4 6-3 in her final match against Jessica Kreutz.
(Photo above: Edan Shpigel & Liam Spiers)
Spiers, who plays out of The Tennis Academy and is coached by Jeff Spiers, has earned four straight trips to the finals of U18 – 4 star tournaments in Alberta with three wins and one runner-up. He started this streak in July last year by winning the U18 Outdoor Provincials at the age of 15. He then won the first Indoor National Selection Tournament in November and placed 2nd in the second National Selection Tournament at the end of January.
Jewitt attended both U16/18 indoor and outdoor Nationals last year. She won U16 outdoor provincials in July 2018 (defending her 2017 victory at U16 outdoor provincials.) Jewitt plays out of Saville Community Sports Centre and is coached by Lan Yao-Gallop. She is working toward a Div 1 tennis scholarship when she finishes Junior tennis in 2021.
“There are limited opportunities for U18 athletes to play tournaments in Alberta. The Alberta Junior Open gives them an additional opportunity to play and earn points in an Open-style tournament,” says Derek van den Berg, Technical Manager, Tournaments and Provincial Planning.
The Alberta Outdoor Junior Open takes place June 20 – 23 at the Medicine Hat Tennis Club. Register at tennisalberta.com/tournament
