A brilliant Tour Championship

9/10 - The Tour Championship

Michael Fleming had strong performances in both tournaments he entered, a finalist in May, and a Tour Championship champion in September. The combination crowns him as the Sweet Spotter Series year-end No. 1 at the highest level of play, 18U.

Fleming met Jonah Treitler in the final on Saturday at Holton-Arms School amidst pageantry and the Series' biggest UTR tournament of the year. In two close sets Fleming prevailed 4-2, 5-3. Treitler earned passage by winning Group B narrowly over Aryan Dhiman---an 8-6 tiebreaker separated the two and perhaps changed the outcome of the entire year.

Winners and other top performers took home major prizes like Central College Placement packages, which help high school players find the right college athletic programs and navigate the NCAA landscape, as well as tennis performance packages and other gifts.

14U was always the most attended level of play. Anton Grib grabbed the Tour Championship title after the best match of the tournament, in which Series mainstay Roberto Devoto fought back to take a second-set tiebreaker before succumbing in the third-set tiebreaker, 7-2.

Grib's 200-point effort lands him in sixth place for the year, a testament to the greatness and depth of the 14U cohort. Devoto himself jumps to third. Though Devoto won their match 4-0, 4-0, none could unseat Zi Yang in the rankings, who finished second in his group behind Devoto to secure the year-end No. 1 position.

Taylor Shen and Zoe Taylor's group match in the 14-16U Girls Tour Championship became the de facto final in what was by far the closest division race. Each player in the group took one of the top two to a third set or a tiebreak, and there was great labor for both to defend their positions. Shen defeated Taylor 5-4, 5-3 to win the crown and reach fifth in the rankings.

Jeremy Chud, meanwhile, finishes the year-end No. 1 at 16U, just two points ahead of Kenny Przychodzen, who finished third in his group thanks to a tie-break victory over Alexander Toker-Katskee at the 14U Boys Tour Championship. But he will rue the missed opportunities against Devoto and Yang, in which a win would have won him the 16U year-end No. 1.

Sajan Chandela defeated brother Ajay Chandela 4-1, 4-2 after minimal fuss in the early rounds, though both had to claw their way to the final from the play-in matches. Ajay knocked out the overall Series No. 1 Arnav Nadikatla in the closest match of the bracket, winning in a tiebreak 7-3.

Nadikatla finished the year-end standings at No. 2 because of the exploits of the Tour Championship girls' champion. Shritha Adapala won the 10-12U Girls group over Julia Urbanowska when their tight group match went 4-2, 4-2 in favor of the champion. Combined with her 50-point performance back in June, Adapala tops the year-end rankings at 12U as well as winning the tournament.

Leo Berger maintains his position as year-end No. 1, however, having won three 10U tournaments at the beginning of the year.

The full tables now look like this.

This fall, Tennis Central is hosting more tournaments to count toward The Tour Championship 2023. Check the full schedule below.

Bigger events offer more points, with the TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP offering the most, as well as prizes.

Check here for updates each week to the Sweet Spotter Series Rankings, a 52-week points system based on the pro tours, as well as recaps of all the action and photos.

Tour Championship 2022 Champions

10-12U Boys: Sajan Chandela

10-12U Girls: Shritha Adapala

14U Boys: Anton Grib

14-16U Girls: Taylor Shen

18U Boys: Michael Fleming

Sweet Spotter Series Champions (Year-End No. 1s)

10U: Leo Berger

12U: Shritha Adapala

14U: Zi Yang

16U: Jeremy Chud

18U: Michael Fleming