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The USTA gave out quite a few wildcards this year to junior and former college players. Those players joined some veterans of college tennis in the main draws at the US Open.

Girls' 18 Champion Sofia Kenin in the US Open Main Draw
© Marcia Frost

Jamie Loeb, who decided before the Open to turn professional and not return to school, was pitted against No. 4 Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark for her first match. She went out on Arthur Ashe Stadium and gave it her all, but the former champion beat her in straight sets.

Things went a bit better for two-time NCAA singles champion Nicole Gibbs (2012, 2013), who has been playing the circuit since leaving Stanford. She won her first round singles match over Lourdes Dominguez Lino of Spain before she was eliminated by No. 5 Petra Kvitova in straight sets. Gibbs also got to take home an extra check for doubles, where she and Taylor Townsend won their first round match.

Sixteen year old Sofia Kenin, the Girls' 18 Nationals singles winner, fell to Mariana Duque-Marino of Columbia in the first round of women's singles, but she stuck around to play the junior event.

The doubles winners at the Girls' 18s fared a bit better. Tornado Alicia Black and Ingrid Neel used their wildcard to win a first round match over Danka Kovinic and Yulia Putintseva, 3-6,6-2,-6-2. They then fell to seventh-seeded team of Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka, but not before taking a set off the Czech duo.

Boys' 18 Nationals winner Frances Tiafoe, who, at 17, was the youngest player in the men's singles draw, had a rough time in New York. He lost in singles, doubles, and mixed doubles, then dropped out of the junior competition.