Congratulations to my student Julia O’Loughlin in reaching the finals of the Little Mo International Junior Tennis Tournament (9-and-under) in Arlington, Texas. Julia qualified and then lost to Belinda Bencic from Switzerland. The Little Mo International is open to any player from around the world who is 8, 9, 10, and 11 years of age. The International tournament is the premier challenge for youngsters to compete against players from other countries who are the same age.

Players from sixteen countries around the world were represented: Russia, Australia, England, Canada, Croatia, Ukraine, Peru, Aruba, Dominican Republic, Colombia, Switzerland, Ireland, New Zealand, Philippines, Ecuador, Puerto Rico. The USA participants traveled from twenty-two different states.

Many champions, including well known player Andy Roddick, have come through the Little Mo program in its thirty year history. Roddick won the Little Mo tennis event in 1992 at 10 years of age. The Opening Ceremony consisted of a parade as well as a cowboy doing lasso tricks. Even Julia had a chance to learn to lasso. Check out these short video clips…

The Little Mo tennis tournament is sponsored by the Maureen Connolly Brinker Tennis Foundation in memory of Maureen Connolly, who was known as Little Mo. In 1953, she was the first woman to win the Grand Slam in the same year. Here is Julia accepting her finalist trophy…

technorati: little mo, junior tennis, julia oloughlin, rich benvin, tennis tournament, belinda bencic.