Catherine Bellis’s Teenage Dream Moves Closer to the U.S. Open - WSJ

"By the time Catherine “CiCi” Bellis was born, in 1999, Kimiko Date-Krumm had already retired from professional tennis. Three years earlier, in 1996, Date-Krumm lost to a 16-year-old named Martina Hingis and stepped away from the game and her top-10 ranking.

Twelve years later, in 2008, Date-Krumm returned to the women’s tour, and is now ranked No. 148 in the world. On Tuesday during the qualifying rounds for the upcoming U.S. Open, the now-44-year-old faced another 16-year-old: Bellis, the darling of last year’s Open.

For now, though, Bellis is happy she can handle her nerves. Last year’s sudden fame was overwhelming, and she said the drive to the Open grounds rekindled those emotions. But even if she doesn’t reach the main draw, she’ll at least leave with a cathartic moment: the win against Date-Krumm came on Court 17, the court she lost on last year.

“I’m glad I was able to get my revenge on this court,” she said.

Catherine Bellis’s Teenage Dream Moves Closer to the U.S. Open - WSJ:

Update: Catherine lost in the 3rd round of the US Open qualifying round.