Todd Ruth, who will be entering his junior year at Yale University, defeated ex-University of Pennsylvania stalwart and current Round Hill Club of Greenwich pro Graham Bassett in a tightly contested final to take the 2008 U.S. Under 23 Men’s Championship in New York City, 11-9, 9-11, 11-9. 11-6. Ruth reached the finals by fighting off two match balls in a thrilling come from behind win over University of Rochester freshman Matt Domenick in the semifinals, winning 5-11, 5-11, 12-10, 11-4, 11-9. Bassett topped New Jersey’s Zeke Scherl 11-9, 8-11, 11-8, 11-6 in the other semi.
In the women’s draw five players competed for the title in a round robin format. Three players, University of Pennsylvania junior Kristen Lange, Connecticut’ s Olivia Blatchford and Long Island’s Amanda Sobhy all finished with identical 3-1 records. By virtue of the initial “games won’ tie breaker, Lange and Blatchford were still tied, with the title being won by the defending champion Lange in the secondary “games lost” tie breaking rule
