Advanced maturity

Monday's quarterfinal match didn't go very well for Genevieve Hobson.

The No. 3 seed in the girls' draw of the 12-and-under USTA National Open at the Champions Club lost 6-2, 6-1 to Alexandra Sanford, a 9 seed from Westerville, Ohio. The match, which featured plenty of long rallies, was closer than the final score indicated -- though that was little comfort afterward.

"I don't know what happened," said Hobson, who's ranked No. 56 in the nation.

Her father, Glenn, is the director of tennis at Moorestown Field Club in Moorestown, N.J., just outside Philadelphia. Glenn said his daughter "just didn't have it today," something he said he sees often among young, still-developing players.

Consistent performances come with experience and maturity, which require time to develop. Hobson recently has already shown a level of maturity that most parents of seventh graders would appreciate.

Because of work commitments Glenn had at his club, Hobson traveled to the tournament by herself last week. She flew into Nashville and took a shuttle to Chattanooga, where she was met by tournament director Eric Voges.

"It was fun," she said of the solo trip, which wasn't her first.

Hobson not only made her way to Chattanooga on her own, but she also kept Voges informed every step of the way.

"Before she even left she thanked me for helping her," Voges said. "She sent me a text thanking me. She sent me a text saying, 'I'm on the shuttle.' She's very mature for a girl her age."

The Spann family of Chattanooga -- Corinne Spann played in the tournament -- provided housing for Hobson, whom the Spanns had never met. Fortunately for all parties involved, Hobson and Corinne weren't in the same quarter of the draw and didn't play each other.

"They were all really nice," Hobson said of her hosts. Added Glenn: "They made her feel like part of the family."

Glenn, who arrived in Chattanooga on Sunday, said he was proud of the way his daughter handled the situation. It's a life experience, he said, that will be valuable in the future.

The same, he said, goes for Monday's match.

"What matters is what you get out of it," he said. "Every time you play a tournament and every match you play, if you're growing in some way, you're always winning."

This morning's semifinal matchups in the girls' draw are top seed Chloe Michele Ouellet-Pizer of Chapel Hill, N.C., versus Sanford and Abigail Chiu of Austin, Texas, against fellow 9 seed Jaeda Daniel of Wesley Chapel, Fla.

While the girls' semis features three 9 seeds -- seeds 9 to 16 are seeded alphabetically and given the same seed number -- the boys' semifinals will feature the top four seeds.

Top seed Abhin Sharma of Alpharetta, Ga., will face 3 seed Bailey Showers of Bellaire, Texas, and 2 seed Alexander Del Corral of Doral, Fla., meets 4 seed Noah Makarome of Wesley Chapel, Fla.