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INDIAN WELLS, Calif.-- The 2024 FILA Easter Bowl USTA Spring National Championships featured early mornings, late nights and uncharacteristically chilly temperatures with the 16s and 18s finals scheduled over two days due to the forecast of rain in the normally arid Coachella Valley. But William Manning, Tianmei Wang, Bella Payne and Gavin Goode handled every challenge thrown their way to add their names to the long and prestigious list of Easter Bowl champions.

Boys 16 Champion Gavin Goode
© Zoo Tennis

The Boys 16s final, played Friday afternoon due to the forecast for rain Saturday, began just as the desert winds increased, demanding more mental and physical adjustments from No. 2 seed Goode and No. 1 seed Gus Grumet. Grumet, who had saved six match points in his third round match against Tyler Lee, came from a set down to beat unseeded Andrew Li 1-6, 6-1, 6-4 in Friday morning's semifinals, while Goode had defeated No. 3 seed Lukas Phimvongsa 6-1, 7-5 earlier in the day.

It was Goode who prevailed in the blustery winds, often gusting over 25 mph, with the 15-year-old taking the title by a score of 6-2, 6-1.

Both players agreed that Goode's game style was more suited to the conditions, which forced the chair umpire to shout the score to be heard over the flapping of the awnings over the court benches.

"The conditions didn't really favor him today," said Goode, a left-hander from Raleigh, North Carolina. "He hits the ball a little bit flatter, not as much spin, he goes for more risks and the wind was just moving the ball all over."