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Every January, columnist Colette Lewis of ZooTennis takes time to reflect on the state of junior and college tennis, and she distills some of her thoughts into a set of questions. (Click here to view last year's article.) We are fortunate enough to have her eight questions for 2012 right here at TennisRecruiting.net.

2011 US Open Girls Champion Grace Min
© ZooTennis

Min was a surprise winner of the US Open girls championship last year, but she certainly earned it, beating ITF World Junior champion and No. 2 seed Irina Khromacheva of Russia in the first round and top seed Caroline Garcia of France in the final. The unseeded 17-year-old did not turn pro however, continuing to play Pro Circuit events as an amateur, and although she has yet to post a WTA Top-100 win, she has brought her ranking into the mid-300s. Now a senior, Min needs to decide this year whether she will become the first girls junior slam champion to enter college since 1982's US Open winner Beth Herr.

2) Is the Match Tiebreaker a Solution or a Problem?

The USTA has set a goal of less school missed and more regional play for competitive juniors, with the match tiebreaker in lieu of a third set playing an increasingly important role in deciding matches and ultimately, rankings. Those who value the mental and physical factors that come into play in a traditional third set are not happy with that trade-off, however, believing US juniors learn little about the fortitude international competition requires. This question can't really be answered definitively, this year or any year, so each side will continue to hold firmly to their view.