WASHINGTON, DC—The temperature reached 97 degrees and the play was sizzling as well as the Mubadala Citi DC Open kicked off in Washington on Saturday. Twenty singles matches concluded after thunderstorms put a dent in the late matches. All matches were completed, including a few without spectators.
The most memorable match of the day was up first on Stadium Court, as 17-year-old DC resident Clervie Ngounoue rode a straight sets victory over top qualifying seed Anna Blinkova, 6-3, 6-2 in front of a partisan crowd. This was the first tour level victory for Ngounoue, who shed tears after the win. The youngster faces Magadalena Frech of Poland, a winner by retirement over Kayla Day after just one set.
Leylah Fernandez won a match in DC on her first attempt. The Canadian who captured the hearts of New York spectators as a 2021 US Open finalist is still popular with local fans and was mobbed for autographs after her win over Varvara Gracheva, 6-4, 6-3. Fernandez meets Katie Boulter later today. Boulter was a 7-5, 6-3 winner over Elizabeth Mandlik, 7-5, 6-3.
On the men’s side, Americans Zach Svajda and Brandon Holt both won their matches against fellow Americans and will play each other today for a coveted spot in the draw. Svajda bested Ryan Harrison, 6-3, 7-6(3) and Brandon Holt took triumph over wild card Adrian Fenty, 7-5, 6-3.
Two Japanese men are still in the running for qualifying here, as Shintaro Mochizuki handled Mateus Alves, 6-3, 6-4 and Sho Shimabukuro beat old man Donald Young, 6-3, 6-4. Mochizuki has a date with Kyle Seelig, who beat Brendan Kittay, while Shimabukuro faces Bradley Klahn. Ohio State’s Seelig looks like the kind of guy you would have a beer with. Maybe if he qualifies.
Mens Qualifying Singles
ATP – Qualifying – [1] J. Shang (CHN) d G. Brymer (USA) 63 62
ATP – Qualifying – [2] S. Shimabukuro (JPN) d D. Young (USA) 63 64
ATP – Qualifying – K. Pannu (NZL) d [3] D. Kudla (USA) 46 63 64
ATP – Qualifying – [4] A. Galarneau (CAN) d [PR] J. Gomez (COL) 61 60
ATP – Qualifying – [5] S. Mochizuki (JPN) d M. Alves (BRA) 63 64
ATP – Qualifying – [6] B. Holt (USA) d [WC] A. Fenty (USA) 75 63
ATP – Qualifying – [7] Z. Svajda (USA) d [WC] R. Harrison (USA) 63 76(3)
ATP – Qualifying – [WC] B. Fratangelo (USA) d [8] M. Krueger (USA) 36 76(5) 64
ATP – Qualifying – B. Kuzuhara (USA) d [9] M. Sasikumar (IND) 64 62
ATP – Qualifying – [PR] B. Klahn (USA) d [10] J. Trotter (JPN) 64 76(4)
ATP – Qualifying – [11] K. Seelig (USA) d [WC] B. Kittay (USA) 64 75
ATP – Qualifying – [12] T. Kwiatkowski (USA) d [PR] P. Polansky (CAN) 62 60
Women’s Qualifying Singles
WTA – [WC] C. Ngounoue (USA) d A. Blinkova 63 62
WTA – L. Fernandez (CAN) d V. Gracheva (FRA) 64 63
WTA – M. Frech (POL) d K. Day (USA) 62
WTA – K. Boulter (GBR) d E. Mandlik (USA) 75 63
WTA – L. Davis (USA) d [WC] A. Smith (USA) 46 63 62
WTA – H. Baptiste (USA) d A. Parks (USA) 63 61
WTA – A. Krueger (USA) d R. Peterson (SWE) 63 36 76(5)
WTA – P. Stearns (USA) d I. Shymanovich 76(4) 75
Tennis Atlantic 
Return Serve?