Denis Kudla, 2019 US Open (Photo: TennisAtlantic.com)
Dangerous @DenisKudla Advances to First @USOpen R3, Set to Face @DjokerNole Tomorrow Steve Fogleman in Flushing Meadows
American Denis Kudla took a giant step forward in his tennis career on Thursday at the US Open in New York, advancing to the 3rd round of America’s Open in four sets against the red hot Dusan Lajovic, 7-5, 7-5, 0-6, 6-3. The win earns Kudla a date with Novak Djokovic on a stadium court tomorrow and questions have arisen about the Serb’s shoulder after last night’s match.
This match was all Kudla in the first and second sets, but Lajovic dug deep and won the third set at love. Kudla did a hard reset and erased memories of the third set to win an extremely competitive fourth set and final game at 5-3 as Kudla needed five match points to close it out.
Denis Kudla, 2019 US Open (Photo: TennisAtlantic.com)
“I mean the first two sets, I played really solid and had a lot of opportunities maybe to win those at 3 and 3,” Kudla said. “It was there I knew he was still trying to find his game. He’s beaten me three times before so I know his level wasn’t it’s highest and I needed to take advantage, but out of 3 out of 5 sets you have a chance to find your game.”
Denis Kudla, 2019 US Open (Photo: TennisAtlantic.com)
Kudla admitted he played “a little sloppy” in the third and Lajovic ran away with the set.
“I was like, O.K., I’ve got to dig in,” Kudla said of the fourth set. “It was 5-3, 40-love and then I just got super tight” before winning the match on his fifth match point.
Kudla said he watched the Djokovic match yesterday, and he’s not too worried about any weakness on the part of the world #1. “Even if he’s on one leg, he’s still tough.”
Kudla also spoke of the desire to play the best players early. “You want to play the top guys early,” he said. “That’s when they’re the most vulnerable. You play them in the quarters and semis, that’s when these guys are five matches deep playing some unreal tennis and it almost feels like it’s impossible.”
Impossible is not the word I’m thinking when assessing Kudla’s chances tomorrow.
As Frances Tiafoe Turns 21 & Reaches Career Milestone at Australian Open, Junior Tennis Champions Center Proud of Homegrown Hero
Frances Tiafoe celebrated his 21st birthday in “Grand” style by reaching the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam for the first time at the Australian Open with a 7-5, 7-6(6), 6-7(1), 7-5 victory over #20 seed Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov.
“This is a significant breakthrough for Frances,” said JTCC CEO Ray Benton. “He is the youngest American since Andy Roddick at Wimbledon in 2003 to reach the quarterfinals of a major. His future is wide open.”
The JTCC alumnus is guaranteed to break into the top 30 in the ATP world rankings for the first time and will become the #2 ranked American behind John Isner.
Although Dimitrov, a former world #3, exerted constant pressure, he was only able to take one set off a resolute Tiafoe, who stood firm saving 15 of 18 break points he faced and striking 63 winners in total to clinch his spot in the last eight.
Frances Tiafoe celebrates winning a crucial point against Grigor Dimitrov during their 4th round clash at the Australian Open
Tiafoe’s opponent in the quarterfinals is 17-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal. The two have never met before, but Tiafoe expressed his excitement about facing one of the greatest players of all time in his post match interview with ESPN’s Pam Shriver. His clash with Nadal is scheduled during the night session on Rod Laver Arena and is due to start at around 5 am EST on Tuesday.
“It is hard to describe how proud everyone associated with JTCC is of Frances,” exuded JTCC Director of Tennis Vesa Ponkka. “We have all has been missing out on sleep over the last week but the excitement he has generated at JTCC and beyond with his play in Melbourne is truly special to witness.”
The Champion of Charlottesville: Denis Kudla Returns For Charlottesville Men’s Pro Tennis Challenger Steve Fogleman, Tennis Atlantic
Denis Kudla says it’s great to be back in Charlottesville.
“I was on the ATP tour main circuit pretty much all of last year, playing a lot of tour events and my ranking dropped a little bit,” he told me on Sunday in Charlottesville, Virginia. “I’m glad to be back here. I know I’ve played well here in the last couple of years I’ve played and I really look forward to getting going.”
Played well is an understatement for Kudla. The Arlington, Virginia native won the Petit A’s tournament here when he was 9 years old, and won the grown-up version of the tournament, the Charlottesville Men’s Pro Challenger, when he was 20.
Kudla Win the Challenger in 2012
“It’s strange that I won my very first tournament here in Charlottesvile when I was 9 years old,” he reflected. “I’m 24 now and still back here playing. It’s pretty special.”
He was practicing with fellow Junior Tennis Champions Center alum Frances Tiafoe before our interview. Kudla was a JTCC prodigy while Tiafoe was a kid growing up in and around the facility. This year, Tiafoe is the tournament’s top seed. I wondered if Tiafoe saw him as a big brother.
“I would say I’ve been around him his whole life,” he replied. “I wouldn’t say big brother, but I definitely try to be some kind of mentor. He’s playing unbelievable and I’m still learning stuff from him.”
Goals for 2017 involve “trying to get back in the top 100 and solidify my spot there again, try to stay healthy, that’s the biggest thing,” he said. “It’s a long road, lots of up and downs, just try to stay away from the downs.”
Cubs or Indians in the World Series?
“I want the Cubs to win, but I think the Indians are going to take it.”
A long-time Philadelphia Eagles fan, Kudla also shared his thoughts on rookie quarterback Carson Wentz. “I like him. He came out a little too hot, but he came back to Earth. I think he’s got a great future.”
Sounds like my assessment of some of the guys on the tour. Kudla opens the tournament against Tommy Paul tomorrow afternoon on courts he’s known since a babe.
Youngest Player Leads Race For “ATP Star of Tomorrow” Award
Eighteen-year-old Frances Tiafoe achieved a career-high #100 ATP world ranking and put himself in prime position to claim the “ATP Star of Tomorrow” award by winning his second ATP Tour Challenger title at the Stockton $100,000 Challenger in Stockton, CA on Sunday.
Tiafoe hopes to follow 2015 “ATP Star of Tomorrow” German Alexander Zverev, current world #21, and other past illustrious winners Marat Safin, Andy Roddick and Rafael Nadal.
The youngest player in the year-end top 100 will receive the annual “Star of Tomorrow” honor during the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in London next month.
The JTCC alumnus is currently #94 in the ATP Singles Race, based on points earned in 2016. This list only takes into account tournaments played during 2016 and will match exactly with the year-end ATP rankings. Tiafoe is well-placed to maintain his top 100 status and win the “Star of Tomorrow” accolade.
Tiafoe’s nearest challengers are Stefan Kozlov (USA) and Duckhee Lee (KOR), who are ranked #156 and #157, respectively.
Tiafoe’s destiny is in his own hands with two more tournaments remaining on his 2016 calendar. He is the #1 seed at the Fairfield, CA Challenger, where he reached the semifinals in 2015, and he plays in next week’s Las Vegas Open.
Following on the heels of his first ATP Challenger championship in Granby, Canada, # 3 seed Tiafoe, defeated fellow American Noah Rubin, 6-4, 6-2 in the Stockton, CA final on Sunday. In addition, Tiafoe has reached three ATP Challenger Finals in Tallahassee, FL, Winnetka, IL and Lexington, KY in 2016.
The Hyattsville, MD native who began playing tennis at age four at JTCC, won his first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 match at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, CA in March by beating longtime junior rival Taylor Fritz 6-3, 2-6, 6-3. He also came within two points of causing a major upset at the US Open where he pushed the #1 American and #20 seed John Isner to five sets in the opening round before succumbing 3-6, 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-2, 7-6(3).
“Frances has shown throughout 2016 that he is going to be a force on the ATP Tour for many years to come,” said Frank Salazar, JTCC Senior Director of High Performance, who coached Tiafoe throughout his junior career. “Breaking into the top 100 is a significant achievement, and he will be aiming to continue his upward progress during the rest of the year.”
DC-AREA NATIVE FRANCES TIAFOE (@FTIAFOE) NABS WILD CARD TO @CITIOPEN MAIN DRAW DC’s Capital Tennis Tradition Begins July 16 at Rock Creek Park Tennis Center
Frances Tiafoe
WASHINGTON (June 21, 2016) — Frances Tiafoe, one of the most promising young American players and a native of Prince George’s County, Md., will receive a wild card entry into the main draw of the Citi Open® Tennis Tournament. The Nation’s Capital Tennis Tradition will be held July 16-24 at the Rock Creek Park Tennis Center.
“I’m looking forward to the Citi Open this year more than any other tournament,” Tiafoe said. “I am thankful for the chance to play in front of my family and friends and will make the most of the opportunity.”
Francis Tiafoe (Photo: Cynthia Lum/USTA)
Tiafoe, 18, was the youngest player in the Top 200 of the ATP World Tour Rankings last year. In 2014, at 16 years old, Tiafoe made his ATP World Tour debut at the Citi Open with a wild card entry, in front of a cheering home crowd. In 2015, he secured his first ATP singles win at Winston-Salem, and competed in the main draws of both the French Open and U.S. Open. This year, he was named as one of 14 ATP “Next Generation” — young players who are rising to prominence in the sport.
“We’re excited to offer Frances home-court advantage in this year’s tournament,” said Jeff Newman, tournament director. “Washington fans have a chance to come out and support our homegrown talent — I know we can expect great things from him in the coming years.”
Tiafoe joins an exciting field of players at the tournament, which includes current top seed World No. 9 Tomas Berdych; three-time tournament champion and former US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro; 2015 tournament finalist John Isner; dynamic players Gael Monfils and Nick Kyrgios; Americans Jack Sock, Sam Querrey, Denis Kudla, Steve Johnson, and Taylor Fritz; and top international stars Grigor Dimitrov, Kevin Anderson, Marcos Baghdatis, and Borna Coric.
In the exciting women’s field, the tournament boasts former world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki; defending champion Sloane Stephens; former U.S. Open champion and current No. 1 seed Samantha Stosur; Grand Slam finalists Eugenie Bouchard and Sabine Lisicki; and American Shelby Rogers, who had an incredible run to this year’s French Open quarterfinals.
The full doubles field is expected about two weeks before the tournament, headlined by the world’s most successful doubles team of all time, Bob and Mike Bryan. Players are subject to change due to injury or other unforeseen circumstances.
Anna Kalinskaya had an easy peasy day yesterday in taking two titles at the ITF International Hardcourts in College Park, Maryland. First up was a two set 6-2, 2-1 win in retirement against Romanian Elena Ruse. The tournament’s top seed, she followed up the singles win with a 6-3, 7-5 doubles title with teammate Evgeniya Levashova, besting the American team of Gabrielle Andrews and Mia Horvit.
Anna Kalinskaya (C) TennisEastCoast.com
After the match, Kalinskaya told me that the timing of the title was fortuitous. “It’s great, because I feel more confident now for the US Open.” She admitted it was a nice treat to have more energy for the doubles match to follow than she normally would.
Her opponent, Elena Ruse, who retired, was still in very good spirits and clutched a Wimbledon towel, a spoil of war from her semifinal run through the junior tournament this summer. Ruse, whose middle name is Gabriela, prefers to be known as Gabby.
“My leg was bad”, she explained. “In the second round, I felt something in my leg, put on some tape and everything was good. Today, I felt so bad. I hope I will be much better for US Open”.
And what about that Wimbledon towel?
“It was my second Grand Slam and I played amazing. I love grass courts and I hope I will be there next year”.
Does she hope to have a special US Open towel to remind her of a great run through New York? “Of course”, she said.
Reilly Opelka
Reilly Opelka, an unseeded American, posted an impressive 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (4) comeback win over Tim Van Rijthoven to capture the boys title. Both players did a nice job of holding serve throughout. Opelka’s serve really bailed him out in the final two stanzas. I missed the end of the match, but I was impressed with the resolve of both players. Opelka reminds me a little of Sam Querrey or John Isner.
Let me give you some reminders about junior tournaments:
1) They hang towels anywhere they can: There’s no one to hand your towel to, so you hang it yourself: from a fence post, for example. But if you’re playing indoors, there is no fence. Then, you find something else. A door knob or a fire alarm will do.
2) The delays of chasing down running balls: They aren’t a bunch of time-wasters in the Juniors like they are in the pros. In fact, they often quick-pitch and sometimes opponents have to tell the player on the other side of the net to slow down. No commercial breaks and speedy changeovers means the matches move quickly. The balls are the one impediment to the smooth progress of the game. No ball kids means everyone is a ball-kid: fans, line judges, and even the Chair will occasionally hop down to kick a nearby ball in a server’s direction. Imagine that in a pro match.
Also, players who want to slow down the pace of a match can do just that depending on how passively they gather up the balls before service. A player about to return serve can also slow down the game depending on how quickly or not they return the ball from their side of the net. It’s a moment to catch your breath, if nothing else.
3) Keep your own score: Just like when you’re playing your buddy on the concrete courts behind the middle school. Like a broken clock, the flip scoreboard is only accurate once every two games when the players flip it on the changeover. We all take electronic scoreboards for granted until they’re gone. Or, you could always ask Colette Lewis of ZooTennis.com. She keeps a reporter’s note book up-to-date with score and stats.
3) The Fans: They’re aren’t too many of them at a match, and they are probably related to the player on court, so watch what you say. Yesterday was unusual in terms of light turnout. The stars of the host Junior Tennis Champions Center had been eliminated in the semis, and the torrential downpour moved the finals inside. And by inside, I mean you had to walk through four buildings to find the courts. I walked through two buildings full of tennis lessons in progress, each time saying thinking, ‘No, this can’t be it’. Finally, I walked into the last tennis barn on the property, saw Colette Lewis, and knew I had arrived!
It was a pleasure to watch Colette at work yesterday. There’s no one like her in the world of tennis, and everything I learned about junior tennis, I learned from her. She also has a very diligent assistant, when he’s not busy with other duties.
For me, this Saturday used to be about Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day in New York. After watching title-match tennis a short drive from home, this seemed like a much better way to spend the Saturday before the US Open instead.
Francis Tiafoe has every reason to be proud after a close loss to Evgeny Donskoy at the Citi Open in Washington, DC tonight. Though he lost 4 & 4, his big serve looked great. He fired up the crowd and they fired him up right back. In addition to his parents and family, his debut match was witnessed by players, friends and the extended family known as Every Serious Tennis Fan in Washington.
Tiafoe’s Parents
The 16-year-old got his first break of serve on Donskoy early in the second set, and the Junior Tennis Champions Center prodigy was never out of a set or the match until the final point of each. The Baltimore-born Tiafoe has trained at the College Park, Maryland training facility since he was a child and attended Citi Open every year since he was 9. Tiafoe saved 9 break points and other than a few double faults, it didn’t appear that the big stage made him nervous. In fact, he seemed to feed on the energy from the partisan crowd.
Donskoy said of his opponent, “I know this guy has a great future”.
After the match, he said “I just hope I can come back here” (to the Citi Open). I’m pretty sure that can be arranged, Francis. In fact, I’m very sure. Thanks for making everyone around here proud, Big Foe.
Big Fight From Jordi Arconada of @TheJTCC @CitiOpen Final Round Qualies
Stephan Fogleman, Tennis East Coast
Jordi Arconada (Photo: @Tennis_Shots for TennisEastCoast.com)
All in all, Jordi Arconada had a great weekend. Awarded a wild card to his first ATP tour-level event on Thursday, he proceeded to notch his first tour win over Michael Llodra on Saturday on an outer court. Today, he played a full three-set match on Stadium Court, before losing to Alex Kuznetsov 3-6, 6-1, 6-0 in 1:17.
Local fans, friends and Junior Tennis Champions Center classmates and alumni were enthralled with the excitement and the experience his punchy performance provided them this weekend.
Jordi Arconada’s a name to remember.
Tennis fans look forward to seeing him play at many Citi Opens Yet to Come.
N.B. — Chris Levy (@Tennis_Shots) has been on loan to us for the Citi Open. It was a blessing to have him on hand to capture Arconada in action today. Yesterday’s match was over so quickly, the talented photographer never stood a chance to take up his position.
Jordi Arconada (Photo: @Tennis_Shots for TennisEastCoast.com)
Jordi Arconada (Photo: @Tennis_Shots for TennisEastCoast.com)
Jordi Arconada (Photo: @Tennis_Shots for TennisEastCoast.com)
Jordi Arconada (Photo: @Tennis_Shots for TennisEastCoast.com)
Jordi Arconada (Photo: @Tennis_Shots for TennisEastCoast.com)
Mrs. Arconada & Coach Salazar (Photo: S. Fogleman)
FRANCIS TIAFOE AWARDED WILD CARD ENTRY TO CITI OPEN® TOURNAMENT MAIN DRAW Three Other Top Juniors Receiving Wild Card Entries to Qualifying Rounds
WASHINGTON — Francis Tiafoe, the No. 6 ranked junior in International Tennis Federation, has received a wild card entry to the main draw of the Citi Open® Tournament. It will be the College Park, Md., native’s first foray into an ATP World Tour tournament’s main draw.
Tiafoe, 16, won the Citi Open® Wild Card Challenge in June and earned his spot with a wild card entry in the qualifying rounds. Tournament officials, however, decided that main draw play would be more fitting for the hometown player.
“We’re excited to watch Francis in his first main draw match,” said Jeff Newman, tournament director. “This is his hometown and this is where he trains, so we expect a great crowd to come out and support him.”
Tiafoe trains at the Junior Tennis Champions Center in College Park, one of the leading training programs in the country. In 2012, he became the youngest winner of the Orange Bowl Championship, and earlier this year, played at both French Open Juniors and Wimbledon Juniors.
“I’m so excited to play in my first main draw ATP event and I can’t imagine a better place to play than in front of my hometown crowd,” Tiafoe said. “I’m so thankful to the Citi Open® for giving me this great opportunity.”
Three other juniors will receive a wild card entry into the qualifying rounds, beginning Saturday, July 26. Stefan Kozlov, 16, the current No. 2 ranked junior in the world, reached the finals of both Australian Open Juniors and Wimbledon Juniors this year. University of Virginia junior Ryan Shane, 20, helped the Cavaliers win the NCAA championship in 2013, and was recently named “Player to Watch” by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association. Jordi Arconada, 17, the runner-up in the Wild Card Challenge, will take Tiafoe’s place in the qualifying rounds.
INTERNATIONAL TENNIS FEDERATION JUNIOR TOURNAMENT TO RETURN TO JUNIOR TENNIS CHAMPIONS CENTER IN AUGUST
Prince George’s County Announced as Official Title Sponsor
Marika Akkerman, 2012 ITF Prince George’s County, Maryland
(College Park, MD) July 15, 2014 — Today the Junior Tennis Champions Center (JTCC) announced that Prince George’s County will become the official title sponsor of the International Tennis Federation (ITF) Grade 1 Junior Tournament, which returns to College Park, Md. for the third consecutive year. The Prince George’s County International Junior Tennis Championships will take place at the College Park Tennis Club.
“Hosting a premier international junior sporting event for the third straight year is consistent with the Junior Tennis Champions Center’s pursuit of excellence” said JTCC Chief Executive Officer, Ray Benton. “We are thrilled to be able to showcase our stellar facility and again serve as the North American host venue.”
The tournament will take place two weeks prior to the junior US Open tournament, and will attract the finest male and female junior players from around the world. Some of the players who will be competing in this event are top world ranked juniors: Francis Tiafoe, Usue Arconada and Raveena Kingsley. The Prince George’s County International Junior Tennis Championships is slated to begin with the local wildcard qualifying tournament from Aug. 11 to Aug. 13, which will lead into the Qualifying tournament from Aug. 16 to Aug 17. The main draw will kick off on Aug. 18 and conclude on Aug. 24.
“Prince George’s County is quickly becoming known throughout the world as Tennis County USA, thanks to the amazing work of the Junior Tennis Champions Center,” said Prince George’s County Executive Rushern L. Baker, III. “We are proud to support one of the United States Tennis Association’s premier tennis tournament and we welcome this year’s cadre of players from around the world to College Park. This tournament is another example of why Prince George’s County is the place to be!”
Additional sponsors of the Prince George’s County International Junior Tennis Championships include the United States Tennis Association (USTA), International Tennis Federation (ITF), Laurel Springs School and Holiday Inn of College Park.
Tennis Atlantic 