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Field Set @RedRockTennis @USTAProCircuit Las Vegas

Posted by Admin on September 23, 2015
Posted in: USTA, WTA. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Red Rock Pro Open Player Field Announced
Talented Group Includes Former World-Ranked No. 11 Peer,
U.S. Open Main Draw Players, and Former NCAA Singles and Doubles Winner Gibbs

Shelby Rogers (Photo: Craig Glover)

Shelby Rogers (Photo: Craig Glover)

SUMMERLIN (Sept. 22, 2015) – When Shelby Rogers squared off against fellow American Sachia Vickery in the first round of the U.S. Open, it was a match pitting two popular former and current Red Rock Pro Open players.

The 22-year-old South Carolina native Rogers, who won five consecutive matches at the year’s final Grand Slam, including three wins to qualify, beat the wild card Vickery, 6-2, 6-2, and won another round before falling to No. 2-seeded Simona Halep in the third round.

Telling reporters she was “loving every minute of her U.S. Open experience, Rogers said her third-round appearance was, “why we play the sport. That’s why we try to win each match, to get to the further rounds and play the bigger players.”

Las Vegas tennis fans will remember that Rogers made the final here in 2012, losing to Lauren Davis in three sets.

This year’s Red Rock Pro Open, a USTA Women’s $50,000 Pro Circuit tournament with WTA players ranging in the world rankings from No. 100 to No. 275, will include 64 singles players (32 qualifying and 32 main draw), and a 16-team doubles draw.

Former two-time NCAA singles champion Nicole Gibbs is expected to be one of the top seeded players, as will Shahar Peer. The 28-year-old from Israel has been ranked as high as No. 11 in the world, and has been a quarterfinalist at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open in her successful career.

As a sophomore in 2012, Gibbs pulled off a historic sweep of the year’s NCAA singles and doubles titles and became only the third player in NCAA history to capture both NCAA titles in the same season. Gibbs then repeated as NCAA singles champion the following year, before turning pro before her senior year.

“Las Vegas has always hosted a very competitive tournament and this year’s main draw talent showcases a few former Top 50 players including 2011 Las Vegas champ Romina Oprandi and former No. 11 Shahar Peer,” said tournament director Mike Copenhaver. “Nearly half of the main draw competitors this year are young, notable Americans, a site that we all love to see!”

Former Red Rock Pro Open player Anna Tatishvili is also entered in the main draw after a good run at the U.S. Open where she won three rounds in qualifying before shocking No. 8-seeded Karolina Pliskova in the first round, and then lost to 2014 Las Vegas winner Madison Brengle in the second round. Tatishvili reached a career-high ranking of No. 50 in 2012, the same year she reached the fourth round at the U.S. Open

The USTA-trained Louisa Chirico is another one to watch out for. Chirico has risen to the cusp of a top-100 ranking as a teenager. This summer, she defeated Top 25 player Alize Cornet to reach the quarterfinals at the Washington D.C. WTA event.

The 2011 Red Rock Pro Open champion Romina Oprandi was Switzerland is entered, as is the player she beat in the final, American Alexa Glatch. Glatch left Vegas with a first and a second having captured the doubles title with Mashona Washington.

Notable American in qualifying and past Red Rock Pro Open players include: former UCLA star Jennifer Brady, Julie Bosserup and Samantha Crawford, who won the 2012 U.S. Open Junior Girls’ singles title.

Premier sponsors include: Gaudin Jaguar of Las Vegas, Storage One, Sunrise Hospital, Lotus Broadcasting, Cox Communications, WG Communications Group, Rachel’s Kitchen, USTA Nevada, Marquis Aurbach Coffing, Marty Hennessy Foundation, and FedEx.

Support sponsors included: Darren Cahill, Marcy Saxe Realty One, Guild Mortgage Company, Allstate Insurance agent Dwain Frazier, Raymond James agent Dan Jackson, The Massage Advantage, Adidas, Wolf Rifkin, Agent Atleta, and Babolat.

In last year’s singles final, Brengle captured the singles title which launched her into the Top 100 and stirred her confidence to the point where she won her first WTA title to start 2015, and made the fourth round of the Australian Open. Brengle led the Mylan World TeamTennis Washington Kastles to a fifth consecutive summer title back in July, and now finds herself ranked inside the top 40.

It’s not uncommon for past Las Vegas players to go on and have success on the WTA Tour. Last year’s singles winner Madison Brengle is currently ranked No. 42 in the world. Other regulars on the Tour fulltime include Lauren Davis, Sorana Cirstea, Melanie Oudin, Varvara Lepchenko and Coco Vandeweghe.

A free Kid’s Day will take place once again on Sunday, Sept. 27 and will be sponsored by Sunrise Children’s Hospital with a special guest appearance by Brando Christo, the author and creator of the children’s tennis book “Buddy The Ball.”

A sponsor Pro-Am will be held on Monday, and the always popular Players’ Party is Tuesday night.

For ball kid information or to volunteer, go to: redrockproopen.com/volunteer; to sponsor the tournament, go to: redrockproopen.com/sponsors or contact Copenhaver at: mcopenhaver@redrockcc.com. For a complete schedule of events, go to: redrockproopen.com/schedule.

The tournament’s official website is http://www.RedRockProOpen.com. Follow along on Twitter @RedRockTennis and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/redrockproopen.

—Steve Pratt

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‘Turning Pro’ Tiafoe (@FTiafoe) Faces Novikov (@DNovi93) @CalabasasTennis Final

Posted by Admin on March 29, 2015
Posted in: ATP, ATP Challenger, Maryland. Tagged: , , , , , , , , .

‘Turning Pro’ Francis Tiafoe to Face Dennis Novikov in USTA Men’s Pro Championships of Calabasas Final on Sunday

Francis Tiafoe (Photo: Tennis Atlantic)

Francis Tiafoe (Photo: Tennis Atlantic)


CALABASAS, Calif., (March 28, 2015) – Francis Tiafoe didn’t officially announce he was turning professional on Saturday after advancing to the final of the USTA Men’s Pro Tennis Championships of Calabasas. But he did remind that it’s only a matter of time before that happens.

“I’m going to turn pro,” the 17-year-old unseeded Tiafoe, still an amateur, said after beating Jason Jung in the semifinals, 5-7, 6-1, 6-4, at the USTA $15,000 Pro Circuit Futures event being played at the Calasbasas Tennis & Swim Center. “I’m not sure when it’s going to happen, but it’s only a matter of time.”

Tiafoe is on a nine-match win streak after winning his first ITF Futures title last weekend in Bakersfield. He will face former UCLA star and No. 2-seeded Dennis Novikov in the 1 p.m. final on Sunday, with a pro doubles exhibition starting at noon.

Jung won the toss but elected to receive Tiafoe’s serve, which he promptly broke quickly. “I came out flat, but got the break back but then gave up the first set,” Tiafoe said. “I was just trying to find my range on both sides. I was serving extremely well and my best shot my forehand started working for me in the second set.”

Tiafoe said he still plans to play the remaining Junior Grand Slams, and that he has improved tremendously from one year ago when he was No. 7 in the world ITF junior rankings. He was a finalist at the Carson USTA Spring International Championships and won the ASICS Easter Bowl. Both mega junior events take place over the next two weeks.

Earlier this month, Tiafoe was named as a practice partner for the United States Davis Cup team that lost to Great Britain in Scotland. “I worked hard in the off-season and at Davis Cup I gained a lot of confidence,” he said. “My serve is 10 times better and off the ground I’m so much better.”

Dennis Novikov with Redfoo (Sorry Dennis)

Dennis Novikov with Redfoo (Sorry Dennis)

Novikov, 21, lost the first set to McDonald, 4-6, but used his big serve to take advantage of the match over the final two sets, 6-3, 6-2.

In the doubles final on Saturday night, Fabian Matthews and Hunter Nicholas beat Adrian Forberg Skogeng and Wil Spencer, 6-1, 2-6, 10-6.

Follow along on Twitter at http://twitter.com/calabasastennis. For more information check out the official website, calabasasprotennis.com. Don’t forget to download the Pro Circuit App. Search procircuit in the iTunes App Store or on Google Play.

Saturday’s Semifinal Singles Scores
Francis Tiafoe, U.S., def. Jason Jung, U.S., (6) 5-7, 6-1, 6-4
Dennis Novikov, U.S., (2) def. Mackenzie McDonald, U.S. (q) 4-6, 6-3, 6-2

Saturday’s Final Doubles Score
Fabian Matthews, U.S. / Hunter Nicholas, U.S., def. Adrian Forberg Skogeng, Norway / Wil Spencer, U.S., 6-1, 2-6, 10-6

—S. Pratt

2014 Charlottesville Challenger Main Draw, 1st Round Matchups Released

Posted by Admin on October 25, 2014
Posted in: ATP, ATP Challenger, Charlottesville, USTA. Tagged: , , , , , , .

Charlottesville Facebook Page

CHARLOTTESVILLE MEN’S PRO CHALLENGER – CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA, USA
$ 50,000.00
27 October – 2 November 2014

 

Main Draw Here: MDS Charlottesville 2014

Men’s Singles

First Round
[1] S Groth (AUS) vs. Qualifier
G Mina (FRA) vs. C Buchanan (USA)
R Ginepri (USA) vs. A Kuznetsov (USA)
R Williams (USA) vs. [8] F Dancevic (CAN)
[4] M Russell (USA) vs. M Arevalo (ESA)
T Daniel (JPN) vs. [WC] M Styslinger (USA)
E Corrie (GBR) vs. D King (BAR)
[WC] E Escobedo (USA) vs. [6] J Duckworth (AUS)
[5] G Elias (POR) vs. Qualifier
T Sandgren (USA) vs. J McGee (IRL)
H Cunha (BRA) vs. Qualifier
W Odesnik (USA) vs. [3] D Kudla (USA)
[7] R Ram (USA) vs. Qualifier
R Harrison (USA) vs. [WC] M Frank (USA)
P Torebko (GER) vs. [WC] S Kozlov (USA)
L Broady (GBR) vs. [2] T Smyczek (USA)

Main Draw Set @USTAMacon50K, Qualifying Begins

Posted by Admin on October 19, 2014
Posted in: USTA, WTA. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

Main Draw Set @USTAMacon50K, Qualifying Begins
Stratford Academy, Macon
MACON, Georgia, (October 18, 2014) Singles qualifying begins on Sunday, October 19 at 9:30 a.m.at Stratford Academy for the 2014 Tennis Classic of Macon.

30 players will compete for four qualifying spots on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday morning.

Featured matches on Sunday include former University of Florida star, Allie Will taking on No. 5 seed, Jasmine Paolini of Italy. Not before 11;30, Mari Ozaka of Japan takes on Jacqueline Cako and not before 3:30, former world No. 7 Nicole Vaidisova takes on Macon teenager, Ariadna Riley.

Four courts will feature qualifying action on Sunday.

“It’s a great qualifying draw,” says Mercer Head Men’s and Women’s Tennis Coach, Eric Hayes. “There are going to be some great matches and this sets us up for the rest of the week. The weather is going to be perfect and this is what we work all year for.”

This is one of the three fall events where U.S. players can earn points for the USTA’s wildcard into the first major of 2015.

You can see the qualifying draw here: http://assets.usta.com/assets/1/15/qualifying_draw382.PDF

Additional 2014 Tennis Classic of Macon facts:

Headlining this year’s Macon 50K field is veteran Mirjana Lucic-Baroni, who defeated Venus Williams to win the WTA event in Quebec City, last month. Americans, Madison Brengle and defending champ Anna Tatishvilli are also scheduled to return to Middle Georgia. Also in the field are three players with Georgia connections in Melanie Oudin, Irina Falconi and Grace Min.

Even Brian Earley, Director of the USTA Pro Circuit is impressed with what could be Macon’s field.

Brian Earley

Brian Earley

“The USTA Tennis Classic of Macon will feature one of the strongest fields on the USTA Pro Circuit, with at least four women in the top 100 players on the WTA computer. Due in equal parts to its timing (after the WTA season has concluded), geography and the fact that the Americans are playing for a possible spot in the main draw of the Australian Open, we love that the winner in Macon will have earned the title over some of the best players in the world.”

Hayes says once again the tournament will host a pro am where local tennis players can play against the pros. A “players party” will also be held this year at Twangs, a local restaurant.

Live streaming of the USTA Pro Circuit can be viewed on the USTA Pro Circuit’s website at http://www.procircuit.usta.com.

—Rick Limpert

2014 Aptos, San Marino and Prague Challenger Previews

Posted by Admin on August 4, 2014
Posted in: ATP, ATP Challenger, Pro Circuit. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , .

2014 Aptos, San Marino and Prague Challenger Previews
Chris De Waard, Tennis East Coast

This week three Challengers will take place, one in the States and two in Europe. The Comerica Bank Challenger in Aptos will be played on hardcourt, the other two (San Marino Go&Fun Open and Advantage Cars Prague Open) on clay.

Aptos Challenger

Aptos Challenger
The Comerica Bank Challenger
ATP Challenger Tour and USTA Pro Circuit
Aptos, CA, USA
August 2 – August 10
Prize Money: $100,000

Seeds (ATP ranking in parentheses)

1: Mikhail Kukushkin (54)
2: Marcos Baghdatis (105)
3: Evgeny Donskoy (111)
4: Go Soeda (115)
5: Somdev Devvarman (132)
6: Ante Pavic (139)
7: Farrukh Dustov (144)
8: Marton Fucsovics (154)

The last direct acceptance is Emilio Gomez, ranked 217th. A wild card has been awarded to 19 year old Mackenzie McDonald, who made a name for himself last month by reaching the semi-final of the Winnetka Challenger as a qualifier.

First round match-ups to watch

(8) Marton Fucsovics vs. (WC) Mackenzie McDonald

Like I said, McDonald already showed that he can hang on this level. Not only in the recent Winnetka Challenger, but last year he surprised everyone by beating Mahut and Johnson to qualify for the Masters event in Cincinnati, where he lost to Goffin in the first round. He faces eighth seed Fucsovics, who hasn’t been convincing on hardcourt yet this year, with five losses against players outside of the top 200 in the eight tournaments he has played on the surface. So despite their ranking difference this has the potential to be a hard fought battle, with a great chance for the young American to advance.

Taro Daniel vs. Ruben Bemelmans

Even though Daniel primarily plays on clay, he has shown that he can be very dangerous on hardcourt. Rosol knows a thing or two about that after being taken to five sets by Daniel during their Davis Cup tie in April. He had a decent showing at the Vancouver Challenger last week, losing in the quarter final to the eventual winner Baghdatis. Bemelmans lost to Baghdatis as well, in the next round. He has a reputation for being a choker, which he showed against Baghdatis by missing two match points, netting a fairly easy shot on one of them.

Taro

Taro

Top Half

Rankings-wise, Kukushkin clearly stands out. He is the only top 100 player in the draw and the difference between him and #2 seed Baghdatis are a massive 51 ranking spots. However, he is far from a certainty to reach the final. Former world number 61 Devvarman is a threat and beat him in three sets the only time they met in 2011. Kukushkin also isn’t going into this tournament with a lot of confidence, losing to world number 228 Gerasimov in a third set tiebreak two weeks ago in the quarter final of the Astana Challenger.

In the second quarter Donskoy and Dustov are well capable of beating him. Granted, Donskoy isn’t in great form, so the danger will probably come from Dustov. Dustov reached the final of the Vancouver Challenger last week and will be feeling confident coming into this tournament.

Bottom Half

It’s hard to look past Baghdatis here, I can’t see anyone threatening him and in my eyes he is the favorite to win the tournament, especially coming into this tournament on a high after winning the Vancouver Challenger last week. If Bemelmans gets to the quarter final he might be a threat, considering how close he got last week. But Bemelmans is well capable of losing to Daniel or Pavic.

The third quarter is the most interesting in my eyes, with Fucsovics, McDonald, Marchenko, Kuznetsov and Soeda all being qualified to reach the semi-final. It’s really hard to predict what’s going to happen here, other than the winner most probably losing against Baghdatis.

Predictions

Semis:

Dustov def. Kukushkin
Baghdatis def. Soeda

I think Dustov’s good form will prevail over Kukushkin’s lack of it, despite the huge gap in their rankings. Like I said, the third quarter is extremely difficult to predict, so I took the safe route here and picked the highest seed.

Final:

Baghdatis def. Dustov

A repeat of last week’s final, ending in the same fashion. But back to back finals would be a very good result for Dustov and there is no shame in losing to Baghdatis, so if this happens it should give him a tremendous confidence boost as he gets closer to the top 100. As for Baghdatis, reaching the quarter final here would probably already enough for him to get back into the top 100.

San Marino Challenger
San Marino Go&Fun Open
ATP Challenger Tour
San Marino
August 2 – August 10
Prize Money: €64,000

Go&Fun Open

Seeds (ATP ranking in parentheses)

1: Simone Bolelli (89)
2: Daniel Gimeno-Traver (93)
3: Maximo Gonzalez (104)
4: Albert Montanes (119)
5: Julian Reister (125)
6: Peter Gojowczyk (127)
7: Filip Krajinovic (134)
8: Filippo Volandri (136)

The last direct acceptance is Aldin Setkic, ranked 267th. A couple of really interesting players have come through the qualification draw, Christian Garin, Giovanni Lapentti and Antonio Veic. Comeback Kid Viktor Troicki has received a wild card and will surely be one of the most dangerous players in the draw.

First round match-ups to watch

(4) Albert Montanes vs. Potito Starace

An interesting meeting between two 33 year old veterans with singlehanded backhands. The decline of Montanes has been apparent as he failed to make a dent on the main tour, dropping to a ranking spot of 141 after starting the year inside of the top 60. This will be his first Challenger tournament of the year. Montanes leads their head to head 5-3, with their first meeting dating all the way back to 2002.

(5) Julian Reister vs. Victor Hanescu

Reister is another player who failed to make an impression on the main tour, racking up a 1-10 record this year. Hanescu followed a similar ranking path as Montanes this year, starting inside the top 80 and dropping to his current ranking of 151. Their head to head is 1-1 and this will surely become a tight match, where the winner will be difficult to predict.

Top Half

Bolelli is the clear favorite to make the final here. The other seeds are Gojowczyk, Montanes and Volandri, who haven’t been convincing in the slightest lately, while Bolelli comes off a Challenger win in Oberstaufen, which resulted in him entering the top 100 again after starting the year outside of the top 300.

In the second quarter I’d mark Montanes as the favorite to reach the semi-final. Of course, he hasn’t been impressive this year, but this will be his first Challenger event and he might well still be too good for this level. He doesn’t have an easy draw however, he likely has to face three Italians to get there, Starace, Cecchinato and Volandri. If I had to pick one of them to upset Montanes I would go for Cecchinato, who reached a Challenger final in Mestre last month, where he almost managed to beat Cuevas. He also is the defending champion, so he will feel confident playing here.

Bottom Half

Second seed Gimeno-Traver is hating his draw, as he is projected to play wild card Troicki in the second round, who beat him in straight sets last week. Troicki should be able to repeat this feat and notch a place in the semi-final after comfortably beating Reister or Hanescu.

The third quarter is a really interesting one, especially if we get to see the blockbuster quarter final between Krajinovic and Gonzalez. Krajinovic is on a roll lately, reaching the third round of the ATP 500 event in Hamburg and winning last week’s Challenger in Cortina. Gonzalez is on a run of his own, coming through the qualification draw in Kitzbühel to reach the semi-final, in which he lost in three sets to the eventual winner Goffin. This will surely be a cracker.

Predictions

Semis:

Bolelli def. Montanes
Troicki def. Gonzalez

Troicki will get a lucky break and avoids Krajinovic, the man who beat him last week. Bolelli will be too much for Montanes, who is seeking form.

Final:

Bolelli def. Troicki

Bolelli has the fire power to hit through Troicki and in his current form he is well capable of doing that. He leads the head to head 2-1, but they have never met before on clay.

Prague Challenger
Advantage Cars Prague Open
ATP Challenger Tour
Prague, Czech Republic
August 2 – August 10
Prize Money: €42,500

Prague Open 2014

Seeds (ATP ranking in parentheses)

1: Diego Schwartzman (100)
2: Andrey Kuznetsov (107)
3: Michal Przysiezny (145)
4: Gerald Melzer (147)
5: Gregoire Burquier (171)
6: Miloslav Mecir (173)
7: Valery Rudnev (211)
8: Louk Sorensen (212)

The last direct acceptance is Jan Hernych, ranked 264th. Tsung-Hua Yang, the man who beat Cuevas last week, has entered this tournament as a special exempt.

First round match-ups to watch

(2) Andrey Kuznetsov vs. (Q) Thiago Monteiro

Kuznetsov has only played one tournament since beating Ferrer at Wimbledon, losing in the second qualifying round of Hamburg, so he might be a bit rusty. 20 year old Brazilian Monteiro hasn’t dropped a set in the qualifications and might be able to trouble his much higher ranked opponent.

Top Half

For me, top seed Schwartzman is the clear cut favorite here, I can’t see anyone troubling him all the way to the final. Sorensen might have gotten a bit of confidence after taking a set off Bautista Agut in the second round of Stuttgart, but he is way too inconsistent and probably won’t be able to trouble Schwartzman, who absolutely hammered Alexander Zverev last week in Kitzbühel: 6-1 6-0.

The other seeds here are Przysiezny and Burquier, who are even less likely to pose a threat. Przysiezny is going through an enormous form crisis, while Burquier only won one of his last seven matches. In that section there is a good chance for one of the unseeded players to snatch a semi-final spot, which Yang might be able to do.

Bottom Half

If he finds his rhythm, I can’t see how Kuznetsov doesn’t reach the final, as he is clearly the best player in this half. He will most likely have to play #4 seed Gerald Melzer in the semi-final, which won’t be a problem for him. For me this is one of those tournaments where it’s very likely that the top seeds will end up in the final, I just can’t see any of the outsiders threatening them.

Predictions

Semis:

Schwartzman def. Yang
Kuznetsov def. Melzer

Yang builds on his confidence booster against Cuevas and makes another good run, but he is clearly outclassed in this match-up, as is Melzer.

Final:

Schwartzman def. Kuznetsov

Clearly the match of the tournament and I can see this become really, really close. But, since I have to pick someone I went with Schwartzman, who has a lot of rhythm on clay, unlike Kuznetsov, who has only played two matches on the surface since May.

2014 USTA Tallahassee Tennis Challenger (@TallyChallenger) Main Draw Preview

Posted by Admin on April 28, 2014
Posted in: ATP, Tallahasee Challenger. Tagged: , , , , , , , , .

2014 USTA Tallahassee Tennis Challenger (@TallyChallenger) Main Draw Preview
Steen Kirby, Tennis East Coast

TallahasseeCHlogo

The main draw has been released for the 2014 Tallahassee Challenger. Here is a preview. Our on-site coverage starts Monday and runs through Wednesday.

Tallahasee Donald Young by Steen Kirby

Top Half:
American Donald Young is the top seed and he was the 2011 champion of this tournament when it was played on hard courts. The world number 74 gets a tough opening round opponent in the very talented 18-year-old Aussie Thanasi Kokkinakis, who already made waves this season by qualifying for the ATP event in Brisbane and reaching the second round of the Australian Open, where he played a competitive match with Rafael Nadal. Kokkinakis is primarily a hard court player (as is Young), but he did last qualify in Savannah on Har-Tru and reached the final round of qualifying at ATP Houston on clay, winning 2 matches there. Kokkinakis also reached 2 junior Grand Slam finals last year at the junior Aussie Open and the junior US Open. Young was, of course, once the world’s top junior player and this season he reached quarterfinals in Houston on clay. He has had a decent season thus far, though he comes off an opening round loss at the Savannah challenger on this same surface last week.

Expect a battle, and Young/Kokkinakis will meet a qualifier in the next round.

In the quarterfinals, it will be one of Young/Kokkinakis/qualifier vs. either Darian King/Cristian Gonzalez Menendez or Alex Kuznetsov/qualifier. American journeyman Kuznetsov won the USTA Har-Tru wild card for the French Open last year, but this year his best result in the 2 previous Har-Tru events is quarterfinals in Savannah. He also reached the quarters at the ATP event in Memphis this year and that is his best result of the season so far.

Darian King of Barbados primarily plays Futures-level events, but he has been big for Barbados in Davis Cup play as he is 4-0 for his country this year in singles rubbers. King is another player who prefers hard courts over clay and the current Florida State Seminole Menendez, a wild card, who hails from Spain, has a chance to pull off a bit of an upset and reach the second round.

4 seed Frank Dancevic, a finalist here in 2012, the last year the tournament was played on hard courts, is looking to find some mojo in Tallahassee. Dancevic reached quarters in Savannah and was out with injury for a few weeks this season. This will be just his third tournament back since the layoff. Dancevic faces 18-year -old American wild card Collin Altamirano, who reached final round qualifying at the Sarasota challenger and has only played a partial professional level schedule, most notably losing in straight sets in the first round of the US Open last year as a main draw wild card. Altamirano was a talented junior who is looking to break into the professional circuit. Dancevic/Altamirano will face Antonio Veic or David Rice in round 2. Rice is a 25-year-old British player better known for his doubles play and he prefers faster surfaces over clay. Veic is a former top 120 player who is accomplished on clay, having played most of his matches on the surface, with a challenger title on clay in 2012 and 2 challenger finals on the surface. He has only played 4 tournaments this season all on clay, and though he may be a bit rusty, he’s the best dirtballer in this section and is looking to build his ranking back. He has 9 career ATP main draw level wins.

Dancevic

Dancevic

Dancevic/Altamirno/Veic/Rice will face either Bobby Reynolds/Nicolas Meister/Gerald Melzer/Sanam Singh in the quarterfinals. Melzer, the younger brother of well-known ATP pro Jurgen Melzer, has been on the rise and is now at a career high ranking in the top 150. He won his first career challenger this year in Mexico (on hard court) and also has 2 challenger semis, including Sarasota, on his resume. Both of those results came on clay. He lost in the second round of Savannah and will face the former University of Virginia player Singh, who plays a vast majority of his matches on hard courts, in round 1. Former UCLA player Meister will face 2008 Tally challenger champ Bobby Reynolds, a career journeyman who has played at the Tally challenger 10 times, earning him the local nickname “Mr. Tallahassee”. Neither Meister nor Reynolds are known for their prowess on clay.

Bottom Half:

Challenger Champion Tim Smyczek
2 seed Tim Smyczek is another seed who has a very tough first round opponent. The opponent is 18 -year-old IMG academy product Yoshihito Nishioka of Japan.

Nishioka has 4 futures titles on his resume between the last 2 seasons and is on the rise, now ranked in the top 400. He qualified and reached the second round in Savannah last and is considered to potentially be the next big thing in Japanese tennis.

Smyczek is primarily a hard court player and has had an average season, with 1 challenger semi on his resume. He’s lost 4 straight matches, including 2 straight on clay and is in poor form right now. Smyczek/Nishioka will face Rhyne Williams or Takanyi Garanganga in round 2. Rhyne is 2-0 career against Garanganga, with both wins coming on hard courts, but he’s another player really struggling right now, having lost 5 straight matches including 3 straight on clay. He looked forward to a promising season after pushing Juan Martin Del Potro to 4 sets as a qualifier at the Australian Open, but things have thus far not panned out as he wanted. Garanganga comes off a first round loss in Savannah.

Smyczek/Nishioka/Williams/Garanganga will face one of Nick Kyrgios/James McGee/Ilija Bozoljac/qualifier in the quarterfinals. Kyrgios is red hot right now and a huge rising commodity. He won the Sarasota Challenger, and is currently in the final of the Savannah Challenger in back to back weeks.

Additionally, he reached round 2 of the Aussie Open where he lost to Benoit Paire in 5, was selected for the Aussie Davis Cup team for their tie against France where he played 2 singles rubbers, plus he’s currently the top ranked teenager and should be close to the top 150 if he wins Savannah.

With all that said he might be tired, and McGee, the top ranked Irish player, who reached a career-high ranking this year already, might have a bit of a chance. He prefers hard courts and reached a challenger semi on those courts this year. Bozoljac has lost 2 straight in Sarasota and Savannah after being out for 5 weeks with the injury bug, but he does have a challenger final and a challenger semi, both on hard courts in India on his resume this season.

Polansky

Polansky

3 seeded Canadian Peter Polansky, who reached the second round in both Sarasota and Savannah along with qualifying at ATP Houston and pushing Lleyton Hewitt to 3 sets, faces Illya Marchenko, who just beat him in Savannah in 3 sets last week. Marchenko went on to lose in the next round and comes off quarters in Savannah. Polansky/Marchenko will face veteran American Robby Ginepri or former Florida State standout Jean-Yves Aubone, a wild card, in round 2. Ginepri is a former top 20 player and 2005 US Open semifinalist, but he hasn’t been ranked in the top 100 since 2010 and has lost 3 straight matches, all on clay. He did qualify at ATP Houston and Indian Wells this season. Aubone, who mainly plays futures, qualified in Savannah and a lost 3-setter in round 1.

Polansky/Marchenko/Aubone/Ginepri will face one of James Ward/Dennis Nevolo or Daniel Kosakowski/Jason Kubler in the quarterfinals. The British journeyman Ward reached quarters in Sarasota and has been so-so this season. Nevolo is a former University of Illinois standout who hasn’t done anything great at the challenger or ATP level this season, and the 20 year old Aussie Kubler is a former world number 1 junior (in 2010), who is accomplished on clay with 8 futures titles since 2010 on the surface including one this year, along with 2 finals this season. He has played nothing but clay court tournaments this year.

daniel kosakowski us open wild card playoffs 2011 tennismaryland.com
Kosakowski leads the Har-Tru challenge right now, pending Savannah points being added up, as he reached the semis in Sarasota. The 22-year-old American is competitive on clay and has 2 challenger semifinals this season along with qualifying in Indian Wells. He reached a challenger final on clay last season as well. The first round match with Kubler will be a tough ask, though.

Ryan Sweeting Falls in Comeback Attempt in Calabasas

Posted by Admin on March 20, 2014
Posted in: ATP, USTA. Tagged: , , , , , , , .

WILD CARD SWEETING FALLS IN COMEBACK ATTEMPT AT USTA MEN’S PRO CHAMPIONSHIPS OF CALABASAS

Photo: Cynthia Lum For USTA

Photo: Cynthia Lum For USTA

CALABASAS, Calif., (March 19, 2014) – USTA Director of Coaching Jose Higueras watched on Wednesday as two United States teenagers won opening-round matches at the USTA Men’s Pro Tennis Championships of Calabasas, a USTA $15,000 Pro Circuit Futures event being played at the Calabasas Tennis & Swim Center.

Eighteen-year-old Collin Altamirano beat 17-year-old and fellow Californian qualifier Ernesto Escobedo 6-1, 7-6 (4), while Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., 16-year-old wild card Taylor Fritz beat No. 7-seeded Dimitar Kutrovsky of Bulgaria, 6-3, 6-4.

In the last match of the day, wild card Ryan Sweeting fell to Roberto Marcora, the No. 4 seed from Italy, 6-1, 6-2. It marked the former Calabasas $50,000 Challenger finalists’ first tournament back since back surgery in September and the first as a married man. On Dec. 31, Sweeting married TV star and former ranked junior tennis player and fan Kaley Cuoco, who attended the match.

Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting watches new husband Ryan Sweeting in the first round. (Photo: Cynthia Lum for USTA)

Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting watches new husband Ryan Sweeting in the first round. (Photo: Cynthia Lum for USTA)

“Honestly, it was a lot harder than I thought it would be,” said Sweeting, 26. “I’ve actually only been playing sets for the past week and a half. The quality of players out here is actually really impressive. It’s not like I remember playing my last Futures tournament back in 2007. It was a tough first match back.”

He added: “I need to get a lot more work done. I need to work on my fitness and my footwork and my movement. You can’t just hit balls and then come out here and compete. So there’s going to be a lot more weeks to get my game going.”

The plan is to continue with his comeback, if his back holds up, but Sweeting is enjoying life as a newlywed with Kaley. “It’s going to be a lot tougher to leave my wife and go out on Tour if that’s what I decide to do,” he said.

Fritz said Higueras gave him some post-match pointers. “He told me what some guys at the next level are doing so I can get there,” Fritz said. “He gave me some good advice.”

Fritz qualified last week at the Bakersfield Futures event dropping just three games in three matches. He then beat former Michigan All-American Evan King in the first round before falling to another qualifier and his Calabasas doubles partner Altamirano. Fritz plays King today for a possible spot in the quarterfinals in the first match on Stadium Court at 10 a.m.

Fritz, ranked around No. 80 in the ITF junior rankings, said he will play three weeks of junior tournaments in Claremont, Carson and the ASICS Easter Bowl starting next Monday with the goal to increase his ranking and qualify into the French Open and junior Wimbledon. Fritz’s father Guy was an ATP doubles standout in the 1970s and his mother Kathy May Fritz is a former Wimbledon quarterfinalist.

EVENTS: The Adult Pro-Am drill is Friday, March 21, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Community Tennis Association & USTA League appreciation night is Friday, March 21st starting at 6 p.m. A USTA Junior Team Tennis Kid’s Day with a Tennis Carnival is Saturday, March 22 from 4 p.m. till 5:30 p.m., and a VIP sponsor dinner reception is Saturday, March 22, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. The Kaley Cuoco & Friends Exhibition is Saturday evening before the singles semifinals.

Wednesday’s Main-Draw Singles Scores

WC: wild card; Q: qualifier

Collin Altamirano, U.S., def. Ernesto Escobedo, U.S. (q), 6-1, 7-6 (4)

Evan Song, U.S. (q), def. Mbonisi Ndimande, Zimbabwe (q), 6-1, 7-6 (3)

Gianni Mina, France, def. Andre Dome, U.S. (q), 4-6, 6-3, 6-4

Kyle McMorrow, U.S. (q), def. Michael Shabaz, U.S., walkover

Daniel Nguyen, U.S., def. Joshua Milton, Great Britain, 6-3, 6-1

Taylor Fritz, U.S. (wc), def. Dimitar Kutrovsky, Bulgaria (7), 6-3, 6-4

Ryan Agar, Australia, def. Dennis Novikov, U.S., (q), 6-3, 3-6, 6-4

Sekou Bangoura, U.S. (q), def. Tyler Hochwalt, U.S., 6-4, 6-7 (6), 6-3

Marcos Giron, U.S., def. Mico Santiago, U.S. (q), 6-2, 6-4

Roberto Marcora, Italy (4) def. Ryan Sweeting, U.S. (wc), 6-1, 6-2

Mitchell Krueger, U.S., def. Nicolas Meister, U.S. (2), 6-4, 7-6 (6)

—Steve Pratt, USTA

Smyczek Continues Rankings Climb, captures Knoxville Challenger Title

Posted by Admin on November 11, 2013
Posted in: ATP, ATP Challenger, Knoxville Challenger. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , .

Smyczek Continues Rankings Climb, captures Knoxville Challenger Title

Tim Smyczek

Tim Smyczek

Tim Smyczek took care of Peter Polansky, 6-4, 6-2, to capture his first challenger title of the year in Knoxville yesterday and continue his rise up the rankings. Milwaukee’s Smyczek is now inside the top 80 after starting the year outside the top 120.

Smyczek beat Fritz Wolmarans, his doubles partner Steve Johnson, Alex Kuznetsov and Tennys Sandgren to reach the final. The in-form Canadian Polansky beat Jack Sock, David Rice, Sanam Singh and Takanyi Garanganga to reach his 3rd consecutive final. However, for Polansky, it was also his second straight challenger final defeat. Nevertheless, he also moves to a career-high ranking this week.

—Steen Kirby, Tennis East Coast

2013 Knoxville Challenger (@KnoxChallenger) Preview, Predictions

Posted by Admin on November 4, 2013
Posted in: ATP, ATP Challenger, USTA. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

2013 Knoxville Challenger (@KnoxChallenger) Preview, Predictions

kxc_logo_final_long

Most of the Charlottesville Challenger participants and a few additions will make their way a little ways down the road to Rocky Top Tennessee for the Knoxville indoor challenger, a 50k USTA Pro Circuit Event.

Knoxville 2013 Challenger
USTA Pro Circuit/ATP Challenger Tour
Knoxville, TN, USA
November 3-November 10, 2013
Prize Money: $50,000

Top 8 Seeds
1: Tim Smyczek
2: Denis Kudla
3: Jack Sock
4: Michael Russell
5: Donald Young
6: Ryan Harrison
7: Rajeev Ram
8: Alex Kuznetsov

First round matchups to watch:

(3)Jack Sock vs. Peter Polansky

Jack Sock returns to the US to face an in-form Peter Polansky in an interesting battle. Sock last played European indoor events after Asia and has done nothing notable this fall. Polansky, meanwhile, made the final in Charlottesville and continues his good form but after a monumental punch in the gut collapse against Michael Russell in the final, Polansky could be mentally out of things for this one.

(6)Ryan Harrison vs. Rhyne Williams

Rhyne Williams, Tennis Jedi

The first meeting between these two Americans will take place in front of Williams’s home fans in Knoxville and he seems to be in good form after reaching the semis in Charlottesville. Harrison, like Sock, last played European indoors, and did nothing of note after playing Asia with the same result. I think Rhyne will knock him off here.

(4)Michael Russell vs. Jarmere Jenkins

Jarmere Jenkins

Jarmere Jenkins

Russell, the Charlottesville Champion, continues to maintain a top 100 ranking at an advanced age and continues to put together some great grinding tennis. This is a rematch from Charlottlesville and he beat Jenkins in straights but it was a competitive match. Russell puts in a lot of roadwork and Jenkins should be fresher and more experienced, thus it will be interesting to see if he can make inroads this time.

Top Half

Tim Smyczek, coming off an opening round loss in Charlottesville, will face a qualifier with Steve Johnson/Laurent Rochette on deck and one of Sam Groth/JP Smith/Max Neuchrist/Alex Kuznetsov awaiting the quarters of an out of form section. JP Smith is a former Tennessee Volunteer and will have local support.

Russell/Jenkins will play Ed Corrie or Jose Hernandez, with probably Harrison/Williams waiting in the quarters. Williams may face his best friend and former Tennessee teammate Tennys Sandgren in round 2 if Tennys beats Denys Molchanov.

Bottom Half

Denis Kudla is another American who last played European indoor tennis without making a splash. He will open with Rik De Voest, followed by a qualifier or Jarryd Chaplin, a local UT wild card who hails from Australia. Rajeev Ram, a pair of qualifiers, or Theodoros Angelinos await in the quarters. Angelinos is the highest ranked Greek player and upset Alex Kuznetsov in Charlottesville round 1.

Sock/Polansky will play Austin Krajicek/David Rice in round 2 with Donald Young/Saketh Myneni or Nils Langer/Brandon Fickey awaiting in the quarters. Fickey is another UT wild card and an American. Myneni and Young both made quarters in Charlottesville and are in good form.

Predictions

Semis
Williams d. Smyczek
Young d. Kudla

Final
Williams d. Young

Going with the local fave to take the title but again this Is a hard prediction to make with players who face each other a lot and have good and bad days on tour.

—Steen Kirby, Tennis East Coast

October Challenger Recap: Rising Players Thiem, Pella, Andreozzi Take Titles, Cuevas, Bellucci Comeback Stories

Posted by Admin on November 4, 2013
Posted in: ATP, ATP Challenger, USTA. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

October Challenger Recap: Rising Players Thiem, Pella, Andreozzi Take Titles, Cuevas, Bellucci Comeback Stories
Steen Kirby, Tennis East Coast

ATP Challenger Tour Official Page

Mons Challenger (September 30-October 6, 2013)

Radek Stepanek won his third challenger of 2013 in straights over Igor Sijsling on indoor hard courts in Belgium. Stepanek, the top seed, beat Marc Gicquel in the semis while Sijsling beat Andreas Beck. Former top 20 player Xaiver Malisse retired here in Mons, hanging up his racquet with an opening round loss to Sergiy Stakhovsky in straight sets. A fan favorite for his unique game and often-hotheaded attitude on court, X-Man will be missed.

Sao Paulo-4 Challenger (September 30-October 6, 2013)

Rising Argentine Guido Pella dominated his fellow young countryman Facundo Arguello to take this clay court challenger title in Brazil. Pella beat Pedro Sousa in the semis while Facu beat Rogerio Dutra Silva. Pella remains inside the top 100 with this result, among others.

Rennes Challenger (October 7-October 13, 2013)

2 seed Nicolas Mahut, another veteran who has enjoyed a great year of tennis, won this indoor hard court challenger over fellow Frenchman and top seed Kenny De Schepper.  Mahut beat Marc Gicquel in the semis, another good result for the Frenchman Gicquel, who has played well at the challenger level this year. De Schepper beat Maxime Teixiera in another all-French semi.

San Juan Challenger (October 7-October 13, 2013)

The Argentine domination of the South American clay challenger circuit continued when Guido Andreozzi beat his countryman Diego Sebastian Schwartzman for this title in Argentina. Andreozzi beat Maximo Gonzalez in the semis while Schwartzman beat Juan Ignacio Londero in yet another all-Argentine semi. Andreozzi is at a career high ranking inside the top 150 now.

Sao Jose Do Rio Preto Challenger (October 7-October 13, 2013)

Joao Souza won in front of home fans in Brazil on clay with a straight sets victory over Alejandro Gonzalez in the final. Souza beat Gastao Elias in the semis while Gonzalez beat Guido Pella.

Tashkent Challenger (October 7-October 13, 2013)

Dudi Sela claimed his third challenger title of the year in Tashkent on hard courts as the veteran Israeli stalwart beat Teymuraz Gabashvili in the final. Sela beat Lukas Lacko in the semis while Gabashvili beat Amir Weintraub.

This tournament was marred by international controversy after Tunisian player Malek Jaziri was demanded by his tennis federation to withdraw before a match with Israeli player Weintraub, and he did so, resulting in Tunisia being banned from Davis Cup for 1 year and embarrassment all around. Jaziri had actually played Weintraub before, but apparently the Tunisian tennis federation, which provides him with playing subsidies in order for him to continue his career, threatened to sanction that support if Jaziri played the match.

Jaziri was cleared of wrongdoing by the ATP and is actually friends with Weintraub personally.

Mouilleron-Le-Captif Challenger (October 14-October 20, 2013)

Michael Berrer, another veteran, beat Nicolas Mahut to take this indoor hard court challenger title in France. The German Berrer beat Michael Llodra in the semis while Mahut took care of Andreas Beck.

Buenos Aires Challenger (October 21-October 27, 2013)

Former top 50 player Pablo Cuevas, who is battling back after injuries knocked his ranking way down, beat Facundo Arguello on Argentinian clay for this title. Cuevas beat the in-form Guido Andreozzi in the semis while Arguello beat Steve Diez.



Kazan 2 Challenger (October 21-October 27, 2013)

Newly minted top 100 player Oleksandr Nedovyesov beat Andrey Golubev for this indoor hard court challenger title. Nedovyesov has won three challenger titles this year and put together a quality year, primarily on the challenger circuit. He beat Farrukh Dustov in the semis while Golubev beat Lucas Pouille, an up and coming name we haven’t heard from in a while. The 19 year old Frenchman is now inside the top 190 at a career high ranking of 184.

Melbourne Challenger (October 21-October 27, 2013)

Matt Ebden did the green and gold proud with a 3 set victory over Tatsuma Ito on outdoor hard courts in sunny Melbourne. Ebden won his second challenger of 2013, and has had a tremendous fall season. He beat James Ward in the semis while Ito beat James Duckworth. Ebden has the following tournament results post US Open: 1 title, 2 finals, 1 semi and 1 quarterfinal.

Casablanca Challenger (October 24-November 3, 2013)

Dominic Thiem, a fast rising 20 year old Austrian, captured his second challenger title of 2013, this time on clay in Morocco over Potito Starace. Thiem beat Filip Krajinovic in the semis while Starace beat another Austrian, Gerald Melzer.

Eckental Challenger (October 28-November 3, 2013)

Top seed Benjamin Becker won at home in Germany at this challenger on the fast and vanishing surface of carpet. Becker beat Ruben Bemelmans in the final after defeating Dustin Brown in the semis. Bemelmans beat Tim Puetz.

Geneva Challenger (October 28-November 3, 2013)

Malek Jaziri won on indoor hard in Switzerland over JL Struff, who has put together a good year of tennis himself. Jaziri beat Marco Chiudinelli in the semis while Struff beat Marius Copil. 2 seed Evgeny Donskoy was upset by lucky loser Laurent Recouderc in the opening round.  Struff drops to 0-7 in challenger finals in his career.

Montevideo Challenger (October 28-November 3, 2013)

Thomaz Bellucci, who has endured a really rough year of tennis  and has seen his ranking drop him outside the top 100 finally pulled things together at the end of the season to win this title on clay over Diego Sebastian Schwartzman in straights. Bellucci will certainly hope this is a sign of good things to come as he beat Martin Alund in the semis and also beat seeded players Alejandro Gonzalez and Pere Riba. Schwartzman beat another comeback story, Pablo Cuevas in the semis.

Seoul Challenger (October 28-November 3, 2013)

Dusan Lajovic won this challenger title in Seoul after Julian Reister withdrew with illness and gave the Serbian a walkover victory. Lajovic beat Yuichi Sugita in the semis while Reister beat Blaz Kavcic. Top seed Rendy Lu was upset by Belgian Germain Gigounon in the opening round.

Traralgon Challenger (October 28-November 3, 2013)

Yuki Bhambri won a rain interrupted final in Australia on hard courts in 3 sets over American Bradley Klahn after dispatching Brydan Klein in the semis. Klahn beat James Duckworth, who made another good challenger run. All of the players except Klein have had pretty good years of tennis this year and are trying to move up to the big time.