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Ukraine’s @ElinaSvitolina Returns to Pro Tennis in @CharlestonOpen Main Draw

Posted by Admin on March 17, 2023
Posted in: Charleston. Tagged: , , , , . Leave a comment

Former top-10 player returns to Tour after motherhood; to host ‘Tennis Plays for Peace’ Pro-Am benefitting Ukraine 

CHARLESTON, S.C. – More than a year since her last tennis match in Miami, Elina Svitolina will return to the Hologic WTA Tour at the 2023 Credit One Charleston Open. The former World No. 3 has accepted a main draw wild card into the Credit One Charleston Open, the largest women’s-only tennis tournament in North America. The tournament, which was named the 2022 WTA 500 Tournament of the Year, is the annual clay season kickoff on the Hologic WTA Tour. The Charleston Open is scheduled April 1 – 9 in the renovated and modernized Credit One Stadium on Daniel Island in Charleston, South Carolina.

The Ukrainian joins a Charleston player field featuring seven of the world’s top 15 players, five former champions and four Grand Slam champions. 

Svitolina gave birth to her first child in October and has focused much of her time and energy on bringing awareness and support to her home country amidst the war in Ukraine. In continuation of these efforts, Svitolina has partnered with the Charleston Open and WTA Charities to host a special Tennis Plays for Peace Pro-Am in April, benefitting Ukraine and the Elina Svitolina Foundation. 

The Tennis Plays for Peace initiative seeks “to bring the tennis community and fans together to support the humanitarian relief efforts for the war in Ukraine.” The tournament, in conjunction with WTA Charities, hosted a Pro-Am in 2022, raising $100,000 in donations for relief efforts in Ukraine.

“Increasing awareness and raising funds for Ukraine is very important to us as a tournament and to our players,” said Bob Moran, Tournament Director of the Credit One Charleston Open and President of Charleston Tennis LLC. “We are passionate about working with Elina, who has a deep and personal understanding of the needs in her home country right now, to further exemplify the mission of Tennis Plays for Peace and stand united with Ukraine.” 

Svitolina is Ukraine’s most accomplished women’s tennis player. Her tennis career includes 16 WTA titles and she has advanced to the quarterfinal round or better at least once, in all four Grand Slams. In 2019, she appeared in both the Wimbledon and US Open semifinals. 

The 2023 Credit One Charleston Open will be her second time in the field, reaching the third round in 2014. 

The nine-day Credit One Charleston Open showcases a singles draw of 56 players, a qualifying draw of 32 players and a doubles draw of 16 players. The event traditionally hosts more than 90,000 attendees on Daniel Island.

Charleston Tennis, LLC, which manages Credit One Stadium under a lease from the City of Charleston, recently renovated and modernized the 20-year-old facility. The city-owned venue underwent upgrades to enhance the stadium experience for patrons, performers, tennis players and event management, allowing the venue to attract world-class athletes and talent to Daniel Island.

The Credit One Charleston Open celebrated its 50th year in 2022. The tournament has been a pioneer in women’s professional sports since 1973, paving the path for female tennis players to receive equal recognition, respect and pay in the sport. Originally held on Hilton Head Island, the event moved to Charleston in 2001 and is played on Daniel Island at the LTP Daniel Island tennis center, home to the Credit One Stadium.

Tickets for the 2023 tournament can be purchased online at creditonecharlestonopen.com or by calling (843) 856-7900. When purchasing tickets for the 2023 Credit One Charleston Open, patrons can choose from single session tickets ($25+) from Saturday, April 1 – Sunday, April 9. All tournament packages have officially sold out for the 2023 tournament, inclusive of all 100 and 200 level packages. 

For additional information, please email tickets@charlestontennisllc.com. For more information on the Credit One Charleston Open, visit creditonecharlestonopen.com or call 843-856-7900.

—A. Alpino

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Wild Card Awarded to @NickKyrgios for @CincyTennis Main Draw

Posted by Admin on July 25, 2022
Posted in: ATP, Cincinnati, Western & Southern Open. Tagged: , , , . Leave a comment
Nick Kyrgios, 2019 Citi Open (Photo: Mike Renz)
CINCINNATI (July 25, 2022) – Wimbledon finalist Nick Kyrgios has been awarded a wild card into the 2022 Western & Southern Open, where he was runner-up in 2017. It will mark Kyrgios’ sixth appearance in Cincinnati and first since 2019. The Wimbledon final earlier this month marked Kyrgios’ first Grand Slam major singles final. He has four wins over top 10 players this year and has reached three semifinals on the ATP Tour. In 2017, the unseeded Kyrgios defeated top seed Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinals enroute to the Western & Southern Open final, where he fell to seventh seed Grigor Dimitrov.

Kyrgios, an Australian, won his first Grand Slam major title in January when he won the Australian Open doubles with countryman Thanasi Kokkinakis. He owns six career singles titles and holds the distinction as one of two players to win his first meetings with Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. Wild cards give players a chance to play an event they otherwise wouldn’t qualify to enter based on ranking. At No. 45 in last week’s ranking, Kyrgios fell just outside the cutoff for the Western & Southern Open.

Together with the WTA 1000 women’s tournament, the player fields feature the world’s top-ranked 41 men and 39 women, 11 past champions and 19 Grand Slam major winners including Serena Williams and 2021 U.S. Open champions Daniil Medvedev and Emma Raducanu.

The tournament’s first serve will take place at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 13 for the qualifying rounds. The men’s and women’s singles finals will be played on Sunday, Aug. 21. The schedule is available here.

A @DelrayBeachOpen Wild Card for @Andy_Murray Strengthens the Field for Western Hemisphere’s First Tournament of 2021

Posted by Admin on December 29, 2020
Posted in: ATP, Delray Beach. Tagged: , , , . Leave a comment
Andy Murray (Photo: Mike Renz for Tennis Atlantic)

A Delray Beach Open Wild Card for Andy Murray Strengthens the Field for Western Hemisphere’s First Tournament of 2021

DELRAY BEACH, Fla. – Andy Murray, a 46-time winner on the ATP Tour who has been ranked No. 1 in the world, has been awarded a wild card for the season-opening Delray Beach Open by VITACOST.com that will take place January 4-13.

The three-time Major champion joins four former tournament winners – Reilly Opelka (2020), Frances Tiafoe (2018), Sam Querrey (2017) and Kei Nishikori (2008) – in the field.

Murray will make his Delray Beach Open debut during Session 8, which will take place Friday night, Jan. 8. Additional headline matches have also been announced, including Opelka beginning his title defense on Thursday night, Jan. 7. The top-ranked American, John Isner, will headline the Saturday night session on Jan. 9, while Milos Raonic, who is projected to be the top seed, will play on Sunday afternoon, Jan. 10.

“I am looking forward to starting the 2021 season in Delray Beach.”  Murray said. “This event will be a good test for me and I’m excited to be back playing on the tour”

Murray will be the 11th of the 26 players to have ever held the ATP’s No. 1 ranking to play the Delray Beach Open, joining Andre Agassi, Jimmy Connors, Jim Courier, Lleyton Hewitt, Ivan Lendl, Carlos Moya, Pat Rafter, Marcelo Rios, Andy Roddick and Mats Wilander.

“We are looking forward to Andy joining us for our season-opening tournament,” said Tournament Director Mark Baron. “He is a champion at every level and among the greatest fighters our sport has ever seen. It will be thrilling to see him play here.”

Murray has won his 46 ATP titles from 68 finals during his career. Those tournament wins include being a two-time champion at both Wimbledon (2013, 2016) and the Olympics (2012, 2016). He was also the winner at the 2012 US Open and in 2016 at the ATP Finals, which was his ninth title of that season.

During his career, Murray has spent 41 weeks ranked as the World No. 1. At the end of January 2019, he underwent a hip resurfacing surgery. In June of that year, he returned to the Tour and immediately won the doubles title at Queen’s Club in London. He returned to singles action in August, and in October, won the title at Antwerp.

The 33-year-old and his wife, Kim, have two daughters and one son. Last year, he was knighted by Prince Charles at Buckingham Palace.

His brother Jamie, who is one year older, has been ranked No. 1 in doubles and won the 2008 Delray Beach title.

Originally scheduled for February, the 2021 Delray Beach Open by VITACOST.com will now take place January 4-13. The ATP Champions Tour legends event will begin the action Jan. 4-6. ATP 250 qualifying matches will take place Jan. 5-6. The main draw for the ATP 250 tournament, which will feature 16 doubles teams in addition to the 28-player singles field, will begin Thursday, Jan. 7 with two sessions each day until the finals are contested during a single session on Wednesday, Jan. 13.

All tickets for the “Physically Distanced, Forever Social” event at the historic downtown tennis center are on sale now at www.yellowtennisball.com or by phone at +1 561-330-6000. In order to accommodate spacious conditions in the stadium and throughout the venue, attendance for each session at the 2021 tournament will be capped at 2,000 people, just under 25 percent of the outdoor stadium’s total capacity.

Fans who act quickly can take advantage of a special Holiday Sale on tickets if purchasing before midnight on Dec. 31. Using the promo code CHAMPION, a discount of 30% will be applied to individual box and reserved seats for Sessions 1-4 (ATP Champions Tour matches). For discounted tickets to see the ATP 250 matches, fans can use the code JINGLE to get 10% off individual box seats for Sessions 5-14 (excluding Session 8), while the code BELLS will provide a 20% discount on individual reserved seats for Sessions 5-14 (excluding Session 8).

Last year, Delray Beach resident Opelka served a tournament record 99 aces during the week in which he won his second career ATP Tour title. In doubles Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan captured their sixth Delray Beach Open by VITACOST.com title and their 119th as a team. It was the final tournament for the twin brothers who announced their retirement in August. In the opening weekend’s ATP Champions Tour matches, Team Europe, led by Tommy Haas and David Ferrer, earned a 5-2 win over the James Blake-led Team World. This marked the third straight defeat for the home nation in ATP Champions Tour competition at Delray Beach.

In an ever-changing world the tournament will maintain the highest level of health and safety standards for fans, players and staff alike. Please remain updated on our measures at https://yellowtennisball.com/faq/

—Delray Beach Open

4 of Next Gen of American Men Wild Carded to @CincyTennis

Posted by Admin on August 8, 2017
Posted in: ATP, Cincinnati, Western & Southern Open. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Tommy Paul, 2017 Citi Open

Tommy Paul, 2017 Citi Open

CINCINNATI (August 8, 2017) — Four Americans aged 20-and-under have been awarded wild card entries into the men’s field at the Western & Southern Open. Tommy Paul (20), Jared Donaldson (20), Stefan Kozlov (19) and Frances Tiafoe (19) will play in the main draw of the tournament that will be held August 12-20 at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio.

“We are thrilled to welcome these four American rising stars to the Western & Southern Open,“ said Tournament Director Andre Silva. “There is an energy and buzz around the youth movement that is taking place in the game, and we’re excited to have the opportunity to see that firsthand.”

Jared Donaldson ATP Atlanta Qualifying 2015

Jared Donaldson was clutch

Paul, who was raised in North Carolina, has reached consecutive quarterfinals this summer in Atlanta and Washington, D.C. Those results propelled him to win the 2017 US Open Wild Card Challenge, and have cut his ranking in half since Wimbledon, pushing him to a career high ranking this week. In juniors, Paul was ranked as high as No. 3 after winning the French Open title and reaching the US Open final during the 2015 season.

Donaldson is a Rhode Island native who will be making his third main draw appearance at the Western & Southern Open, where he owns a 2-2 record. Last year, Donaldson reached the third round at the US Open, becoming the youngest American to do so since 2007. This summer, Donaldson has won at least one round in his last four events, including reaching the third round at both Wimbledon and Washington, D.C.

Stefan Kozlov

Kozlov, who lives in South Florida, was the junior finalist at both the Australian Open and Wimbledon while reaching as high as No. 2 in the junior rankings in 2014. He closed the 2016 season by claiming his first career Challenger title in nearby Columbus, Ohio. Kozlov will be making his Western & Southern Open main draw debut.

Francis Tiafoe (Photo: Cynthia Lum/USTA)

Francis Tiafoe (Photo: Cynthia Lum/USTA)

Tiafoe, one of just two teenagers in the Top 100 of the ATP Rankings, whose father is an immigrant from Sierra Leone who brought Frances to work while serving as the facilities manager of a tennis center in Maryland. In 2015, Tiafoe won the USTA Boys 18s title at Kalamazoo. The winner of two Challenger titles this season, he will be making his main draw debut.

The four join a men’s field that includes seven-time champion Roger Federer, two-time champion Andy Murray, former champion Rafael Nadal and defending champion Marin Cilic.

.@CitiOpen Adds More Firepower: Halep, Dimitrov, Raonic Nab Wild Cards

Posted by Admin on July 19, 2017
Posted in: ATP, Citi Open, Washington, WTA. Tagged: , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Milos Raonic (Photo:Chris Levy @Tennis_Shots for TennisEastCoast.com)

Milos Raonic (Photo:Chris Levy @Tennis_Shots for TennisAtlantic.com)


HALEP, DIMITROV, RAONIC, STEPHENS ACCEPT WILD CARDS; ADDS NEXT-LEVEL PRESTIGE TO CITI OPEN®

New additions bring WTA Tour No. 2, two Top 10 Players on the ATP World Tour and Women’s Singles Past Champion to the Capital Tennis Tradition

WASHINGTON (July 19, 2017) — Simona Halep, currently ranked No. 2 on the WTA Tour, ATP World Tour No. 9 Milos Raonic, ATP World Tour No. 10 Grigor Dimitrov, and 2015 Citi Open Champion Sloane Stephens have all accepted wild cards to the Citi Open® Tennis Tournament. The Capital Tennis Tradition will be held July 29-August 6 at the Rock Creek Park Tennis Center.

Halep will compete in the Washington tournament for the first time in her career, following her impressive run to the quarterfinals at Wimbledon. She also reached the French Open finals earlier this year, for the second time in her career. She has a total of 15 titles, returning to her career-high ranking of No. 2 this year, after first reaching the ranking in 2015.

Stephens is making a comeback to tennis, after an injury kept her sidelined following the 2016 Olympics. She won her first WTA Tour title at the Citi Open in 2015.

With the addition of Raonic to the roster, the tournament now boasts four of its most recent men’s singles champions competing for the title. The tournament has previously announced that three-time champion Juan Martin del Potro, defending champion Gael Monfils, and 2015 champion Kei Nishikori will return to Washington this summer.

Raonic returns to D.C. following his impressive run to the Wimbledon quarterfinals. In 2014, he prevailed over Vasek Pospisil at the Citi Open, in the first all-Canadian ATP World Tour final. Meanwhile, Dimitrov is back for the fifth time following a successful run to the Australian Open semifinal earlier this year and winning two Tour titles so far in 2017.

Dimitrov and Raonic add to a total of four ATP World Tour Top 10 players in this year’s field, including World No. 7 Dominic Thiem and World No. 8 Nishikori.

“As the title sponsor of the Citi Open, we are thrilled to see such an exciting and competitive field take shape in both the women’s and men’s events,” said Dermot Boden, Chief Brand Officer, Citi. “In addition to bringing world-class tennis to Washington, D.C., these quality players will draw more attention to the tournament, which means greater awareness and fundraising for the Washington Tennis and Education Foundation, allowing us to help expand the WTEF programs to give children in Washington, D.C. a safe place to build their future.”

The additions further elevate the highly competitive player field, which also includes World No. 11 Alexander Zverev, 2015 finalist John Isner, Olympic gold medalist Monica Puig, Canadian starlet Eugenie Bouchard, American fan favorite Steve Johnson, and top American Jack Sock.

—S. Pegarido, Citi Open

Taylor Townsend Claims USTA French Open Wild Card

Posted by Admin on May 8, 2016
Posted in: French Open, USTA, USTA Pro Circuit. Tagged: , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Taylor Townsend Claims USTA French Open Wild Card

2014 citi Taylor Townsend

Taylor Townsend (Photo: Christopher Levy @tennis_shots)

Townsend joins Bjorn Fratangelo as 2016 USTA Roland Garros Wild Card Challenge winners

Taylor Townsend, 20, of Atlanta, will make her third consecutive appearance in the main draw of the French Open after winning 2016 USTA Pro Circuit Roland Garros Wild Card Challenge. Townsend reached the final of the $75,000 Revolution Technologies Pro Tennis Classic in Indian Harbour Beach, Fla., today, giving her at least 150 points in the wild card challenge. No other American woman can surpass her in the standings. Townsend will meet fellow American Jennifer Brady in tomorrow’s final in Indian Harbour Beach, which will be streamed live on www.procircuit.usta.com.

 

Townsend had impressive results in this year’s USTA Pro Circuit Roland Garros Wild Card Challenge, also winning the $50,000 Boyd Tinsley Clay Court Classic in Charlottesville, Va., and reaching the final of the $50,000 Hardee’s Pro Classic in Dothan, Ala.

 

USTA Player Development awards a French Open main-draw wild card to one American man and one American woman who earn the most ATP World Tour and WTA Tour ranking points in a series of USTA Pro Circuit clay-court events this spring. Ranking points from two out of the three men’s and women’s events are used and combined to calculate the point total and determine the French Open wild card recipient. If a player competes in more than two events, only his or her two best tournaments are counted in calculating the point total. Only players who have not earned direct acceptance into Roland Garros are eligible for the wild card.

 

Townsend, who was a world-ranked Top 100 player as recently as last year, is currently ranked No. 208 in the world. She also won the 2014 USTA Pro Circuit Roland Garros Wild Card Challenge and had an impressive run to the third round with a win over No. 20 seed Alize Cornet. Townsend also competed in the French Open last year. Townsend turned pro at the start of 2013 and, in her first WTA-level main-draw match, beat then-No. 57 Lucie Hradecka in the first round in Indian Wells. She followed that up with her impressive run to the third round of the 2014 French Open. She then went on to compete at Wimbledon and the US Open in 2014 and at the Australian Open and French Open in 2015. Also in 2015, she made her Fed Cup debut in the World Group II First Round in Argentina, where she played doubles. In addition to her USTA Pro Circuit singles title in Charlottesville this year, Townsend has won five USTA Pro Circuit doubles titles in 2016 with Asia Muhammad. Townsend is also a former junior standout, clinching the year-end ITF No. 1 junior ranking in 2012 to become the first American girl to hold that position since Gretchen Rush in 1982. She ascended to No. 1 by winning the Australian Open junior singles and doubles titles, as well as the junior doubles titles at the US Open and Wimbledon. Also in 2012, she led the U.S. to the Junior Fed Cup championship.

Bjorn Fratangelo Us Open Wild Card Playoffs 2011 TennisMaryland.com

Fratangelo

2011 French Open junior champion Bjorn Fratangelo, 22, of Pittsburgh, earned the men’s wild card. Fratangelo finished the wild card challenge with 115 points by winning the $50,000 St. Joseph’s/Candler Savannah Challenger in Savannah, Ga., and by reaching the semifinals of the $100,000 Joey Gratton Sarasota Openin Sarasota, Fla. Fratangelo will be making his French Open main-draw debut later this month with the wild card. He is ranked No. 115 in the world.

 

The USTA first used the wild card challenge format for its 2012 French Open wild cards, won byMelanie Oudin and Brian Baker. Oudin and Baker each advanced to the second round at that year’s French Open and subsequently broke into the Top 100. In 2013, Alex Kuznetsov andShelby Rogers earned the wild cards, with Rogers winning her first-ever Grand Slam singles match at the French Open. In 2014, young American Taylor Townsend and veteran Robby Ginepri received the wild cards, with Townsend becoming a top storyline by reaching the Roland Garros third round. Last year, teenagers Frances Tiafoe and Louisa Chirico secured the wild cards.

—USTA

New @Shape_Magazine Invitational To Offer @VolvoCarOpen Wild Cards to College Players

Posted by Admin on January 27, 2016
Posted in: ATP, Charleston, Volvo Car Open. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Family Circle Tennis Center to host SHAPE Magazine Invitational, 

Winners Receive Wild Card Entry into Volvo Car Open Main Draw

 

Family Circle Tennis Center

Family Circle Tennis Center

 

DANIEL ISLAND, S.C. – Family Circle Tennis Center announced today that it would host the inaugural SHAPE Magazine Invitational at its facility March 1st – 3rd, 2016. The tournament is a one-of-a-kind event that will connect female American student-athletes who aspire to play professional tennis after college.

The winners of the SHAPE Magazine Invitational, in both singles and doubles, will receive Wild Cards into the main draw of the Volvo Car Open, April 4 – 10, 2016. In addition, the singles finalist will receive a Wild Card into the qualifying round of the Volvo Car Open, April 2 – 3, 2016.

“The SHAPE Magazine Invitational provides an incredible opportunity for American women in college tennis to play at one of the biggest tournaments on the WTA Tour, the Volvo Car Open,” said Stephen Amritraj, USTA National Collegiate Coach. “This event is the latest example of showcasing college tennis as a pathway to the pros, and providing a tournament that we hope will be a staple on the calendar.”

To be eligible to compete in the SHAPE Magazine Invitational, an athlete must be affiliated with a NCAA school, either as a current player, past player (within the last three semesters), or with a signed letter of intent or verbal agreement for Fall 2016.

“We have worked with the USTA Collegiate Directors to secure a strong player field for March’s tournament,” said Rob Eppelsheimer, Family Circle Tennis Center Tennis Operations Director. “The purpose of this event is for junior tennis players to have an opportunity to compete at the next level, and for current college players to understand the world of professional tennis. For athletes to be guaranteed three matches in a competitive tournament is an enticing prospect.”

“SHAPE’s core mission is to empower women to achieve their personal goals,” explains Tim O’Connor, SHAPE Publisher. “We are honored to be able to provide a platform that will positively impact the future of young female athletes”.

volvocaropen

The player field has representation from athletes across the Southeast’s top universities, including Georgia, Alabama, Vanderbilt, North Carolina, South Carolina, Duke and College of Charleston, among others.

The tournament’s singles will consist of a round robin format with players divided into four groups. The winner of each group will advance to the semifinals. Group play will consist of two out of three sets, with a match tiebreak for the third set. Semifinals and finals will consist of two out of three sets

The doubles format will consist of single elimination. Group play will consist of two out of three sets with a match tiebreak for the third set.

—A. Alpino, Volvo Car Open

 

.@TimSmyczek Advances at Charlottesville Challenger Wednesday (@CVilleTennis); 9 Americans in Action Today

Posted by Admin on November 5, 2015
Posted in: ATP, ATP Challenger, Charlottesville. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Tim Smyczek Advances @CVilleTennis Wednesday; 9 Americans in Action Today

Smyczek

Smyczek


No. 3 seed Tim Smyczek defeated fellow American Sekou Bangoura, 6-3, 7-6(6) to advance to the quarterfinals of the 2015 Charlottesville Men’s Pro Challenger benefiting Special Olympics Virginia on Wednesday.

Smyczek came on to the court with confidence and quickly broke Bangoura, only having to play twenty-three return points, and ultimately winning the set. Bangoura started to find his groove in the second set but after failing to convert six break points, Smyczek pulled though, winning the match 6-3, 7-6(6) in just shy of two hours.

Smyczek holds six USTA Pro Circuit Challenger titles, with two of them coming this year in Dallas and Tiburon. In 2013, Smyczek partnered with fellow American Steve Johnson to win the doubles title at the Charlottesville Men’s Pro Challenger. Smyczek will now face Dimitar Kutrovsky in what is expected to be a highly competitive match. Kutrovsky beat wild card Ernesto Escobedo 7-5, 6-4, earlier in the day. Currently ranked No. 336 in the world, Kutrovsky will be playing in his first Challenger quarterfinal since the Lecoq Seoul Open Challenger earlier this year.

Highlighting today’s order of play in one of the featured evening matches is American teenager Frances Tiafoe. Tiafoe took out No. 1 seed Malek Jaziri, 7-6(5), 6-4 in the first round late last Tuesday. Tiafoe is looking to build on an already stellar season, having reached the quarterfinals or further of four Challengers, and clenching the Har-Tru Wild Card Challenge this past May. Tiafoe recently reached a career high ranking of No. 226 just last week.

Wednesday, November 4 – RESULTS
Singles – Second Round
Henri Laaksonen, Switzerland, d. Ryan Harrison (4), United States, 7-5, 7-5
Tim Smyczek (3), United States, d. Sekou Bangoura, United States, 6-3, 7-6(6)
Dimitar Kutrovsky, Bulgaria, d. WC-Ernesto Escobedo, United States, 7-5, 6-4
Bjorn Fratangelo (5), United States, d. Mitchell Krueger, United States, 7-6(4), 4-6, 6-2

Singles – First Round
Frederik Nielsen, Denmark, d. Blaz Kavcic (7), United Arab Emirates, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4

Doubles – Quarterfinals
David O’hare, Ireland, and Joe Salisbury, Great Britian (4), d. Daniel Smethurst and Darren Walsh, Great Britain, 6-4, 6-4

Doubles – First Round
Adrien Bossel, Switzerland, and Mitchell Krueger, United States, d. Jarryd Chaplin and James Duckworth, Australia, 6-2, 3-6, 10-7
Peter Polansky and Adil Shamasdin (3), Canada, d. WC-Thai-Son Kwiatkowski and Mac Styslinger, United States, 6-4, 7-6(4)
Johan Brunstrom, Sweden, and Frederik Nielsen, Denmark (1), d. David Rice and Marcus Willis, Great Britain, 6-4, 6-1
Chase Buchanan and Tennys Sandgren (2), United States, d. Liam Broady and Daniel Evans, Great Britain, 6-4, 6-4

Tennys Sandgren

Tennys Sandgren

Tennys Sandgren

Tennys Sandgren

ORDER OF PLAY – THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 05, 2015
COURT 7 start 11:00 am
[Q] S. Kozlov (USA) vs [Q] D. Rice (GBR)
[Alt] T. Paul (USA) vs F. Nielsen (DEN)
[6] J. Donaldson (USA) vs [Q] N. Rubin (USA)
Not Before 5:00 pm
[1] J. Brunstrom (SWE) / F. Nielsen (DEN) vs A. Bossel (SUI) / M. Krueger (USA)
F. Tiafoe (USA) vs A. Kuznetsov (USA)

Buchanan

Buchanan

COURT 9 start 3:00 pm
H. Laaksonen (SUI) / L. Margaroli (SUI) vs [2] C. Buchanan (USA) / T. Sandgren (USA)
[3] P. Polansky (CAN) / A. Shamasdin (CAN) vs B. Fratangelo (USA) / J. Milton (GBR)

—J. Stuckey, USTA

Tatishvili Leads @AustralianOpen Wild Card, But Do Americans Care?

Posted by Admin on November 3, 2015
Posted in: Australian Open, Steve Fogleman, USTA, WTA. Tagged: , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Anna Tatishvili (Photo: R. Limpert)

Anna Tatishvili is leading the USTA Australian Open Wild Card Challenge by virtue of reaching the finals at the USTA Pro Circuit Tennis Classic of Macon last weekend. Good for her. Maybe not so good for USTA marketing purposes. In my 4 1/2 years of covering pro tennis on this website, no other American woman has produced so little interest during my coverage. No retweets. No youtube views. Crickets.

What’s up with that? It’s like she’s an American Kate Makarova.

Most state-side tennis fans associate with players ranked outside of the top 50 from certain states and regions and universities. I suspect some kind of institutional apathy that American fans project on naturalized players. If she were born in Georgia instead of Georgia, things would be different. I promise. I mean, look at Varvara Lepchenko. Please! She never draws a crowd either and she’s a consistent top 50 player.

And that’s whats fun about the participatory democracy of the Wild Card events. It’s not always the 16-year-old phenom from {insert city/region/college here} or the grizzled journeyman from {insert city/region/college here} nabbing a ticket to a grand slam, but sometimes it’s just a someone, a Jan Brady, from nowhere you know, in between. And that someone could be Anna Tatishvili, if you’d just pay attention to her.

Haas, Kudla, Jarry Nab Wild Cards @CitiOpen Main Draw

Posted by Admin on July 30, 2015
Posted in: ATP. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Tommy Haas

HAAS, KUDLA, AND JARRY RECEIVE WILD CARDS TO CITI OPEN® TENNIS TOURNAMENT MAIN DRAW;
@TennisAtlantic to provide on-site coverage all week long

WASHINGTON (July 30, 2015) — Tournament officials announced today the addition of three players receiving main draw wild cards into the strongest Citi Open® Tennis Tournament player field ever — Tommy Haas, Denis Kudla and Nicolás Jarry.

Citiopen Official Site

Haas, a perennial fan favorite in the Washington tournament, reached a career-high ranking of world No. 2. He reached the 2012 Citi Open finals in 2012. The German tennis star has won 15 titles over his 19-year professional career.

Denis Kudla

Denis Kudla

Kudla recently had his best-ever Grand Slam result by reaching the fourth round at Wimbledon, losing in four tough sets to last year’s U.S. Open Champion and 2015 Citi Open participant Marin Cilic. The Arlington, Va., talent is now back into the ATP World Tour top 100 rankings at No. 94.

Jarry, the grandson of Chilean tennis legend Jaime Fillol, will play his first ATP World Tour 500 event in Washington. The 19-year-old’s entry into the field continues the Citi Open’s longstanding tradition of providing young players a platform to excel and jumpstart their careers.

—S. Pegarido