TOURNAMENT NOTES

as of April 7, 2016

BAPTIST HEALTH BOLO BASH LITTLE ROCK, AR • APRIL 9-17

USTA PRO CIRCUIT MEN’S TENNIS RETURNS TO LITTLE ROCK TOURNAMENT INFORMATION FOR A 36TH YEAR, THE LONGEST TENURE FOR A CIRCUIT SITE

Site: Rebsamen Tennis Center – Little Rock, Ark. The Baptist Health Bolo Bash Tennis will be held in Little Rock for the 36th year. First Websites: www.bolobashtennis.com held in 1981, it is the longest-running event www.procircuit.usta.com on the USTA Pro Circuit. Little Rock is the Jacob Stuckey Facebook: Baptist Health Foundation last of four consecutive $25,000 hard-court USTA Pro Circuit Futures events held this Qualifying Draw Begins: Saturday, April 9 spring. It is the only event held in Arkansas Main Draw Begins: Tuesday, April 12 this year and the last hard-court event until this summer, as the clay-court season will Main Draw: 32 Singles / 16 Doubles begin to prepare players for the . Surface: Hard / Outdoor To follow the tournament, download the USTA Prize Money: $25,000 Pro Circuit’s new phone app for smartphones Tournament Director: and tablets by searching “procircuit” in the Apple and Google Play stores. Erin Childress, (501) 960-2721 [email protected] Notable players competing in Little Rock Tournament Press Contact: include: Teenager was a standout junior Marci Burns (Atkinson), (501) 202-1839 player, reaching the boys’ singles final at [email protected] Stefan Kozlov, 18, who won his first USTA both Wimbledon and the Pro Circuit singles title this year at the in 2014. He won his first USTA Pro Circuit

USTA Communications Contact: $25,000 Futures in Los Angeles and also singles title this year at the $25,000 Futures Amanda Korba, (914) 697-2219 won an ITF Circuit event in Canada. A junior in Los Angeles. [email protected] standout, Kozlov peaked at No. 2 in the PRIZE MONEY / POINTS world junior rankings in 2014. He reached the junior boys’ final at both Wimbledon the pro ranks, he reached the final of the SINGLES: Prize Money Ranking Points and the Australian Open in 2014, as well $100,000 USTA Pro Circuit Challenger in Winner $3,600 27 as the quarterfinals at the junior US Open Sacramento, Calif., losing to former Top 20 Runner-up $2,120 15 and French Open. At the All England Club, player . In advancing to the Semifinalist $1,255 8 he fell to 2014 USTA Boys’ 18s champion Sacramento final at age 16, Kozlov became Quarterfinalist $730 3 in the first all-American the youngest American to reach a Challenger Round of 16 $430 1 Wimbledon boys’ final since 1977. Also in final since in 1986. Kozlov Round of 32 $260 - 2014, Kozlov won the prestigious Orange transitioned to primarily pro events in 2015, DOUBLES: Prize Money (per team) Bowl singles and doubles titles, and in competing in the main draw of the ATP’s Winner $1,550 and winning his first USTA Runner-up $900 Pro Circuit Challenger doubles title in Maui, Semifinalist $540 Hawaii. He also reached the singles final Quarterfinalist $320 at the $10,000 Futures in Orange Park,

Round of 16 $180 Jacob Stuckey Fla., won his first ITF Circuit singles title in Belarus and served as a practice partner COMMUNITY EVENTS for the U.S. team in , Friday, April 8 Scotland. Kozlov trains both with his father, Lindsay Davenport Clinic and Speaking Event Andrei, at his dad’s tennis academy in Pembroke Pines, Fla., and at the USTA Sunday, April 10 Training Center Headquarters in Boca Raton, Men’s and Junior Pro-Am turned pro following his Wednesday, April 13 sophomore season at the University of Kids’ Day , having reached the semifinals of the 2011 NCAA tournament. He has won nine USTA Pro Circuit/ITF Circuit singles titles and 14 doubles titles.

*Player field subject to change TOURNAMENT NOTES

Fla. He has also practiced, on occasion, with and also earned All-America honors in singles and was named the 2014 other top pros. Intercollegiate Tennis Association National Senior Player of the Year. In 2015, Thompson won his first ITF Circuit singles title, in Tennys Sandgren, who is a former Top 200 player and a 2011 NCAA Mexico, and reached the quarterfinals or better at three consecutive semifinalist. He peaked at No. 183 in the world in 2013, when he USTA Pro Circuit events in July. He closed out the year by qualifying won the USTA Pro Circuit season-ending Challenger in Champaign, for and reaching the semifinals of the $50,000 Challenger in Ill. Also in 2013, Sandgren served as a Davis Cup practice partner Champaign, Ill. This year, he qualified for the $100,000 Challenger for the U.S. team as it prepared to face Serbia in Boise, Idaho, and in Dallas and competed overseas in Egypt and Israel, reaching the he nearly qualified for the main draw at the , singles final of an event in Egypt. falling to former NCAA champion in five sets in the final of the USTA Australian Open Playoffs. His rise was Eric James Johnson, who graduated from USC in 2015 and was a disrupted by injury, however, in 2014, when hip surgery sidelined part of three NCAA Championship-winning teams. He finished his him from February until after that year’s US Open. In 2015, collegiate career at No. 74 in the ITA singles rankings. In 2015, Sandgren, whose first name is pronounced like the sport, played on Johnson won the first ITF Circuit singles titles of his career in Israel the USTA Pro Circuit and in ITF Circuit events in China, and Greece. and Canada as he continued to work his way back into form, winning two singles titles. Sandgren turned pro following his sophomore Evan Song, who won his first ITF Circuit singles title and ITF Circuit season at the University of Tennessee after reaching the semifinals of doubles title in 2014 in Israel. Last year, Song competed all over the the 2011 NCAA tournament. He has won nine USTA Pro Circuit/ITF world—in Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Israel, Nigeria and Spain—as Circuit singles titles and 14 doubles titles. His brother, Davey, was a well as in a few USTA Pro Circuit events in the U.S. He reached the two-time All-American for Tennessee, lettering from 2007 to 2010. quarterfinals or better at more than 10 tournaments last year. Little Rock is Song’s fourth tournament of 2016. , who was the 2012 NCAA singles runner-up for the University of . Quigley is one of the most decorated tennis players in Wildcats history, earning five All-America honors between singles and doubles. In 2008, he became the first player from the Many USTA Pro Circuit and ATP World Tour standouts have found state of Kentucky in 34 years to win four consecutive high school success in Little Rock. state singles titles. In 2015, Quigley qualified for the ATP event in Delray Beach, Fla., and won three USTA Pro Circuit doubles 1999 Little Rock doubles champion peaked at No. 4 titles, as well as one doubles title in Nigeria. He holds one USTA in the world in 2006 after reaching the final of the Tennis Masters Pro Circuit singles title, which he won in 2013 at the $15,000 Cup, the season-ending championships of the ATP World Tour. In his Futures in Decatur, Ill. This year, he captured the doubles titles at 14-year career, Blake won 10 singles titles and seven doubles titles, the $100,000 Challenger in Dallas and the $25,000 Futures in and he was a longtime member of the U.S. Davis Cup team, helping Calabasas, Calif., both with . lead the U.S. to the Davis Cup title in 2007. Blake retired at the 2013 US Open. , a 2013 graduate of the University of Michigan, who was a three-time All-American (2011-13) and the Big Ten Athlete of the 1988 singles runner-up MaliVai Washington reached the final of Year in 2012 and 2013. King owns the program record for most Wimbledon in 1996 and the quarterfinals of the Australian Open in combined career singles and doubles wins (196), and he ranks third 1994. He won four career ATP World Tour singles titles, finished in all-time on Michigan’s singles wins list with 117 victories. In the the Top 50 each year from 1991-96 and peaked at No. 11 in the pro ranks, King has captured 14 USTA Pro Circuit and ITF Circuit world in 1992. doubles titles, including the $25,000 USTA Pro Circuit Futures in Los Angeles earlier this year. In 2015, he won his first career USTA 2007 singles runner-up and doubles champion of Pro Circuit singles title at the $15,000 Futures in Edwardsville, Ill. peaked at a career-high No. 4 in March 2015. He reached the He added titles at the $10,000 Futures in Birmingham, Ala., and at final of the 2014 US Open and has won 11 ATP World Tour singles an ITF Circuit singles title in Zimbabwe. In 2014, King served as a titles, most recently winning the Memphis Open this year. He also practice partner for the U.S. Davis Cup team during its World Group reached three Australian Open quarterfinals (2012, 2015, 2016) Playoff against Slovakia in . and the quarterfinals of the . In 2008, Nishikori became the first Japanese man ever to advance to the fourth round Nicolas Meister, who has captured three USTA Pro Circuit doubles of the US Open and the first to crack the Top 100 since Shuzo titles this year, giving him 13 USTA Pro Circuit/ITF Circuit doubles Matsuoka in 1995. titles for his career. In addition to his doubles success, Meister holds two ITF singles titles, both won in Mexico in 2013. He 2007 Little Rock singles and doubles champion peaked at No. 288 in singles in October 2015 after qualifying for reached the final of the ATP event in Delray Beach, Fla., in February the $100,000 USTA Pro Circuit Challenger in Tiburon, Calif., and 2015—his second ATP singles final (2011 ) and also also qualifying for and reaching the quarterfinals of the $100,000 reached the fourth round of the 2015 US Open. Young also made Challenger in Sacramento, Calif., a week later. His best doubles his second appearance for the U.S. Davis Cup Team in March 2015 ranking was No. 292, achieved in 2014. Meister graduated from against Great Britain in Scotland and was named to the team again UCLA in 2012 with All-America honors in singles that year. He also in September 2015 against Uzbekistan. Young broke into the Top 40 earned All-America doubles honors during the 2009-10 season. in February 2012 and qualified for the 2012 U.S. Olympic team. In 2011, he reached the fourth round at the US Open, upsetting two , who graduated from UCLA in 2014, where he was Top 30 players en route, for his best result. the top-ranked college player from January through June 2014. He

*Player field subject to change TOURNAMENT NOTES

LITTLE ROCK PAST WINNERS Singles Doubles Year Winner Runner-Up Year Winner 2015 (USA) (BAR) 2015 Keith-Patrick Crowley (RSA) – Hans Hach (MEX) 2014 Filip Krajinovic (SRB) (GBR) 2014 Jean-Yves Aubone (USA) – Eric Quigley (USA) 2013 (USA) (AUS) 2013 (USA) – Austin Krajicek (USA) 2012 Tennys Sandgren (USA) (AUS) 2012 Tennys Sandgren (USA) – Gregory Ouellette (USA) 2011 Arnau Brugues-Davi (ESP) Alex Bogdanovic (GBR) 2011 Nima Roshan (AUS) – (NZL) 2010 (AUS) (AUS) 2010 (USA) – Brett Joelson (USA) 2009 Matej Bocko (SVK) Michael McClune (USA) 2009 (AUS) – (AUS) 2008 Artem Sitak (RUS) Matthew Roberts (USA) 2008 Haydn Lewis (BAH) – Bjorn Munroe (BAH) 2007 Donald Young (USA) Kei Nishikori (JPN) 2007 Kei Nishikori (JPN) – Donald Young (USA) 2006 (USA) Scott Oudesma (USA) 2006 (COL) – (RSA) 2005 Zbynek Mlynarik (AUT) Fritz Wolmarans (RSA) 2005 Tres Davis (USA) – (USA) 2004 Emin Agaev (AZE) (USA) 2004 Rajeev Ram (USA) – (USA) 2003 (ARG) (USA) 2003 Jay Gooding (AUS) – Jordan Kerr (AUS) 2002 Florian Jeschonek (GER) Alun Jones (AUS) 2002 (USA) – Ryan Sachire (USA) 2001 Fredrik Jonsson (SWE) (NED) 2001 (RSA) – Shaun Rudman (RSA) 2000 Marcus Sarstrand (SWE) Damien Furmanski (ARG) 2000 (AUS) – Frederic Niemeyer (CAN) 1999 Jimy Szymanski (VEN) Jason Weir-Smith (RSA) 1999 James Blake (USA) – Thomas Schroerlucke (USA) 1998 Oren Motevassel (USA) Louis Vosloo (RSA) 1998 Luke Bourgeois (AUS) – Michael Hill (AUS) 1997 Eyal Erlich (ISR) Noam Behr (ISR) 1997 Brian Eagle (USA) – Mark Quinney (USA) 1996 Doug Flach (USA) Marcus Hilpert (GER) 1996 Peter Kuhn (RSA) – (RSA) 1995 Jamie Holmes (AUS) (USA) 1995 Bill Barber (USA) – David DiLucia (USA) 1994 (RSA) Donny Isaak (USA) 1994 Keith Evans (USA) – Brian Gyetko (CAN) 1993 Tournament Not Held 1993 Tournament Not Held 1992 Andrew Sznajder (CAN) D.J. Bosse (RSA) 1992 Johan DeBeer (RSA) – John Sullivan (USA) 1991 Clinton Marsh (USA) (RSA) 1991 Mike Briggs (USA) – (USA) 1990 (USA) (USA) 1990 Jeff Brown (USA) – Scott Melville (USA) 1989 John Carras (USA) Pat Galbraith (USA) 1989 Eric Amend (USA) – Pat Galbraith (USA) 1988 Scott Melville (USA) MaliVai Washington (USA) 1988 Clinton Banducci (RSA) – Earl Zinn (RSA) 1987 (USA) Scott Patridge (USA) 1987 Joey Blake (USA) – Darren Yates (USA) 1986 Ricardo Acioly (BRA) Joey Blake (USA) 1986 Ricardo Acioly (BRA) – Richard Matuszewski (USA) 1985 Brett Dickinson (USA) (USA) 1985 Nelson Aerts (BRA) – Rick Rudeen (USA) 1984 James Grabb (USA) Dan Cassidy (USA) 1984 Dan Cassidy (USA) – Morris Strode (USA) 1983 (USA) Kevin Kerns (USA) 1983 (USA) – (USA) 1982 Ken Flach (USA) Jimmy Arias (USA) 1982 Erik Van’t Hof (USA) – Robert Van’t Hof (USA) 1981 Chris Delaney (USA) Mike Brunnberg (USA) 1981 Mike Bauer (USA) – John Benson (USA) TOURNAMENT NOTES

USTA PRO CIRCUIT YOUTH TENNIS With approximately 90 tournaments hosted annually throughout the country and prize money ranging The USTA is making it easier and more fun for kids to get into from $10,000 to $100,000, the USTA Pro Circuit is the pathway to the US Open and tour-level competition for aspiring tennis players and a frequent battleground for established professionals. The USTA launched the game—and stay in the game. Kids are learning to play its Pro Circuit in 1979 to provide players with the opportunity to gain professional ranking points, and faster than ever before through the USTA’s youth initiative, it has since grown to become the largest developmental tennis circuit in the world, offering nearly which is geared toward getting more kids to participate in $3 million in prize money. Last year, more than 1,000 men and women from more than 70 countries tennis using modified equipment and courts tailored to a competed in cities nationwide. , Maria Sharapova, , Caroline Woznaicki, Kei child’s size. For more information, visit YouthTennis.com. Nishikori, Victoria Azarenka and Sam Querrey are among today’s top stars who began their careers on the USTA Pro Circuit.

More recently, the USTA Pro Circuit was USTA FOUNDATION a pathway to success for two young USTA Foundation, the national charitable organization of Americans in 2015—Frances Tiafoe and the USTA, helps serve up dreams for under-resourced youth;

Samantha Crawford. Tiafoe, a former world Jacob Stuckey individuals with disabilities; and wounded, ill and injured No. 2 junior who turned pro early in 2015, service members, veterans and their families. The foundation started last season ranked No. 1,143. His supports programs nationwide that leverage tennis and successes on the USTA Pro Circuit not only education to help those in need, primarily through the National allowed Tiafoe to finish the year ranked Junior Tennis & Learning (NJTL) network, and other efforts No. 176, but also gave him experience to assist military personnel, veterans and individuals with on the Grand Slam stage. Tiafoe won disabilities. To date, it has awarded more than $19 million in the Har-Tru USTA Pro Circuit Wild Card grants and scholarships to hundreds of programs, benefitting Challenge (based on results in three USTA thousands of children and adults through a tennis, education Pro Circuit Challengers) to earn a spot in and health curricula. For more information, visit the website the 2015 French Open, which marked his www.ustafoundation.com. Grand Slam debut. He also won his first USTA Pro Circuit singles title in 2015 at the $15,000 Futures in Bakersfield, Calif., and reached three additional finals. Tiafoe US OPEN NATIONAL PLAYOFFS also competed in the 2015 US Open as a wild card and continues to climb in the The USTA launched the rankings. Crawford, the 2012 US Open US Open National Playoffs in girls’ singles champion, started the 2015 season ranked No. 293 and competed in 23 USTA Pro Circuit 2010, making the US Open events throughout the year. She went on to win the first USTA Pro Circuit singles title of her career at the $50,000 event in Scottsdale, Ariz., and also won two of the USTA Pro Circuit’s wild card challenges “open” to anyone age 14+ and to earn wild cards into the 2015 US Open and . Crawford’s hard work paid off, of all skill levels. Last year, more and in January 2016, she rose to No. 107 in the world after a strong start to the year in Australia, than 1,450 players competed where she reached her first WTA semifinal in as a qualifier. in 13 Sectional Qualifying Tournaments nationwide for a 2015 US Open Qualifying USTA PLAYER DEVELOPMENT Tournament wild card. A men’s doubles, women’s doubles, and mixed doubles element also was The USTA Player Development program, working with the American Tennis Family of players, coaches held, with the winning team earning a US Open main draw doubles and families, helps to identify and develop the next generation of American champions by surrounding wild card. Registration for all 2016 sectional events opens on March top junior players and young pros with the resources, facilities and coaching they need to reach their 15, with tournaments taking place in May and June. The US Open maximum potential. The Player Development program is based at the USTA Training Center Headquarters National Playoffs will take place in New Haven in August. For more in Boca Raton, Fla., and utilizes National Training Centers in Carson, Calif., and Flushing, N.Y., as well as information and the schedule, and to vie for a chance to compete in a network of Certified Regional Training Centers located throughout the . the US Open, visit www.usopen.org/NationalPlayoffs.