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Home , Frances Tiafoe, Tennys Sandgren

TOURNAMENT NOTES

as of March 31, 2016

SPELL RESTAURANT GROUP MEN’S $25,000 FUTURES PRESENTED BY KE ACADEMY MEMPHIS, TN • APRIL 2-10

TOURNAMENT USTA PRO CIRCUIT MEN’S TENNIS RETURNS TO MEMPHIS INFORMATION FOR FIRST TIME SINCE 1980 Site: KE Tennis at Germantown Country Club The Spell Restaurant Group Men’s $25,000 Memphis, Tenn. Futures presented by KE Tennis Academy brings USTA Pro Circuit men’s tennis to Website: www.procircuit.usta.com Memphis for the first time since 1980, Jacob Stuckey Qualifying Draw Begins: Saturday, April 2 when the city hosted an event for the second consecutive year. It is one of two USTA Main Draw Begins: Tuesday, April 5 Pro Circuit events held in this year, joined by the $50,000 Challenger in Main Draw: 32 Singles / 16 Doubles Knoxville in November. It is also the third of four $25,000 USTA Pro Circuit hard-court Surface: Hard / Outdoor men’s tournaments held this spring.

Prize Money: $25,000 To follow the tournament, download the USTA Tournament Director: Pro Circuit’s new phone app for smartphones and tablets by searching “procircuit” in the Keith Evans, (901) 907-9363 Apple and Google Play stores. [email protected]

Tournament Press Contact: Notable players competing in Memphis Keith Evans, (901) 907-9363 include: turned pro following his [email protected] Tennys Sandgren, who is a former Top 200 sophomore season at the University of Tennessee, having reached the semifinals of USTA Communications Contact: player and a 2011 NCAA semifinalist. He the 2011 NCAA tournament. He has won nine Amanda Korba, (914) 697-2219 peaked at No. 183 in the world in 2013, USTA Pro Circuit/ITF Circuit singles titles and [email protected] when he won the USTA Pro Circuit season- 14 doubles titles. ending Challenger in Champaign, Ill. Also PRIZE MONEY / POINTS in 2013, Sandgren served as a SINGLES: Prize Money Ranking Points practice partner for the U.S. team as it hip surgery sidelined him from February Winner $3,600 27 prepared to face Serbia in Boise, Idaho, until after that year’s US Open. In 2015, Runner-up $2,120 15 and he nearly qualified for the main draw Sandgren, whose first name is pronounced Semifinalist $1,255 8 at the 2014 , falling to like the sport, played on the USTA Pro Quarterfinalist $730 3 former NCAA champion in Circuit and in ITF Circuit events in China, Round of 16 $430 1 five sets in the final of the USTA Australian Australia and Canada as he continued to Round of 32 $260 - Open Playoffs. His rise was work his way back into form, winning two disrupted by injury, however, in 2014, when singles titles. Sandgren turned pro following DOUBLES: Prize Money (per team) his sophomore season at the University of Winner $1,550 Tennessee after reaching the semifinals of Runner-up $900 the 2011 NCAA tournament. He has won Semifinalist $540 nine USTA Pro Circuit/ITF Circuit singles

Quarterfinalist $320 Charlie Baglan titles and 14 doubles titles. His brother, Round of 16 $180 Davey, was a two-time All-American for Tennessee, lettering from 2007 to 2010.

Eric Quigley, who was the 2012 NCAA singles runner-up for the University of

Eric Quigley was the 2012 NCAA singles runner-up for the University of Kentucky and earned five All-America honors between singles and doubles at UK.

*Player field subject to change TOURNAMENT NOTES

Kentucky. Quigley is one of the most decorated tennis players in Clay Thompson, who graduated from UCLA in 2014, where he was Wildcats history, earning five All-America honors between singles the top-ranked college player from January through June 2014. He and doubles. In 2008, he became the first player from the state also earned All-America honors in singles and was named the 2014 of Kentucky in 34 years to win four consecutive high school Intercollegiate Tennis Association National Senior Player of the state singles titles. In 2015, Quigley qualified for the ATP event Year. In 2015, Thompson won his first ITF Circuit singles title, in in Delray Beach, Fla., and won three USTA Pro Circuit doubles Mexico, and reached the quarterfinals or better at three consecutive titles, as well as one doubles title in Nigeria. He holds one USTA USTA Pro Circuit events in July. He closed out the year by qualifying Pro Circuit singles title, which he won in 2013 at the $15,000 for and reaching the semifinals of the $50,000 Challenger in Futures in Decatur, Ill. This year, he captured the doubles titles at Champaign, Ill. This year, he qualified for the $100,000 Challenger the $100,000 Challenger in Dallas and the $25,000 Futures in in Dallas and competed overseas in Egypt and Israel, reaching the Calabasas, Calif., both with Nicolas Meister. singles final of an event in Egypt.

Evan King, a 2013 graduate of the University of Michigan, who was , the USTA Pro Circuit veteran who has competed in a three-time All-American (2011-13) and the Big Ten Athlete of the all four events, advancing to the second round of the Year in 2012 and 2013. King owns the program record for most Australian Open in 2007. Kuznetsov peaked at No. 120 in the world combined career singles and doubles wins (196), and he ranks third in 2013 after winning the 2013 Har-Tru USTA Pro Circuit Wild Card all-time on Michigan’s singles wins list with 117 victories. In the Challenge to earn a spot in the main draw, qualifying pro ranks, King has captured 14 USTA Pro Circuit and ITF Circuit for that year’s Wimbledon and winning the $50,000 USTA Pro doubles titles, including the $25,000 USTA Pro Circuit Futures in Circuit Challenger in Binghamton, N.Y. In 2014, he qualified for and Los Angeles earlier this year. In 2015, he won his first career USTA reached the quarterfinals of the ATP event in Memphis and qualified Pro Circuit singles title at the $15,000 Futures in Edwardsville, Ill. for the main draw at Wimbledon, and last year he reached the He added titles at the $10,000 Futures in Birmingham, Ala., and at quarterfinals of the $100,000 USTA Pro Circuit Challenger in Dallas an ITF Circuit singles title in Zimbabwe. In 2014, King served as a and competed in Australian Open qualifying. He won his sixth USTA practice partner for the U.S. Davis Cup team during its World Group Pro Circuit/ITF Pro Circuit singles title earlier this year in Canada, Playoff against Slovakia in Chicago. to go along with 11 USTA Pro Circuit/ITF Pro Circuit doubles titles. As a junior player, he reached the 2004 French Open boys’ singles Nicolas Meister, who has captured three USTA Pro Circuit doubles final (falling to Gael Monfils). Kuznetsov is a native of Kiev, Ukraine, titles this year, giving him 13 USTA Pro Circuit/ITF Circuit doubles where his grandfather was a handball champion. titles for his career. In addition to his doubles success, Meister holds two ITF singles titles, both won in Mexico in 2013. He Dennis Nevolo, who graduated from the University of Illinois in peaked at No. 288 in singles in October 2015 after qualifying for 2012, where he received two All-America honors. He was also the the $100,000 USTA Pro Circuit Challenger in Tiburon, Calif., and second player in Illini program history to earn All-Big Ten honors all also qualifying for and reaching the quarterfinals of the $100,000 four seasons. Nevolo holds two USTA Pro Circuit singles titles, both Challenger in Sacramento, Calif., a week later. His best doubles won in 2014, as well as four USTA Pro Circuit/ITF doubles titles. ranking was No. 292, achieved in 2014. Meister graduated from UCLA in 2012 with All-America honors in singles that year. He also Evan Song, who won his first ITF Circuit singles title and ITF Circuit earned All-America doubles honors during the 2009-10 season. doubles title in 2014 in Israel. Last year, Song competed all over the world—in Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Israel, Nigeria and Spain—as Christian Harrison, the younger brother of former Top 50 player Ryan well as in a few USTA Pro Circuit events in the U.S. He has reached Harrison. Christian is playing in just his seventh tournament since the quarterfinals or better at more than 10 tournaments last year. July 2013 after suffering from a series of injuries. He has won one Memphis is Song’s third tournament of 2016. ITF Circuit singles title, in Great Britain in 2013, and advanced to the doubles quarterfinals at the 2012 US Open with Ryan. *Player field subject to change

MEMPHIS PAST WINNERS Singles Doubles Year Winner Runner-Up Year Winner 1980 Mel Purcell (USA) John Hayes (USA) 1980 Terry Moor (USA) – Ray Pascale (USA) 1979 Arjun Fernando (SRI) Keith West (USA) 1979 Arjun Fernando (SRI) – Keith West (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 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 & 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 , 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 2016 Australian Open. 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 Brisbane 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.