TOURNAMENT NOTES

as of April 23, 2015

USTA TALLAHASSEE CHALLENGER TALLAHASSEE, FL • APRIL 25 – MAY 2

USTA PRO CIRCUIT RETURNS TO TALLAHASSEE FOR THE FINALE OF THE MEN’S HAR-TRU WILD CARD CHALLENGE The USTA Tallahassee Tennis Challenger is taking place for the 23rd consecutive year— USTA one of the longest-running USTA Pro Circuit TOURNAMENT INFO events. Tallahassee is one of 14 USTA Pro Circuit men’s events held in . Site: Forest Meadows Tennis Center – Tallahassee, Fla. Websites: www.tallahasseechallenger.com Tallahassee is also the last of three procircuit.usta.com consecutive men’s clay-court tournaments Facebook: USTA Tallahassee Tennis Challenger (joining a $100,000 Challenger in Sarasota, Fla., and a $50,000 Challenger in Savannah, Twitter: @TallyChallenger Ga.) that are part of the Har-Tru Wild Card Wild Card Challenge Twitter: #HarTruWildCard Challenge, which will award one men’s Qualifying Draw Begins: Saturday, April 25 and one women’s wild card into the 2015 . Along with these three men’s Main Draw Begins: Monday, April 27 tournaments, the women’s tournaments that Main Draw: 32 Singles / 16 Doubles are part of the challenge are the Hardee’s Surface: Clay / Outdoors Pro Classic in Dothan, Ala., held the week of April 20; the Boyd Tinsley Classic Prize Money: $50,000 in Charlottesville, Va., the week of April 27; Tournament Director: and the Revolution Technologies Pro Tennis Karen Vogter, (850) 545-8740 Classic in Indian Harbour Beach, Fla., the [email protected] week of May 4. Tournament Press Contact: made his Taylor Crosby, (904) 874-3133 The American man and American woman who tournament debut as a wild card at the 2014 [email protected] earn the most ATP and WTA ranking points at US Open. Earlier this year, he won his first USTA Communications Contact: two of the three USTA Pro Circuit clay-court USTA Pro Circuit Challenger titles at the Amanda Korba, (914) 697-2219, [email protected] events will receive USTA wild cards to $50,000 event in Maui, Hawaii, sweeping compete in their respective main draws at singles and doubles. PRIZE MONEY / POINTS the French Open, held Sunday, May 24, to SINGLES: Prize Money Ranking Points Sunday, June 7. Only players who do not This tournament will be streamed live on Winner $7,200 80 receive direct entry into the French Open www.procircuit.usta.com. Runner-up $4,240 48 are eligible for the wild cards. The USTA Semifinalist $2,510 29 and the French Tennis Federation have a Quarterfinalist $1,460 15 To follow the tournament, download the USTA Round of 16 $860 7 reciprocal agreement in which wild cards into Pro Circuit’s new phone app by searching Round of 32 $520 -- the 2015 French Open and 2015 US Open “procircuit” in the app store. are exchanged. DOUBLES: Prize Money (per team) Winner $3,100 Notable players competing in the main draw Runner-up $1,800 include: Semifinalist $1,080 Quarterfinalist $640 Eighteen-year-old , who Round of 16 $360 USTA Jared Donaldson won his first USTA Pro Circuit Challenger COMMUNITY EVENTS title earlier this year at the $50,000 event Monday, April 27 in Maui, Hawaii, where he also won the Boys & Girls Club/ Boys Town Tennis Jamboree Tuesday, April 28 & Wednesday, April 29 School 10 and Under Tennis Clinics, 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. Tournament wild card , 17, won Wednesday, April 29 his first USTA Pro Circuit singles title earlier Community Center Tennis Spectacular, 4 p.m.-5:30 p.m. this year at the $15,000 Futures in Bakersfield, Calif., and has reached two additional finals. As Thursday, April 30 – USPTA Clinics, 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. a junior, he peaked at No. 2 in the ITF World Friday, May 1 Junior Rankings last year and reached the boys’ Special Olympics Tennis Carnival, 10 a.m.-11:30 a.m. singles semifinals at the 2014 US Open. Saturday, May 2 USPTA Appreciation Doubles Clinic, 10 a.m.-11:30 a.m. *Player field subject to change TOURNAMENT NOTES

doubles title with , to break into the Top 200. Last process becoming the oldest USTA Pro Circuit singles champion at summer, Donaldson won back-to-back USTA Pro Circuit singles the age of 35 years, 6 months and 2 days. Russell has competed in titles at $15,000 Futures events in Tulsa, Okla., and Oklahoma City the main draw of 34 Grand Slam tournaments in his career, most for the first USTA Pro Circuit singles titles of his career. During the recently as a qualifier at the 2015 . He achieved first half of 2014, he competed overseas in ITF Circuit events in his best Grand Slam tournament result by reaching the fourth round , where he won his first professional singles title and reached of the 2001 French Open, where he held match point against one additional final and two additional semifinals. Donaldson made defending and eventual champion Gustavo Kuerten before bowing in his Grand Slam tournament debut as a wild card at the 2014 US five sets. In other notable career results, Russell upset then-No. 9 Open, where he faced eventual quarterfinalist Gael Monfils in the first en route to the semifinals of the ATP World Tour event in round. As a junior player, Donaldson competed in the US Open Junior Houston in April 2012 and, in the summer of 2013, he reached the Championships and represented the in Junior semifinals of the ATP grass-court event in Newport, R.I. Russell also (16 and under). He is coached by former Top 30 player reached the semifinals of the ATP event in Memphis in 2014 as a and has trained with in Dubai. qualifier, losing to eventual champion .

Tournament wild card Frances Tiafoe, 17, who, won his first USTA Former world No. 64 , who has played in just four Pro Circuit singles title earlier this year at the $15,000 Futures tournaments since March 2013 due to injury. Sweeting, who is in Bakersfield, Calif. Tiafoe, who recently turned pro, also reached married to “Big Bang Theory” actress Kaley Cuoco, won the ATP’s two additional USTA Pro Circuit singles finals and served as a U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship in Houston in 2011, when he practice partner for the U.S. Davis Cup team against Great Britain peaked at a career-high No. 64 in the world. The 2005 US Open in Scotland this March. As a junior, he peaked at No. 2 in the boys’ singles champion also holds three singles titles and three ITF World Junior Rankings last year and reached the boys’ singles doubles titles on the USTA Pro Circuit. semifinals at the 2014 US Open. He also won the prestigious International Tennis Championships in December 2013 , who won the 2013 Har-Tru USTA Pro Circuit Wild in Plantation, Fla., becoming the youngest boys’ champion in the Card Challenge to earn a spot in the French Open main draw. 67 years of the event, took the title at the 2014 Easter Bowl junior Following Roland Garros, Kuznetsov qualified for Wimbledon and tournament and reached the final of the 2014 USTA International won the $50,000 USTA Pro Circuit Challenger in Binghamton, N.Y. Spring Championships. In 2012, Tiafoe won two significant 14-and- Those results drove Kuznetsov’s ranking up to a career-high No. 120 under tournaments (Les Petits As in Tarbes, France, and Teen Tennis in the world. In 2014, he qualified for and reached the quarterfinals in Bolton, England) and helped lead the United States to a gold of the ATP event in Memphis, Tenn., qualified for the main draw at medal in World Junior Tennis—the premier 14-and-under team Wimbledon and reached the quarterfinals or better at three USTA competition. Tiafoe is a product of the Junior Tennis Champions Pro Circuit Challengers. This year, Kuznetsov has reached the Center in College Park, Md., a USTA Certified Regional Training quarterfinals of the $100,000 USTA Pro Circuit Challenger in Dallas Center, where his father, an immigrant from Sierra Leone, worked as and competed in Australian Open qualifying. As a junior, he was a custodian. the 2004 junior French Open runner-up (to Gael Monfils). Kuzetsov is a native of Kiev, Ukraine, where his grandfather was a handball 2013 doubles champion , who was a five-time champion. In 2005, he was involved in a car accident that broke All-American at Texas A&M and the 2011 NCAA men’s doubles his right femur and required the insertion of a titanium rod and champion with Jeff Dadamo. Krajicek has enjoyed a breakout year screw. Kuznetsov came back to play in his first US Open main draw in 2015, reaching the singles quarterfinals of the ATP event in in 2006. He has played in all four Grand Slam events in his career, Memphis, Tenn.—his first ATP quarterfinal—and qualifying for and reaching the second round of the Australian Open in 2007. reaching the second round of the to break into the Top 150 for the first time. In 2014, Krajicek reached the , who in 2011 became the first American since quarterfinals or better at 10 USTA Pro Circuit and ITF Circuit events John McEnroe in 1977 to win the French Open boys’ singles title. (winning a title in Colombia), and he also won three doubles titles, Fratangelo has won nine USTA Pro Circuit and ITF Circuit singles including the $100,000 USTA Pro Circuit Challenger in Vancouver. titles over the last three years, including a Challenger title in In addition, Krajicek qualified for the ATP grass-court event in earlier this year. He has also won titles on the USTA Pro Newport, R.I., and won his first-round match before losing to John Circuit and in , Italy and the . As a junior player, Isner. Krajicek also had a strong season on the USTA Pro Circuit he ranked as high as No. 2 in the ITF World Junior Rankings and in 2013, winning two Futures singles titles and three doubles competed on the Junior Davis Cup team. titles (two Challengers). A standout junior player, he won the 2008 USTA Boys’ 18s National Championships, earning a wild card into , who was the 2012 USTA Boys’ 18s national the 2008 US Open men’s singles main draw. Krajicek is a distant champion in singles and doubles. Those victories earned him wild- relative of former Wimbledon champion . He has card entries into each main draw at the 2012 US Open, where he been training out of the USTA Training Center – West in Carson, became just the second USTA Boys’ 18s champ in 15 years (the Calif., with USTA collegiate coach Stephen Amritraj. other being ) to advance to the second round in singles; he defeated 2013 Wimbledon semifinalist in the first , who is the men’s all-time leader in USTA Pro round. Novikov completed his sophomore year at UCLA in 2013 and Circuit singles titles with 24. He won his last title at the end of turned pro that summer. He won his first career USTA Pro Circuit 2013 at the $75,000 Challenger in Charlottesville, Va., in the title soon afterward, at the $10,000 Futures in Amelia Island, Fla.,

*Player field subject to change TOURNAMENT NOTES

and had a strong 2014, winning three USTA Pro Circuit doubles father, Andrei, at his dad’s tennis academy in Pembroke Pines, Fla., titles (for five doubles titles overall) and claiming four ITF singles and at the USTA Training Center Headquarters in Boca Raton, Fla., titles. This year, he won his second USTA Pro Circuit singles title at with coach Nicolas Todero. Kozlov has also practiced, on occasion, the $15,000 Futures in Calabasas, Calif., and captured the doubles with and other top pros while they prepared for the title at the $15,000 Futures in . Born in Moscow, US Open. Novikov moved with his family to the U.S. as a 1-year-old and, from an extensive sports background, chose tennis over hockey, swimming , who won the 2014 NCAA singles title as a junior at and gymnastics. UCLA and finished the year as the No. 1 college tennis player, as ranked by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association. Giron became the 2013 doubles champion , the former Top 200 11th Bruin to win the NCAA men’s singles crown and the first to do player who is back on the court after missing much of 2014 due so in eight years. On the strength of his NCAA title, Giron received a to injury; he did not play from February through the US Open. This wild card into the 2014 US Open, where he lost to fellow American year, Sandgren, whose first name is pronounced like the sport, has in the first round. He rebounded to claim the men’s title played in ITF Circuit events in China, Australia and Canada as he at the inaugural US Open American Collegiate Invitational. Also in works his way back into form. He climbed to a career-high No. 183 2014, Giron won the third USTA Pro Circuit singles title of his career in the world in 2013, when he won the USTA Pro Circuit season- at the $10,000 Futures in Calabasas, Calif., and served as a Davis ending Challenger in Champaign, Ill. Also in 2013, Sandgren served Cup practice partner for the team’s World Group Play-off in Chicago. as a Davis Cup practice partner for the U.S. team as it prepared Through his results, Giron climbed nearly 200 spots in the ATP to face Serbia in Boise, Idaho, and he nearly qualified for the World Tour Rankings last year. main draw at the , falling to in five sets in the final of the USTA Australian Open Wild Card , who qualified for the main draw of the 2014 Playoffs. Sandgren turned pro following his sophomore season at the Australian Open and took the first set off of 2009 US Open University of Tennessee, after reaching the semifinals of the 2011 champion and No. 5 seed Juan Martin del Potro in the opening NCAA tournament. He won three USTA Pro Circuit Futures titles (in round. Also in 2014, Williams qualified for and reached the four finals) in 2012 to climb nearly 300 spots in the ATP rankings. quarterfinals of the ATP event in Delray Beach, Fla. In 2012, His brother, Davey, was a two-time All-American for Tennessee, Williams won three matches to qualify for the main draw of the lettering from 2007 to 2010. US Open for his first Grand Slam appearance and, in the process, became one of just 13 qualifying wild cards to reach the main draw , who was the top-ranked American junior boy in in recorded US Open history. At the 2012 US Open, he faced Andy 2012, peaking at a career-high No. 5 in the world junior rankings. Roddick prior to Roddick’s retirement announcement. In addition, Krueger advanced to the boys’ singles semifinals at the French Open Williams earned a wild card into the 2013 Australian Open main and Wimbledon in 2012 and turned pro that July. He captured his draw by winning the USTA Australian Open Wild Card Playoffs, and first pro singles title in 2013 while competing overseas at a clay- he qualified for the 2013 French Open. Also in 2013, he reached court ITF Circuit event in the Netherlands, and this year he won his the semifinals at the ATP clay-court event in Houston for his best second title—and first USTA Pro Circuit crown—at the $15,000 ATP result. Williams turned pro in 2011 following his sophomore USTA Pro Circuit Futures in Los Angeles. Krueger spent the last year at the University of Tennessee, where he reached the singles quarter of 2014 competing in Canada and Australia, winning a final at the NCAA Championships. Williams comes from a tennis doubles title in Australia and reaching the singles quarterfinals or family: His grandfather is Mike DePalmer Sr., co-founder of the Nick better at six events. Bollettieri Tennis Academy, and his mother, Michelle DePalmer- Williams, is a former pro and Orange Bowl 16s champion. Williams Notable players competing in qualifying include: is coached by his cousin, Christopher Williams.

Stefan Kozlov, 17, who is the No. 5-ranked junior in the world. Kozlov reached the boys’ singles final at both Wimbledon and the Australian Open in 2014, as well as the quarterfinals at the junior Many ATP World Tour standouts have won the Tallahassee singles US Open and French Open. In the Wimbledon final, he fell to 2014 crown. USTA Boys’ 18s champion in the first all-American Wimbledon boys’ final since 1977. Also last year, Kozlov won the 2006 singles champion Mardy Fish peaked at No. 7 in the world in prestigious Orange Bowl singles and doubles titles, and in the pro August 2011 after one of the strongest seasons of his career, which ranks, he reached the final of the $100,000 USTA Pro Circuit included reaching the quarterfinals of Wimbledon and the round of Challenger in Sacramento, Calif., losing to current world No. 35 16 at the US Open. He also won the 2011 Emirates Airline US Open . In reaching the Sacramento final at age 16, Kozlov Series event in en route to winning his first overall Series became the youngest American to reach a Challenger final since crown. Fish has won six ATP World Tour singles titles, as well as in 1986. So far in 2015, Kozlov has competed in the eight doubles titles, and he won the silver medal at the Olympics in main draw of the ATP’s Memphis Open, captured his first USTA Pro 2004, in addition to representing the U.S. in Davis Cup. Circuit Challenger doubles title (in Maui, Hawaii) and served as a practice partner for the U.S. Davis Cup Team in Glasgow, Scotland. 2009 singles champion John Isner peaked at No. 9 in the world Earlier this month he participated in the White House Easter Egg in 2012 and has captured nine ATP singles titles thus far in his Roll, where he met President Obama. Kozlov trains both with his career, including titles last year in Atlanta and Auckland, New

*Player field subject to change TOURNAMENT NOTES

Zealand. Isner advanced to the quarterfinals at the 2011 US Open 2007 singles champion Jo-Wilfried Tsonga reached a career-best for his career-best Grand Slam tournament result. Isner has been No. 5 in the world in February 2012 and has been a mainstay in the a consistent force on the U.S. Davis Cup team and also won the ATP World Tour Top 10. He reached the final of the 2008 Australian longest match in tennis history, playing for 11 hours over three days Open (less than a year after his title in Tallahassee) and four other at Wimbledon in 2010, to defeat Frenchman , 70-68, Grand Slam tournament semifinals. Tsonga also has won 11 ATP in the fifth set. World Tour singles titles and represented France in Davis Cup and the Olympics.

*Player field subject to change

TALLAHASSEE PAST WINNERS Singles Doubles Year Winner Runner-Up Year Winner 2014 (USA) (CAN) 2014 Ryan Agar (AUS) / Sebastian Bader (AUT) 2013 Denis Kudla (USA) Cedrik-Marcel Stebe (GER) 2013 Austin Krajicek (USA) / Tennys Sandgren (USA) 2012 (USA) Frank Dancevic (CAN) 2012 (GER) / Andreas Siljestrom (SWE) 2011 (USA) (USA) 2011 (CAN) / (USA) 2010 Brian Dabul (ARG) Robby Ginepri (USA) 2010 Joseph Sirianni (AUS) / (AUS) 2009 John Isner (USA) Donald Young (USA) 2009 Eric Butorac (USA) / (USA) 2008 Bobby Reynolds (USA) (USA) 2008 (USA) / Bobby Reynolds (USA) 2007 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) (RSA) 2007 Izak Van Der Merwe (RSA) / Wesley Whitehouse (RSA) 2006 Mardy Fish (USA) Zack Fleishman (USA) 2006 Rik De Voest (RSA) / Glenn Weiner (USA) 2005 Brian Vahaly (USA) Justin Gimelstob (USA) 2005 (SWE) / Alexander Peya (AUT) 2004 (PHI) Bjorn Rehnquist (SWE) 2004 Matias Boeker (USA) / Noam Okun (ISR) 2003 (USA) (USA) 2003 Cancelled due to rain 2002 Brian Vahaly (USA) Justin Gimelstob (USA) 2002 Levar Harper-Griffith (USA) / Jeff Williams (USA) 2001 Ramon Delgado (PAR) Justin Gimelstob (USA) 2001 Matthew Breen (AUS) / Lee Pearson (AUS) 2000 Jeff Salzenstein (USA) (USA) 2000 Mark Knowles (BAH) / Mark Merklein (BAH) 1999 Bobby Kokavec (CAN) Horst Skoff (AUT) 1999 Rob Givone (USA) / Glenn Weiner (USA) 1998 Cecil Mamiit (PHI) Egberto Caldas (BRA) 1998 Cecil Mamiit (PHI) / Kyle Spenser (GBR) 1997 David Witt (USA) Chris Groer (USA) 1997 Chris Groer (USA) / Ali Hamadeh (LIB) 1996 Sule Ladipo (NGR) Oliver Johl (GER) 1996 Tommy Shimada (JPN) / Ryuso Tsujino (JPN) 1995 Ivan Baron (USA) Andrew Sznajder (CAN) 1995 David Blair (USA) / Mike Chinchiolo (USA) 1994 Ivan Baron (USA) David DiLucia (USA) 1994 Johan Donar (SWE) / Nils Holm (SWE) 1993 Patricio Arnold (ARG) Ty Tucker (USA) 1993 Patricio Arnold (ARG) / Ty Tucker (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 competed in cities nationwide. Victoria Azarenka, Eugenie Bouchard, John Isner, , Kei tennis using modified equipment and courts tailored to a child’s Nishikori, Sam Querrey, and Caroline Wozniacki are among today’s top stars who size. For more information, visit YouthTennis.com. began their careers on the USTA Pro Circuit.

More recently, the USTA Pro Circuit helped further the careers of two young NJTL —Stefan Kozlov and Nicole Gibbs. Runner-up in 2014 at the junior Amber Alva Founded in 1969 by Arthur Ashe, along with Charlie Pasarell championships of the Australian Open and and Sheridan Snyder, the USTA/National Junior Tennis & Wimbledon, Kozlov reached the final of the Learning (NJTL) network is a nationwide group of more than Sacramento Challenger last October at age 16, becoming the youngest American to 625 non-profit youth development organizations that provide reach a Challenger final since Andre Agassi free or low-cost tennis, education and life skills programming in 1986. That result vaulted Kozlov to to more than 350,000 children each year. Celebrating its No. 443 in the world, making him the 44th anniversary this year, NJTL is one of the USTA’s largest youngest player in the ATP World Tour community-based offerings.. Top 500. He concluded 2014 by sweeping Stefan Kozlov the singles and doubles titles at the prestigious Orange Bowl Junior Tennis Championships, locking down a No. 3 US OPEN NATIONAL PLAYOFFS junior world ranking. Gibbs, in her first full season as a professional after capturing The USTA launched the US Open back-to-back NCAA singles championships National Playoffs in 2010, in 2012 and 2013, won the women’s USTA making the US Open “open” Pro Circuit US Open Wild Card Challenge in 2014. After claiming the title at the $50,000 USTA Pro Circuit event in Carson, Calif., Gibbs clinched the to anyone age 14+ and of all US Open wild card by advancing to the final of the $50,000 tournament in Lexington, Ky., her last USTA skill levels. Last year, more Pro Circuit event of the season. Gibbs went on to reach the third round at the US Open, scoring a pair of than 1,200 players competed Top 50 victories along the way. Two weeks after the US Open, as a qualifier at Seoul, she reached her first in 13 Sectional Qualifying WTA quarterfinal, which boosted her into the WTA Top 100 for the first time. Gibbs earned the second-most Tournaments nationwide for WTA ranking points of any American playing the USTA Pro Circuit in 2014. a 2014 US Open Qualifying Tournament wild card. A mixed doubles element also was PLAYER DEVELOPMENT held, with the winning team earning a main draw mixed doubles wild card. This year, players can again compete in The USTA Player Development program identifies and develops the next generation of American champions singles and mixed doubles, but also will have the chance by surrounding the top junior players and young pros with the resources, facilities and coaching they need to play in the new men’s and women’s doubles competition to reach their maximum potential. The Player Development program is based at the USTA Training Center to earn main draw doubles wild cards. Registration for all Headquarters in Boca Raton, Fla., and also utilizes Training Centers in Carson, Calif., and Flushing, N.Y., as divisions opens on March 15. For more information and the well as a series of Certified Regional Training Centers located throughout the continental United States. complete schedule, visit www.usopen.org/NationalPlayoffs.