TournamenT noTes as of July 12, 2012 2012 USTA FREEMAN $10,000 MEN’S FUTURES JOPLIN, MO • JULY 13-22 USTA PRO CIRCUIT RETURNS TO JOPLIN TournamenT InFormaTIon AFTER ONE-YEAR ABSENCE DUE TO TORNADO Site: Millennium Tennis & Fitness Club – Joplin, Mo. The 2012 USTA Freeman $10,000 Men’s Websites: www.millenniumtennis.com Futures is making its return to Joplin, Mo., USTA procircuit.usta.com after a one-year absence. The break was due to the damaging effects of the tornado Qualifying Draw Begins: Friday, July 13 that struck in 2011. (Tulsa, Okla., held the tournament in its place for the year.) In Main Draw Begins: Tuesday, July 17 honor of the tournament’s return this year, Main Draw: 32 Singles / 16 Doubles Joplin Mayor Melodee Colbert-Kean declared July 15-22 as “Tennis Week” in Joplin Surface: Hard / Outdoor through an official proclamation at a press Prize Money: $10,000 conference on July 9. Tournament Directors: The tournament is the first of four Brad Bigando, [email protected] consecutive $10,000 hard-court Marianella Padron, (305) 972-8793 tournaments that lead up to the US Open. Joplin Mayor Melodee Colbert-Kean (second [email protected] It is the only USTA Pro Circuit tournament from left) declared “Tennis Week in Joplin” from July 15-22. Tournament Press Contact: taking place in Missouri this year. Jasmine Bailey, (334) 447-9370 [email protected] On Saturday, July 21, the tournament will host a Community Day featuring 10 and Those competing in the main draw include: USTA Communications Contacts: Under Tennis clinics. 10 and Under Tennis Will Gray, a former University of Tulsa Amanda Korba, (914) 697-2219, [email protected] is a nationwide USTA initiative that scales standout who was a three-year letter winner Eric Schuster, (914) 696-7260, [email protected] the game to size for younger players. 10 at the school, and who has competed in and Under Tennis uses smaller courts, tournaments in Mexico and Panama this PrIze money / PoInTs slower-moving and lower-bouncing balls, year; Nathaniel Gorham, who played for SINGLES: Prize Money Ranking Points and smaller and lighter racquets designed Brown University and was formerly ranked Winner $1,300 17 specifically for kids. As such, kids learn, No. 1 in the USTA Southern California Runner-up $900 9 rally, play and compete right from the start, section as a junior player; and 18-year- Semifinalist $480 5 making the game more accessible and more old Harrison Adams, who with his sister, Quarterfinalist $290 2 fun, and increasing the chance that kids will Samantha, won the mixed doubles title at Round of 16 $200 1 stick with tennis for a lifetime. the 2012 US Open National Playoffs USTA Round of 32 $117.50 – Texas Sectional Qualifying Tournament to advance to the National Playoffs in New DOUBLES: Prize Money (per team) Haven in August, competing for a spot in the Winner $630 US Open mixed doubles. Adams, who will Runner-up $330 graduate in 2013, is his high school’s class Semifinalist $260 Getty Images president. He reached the doubles final of Quarterfinalist $180 the USTA Pro Circuit event in Oklahoma Round of 16 $0 City in April with Shane Vinsant, who is CommunITy eVenTs also competing in Joplin. Vinsant reached the boys’ doubles final at the 2011 French Sunday, July 15 Open and will play collegiately at Texas A&M Pro-Am, 6-8 p.m. this fall. Tuesday, July 17 Tennis History Night, 7 p.m. The top seed this week is Sanam Singh of India, who played for the University of Wednesday, July 18 Virginia, where he received All-America Kids’ Night with Player Q&A, 5:30 p.m. honors and was No.1 in the college Friday, July 20 Current world No. 11 and London Olympian John Family Night Isner won the doubles title in Joplin in 2005. Saturday, July 21 Community Day featuring 10 and Under Tennis, 10-11 a.m. *Player field subject to change TournamenT noTes rankings. Playing for India, Singh won the gold medal in doubles and John Isner, who peaked at No. 9 in the world this year; Rajeev the bronze medal in the team event at the 2010 Asian Games. As a Ram, who reached the doubles quarterfinals of the French Open junior player, he competed in all four Grand Slam junior tournaments and Wimbledon this year; and Bobby Reynolds, who has won 30 and ranked as high as No. 4 in the ITF World Junior Rankings. total USTA Pro Circuit singles and doubles events, tied with Paul Goldstein for the most of any men’s player. Those players competing in qualifying include: Eric Quigley, who turned pro this summer following a successful career at the Following the tornado in 2011, the USTA donated $100,000 University of Kentucky, where Quigley finished tied with Clemson’s to the city of Joplin to assist with disaster-relief efforts in the Rick Rudeen for the most victories (172) in NCAA tennis history; tornado-stricken community. The USTA helped rebuild Joplin High Kyle McMorrow, who plays for the University of Washington; and School and its tennis courts, which were demolished in the storm. Mac Styslinger, a junior standout who reached the final of the 2011 In addition, the USTA brought SmashZone, the interactive fan Easter Bowl and played in all four junior Grand Slams last year, attraction for kids, to the area following the tornado in an effort reaching the round of 16 at the Australian Open. Styslinger will play to help boost the spirits of the children and families affected by for the University of Virginia next season. the disaster. The USTA also worked with tennis manufacturers and retailers to collect additional donations, including equipment and Tennis was first held in Joplin in 2000, and the city hosted two tennis gear, for the Joplin High School tennis team. And finally, USTA Pro Circuit men’s events at the $10,000 and $50,000 level the USTA Missouri Valley Section coordinated efforts to involve in the same year from 2002 to 2007. Players from all over the the tennis community in helping victims of the tornado through a world have competed in Joplin and have begun their professional donation organized by the Joplin Schools Tornado Relief Fund. careers on the USTA Pro Circuit, including 2012 U.S. Olympian *Player field subject to change JOPLIN PAST WINNERS Singles Doubles Year Winner Runner-Up Year Winner 2010 Robbye Poole (USA) Joel Kielbowicz (USA) 2010 Jean Andersen (RSA) – Joshua Zavala (USA) 2009 Blake Strode (USA) Arnau Brugues-Davi (ESP) 2009 Cory Parr (USA) – Todd Paul (USA) 2008 Tigran Martirosyan (ARM) Jean-Yves Aubone (USA) 2008 Steven Forman (USA) – Todd Paul (USA) 2007 Izak Van Der Merwe (RSA) Andrey Kumantsov (RUS) 2007 Andrey Kumantsov (RUS) – Conor Pollock (USA) 2006 Shannon Nettle (AUS) Nick Lindahl (AUS 2006 Joel Kielbowicz (USA) – Ryan Stotland (USA) 2005 Alexander Simoni (BRA) Michael Yani (USA) 2005 John Isner (USA) – Jeremy Wurtzman (USA) 2004 Jesse Witten (USA) Raphael Durek (AUS) 2004 K.C. Corkery (USA) – Jeremy Wurtzman (USA) 2003 Todd Widom (USA) Jay Gooding (AUS) 2003 Sam Warburg (USA) – Jeremy Wurtzman (USA) 2002 Takahiro Terachi (JPN) Daniel Willman (NZL) 2002 Huntley Montgomery (USA) – Ryan Sachire (USA) 2001 Peter Luczak (AUS) Matthew Breen (AUS) 2001 Ryan Sachire (USA) – Jeff Williams (USA) TournamenT noTes USTA PRO CIRCUIT 10 AND UNDER TENNIS With approximately 90 tournaments hosted annually throughout the country and prize money ranging from On January 1, the USTA announced that the rules of tennis $10,000 to $100,000, the USTA Pro Circuit is the pathway to the US Open and tour-level competition for have officially changed and require that 10 and Under Tennis aspiring tennis players and a frequent battleground for established professionals. The USTA launched its tournaments be played utilizing smaller, lighter racquets Pro Circuit 33 years ago to provide players with the opportunity to gain professional ranking points, and it and lower-bouncing balls on smaller courts. This rule change has since grown to become the largest developmental tennis circuit in the world, offering nearly $3 million signifies the emergence of 10 and Under Tennis as an integral in prize money. Last year, more than 1,000 men and women from more than 70 countries competed in cities part of the development of young players. The scaled-down nationwide. Mardy Fish, Maria Sharapova, Andy Roddick, Caroline Wozniacki, James Blake, Li Na and equipment and smaller courts better allow kids to rally and Andy Murray are among today’s top stars who began their careers on the USTA Pro Circuit. play the game earlier in their development, and increase the likelihood they will return to the court and continue to More recently, the USTA Pro Circuit improve while having fun doing so. For more information, visit helped launch the careers of two young Ryan Harrison www.10andundertennis.com. Americans—Christina McHale and Ryan Harrison. McHale reached the quarterfinals or better at five USTA Pro Circuit events in NJTL 2010 and climbed more than 100 spots in the WTA rankings that year. Buoyed by those Cities across the country participate in the USTA/National Junior results, she began to compete regularly Tennis and Learning (NJTL) network, a nationwide network of on the WTA tour in 2011 and became the community tennis organizations seeking to develop the character youngest player in the world’s Top 50 after of young people through both tennis and education. Founded defeating No. 8 seed Marion Bartoli en route by Arthur Ashe in 1969, more than 650 registered chapters/ to the third round of the US Open.