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Home , Collin Altamirano, David Martin (tennis), Lesley Joseph (tennis), Michael McClune, Nicolas Meister

COSTA MESA PRO CLASSIC

COSTA MESA, CA * SEPTEMBER 12-21, 2014 Preview Notes as of Sept. 12, 2014

TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW Site: Costa Mesa Center – Costa Mesa, Calif. Qualifying Draw: Begins on Friday, Sept. 12 Main Draw: Begins on Tuesday, Sept. 16 Surface: Hard / Outdoor Prize Money: $10,000 Web sites: www.costamesatenniscenter.com, www.procircuit.usta.com Facebook: Costa Mesa Tennis Center

Tournament Director: Hank Lloyd, (714) 557-0211, [email protected]

Tournament Press Aide: Joel Beers, (714) 423-1088, [email protected]

USTA Communications Contacts: Amanda Korba, (914) 697-2219, [email protected]

USTA PRO CIRCUIT RETURNS TO COSTA MESA FOR 14TH YEAR

The Costa Mesa Pro Classic returns to Costa Mesa, Calif., for the 14th consecutive year. Another men’s Futures tournament was played in Costa Mesa in March in 2011 and 2012 and in November of 2001 and 2002. The tournament is the second tournament following the US Open and is one of nine USTA Pro Circuit men’s events taking place in California this year.

Notable players competing in the main draw include:

Jarmere Jenkins, who in 2013 completed his college tennis career at the University of Virginia, where he nearly won the NCAA “triple crown.” He led the Cavaliers to the NCAA team title—Virginia’s first ever—won the NCAA doubles championship with teammate Mac Styslinger and also reached the NCAA singles final. Jenkins was named the Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s National Player of the Year for 2013 and ended the season as college tennis’ No. 1-ranked singles player. He reached the final round of qualifying at the 2013 US Open and won his first career USTA Pro Circuit title at the $10,000 Futures in Rochester, N.Y. This year, he won ITF-level singles and doubles events in Australia. Jenkins is one of nine children, several of whom are adopted from various backgrounds. His family was even featured once on “The Oprah Winfrey Show.” Several of Jenkins’ siblings have played tennis competitively, and two of his brothers, Jackie Jr. (Northwestern) and Jermaine (Clemson), played NCAA Division I college tennis.

Tennys Sandgren, whose name is pronounced like the sport and who is competing in his first USTA Pro Circuit event since February due to injury. Sandgren turned pro following his sophomore season at the University of , after reaching the semifinals of the 2011 NCAA tournament. Sandgren won three USTA Pro Circuit Futures titles (in four finals) in 2012 to climb nearly 300 spots in the ATP rankings. In 2013, he graduated to Challengers and won the year-end $50,000 USTA Pro Circuit event in Champaign, Ill., to break into the Top 200 for the first time in his career. Also last year, he captured the doubles title at the $50,000 USTA Pro Circuit Challenger in Tallahassee, Fla., with Austin Krajicek, and he served as a practice partner for the U.S. team as it prepared to face Serbia in Boise, Idaho. Sandgren nearly qualified for the main draw at the 2014 , falling to in five sets in the final of the USTA Australian Open Wild Card Playoff in Norcross, Ga. Sandgren’s brother, Davey, was a two-time All-American for Tennessee, lettering from 2007 to 2010.

Defending doubles champion Mackenzie McDonald, who was a Top 3 singles player as a freshman at UCLA this past season, compiling a 33-9 record, reaching the NCAA singles quarterfinals and helping lead

the Bruins to the NCAA team semifinals. McDonald made history last summer during the Emirates Airline US Open Series, becoming the first unranked teen to qualify for an ATP Masters Series event, at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati, beating Top 100 players and two-time NCAA singles champion Steve Johnson in qualifying. McDonald has been coached by former Top 10 ATP pro and Rosie Bareis.

Alex Sarkissian, who reached the NCAA singles final this year as a redshirt sophomore. In doing so, he became only the third player in Pepperdine history to reach the NCAA singles final, and he also reached the NCAA doubles quarterfinals this year. With his success, Sarkissian received All-America honors in both singles and doubles. He is playing in his first USTA Pro Circuit tournament of the year.

Collin Altamirano, who won the USTA Boys’ 18s National Championships in 2013 as an unseeded player, becoming the only unseeded player to win the Boys’ 18s singles title in the 71 years the tournament has been played in Kalamazoo, Mich. With his victory, he earned a wild card into the 2013 US Open main draw, losing to in the first round. Altamirano also received a wild card into the US Open Junior Championships and reached the quarterfinals. This January, he served as a practice partner for the U.S. Davis Cup team for its tie vs. Great Britain in San Diego.

Dennis Nevolo, who advanced to his first career USTA Pro Circuit singles final in 2013 at the $15,000 Futures in Mansfield, Texas. In addition, Nevolo has excelled in doubles, winning two Futures titles on the USTA Pro Circuit in 2013, including Oklahoma City, both with Jean-Yves Aubone. This year, Nevolo reached the singles quarterfinals or better at four USTA Pro Circuit events. He graduated in 2012 from the University of Illinois, where he was ranked as high as No. 2 in the NCAA men’s singles rankings.

Jean-Yves Aubone, who won a season-high four USTA Pro Circuit Futures doubles titles in 2013 and who has also captured three doubles titles this year. Aubone also won his first USTA Pro Circuit singles title since 2008 this year at the $10,000 Futures in Pittsburgh; he won two singles titles in 2008. Aubone played collegiately for Florida State University, where he was the first player in the school’s history to earn All- America singles honors twice. As a junior player, he represented the U.S. in the 16-and-under Junior Davis Cup competition and also reached the singles semifinals of the 2004 USTA Boys’ 18s National Clay Court Championships.

2012 Costa Mesa singles runner-up Jeff Dadamo, who earned a wild card into the 2013 US Open Qualifying Tournament by winning the US Open National Playoffs men’s title (out of 649 men who competed). He will be returning to the US Open National Playoffs – Championships this year after winning the USTA Florida sectional qualifying tournament in June. Dadamo has won two USTA Pro Circuit doubles titles and one singles title during his career. He graduated in 2011 from Texas A&M, where he won the NCAA men’s doubles title with Austin Krajicek.

Tournament Points and Prize Money for $10,000 Men’s Level

Winner Runner-Up Semifinalist Quarterfinalist Round 16 Round 32 Singles Prize Money $1,440 $848 $502 $292 $172 $104 Singles ATP Ranking Points 17 9 5 2 1 -- Doubles Prize Money (team) $620 $360 $216 $128 $0 --

Costa Mesa Past Winners

Singles

Year* Winner Runner-Up 2013 Haythem Abid (TUN) Ernesteo Escobedo (USA) 2013 (March) Bradley Klahn (USA) Min Hyeok Cho (KOR) 2012 Daniel Kosakowski (USA) Jeff Dadamo (USA) 2012 (March) (USA) Gregory Ouellette (USA) 2011 Steve Johnson (USA) Artem Sitak (NZL) 2010 Fritz Wolmarans (USA) Robbye Poole (USA) 2009 Michael McClune (USA) (USA) 2008 (USA) Michael McClune (USA) 2007 Michael McClune (USA) Tim Smyczek (USA) 2006 (ISR) Robert Yim (USA) 2005 Sam Warburg (USA) (USA) 2004 Lesley Joseph (USA) Dennis Zivkovic (USA) 2003 Jimy Szymanski (VEN) Aleksander Vlaski (SRB) 2002 (Nov.) Yeu-Tzuoo Wang (TPE) Doug Bohaboy (USA) 2002 K.J. Hippensteel (USA) Marc Silva (USA) 2001 (Nov.) Chad Carlson (USA) Daniel Willman (NZL)

Doubles

Year* Winner 2013 (USA) – Mackenzie McDonald (USA) 2013 (March) Michael McClune (USA) – (NZL) 2012 Nicolas Meister (USA) – Ryan Thacher (USA) 2012 (March) Nicolas Meister (USA) – (AUS) 2011 Chris Eaton (GBR) – Neal Skupski (GBR) 2010 (MEX) – Fabrice Martin (FRA) 2009 Robbye Poole (USA) – Erling Tveit (NOR) 2008 Zack Fleishman (USA) – Michael McClune (USA) 2007 Brad Pomeroy (USA) – Arnar Sigurdsson (ISL) 2006 Joel Kielbowicz (USA) – Ryan Stotland (PHI) 2005 (USA) – David Martin (USA) 2004 Scott Lipsky (USA) – David Martin (USA) 2003 Mirko Pehar (USA) – Nenad Toroman (USA) 2002 (Nov.) Prakash Amritraj (IND) – (USA) 2002 Carl Hagman (DEN) – James Shortall (NZL) 2001 (Nov.) Mark Nielsen (NZL) – Anthony Ross (AUS)

*Events held in September, unless otherwise noted.

About the USTA Pro Circuit With approximately 90 tournaments hosted annually throughout the country and prize money ranging 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. Celebrating its 35th anniversary in 2014, the USTA launched its Pro Circuit to provide players with the opportunity to gain professional ranking points, and it has since grown to become the largest developmental tennis circuit in the world, offering nearly $3 million in prize money. Last year, more than 1,000 men and women from more than 70 countries competed in cities nationwide. , Maria Sharapova, Mardy Fish, Sloane Stephens, Sam Querrey, Li Na and Andy Murray are among today’s top stars who began their careers on the USTA Pro Circuit. The USTA Pro Circuit is world-class tennis administered on the local level and played on local tennis courts as part of the fabric of communities nationwide -- an opportunity for current and new fans to experience the excitement and intensity of the professional game in their neighborhood.