IRVINE FUTURES IRVINE, CA * SEPTEMBER 19-28, 2014 Preview Notes as of Sept. 19, 2014 TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW Site: Racquet Club of Irvine – Irvine, Calif. Qualifying Draw: Begins on Friday, Sept. 19 Main Draw: Begins on Tuesday, Sept. 23 Surface: Hard / Outdoor Prize Money: $10,000 Websites: www.procircuit.usta.com Facebook: Racquet Club of Irvine Tournament Director: Scott Spearman, (949) 786-3000, [email protected] USTA Communications Contacts: Amanda Korba, (914) 697-2219, [email protected] USTA PRO CIRCUIT RETURNS TO IRVINE The Irvine Futures is the last of three consecutive USTA Pro Circuit $10,000 Futures hard-court events in California following the US Open, following Claremont and Costa Mesa. Irvine hosted USTA Pro Circuit men’s tournaments from 2004 to 2008 and also in 1997, 2010 and 2012. Notable players competing in the main draw include: Former University of Michigan standout Jason Jung, the top-ranked American in Irvine, who won his second professional title last summer at the $10,000 Futures in Edwardsville, Ill. This March, Jung reached the final of the $15,000 USTA Pro Circuit Futures in Calabasas, Calif., and earlier this year he won his second USTA Pro Circuit doubles title at the $10,000 Futures in Weston, Fla. Jung spent most of this spring and summer competing overseas in ITF-level events in Korea and China. At Michigan, he received All-Big Ten honors in 2010 and 2011 and played in the NCAA Championships twice. He ranks fourth all-time in Wolverines’ history with 88 career doubles wins. Sixteen-year-old Stefan Kozlov, who is the No. 4-ranked junior in the world. Kozlov reached the junior boys’ final at both Wimbledon and the Australian Open this year, as well as the junior quarterfinals at the US Open and the French Open. Kozlov lost to Alex Zverev in the Australian Open final, whom he had beat in their previous two meetings, and he lost to 2014 USTA Boys’ 18s champion Noah Rubin in the Wimbledon final, which was the first all-American Wimbledon boys’ final since 1977. Kozlov, who has since turned pro, made his ATP main draw debut last year at the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships in Newport, R.I. He trains with both his father, Andrei, at his tennis academy in Pembroke Pines, Fla., and at the USTA Training Center in Boca Raton, Fla., with coach Nicolas Todero. Kozlov has also practiced with, on occasion, Novak Djokovic and other top pros while practicing at the US Open. Alex Sarkissian, who reached the NCAA singles final this year as a redshirt sophomore while at Pepperdine. 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 third USTA Pro Circuit tournament of the year. Dennis Nevolo, who won the first USTA Pro Circuit singles title of his career this September at the $10,000 Futures in Claremont, Calif., while also winning the doubles title (his third career USTA Pro Circuit doubles title overall). Nevolo graduated in 2012 from the University of Illinois, where he was ranked as high as No. 2 in the NCAA men’s singles rankings. 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 returned to the US Open National Playoffs – Championships this year after winning the USTA Florida sectional qualifying tournament in June. Dadamo has won three 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. Kyle McMorrow, who played for the University of Washington, where he was named the 2010 Pac-10 Freshman of the Year and was named All-Pac-12 First Team in 2011, 2012, and 2013. In his sophomore year, McMorrow became the first UW player since 2005 to compete in both the NCAA singles and doubles championships in the same season. He finished his collegiate career in 2013 with a 98-34 overall singles record and a 75-50 record in doubles. Five-time University of Florida All-American Greg Ouellette, who won the bronze medal in doubles at the 2011 Pan Am Games with Nicholas Monroe. Ouellette holds two USTA Pro Circuit singles titles and four doubles titles, with his last titles coming in 2012. 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 -- Irvine Past Winners Singles Year Winner Runner-up 2013 Tournament not held 2012 Daniel Nguyen (USA) Alex Bogdanovic (GBR) 2011 Tournament not held 2010 Chris Guccione (AUS) Daniel Kosakowski (USA) 2009 Tournament not held 2008 Tobias Clemens (GER) Jose De Armas (VEN) 2007 Nikita Kryvonos (USA) Luigi D'Agord (ITA) 2006 Fred Hemmes (NED) Ryler DeHeart (USA) 2005 Tyler Cleveland (USA) Augustin Gensse (FRA) 2004 Zbynek Mlynarik (AUT) Bruno Echagaray (MEX) 1998-2003 Tournament not held 1997 Simon Aspelin (SWE) Jim Thomas (USA) Doubles Year Winner 2013 Tournament not held 2012 Devin Britton (USA) – Austin Krajicek (USA) 2011 Tournament not held 2010 Nathaniel Gorham (USA) – Dennis Novikov (USA) 2009 Tournament not held 2008 Victor-Carvalho Melo (BRA) – Andreas Siljestrom (SWE) 2007 Stephen Bass (USA) – Todd Paul (USA) 2006 Adam Kennedy (AUS) – Robert Smeets (AUS) 2005 Tyler Cleveland (USA) – Dave Lingman (USA) 2004 Brendan Evans (USA) – Scott Oudsema (USA) 1998-2003 Tournament not held 1997 Simon Aspelin (SWE) – Chris Groer (USA) 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. John Isner, 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. .