By Harvey Fialkov
VERO BEACH – While six of the final eight singles players remaining in the draw of the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation ITF $15,000 event are American, a couple of Bulgarians have also made their presence felt.
Granted, third-seeded Victor Lilov is playing for the United States, but both of his parents were born in Bulgaria. Lilov was born in Canada but moved to Philadelphia when he was 3. He carries three citizenships, and he also lived in Raleigh, N.C., but is now based in Delray Beach.
Lilov, 20, ended the fairy-tale run of 43-year-old Ryan Haviland, who operates a tennis academy in Greenville, S.C., in a tight 7-6 (5), 6-4 victory on Thursday to reach the quarterfinals where he plays Etienne Donnet, the eighth seed from France.
Fellow Bulgarian, qualifier Dian Nedev, 20, joined Lilov in the quarters after outlasting American teen Kaylan Bigun for his fourth straight victory (including qualifiers).
Haviland, who came up through the junior ranks with Mardy Fish and enjoyed a standout career at Stanford before a series of injuries – including 10 surgeries on his knees and another on his elbow – but still enjoys the challenge of competing against players half his age.
“I’m 100 percent Bulgarian but I consider myself a Philadelphian,’’ said the 606-ranked Lilov, a Junior Wimbledon finalist in 2021, who is seeking his first ITF title. “I didn’t underestimate him. If I did, I would’ve lost.
“Eleven surgeries. I didn’t know that. I can only say that’s inspirational, awesome that he’s still coming out here competing. He doesn’t need it, but he finds the joy in competing and I like that a lot. For those kids to see their coach fighting, doing his best, can only be good for them to work with him.”
Although he had never won a pro match entering this tournament, Nedev took out top-seeded Christian Langmo of Boca Raton in a three-set marathon on Wednesday to earn his first ATP ranking point. A top junior in Bulgaria, Nedev was the national champion in every age division before a knee injury derailed his career from ages 19 to about 22.
“I just started playing eight months ago,’’ Nedev said. “I can’t say that I will win the tournament as it’s the first time I’ve played four tournaments in a row in two years. For now, I just want to stay healthy.”
After dropping the first set to Bigun, who will play for UCLA in the Fall, Nedev consulted his coach Kalin Davidov, a fellow Bulgarian, who owns and operates Inspiration Tennis Academy in Bradenton. Davidov’s son, Teo, is 14 and a renowned junior prospect known for his ambidextrous style in which he hits forehands from both sides as well as possessing the ability to serve right-handed on the deuce court and left-handed from the ad side.
“I just stuck to the tactics that Kalin told me,’’ Nedev said.
Ironically, Nedev’s opponent, Biglun, has also worked out at Davidov’s academy.
“I liked the fact he made some adjustments,’’ Davidov said of Nedev. “He improved his serve and return, adjusted his position on the court. He actually managed to stay calm and focused on the game. He didn’t get too emotional and that turned things around.”
On the back of Davidov’s Inspiration Tennis Academy t-shirt, is the phrase: I can do all things. Nedev does just that with a powerful forehand, a laser-like, two-handed backhand, as well as a big serve and delicate drop shot.
While Lilov resembles the legendary Roger Federer facially, he and Nedev can’t help but admire countryman Grigor Dimitrov, who used to be called, ‘Baby Fed’ because of their similar stroking styles, especially their one-hand backhand. Dimitrov, 32, once ranked third in 2017 before slumping to 58 in 2019, has enjoyed a resurgence of late and is back in the Top 10.
“We practiced in Sofia [capital of Bulgaria] when I was 16,’’ Nedev said. “It was amazing and outrageous. He was so kind to me and he still gives me shoes and stuff. He’s a generous person. I love the way he plays with such a nice attitude and sportsmanship.”
Lilov was coached by Stanford Boster from 16 to 18 but is now coached by Rudy Diaz at his DTI (Developmental Tennis Institute) in Miramar. Coincidentally, Diaz, a native of Paraguay, said he used to beat Fish in the 12s and 14s division, and it was Boster, who privately coached former Top 10er Fish and Hall of Famer Andy Roddick during their high school years at Boca [Raton] Prep.
Also on Thursday, Chad Kissell of Latrobe, Pa., reached the quarterfinals after a 6-3, 6-3 victory over American teen Mitchell Lee of Oakland. Kissell, 28, is a two-time Horizon League all-First Team selection for Valparaiso University (Ind.) and is now an assistant coach at Wichita State.
Kissell, who was a career-high 967 last year, will play fellow American William Grant, 23, the fifth seed who’s at a career-high 738. Grant knocked out Matthew Segura of Orlando (via Los Angeles), a four-time champion of this tournament’s wild-card qualifying event, 2-6, 6-1, 6-3. Segura, 23, is the great nephew of the late tennis legend Pancho Segura, who taught him to hit with both hands from both sides, although he predominately uses his left hand on the forehand side while serving with either hand.
Kissell had been bounced in the first round in his previous six ITF tournaments, dating back to a round-of-16 loss at this tournament last year.
Although American teens Cooper Woestendick and Alexander Razeghi dropped their second-round singles matches earlier Thursday, they teamed up to knock out the top-seeded doubles tandem of Sekou Bangoura and Noah Schachter, 6-3, 6-4 later that evening.
The Jones brothers, Miles and Alex of Marina Del Rey, Calif., also reached the doubles semifinal after a 7-6 (6), 6-1 victory over Cody Benton and Lachlan Gaskell. While Alex, a qualifier in singles, dropped his first-round match to Segura earlier this week, younger brother Miles Jones, 23, is still alive in the singles’ draw after taking advantage of an injured opponent, Arvid Nordquist of Sweden, who retired with a hamstring injury trailing 6-4, 3-1. Miles will face Nedev in one quarterfinal on Friday.
