It was a happy 25th birthday for Ricardo Rodriguez on Saturday at the $15,000 Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships U.S. Tennis Association Pro Circuit event as the Venezuelan Davis Cupper advanced into the singles final with a 6-4, 7-5 victory over No. 1 seed Marcelo Tomas Barrios Vera of Chile.
Exactly one year ago in Vero Beach, Rodriguez also played on his birthday but lost in a tight three-setter to eventual champion Calvin Hemery of France. This year, he was able to turn his fortunes into his favor.
“Obviously you try to enter the match knowing that it’s your birthday and no matter what you’re going to try to enjoy it,” Rodriguez said. “Fortunately, I got the win today and that makes me double happy.”
The unseeded Rodriguez will face No. 5 Juan Benitez of Colombia in an All-South American final Sunday at 1 pm at Grand Harbor Golf & Beach Club. Benitez defeated Strong Kirchheimer of Cary, N.C. 6-3, 7-5 in the other semifinals.
Rodriguez, the all-time leading singles player in the history of the Venezuelan Davis Cup team, is back into a final at a Futures-level event for the first time since May of 2015 when he won the title in Antalya, Turkey. Part of the reason that it’s been so long for Rodriguez to play in a final is an ankle injury that he suffered as a freak accident while playing paddle tennis.
“We had like eight days of full rain. We didn’t practice so we said ‘You know what, let’s try to have fun.’ Unfortunately, I injured myself,” Rodriguez said. “I was supposed to be six weeks off, it turned out to be 34.”
That injury played a mental factor late into the match for Rodriguez. He got off to a fast start, breaking Barrios Vera in his first service game and took a 3-0 lead. While serving at 4-2 though, Rodriguez was broken and the No. 1 seed got back on serve. Rodriguez held steady though, eventually breaking Barrios Vera again at 5-4 to take the first set.
In the second set, Rodriguez once again find himself in the lead with a break advantage with a 4-2 lead before extending it to 5-2 with a hold. After Barrios Vera got a hold of his own to make it 5-3, Rodriguez began to feel some pressure as he tried to serve for his spot in the final.
“I think it’s normal,” Rodriguez said. “After my injury, I’ve been through a lot and being so close to play a final after so long, I think you start thinking about it. You get a little bit anxious.”
Rodriguez was broken after a 24-point game in which Rodriguez missed out on three match points. After breaking and then holding at love, Barrios Vera found himself up love-40 on Rodriguez’s serve after winning nine points in a row, and it looked like the match was heading to a third set. Seemingly out of nowhere though, Rodriguez won five points on the trot to get the hold for a 6-5 lead before needing just six points to break Barrios Vera and win the match.
“Fortunately I was able to hold my serve at love-40, I think that changed things,” Rodriguez said. “It’s part of the process. Whenever you’re coming back, you have to struggle.”
This was the second week in a row that Rodriguez and Barrios Vera faced off, as Barrios Vera won last week in the quarterfinals at the U.S. Tennis Association Pro Circuit event in Orange Park, Fla., just outside of Jacksonville in straight sets. This time though, Rodriguez flipped the script.
“I think the conditions are different,” Rodriguez said as he explained why he thought he was able to turn it around this week. “I have nothing but respect for his team, we’ve known each other for a long time. He’s a great player.”
Benitez advanced to the final in stylish fashion, slamming forehand where ever he could from all over the court with loud grunts and enthusiastic reactions.
“It’s very positive. I’ve been working very hard with my coach,” Benitez said of his recent success. “It’s going to be great for my confidence and whatever is coming next for me. I’m very excited to be in another final.”
It was a straightforward first set for Benitez as he saved all three break points he faced and broke midway through the set for a 4-2 lead. The Colombian didn’t look back from there as he eventually closed out the set with a quick hold.
The second set looked like it would be straightforward for Kirchheimer as he got out to an early break and led 4-1. The ever-resilient Benitez fought hard though and won five games in a row after trailing 5-2, closing out the match with a 7-5 victory in the second set.
Benitez’s comments on his strategy during the match were simple and sweet.
“It’s pretty short what I’m going to say. Who needs a backhand?” Benitez asked.
The singles final will be a matchup not just of two players from South America, but also of two players who are being housed by residents in the luxurious Grand Harbor community in Vero Beach. Benitez is staying at the home of Doug and Susanne Sweeney while Rodriguez is staying with resident Pat Reynolds for a second straight year.
“The Sweeney’s are just unbelievable, the best housing I’ve ever got in my life,” Benitez said. “I can’t ask for any better housing. They’ve been amazing to me.”
Said Rodriguez of Reynolds, “She has been wonderful to me these past two years. She’s housing me in their home. She has opened the door for me and for my girlfriend and without her this wouldn’t be possible.”
The doubles final will also take place on Sunday between two All-American teams as the duo of Harrison Adams and Nick Chappell will face off against Junior Alexander Ore and Miles Seemann.
Adams and Ore will be on opposite sides of the net on Sunday, but they both played their college tennis at Texas A&M University and were Southeastern Conference tournament champions together in 2014 they reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Team Tournament in 2013. Despite spending two years on the team together, they never played doubles with each other.
Results from April 28
Singles Semifinals
Ricardo Rodriguez, Venezuela d. (1) Marcelo Tomas Barrios Vera, Chile 6-4, 7-5
(5) Juan Benitez, Colombia d. (4) Strong Kirchheimer, United States 6-3, 7-5
Schedule for April 29, Matches Starting at 1 p.m.
Singles Final
(5) Juan Benitez, Colombia vs. Ricardo Rodriguez, Venezuela
Doubles Final
(2) Harrison Adams, United States/Nick Chappell, United States vs. (4) Junior Alexander Ore, United States/Miles Seemann, United States
Grand Harbor
Mardy Fish Children's Foundation Tennis Championships Set For April 20-29, 2018 at Grand Harbor
The 2018 Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships, Vero Beach’s $15,000 “Futures” professional tennis tournament – one of the longest-running and best attended events on the U.S. Tennis Association (USTA) Pro Circuit – will be played April 20-29 at the Grand Harbor Golf & Beach Club.
It will mark the 17th time that Grand Harbor has hosted the event, returning as the site last year after a hiatus of seven years. The event benefits the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation, the non-profit foundation benefiting children, named for Vero Beach native son Mardy Fish, a former top 10 tennis star, U.S. Davis Cup hero and silver medalist at the 2004 Olympic Games.
“We are excited to once again host at Grand Harbor in Vero Beach some of the world’s most talented young tennis players as they attempt to earn ATP ranking points and make their way up in the world of pro tennis,” said Tom Fish, Chairman of the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation. “We are very grateful for all of the support from the Vero Beach community to help raise money for our foundation that benefits children in Indian River County and beyond.”
Founded in 2007, the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation (www.MardyFishFoundation.com and @MardyFishFound on Twitter) currently supports over 1700 children grades KDG-8th in Indian River County, Florida by funding after-school exercise, nutritional and enrichment programs in a safe environment to prepare them for healthy, productive and successful lives. Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation, collaborates with various community organizations, including Boys and Girls Club of Indian River County, Dasie Hope Bridgewater Center and LOTA Sports. Kids on Courts After School Tennis program is facilitated by LOTA Sports offering progressive tennis instruction from world class professionals. The Foundation introduced the “Six Healthy Habits” in 2012 Get Sleep; Drink Water; Exercise Daily, Eat Healthy; Brush and Floss; Make Friends. Fish achieved a career-high ranking of No. 7 in 2011 and won 14 career ATP singles and doubles titles in his career. After retiring from the ATP World Tour in 2015, Fish now competes on the celebrity pro golf tour and the PowerShares Series legends tennis tour while serving as a coach for the USTA Player Development Program and a TV commentator for ESPN.
Tournament tickets and sponsorships are now on sale and can be purchased at www.VeroBeachTennisTickets.com Tickets for the qualifying rounds from April 20 – April 23 cost $10, while tickets for the main draw of singles and doubles from April 24 – 29 are $20, with “night session” tickets starting at 5 pm from April 24-27 costing $10. Season tickets that include both the qualifying and main draw events cost $100. Admission for children 18 and under is free. Fans can follow news and developments on the tournament on Facebook and on Twitter at @VeroFutures. Detailed sponsorship information can be obtained by emailing Tom Fish at Ttfish10s@aol.com or Randy Walker at RWalker@NewChapterMedia.com
The annual USTA Vero Beach Futures has an economic impact of approximately $500,000 per year on the Vero Beach local economy. Approximately 3,000 fans annually attend the event, which is seen as one of the best-attended events in the world on the “Futures” level of professional tennis tournaments.
Some of the past competitors in Vero Beach have gone on to succeed at the highest levels of professional tennis, winning major singles and doubles titles, Olympic medals and Davis Cup championships and earning No. 1 world rankings. Andy Roddick, the 2003 U.S. Open champion who attained the world No. 1 ranking and helped the United States win the Davis Cup in 2007, competed in Vero Beach in 1999. Thomas Johansson of Sweden, who reached the second round of the Vero Beach Futures in 1995, won the Australian Open seven years later in 2002. Nicolas Massu, the 1998 singles runner-up in Vero Beach, won the singles and doubles gold medals at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, beating Fish in the gold medal singles match. Kyle Edmund, the 2013 champion in Vero Beach, helped Great Britain to the Davis Cup title in 2015. Other notable former competitors in Vero Beach include former world No. 2 Magnus Norman, former world No. 4 Tim Henman, 2016 Wimbledon finalist Milos Raonic among others. Former Vero Beach competitors have combined to win 19 titles in singles, doubles and mixed doubles at Grand Slam tournaments. Six former Vero Beach players have gone on to play Davis Cup for the United States – Roddick, Fish, Taylor Dent, Jared Palmer, Donald Young and Ryan Harrison.
Last year, Calvin Hemery of France won the singles title defeating top American teenager Sam Riffice in the final. Recent notable tournament entries include 2016 Wimbledon sensation Marcus Willis of Great Britain, who reached the singles and doubles quarterfinals last year, and Denis Shapovalov of Canada, the ATP World Tour’s Most Improved Player in 2017, who reached the semifinals in Vero Beach in 2016.
Grand Harbor Golf & Beach Club is majestically set upon the Indian River in Vero Beach, and overlooks a mile of scenic Intracoastal Waterway. Grand Harbor presents exceptional value with two nationally acclaimed golf courses, an oceanfront beach club, a richly appointed Mediterranean-style clubhouse, 10 Har-Tru court tennis complex and fully equipped fitness center. A diverse enclave of home designs captures the essence of a romantic Mediterranean Village. A 144-slip, deep water protected, Marina is also located in the Grand Harbor Community for boating enthusiasts. Exciting new construction began in 2016 with plans for more than 200 new residences including condominiums, courtyard homes, estate homes and direct riverfront homes with prices from the mid 400′s to over two million. For more information please visit www.GrandHarbor.com or www.grandharborverobeach.com.
Qualifying Finals, Main Draw Start Highlight Mardy Fish Tuesday Schedule
Sam Riffice and Oliver Crawford, under the watchful eyes of tennis legend and USTA Player Development coaching consultant Ivan Lendl, both advanced in to the final round of qualifying for the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships on Monday
Crawford, a 17-year-old from Spartanburg, S.C., defeated fellow 16-year-old Zion Heaven of Pearl City, Hawaii. Riffice, 18 from Roseville, Calif., defeated Jose Ricardo Martinez Moreno of Mexico 6-3, 6-3.
Riffice and Crawford are part of a pack of young American players who are being tutored by Lendl as well as USTA Player Development coaches Sylvain Guichard and Leo Azevedo here in Vero Beach. Lendl, a long-time Vero Beach resident, works as a consultant for the USTA when he is not working as the coach of world No. 1 Andy Murray. Players also serving in apprentice roles with Lendl this week are Vasil Kirkov of Tampa, Fla., a semifinalist at this event last year, Patrick Kypson of Raliegh, N.C., and Gianni Ross of Orlando, all of whom are playing in the main draw of the event.
Also advancing into Monday’s final round of qualifying was Ricardo Rodriquez of Venezuela who beat Brian Berdusco of Bradenton, Fla., 6-0, 6-0. Rodriguez, who has played Davis Cup for Venezuela 14 times in his career, incredibly has advanced into the final-round of qualifying without losing a game. After receiving a first-round bye, he defeated Zach Waldow of Alpharetta, Ga., also 6-0, 6-0 in the second round on Saturday
Part-time Vero Beach resident Daniel Garza of Mexico was defeated by Argentina’s Eduardo Agustin Torre 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 Monday. Vero Beach’s other local participant, Mauricio Resendiz of Mexico, also lost to Poland’s Dariusz Lipka 6-1, 6-4.
Christian Vinck, a 41-year-old management consultant from Germany here in Vero Beach on holiday, lost Lorenzo Joaquin Rodriguez of Argentina 6-3, 6-0. Vinck used to be a full-time professional player and reached the third round of Wimbledon in 2000. Twenty years ago, he defeated Andre Agassi in the final of the USTA Pro Circuit event in Las Vegas, Nev., when Agassi had his ranking plummet to No. 141 in the world, before his comeback to the No. 1 ranking.
The final round of qualifying will start at 10 am on Tuesday and will be followed the start of the main draw singles and doubles matches. All eight of first round doubles matches will be played Tuesday, highlighted by Wimbledon sensation from last summer Marcus Willis, and his partner, fellow Brit Josh Milton, playing Colin Johns of Laytonsville, Md., and Winston Lin of Williamsville, at about 5 pm. Willis will play his first round singles match against 16-year-old Ivan Yatsuk of Bradenton, Fla., the winner of last month’s wild card tournament at The Boulevard Club, on Wednesday after 5 pm.
Tuesday night’s feature match will see “King of the Hill” champion James Van Deinse of the Vero Beach Tennis Club and King of the Hills runner-up Mike Alford of Quail Valley Club, take on the No. 3 seeds Alex Centenari and Robert Galloway at 7 pm.
Connor Smith, the 2014 singles champion in Vero Beach, will be in the first main draw match on the Stadium at Grand Harbor, taking on Santiago Rodriguez Taverna of Argentina. Kypson will play the second Stadium match against Texas A&M Alum Shane Vinsant of Keller, Texas. Smith will return for the third match on Stadium in doubles with Australia’s Gavin van Peperzeel against Isaiah Strode and Miles Seemann of Santa Barbara, Calif., the winners of the event’s wild card doubles tournament over the weekend.
The full Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships tournament schedule is as follows. Tournament information can also be found at www.TennisVeroBeach.com
To see Tuesday’s full schedule, click here: https://www.usta.com/content/dam/usta/pdfs/20170424_VeroBeach_M_OP.pdf
To see all updated draws, click here: https://www.usta.com/en/home/pro/pro-tennis-events/men-s-tournament-information.html
Tuesday, April 25 – 10 am, Qualifying Finals, Noon, Main draw singles/doubles starts
Tuesday, April 25 – 7 pm, Feature Night Match – “King of the Hill” winner/runner-up James Van Deinse (Vero Beach Tennis Club), Mike Alford (Quail Valley) first-round doubles match
Wednesday, April 26 – Noon, Main draw singles/doubles continues
Wednesday, April 26 – 7 pm, Feature Night Match
Thursday, April 27 – Noon, Main draw singles/doubles continues
Thursday, April 27 – 7 pm, Feature Night Match (Taco and Margarita Night in Food Court)
Friday, April 28 – Noon, Main draw singles/doubles continues
Friday, April 28, – 3pm to 5 pm (Kids Day)
Friday, April 28 – 7 pm, Feature Night Match
Saturday, April 29 – Noon, Main draw singles semifinals
Sunday, April 30 – Noon, Singles and Doubles Finals
The Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships has been played in Vero Beach since 1995 and is regarded as one of the best entry-level professional tennis tournaments in the world. Proceeds from the event benefit the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation (www.MardyFishFoundation.com), the non-profit tennis foundation benefiting children, named for Vero Beach native son Mardy Fish, the former top 10 tennis star and a U.S. Davis Cup standout.
Advance tickets for the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships are available at www.VeroBeachTennisTickets.com. Season tickets for all 10 days of the competition are available for $100. Daily buy-one-get-one free tickets for the qualifying rounds April 21-24 are for sale for $10, with daily tickets for the main draw sessions April 25-30 for sale for $20. A special “Happy Hour” ticket is available for $10 after 5 pm for night sessions on Tuesday, April 25 – Friday, April 28 that includes a featured 7 pm night match. Admission for children 18 and under is free. Tickets are also sold at the front gate. Approximately 3,000 fans annually attend the event, which is seen as one of the best-attended events in the world on the “Futures” level of professional tennis tournaments. The 2016 event featured 13 players who played Davis Cup for their country and was won by Jonas Luetjen of Germany, who defeated Latvian Davis Cupper Martins Podzus in the final.
Some of the past competitors at the USTA Vero Beach Futures have gone on to succeed at the highest levels of professional tennis, winning major singles and doubles titles, Olympic medals and Davis Cup championships and earning No. 1 world rankings. Andy Roddick, the 2003 U.S. Open champion who attained the world No. 1 ranking and helped the United States win the Davis Cup in 2007, competed in Vero Beach in 1999. Thomas Johansson of Sweden, who reached the second round of the Vero Beach Futures in 1995, won the Australian Open seven years later in 2002. Nicolas Massu, the 1998 singles runner-up in Vero Beach, won the singles and doubles gold medals at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, beating Fish in the gold medal singles match. Kyle Edmund, the 2013 champion in Vero Beach, helped Great Britain to the Davis Cup title in 2015. Other notable former competitors in Vero Beach include former world No. 2 Magnus Norman, former world No. 4 Tim Henman, 2016 Wimbledon finalist Milos Raonic among others. Former Vero Beach competitors have combined to win 19 titles in singles, doubles and mixed doubles at Grand Slam tournaments. Six former Vero Beach players have gone on to play Davis Cup for the United States – Roddick, Fish, Taylor Dent, Jared Palmer, Donald Young and Ryan Harrison.
Corporate sponsors and donors for the 2017 tournament include PNC Bank, Boston Barricade, George E. Warren Corporation, Indian River Medical Center, Jake Owen Foundation, Syde Hurdus Foundation, Indian River Oxygen, Citrus Grillhouse, Coastal Van Lines, Rossway Swan, Publix, Ryan A. Jones and Associates, Tom Collins Insurance Agency, Vocap Partners, Riverside Café, Center Court Outfitters, David Walsh and Associates Real Estate, Peter Bernholz Family, John’s Island Real Estate, Gene Simonsen, Michael & Kathleen Pierce, Steve and Karen Rubin, Rob and Mickey Stein, William Barhorst, Dan Holman, John Klein, Mello Financial Services, Ocean Drive Elite Physiques, Rosato Plastic Surgery, Captain Hiram’s Resort, Absolute Protection Team, Minuteman Press, Technifibre, TeamChristopher.com, Fit for Life Strength, Diamond Resorts International, Wilson, Don Herrema and Lori Ford.
Founded in 2007, the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation (www.MardyFishFoundation.com and @MardyFishFound on Twitter) currently supports over 2,100 children in 15 elementary schools and six middle schools in Indian River County, Florida by providing after-school exercise, nutritional and enrichment programs in a safe environment to prepare them for healthy, productive and successful lives. The Foundation introduced the “Six Healthy Habits” in 2012 which are Get Sleep; Drink Water; Exercise Daily, Eat Healthy; Brush and Floss; Make Friends
