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Former U.S. Open Competitors Lead 2022 Entries To Mardy Fish Tennis At The Boulevard

Randy Walker · April 16, 2022 · Leave a Comment

VERO BEACH – Five players who have competed in the main draw in either singles or doubles at the U.S. Open tennis championships highlight the field of players scheduled to play in the $15,000 Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships to be held April 25-May 1 at The Boulevard Tennis Club.

John McNally of Cincinnati, Sekou Bangoura of Bradenton, Fla., and Martin Damm of Bradenton, Fla., all of whom have competed at the U.S. Open main draw in doubles, are among the leading entries into this entry-level professional tennis tournament that benefits the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation, created by Vero Beach native son and 2004 Olympic silver medalist Mardy Fish. Collin Altamirano of Sacramento, Calif., who competed in singles at the U.S. Open in 2013 and 2018, and Ryan Shane of Falls Church, Va., who played in singles in the 2015 U.S. Open, are on the entry list to compete in the qualifying rounds of the event.

“It’s exciting to have players who have already competed on our country’s grandest stage, the U.S. Open in New York, play here in Vero Beach at The Boulevard in our tournament this year,” said Tom Fish, President Emeritus of the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation and the father of Mardy Fish. “Every year, players who have competed in our event in Vero Beach have gone on to achieve great things around the world in tennis and this year will be no different. We are excited to host our enthusiastic, knowledgeable and appreciative fans whose patronage benefits such a great cause in our Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation, which benefits at-risk children in our community.”

McNally, a former standout at Ohio State University and the brother of WTA doubles standout Caty McNally, competed in the 2016 U.S. Open doubles tournament alongside J.J. Wolf, falling in the first round to Chris Guccione of Australia and Andre Sa of Brazil. Bangoura, who was also the singles and doubles runner-up in Vero Beach in 2019, played in the 2010 U.S. Open doubles tournament with Nathan Pasha, falling in the first round to Michael Kohlmann of Germany and Jarkko Nieminen of Finland. Damm, the son of 2006 U.S. doubles champion Martin Damm, Sr., advanced into the second round of the U.S. Open in doubles in 2019 alongside Toby Kodat, becoming the youngest men’s doubles team to win a U.S. Open match in the Open Era. They defeated Americans Mitchell Krueger and Tim Smyzcek in the first round before losing to French Open champions Kevin Krawietz and Andreas Mies of Germany.

Altamirano qualified for the U.S. Open in 2018, beating current top 30 player Lorenzo Sonego of Italy and former top 20 player Ivo Karlovic of Croatia en route, before losing to Ugo Hubert of France in the first round. He also played in the 2013 U.S. Open as the reigning USTA National Boy’s 18 champion, losing in the first round to Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany. Shane competed in the main draw of the 2015 U.S. Open after winning the NCAA singles title for the University of Virginia, losing in the first round in four sets to Jeremy Chardy of France.

Other leading Mardy Fish entries include several fan favorites from previous editions of the event including three-time Mardy Fish “wild card” event winner Matthew Segura of Apopka, Fla., the great nephew of tennis legend Pancho Segura, 2018 and 2021 Mardy Fish runner-up Ricardo Rodridugez of Venezuela and Liam Draxl of Canada, who was the No. 1 seed at the 2021 NCAA singles championship competing for the University of Kentucky and a semifinalist in Vero Beach in 2021.

Top-ranked American junior players Cooper Williams of New York, Nico Godsick of Chagrin Falls, Ohio (the son of two-time Olympic gold medalist Mary Joe Fernandez and Roger Federer’s agent Tony Godsick), Alex Bernard of Naples, Florida, current Easter Bowl champion Alex Michelsen of Aliso Viejo, Calif., and Nishesh Basavareddy of Carmel, Ind., are also scheduled to compete in the tournament.

After a two-year hiatus, daily tickets will once again be sold at the tournament and can be purchased for a 25 percent discount of $30 online at www.MardyFishChildrensFoundation.org. Tickets at the door will cost $40 per day. Reserved seating, season tickets and sponsorships are also available on the website or by contacting Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Executive Director Lynn Southerly at LSouth1072@gmail.com The tournament is returning to its traditional late April date after being held in October the last two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. All proceeds to the event benefit the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation, that benefits at-risk youth in Indian River County. The Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation is a U.S. Tennis Association Pro Circuit event that is part of the International Tennis Federation World Tennis Tour. In addition to prize money, competitors compete for ATP Tour ranking points at this entry-level professional event.

Founded in 2007, the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation (www.MardyFishChildrensFoundation.org and @MardyFishFound on Twitter) currently supports over 2,400 children in 15 elementary schools, six middle schools,  and several other community organizations 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. The Foundation introduced the “Six Healthy Habits” in 2012 which are Get Sleep; Drink Water; Exercise Daily, Eat Healthy; Brush and Floss; Make Friends.

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 and most recently new top 10 start Denis Shapovalov, who played in Vero Beach in 2016. Former Vero Beach competitors have combined to win 19 titles in singles, doubles and mixed doubles at Grand Slam tournaments. Eight former Vero Beach players have gone on to play Davis Cup for the United States – Roddick, Fish, Taylor Dent, Jared Palmer, Donald Young, Ryan Harrison, Frances Tiafoe and Tommy Paul.

Leading tournament sponsors for 2022 include Grand Slam Sponsors:  George E. Warren Corporation, The Jake Owen Foundation, John’s Island Real Estate, Tom Collins Insurance Agency, Cabana/Box Seat Sponsors: Michael and Kathleen Pierce, Gene Simonsen, John and Charlotte Klein, Peter and Maureen Lee,  Bob and Lace Milligan, Micky and Rob Stein, Bob and Emilie Burr, Lynn Southerly, John and Sara Marshall, John and Marie McConnell, Shirley Becker, Hadleigh Investments LLC, Peter and Ellen Kendall, Cliff Norris Real Estate LLC, Indian River Primary Care and Supporting Sponsors: Syde Hurdus Foundation, Mike and Meg Hickey/M&M Realty, Nalzarro Music, Hoskins, Turco, Lloyd & Lloyd, Center Court Outfitters, Foglia Contracting, Offfutt, Barton, Schlitt, Inc, Orchid Island Real Estate,  Joe and Gloria Papalardo, Linda Delaney, Dave and Nina Piacquad, Jaime Yordan, Katharine “Kissy” Russel,  Wilmington Trust, Rebecca Emmons, Linda Johnson, Anne Faunce, Kaye Manly,  Mark Thurn, Estee Brashears, Roby Pierce and Ron Hartwig, Matt Wynne, Willem and Marion DeVogel, Ron Chesley,  Dorothy Sprague and Bill Benedict, Dr. Collin Kitchell, Tim Palmer of Treasure Coast Tennis Association, Minuteman Press and The Boulevard Tennis Club.

John McNally
John McNally

Features, Vero Beach Champions Boulevard, ITF, Mardy Fish, US Open, USTA

“Right Now, This Is My U.S. Open” Says Donald Young After Winning Vero Beach Opener

Randy Walker · October 21, 2021 · Leave a Comment

“Right now, this is my U.S. Open,” said former top 40 ATP star Donald Young after his 6-2, 7-5 win over American teenager Jack Anthrop Wednesday night in the opening round of the $15,000 Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships at The Boulevard Tennis Club.

The win was the first in singles for the 32-year-old Young since April in the first round of qualifying at the Tallahassee Challenger. Prior to beating Anthrop, Young had lost has last nine pro singles matches. Once ranked as high as No. 38 in the world in 2017, Young, the former U.S. Olympic and Davis Cup team member has seen his ranking drop to No. 451, making it necessary to play at the $15,000 level on the ITF World Tennis Tour.

“This is awesome,” said Young after his emotional win Wednesday night in front of an appreciative Vero Beach crowd. “It’s nice to play in front of fans. Last year and earlier this year, there weren’t a lot of people allowed to watch. It’s an amazing feeling and makes it feel more normal.”

Young got on top early of the 17-year-old Anthrop, who does not have an ATP ranking but is ranked No. 26 in the ITF world junior rankings. Young appeared ready to close a relatively easy victory leading by a service break 4-3 in the second set, but suddenly made some unforced errors and hit some double faults and allowed Anthrop back in the match. Young held tough and broke Anthrop again at 5-5 before closing out the match.

“It got tense there,” admitted Young in his post-match interview that you can see here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWFMQjeKCP8 “I haven’t won many matches (lately) and I got a little nervous there up a break, but he started to be a lot more aggressive and go for his shots and was playing big-boy tennis. For me, to get through that and not get to a third set and live on to play another day and get matches and real reps is important.”

Young will next play not before 6 pm on Thursday night against American wild card Matthew Segura, who defeated 16-year-old qualifier Cooper Johnson of New York City and Boca Raton, Florida 1-6, 6-3, 6-1. With the win Segura, the great nephew of tennis Hall of Famer Pancho Segura, earned his first ATP singles ranking point. Segura is familiar to many tennis fans in Vero Beach as he has won the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships “wild card” tournament at the Sea Oaks Club in 2018, 2019 and 2020. The COVID pandemic began shortly after Segura’s “wild card” win at Sea Oaks in February of 2020 and since the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships was held only as an open UTR event later that year, and not an official ITF World Tennis Tour event, tournament directors Tom Fish and Randy Walker decided to still honor the wild card that Segura earned in 2020. Last October, in lieu of playing an official ITF World Tennis Tour event, the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation held their tournament as a Universal Tennis event for prize money, but not ATP ranking points. Segura also played in that event and reached the singles final before losing to Diego Hidalgo of Ecuador and earned his first-ever professional prize money paycheck.

Three other players earned their first ATP points with first round wins Wednesday, first by Diogo Marques of Portugal and Stetson University with a 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 win over former Texas A&M star A.J. Catanzariti. American wild card entry Benjamin Kittay defeated Credit Chaiyarin of Thailand 7-6(4), 6-4 to earn an ATP singles point and Michael Zheng of Montville, N.J., also a wild card entry, earned his first ATP singles point defeating Reece Falck of New Zealand 7-5, 6-1.

World No. 1 junior Jerry Shang of China upset the event’s No. 2 seed Damien Wenger of Switzerland 6-1, 6-4 in the opening match on Stadium court, which you can read about here: https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/sports/2021/10/20/shang-wins-mardy-fish-childrens-foundation-tennis-championships/8536351002/

Thursday’s schedule can be found here: https://www.itftennis.com/en/tournament/m15-vero-beach-fl/usa/2021/m-itf-usa-17a-2021/order-of-play/

Full results can be found below from Wednesday.

Juncheng SHANG (CHN) def. Damien WENGER (SUI) [2] 6-1 6-4

Ricardo RODRIGUEZ (VEN) def. Fletcher SCOTT (USA) 6-4 3-6 6-1

Diogo MARQUES (POR) A.J. CATANZARITI (USA) 2-6 6-3 6-3

Michael ZHENG (USA) def. Reece FALCK (NZL) 7-5 6-1

Ben SHELTON(USA) def. [4] Bruno KUZUHARA (USA) 7-5 7-6(9)

Liam DRAXL (CAN) [6] def. Alan KOHEN (ARG) 6-1 6-2

Loris POURROY (FRA) def. Federico BERTUCCIOLI (ITA) 6-4 6-0

Ezekiel CLARK (USA) def. JanMagnus JOHNSON (USA) 7-5 5-7 6-2

Duarte VALE (POR) [8] def. Toby MARTIN (GBR) 5-7 6-2 6-2

Juan Manuel BENITEZ (COL) def. Blu BAKER (GBR) 6-3 6-1

Blaise BICKNELL (JAM) def. Kiranpal PANNU (NZL) 7-5 6-1

Benjamin KITTAY (USA) def. Credit CHAIYARIN (THA) 7-6(4) 6-4

Donald YOUNG (USA) [1] def. Jack ANTHROP (USA) 6-2 7-5

Matthew SEGURA (USA) def. Cooper WILLIAMS (USA) 1-6 6-3 6-1

William BUSHAMUKA (USA) def. Tommaso CARNEVALE-MIINO (ITA) 6-3 7-5

Juan Ignacio GALARZA (ARG) def. Andres ANDRADE (ECU) 6-1 5-7 6-4

Donald Young and Jack Anthrop
Donald Young and Jack Anthrop

Features Donald Young, Mardy Fish, USTA, Vero Beach

Joseph van Deinse, Daniel Garza Get Their Shot At Mardy Fish Futures

Randy Walker · October 20, 2021 · Leave a Comment

Tuesday night at the $15,000 Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships is traditionally local doubles night. The tradition continued in 2021 with Vero Beach standouts Daniel Garza and  Joseph van Deinse.

Based on how the match schedule works out at $15,000 “Futures” events on the International Tennis Federation (ITF)  World Tennis Tour, the Tuesday schedule features first round play in doubles. Since the Vero Beach event is known for its crowds and enthusiastic fans, tournament directors Tom Fish and Randy Walker decided to have the Tuesday night schedule feature a local deserving team. Since 2015, the winner and runner-up at the annual “King of the Hill” tennis event have received a double wild card as a team and have played on Tuesday nights.

With Chase Perez-Blanco and Andrew Butz not able to cash in their wild card earned by finishing as the winner and runner-up at the annual “King of the Hill” tournament in February of 2020 before the pandemic due to Perez-Blanco’s wedding, Fish and Walker were able to slide Garza and van Deinse in this year’s draw as a last minute doubles wild card entry.

The Vero Beach duo faced world No. 294 doubles player Junior Ore and 2021 U.S. Open junior doubles quarterfinalist Ben Kittay and held their own in a respectable 6-0, 6-3 first-round loss.

Van Deinse, along with his brother James, own and run the Vero Beach Tennis Club, while Garza teaches locally and plays often against other top Vero Beach locals, including 1986 French Open runner-up Mikael Pernfors, during the weekly Tuesday night advanced men’s night at The Boulevard. Garza, a former Davis Cupper for Mexico, won the Vero Beach singles title ten years ago in 2011 on the very court at The Boulevard where he competed Tuesday night.

Cooper Williams, the 16-year-old originally from the Tribeca area of New York City now a resident of Boca Raton, Fla., was again the story of the day in singles play, upsetting top college player Ronnie Hohmann from LSU and Oyster Bay, N.Y. 7-5, 7-5 to reach the main draw of the event, a first for him at an ITF World Tennis Tour event. Juan Benitez of Colombia, the 2018 champion in Vero Beach, also advanced into the main draw with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Matthew Dellavedova of Australia. Benitez has won 11 of his last 12 matches, based on nine match wins playing pre-qualifying, qualifying and main draw play two weeks ago in Naples, Florida and two wins here in Vero Beach.

The full results from the final round of qualifying can be found below.

Wednesday’s play is headlined by former top 40 pro Donald Young, the No. 1 seed this week, taking on up-and-coming youngster Jack Anthrop in the featured night match at 6 pm. The full schedule for Wednesday can be found here: https://www.itftennis.com/en/tournament/m15-vero-beach-fl/usa/2021/m-itf-usa-17a-2021/order-of-play/

Vero Beach Doubles 2021
Joseph van Deinse, Daniel Garza, Junior Ore and Ben Kittay

Features Mardy Fish, USTA, Vero Beach

Donald Young Added To Mardy Fish Tennis Field

Randy Walker · October 17, 2021 · Leave a Comment

Donald Young, the talented left-handed former U.S. Olympic and Davis Cup team member, has been added to the singles field at the $15,000 Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships that begins Monday at The Boulevard Tennis Club. Young, who was ranked as high as No. 38 in the world, was added as a late wild card entry into Vero Beach’s annual pro tennis tournament, part of the International Tennis Federation (ITF) World Tennis Tour and U.S. Tennis Association Pro Circuit. Ranked as high as No. 38 in the world in 2017, Young is currently ranked No. 432 and will be the top-seed in this “minor league” pro tennis tournament. While Young was added to the Mardy Fish field, Ryan Harrison, also a former U.S. Olympian and Davis Cup team member and previously announced as the event’s headliner, withdrew from the event.

“It’s so exciting for our tournament that a player with the resume of Donald Young will be competing this year,” said Tom Fish, President Emeritus of the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation and the father of Mardy Fish. “It’s not every day that a player of Donald’s stature plays at this level of tournament, but it shows the dedication of love of the game that Donald has to return to the top levels of the sport. It’s very admirable of him. It’s a bit reminiscent when Andre Agassi dropped down to minor league events before he returned to the top of the game. We hope that Vero Beach can be a springboard for Donald for the future. I know fans in Vero Beach will appreciate having the opportunity to see him play.”

Young, 31, reached the fourth round twice at the U.S. Open, in 2011 and 2015, defeating future U.S., Australian and French Open Stan Wawrinka in a memorable and high-charged five-setter in 2011. He represented the U.S. at the Olympic Games in 2012 and was named to the U.S. Davis Cup team in 2014 and 2015. He reached two ATP singles finals, falling to Andy Murray in the Thailand Open final in 2011 and losing to Ivo Karlovic in the Delray Beach Open final in 2015.

Due to COVID protocols, limited seating is available via reserved tickets and sponsorships. No daily tickets are being sold. Those interested in reserved tickets or sponsorships can contact Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Executive Director Lynn Southerly at LSouth1072@gmail.com The tournament is traditionally held in late April but was postponed to October due to COVID-19.

Play beings Monday at Noon with the start of the qualifying round. Main draw doubles play begins Tuesday and main draw singles play starts Wednesday.

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 and most recently new top 10 start Denis Shapovalov, who played in Vero Beach in 2016. Former Vero Beach competitors have combined to win 19 titles in singles, doubles and mixed doubles at Grand Slam tournaments. Eight former Vero Beach players have gone on to play Davis Cup for the United States – Roddick, Fish, Taylor Dent, Jared Palmer, Donald Young, Ryan Harrison, Frances Tiafoe and Tommy Paul.

Founded in 2007, the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation (www.MardyFishChildrensFoundation.org and @MardyFishFound on Twitter) currently supports over 2,400  children in 15 elementary schools, six middle schools,  and several other community organizations 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. The Foundation introduced the “Six Healthy Habits” in 2012 which are Get Sleep; Drink Water; Exercise Daily, Eat Healthy; Brush and Floss; Make Friends.

Leading tournament sponsors for 2021 include Presenting Sponsor: PNC Bank, Grand Slam Sponsors: Boston Barricade, George E. Warren Corporation, The Jake Owen Foundation, John’s Island Real Estate, Tom Collins Insurance, Cabana/Box Seat Sponsors: Michael and Kathleen Pierce, Gene Simonsen, John and Charlotte Klein, Peter and Maureen Lee, John’s Island Real Estate, Wilmington Trust, Bob and Lace Milligan, Micky and Rob Stein, Bob and Emilie Burr, Lynn Southerly, John and Sara Marshall, John and Marie McConnell, Shirley Becker, Hadleigh Investments and Supporting Sponsors: Syde Hurdus Foundation, Mike and Meg Hickey/The M&M Group, Nalzarro Music, Flat Rock Global, LLC, Hoskins, Turco, Lloyd & Lloyd, Kitchens by Design, Diamond Resorts, Center Court Outfitters, Foglia Contracting, Offfutt, Barton, Schlitt, Inc, Joe and Gloria Papalardo, Dave and Nina Piacquad, Baerbel O’Haire, Dr. Curtis Dalili, Line Ory, Rebecca Emmons, Linda Johnson, Pene Chambers, Felicia Payton, Kaye Manly, Kathy Silloway, Willem and Marion DeVogel, Ron Chesley, Dr. Collin Kitchell and Minuteman Press.

Donald Young
Donald Young

Features Donald Young, Mardy Fish, USTA, Vero Beach

Former Olympian, Davis Cupper, French Open Doubles Champ Ryan Harrison Leads 2021 Mardy Fish Tennis Entries

Randy Walker · October 9, 2021 · Leave a Comment

Former French Open doubles champion and U.S. Olympic and Davis Cup team member Ryan Harrison is among the leading entries in the $15,000 Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships to be held October 18-24 at The Boulevard Tennis Club.

Harrison is among the 18 confirmed main draw singles player to date who will compete in Vero Beach’s annual professional tennis tournament that is part of the International Tennis Federation’s World Tennis Tour and the U.S. Tennis Association’s Pro Circuit. The tournament serves as the largest fundraiser for the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation, the non-profit organization founded by Vero Beach native Mardy Fish, the former top 10 tennis star, 2004 Olympic silver medalist and the current U.S. Davis Cup captain.

Harrison, 29, was a member of the 2012 U.S. Olympic tennis team and the U.S. Davis Cup team in 2012 and 2018. He won the 2017 French Open doubles title with Michael Venus as the highlight of his five career ATP singles and doubles titles to date, also winning the ATP singles title in Memphis in 2017. Harrison has played in 29 Grand Slam main draw singles tournaments in his career, reaching the third round at the U.S. Open in 2016 and the Australian Open in 2018. He ranked as high as No. 40 in the ATP rankings in 2017, but has seen his ranking fall to a current ranking of No. 475, due to injuries and limited playing opportunities due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The No. 2 leading entry is No. 476-ranked Patrick Kypson of Raleigh, N.C., the winner of the 2017 USTA National Boy’s 18 Championships who competed in the main draw of the 2017 U.S. Open and played for one season for Texas A&M. Also in the field is University of Florida standout Ben Shelton of Gainesville, Fla., who clinched the NCAA team title for the Gators last May playing for his father, Florida head coach Bryan Shelton. During the U.S. Open qualifying tournament in August, ESPN’s Brad Gilbert predicted Shelton would be in the top 100 in the world within three years.

Other leading entries include Liam Draxl of Canada, who was the No. 1 seed at the 2021 NCAA singles championship competing for the University of Kentucky, Juncheng Shang of China, the singles runner-up at the 2021 U.S. Open junior championships, and Evan Zhu of Ann Arbor, Mich., the 2018 NCAA doubles champion at UCLA. The tournament will also feature several fan favorites from previous editions of the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships including 2018 champion Juan Benitez of Colombia, 2016 semifinalist Vasil Kirkov of Tampa, Fla., 2018 semifinalist Strong Kircheimer of Cary, N.C., three-time Mardy Fish wild card event winner Matthew Segura of Apopka, Fla., the great nephew of tennis legend Pancho Segura, and 2018 runner-up Ricardo Rodridugez of Venezuela, who is fresh off playing Davis Cup for his country last month against South Africa at the historic West Side Tennis Club at Forest Hills.

“This is the best player field this tournament has had since it started in 1995,” said co-Tournament Director Tom Fish, the President Emeritus of the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation and the father of Mardy Fish. “To have in our field a player like Ryan Harrison, with a resume that includes a Grand Slam doubles title, along with many talented young players who have won and contended for junior Grand Slam tournament titles, USTA National Championships and NCAA Championships, makes the anticipation for this event as high as it has ever been.”

Due to COVID protocols, limited seating is available via reserved tickets and sponsorships. No daily tickets are being sold. Those interested in reserved tickets or sponsorships can contact Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Executive Director Lynn Southerly at LSouth1072@gmail.com The tournament is traditionally held in late April but was postponed to October due to COVID-19.

“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to once again host this event at The Boulevard in continued challenging times,” said Southerly. “Unfortunately, we are only able to accommodate event sponsors and those who buy reserved seats for the entire tournament as spectators due to COVID protocols with the condensed player and fan areas at the event. All proceeds for the event benefit the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation so at-risk children in Indian River County will be the real winners at our event this year.”

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 and most recently new top 10 start Denis Shapovalov, who played in Vero Beach in 2016. Former Vero Beach competitors have combined to win 19 titles in singles, doubles and mixed doubles at Grand Slam tournaments. Eight former Vero Beach players have gone on to play Davis Cup for the United States – Roddick, Fish, Taylor Dent, Jared Palmer, Donald Young, Ryan Harrison, Frances Tiafoe and Tommy Paul.

Founded in 2007, the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation (www.MardyFishChildrensFoundation.org and @MardyFishFound on Twitter) currently supports over 2,400  children in 15 elementary schools, six middle schools,  and several other community organizations 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. The Foundation introduced the “Six Healthy Habits” in 2012 which are Get Sleep; Drink Water; Exercise Daily, Eat Healthy; Brush and Floss; Make Friends.

Leading tournament sponsors for 2021 include Presenting Sponsor: PNC Bank, Grand Slam Sponsors: Boston Barricade, George E. Warren Corporation, The Jake Owen Foundation, John’s Island Real Estate, Tom Collins Insurance, Cabana/Box Seat Sponsors: Michael and Kathleen Pierce, Gene Simonsen, John and Charlotte Klein, Peter and Maureen Lee, John’s Island Real Estate, Wilmington Trust, Bob and Lace Milligan, Micky and Rob Stein, Bob and Emilie Burr, Lynn Southerly, John and Sara Marshall, John and Marie McConnell, Shirley Becker, Hadleigh Investments and Supporting Sponsors: Syde Hurdus Foundation, Mike and Meg Hickey/The M&M Group, Nalzarro Music, Flat Rock Global, LLC, Hoskins, Turco, Lloyd & Lloyd, Kitchens by Design, Diamond Resorts, Center Court Outfitters, Foglia Contracting, Offfutt, Barton, Schlitt, Inc, Joe and Gloria Papalardo, Dave and Nina Piacquad, Baerbel O’Haire, Dr. Curtis Dalili, Line Ory, Rebecca Emmons, Linda Johnson, Pene Chambers, Felicia Payton, Kaye Manly, Kathy Silloway, Willem and Marion DeVogel, Ron Chesley, Dr. Collin Kitchell and Minuteman Press.

Ryan Harrison
Ryan Harrison

Features Davis Cup, ITF, Mardy Fish, Ryan Harrison, USTA, Vero Beach

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28 Jan

Mardy Fish Wins At Lake Nona....In Pro Celebrity Golf! (Again!) https://tennisverobeach.com/index.php/2023/01/28/mardy-fish-wins-at-lake-nona-in-pro-celebrity-golf-again/ via @tennisverobeach

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28 Jan

76-Year-Old Competes At Vero Beach International Women's Pro Event At Grand Harbor https://tennisverobeach.com/index.php/2023/01/28/76-year-old-competes-at-vero-beach-international-womens-pro-event-at-grand-harbor/ via @tennisverobeach

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tennisverobeach TennisVeroBeach @tennisverobeach ·
28 Jan

Young kids enjoying tennis at the Sally Wilkey Foundation tennis camp at Vero Beach Tennis & Fitness a club at Timber Ridge

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