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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.

Riverside Park-Based Tennis Program Receives U.S. Tennis Association Support

Randy Walker · July 16, 2021 · Leave a Comment

The USTA Foundation, the charitable arm of the United States Tennis Association Incorporated (USTA), has awarded grants totaling more than $1,070,000 to 105 National Junior Tennis & Learning chapters (NJTL) in 36 states and the District of Columbia. The grants are designated to support under-resourced youth through tennis and education programs designed to improve health, build character and strive for academic excellence. This is an initial investment as the USTA Foundation will award approximately $4 million in grants in 2021.

Among those receiving grants was the Treasure Coast Tennis Association in Vero Beach, Florida. The NJTL chapter, run by former Baylor University men’s and women’s tennis coach Tim Palmer, is the organization that executes the youth tennis programming on behalf of the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation, the charitable foundation of the U.S. Davis Cup captain and former top 10 star. The Treasure Coast Tennis Association conducts most of its tennis programming at Vero Beach’s beautiful Riverside Park tennis complex, the public park which is the site of where Fish first began to learn the game with his father Tom Fish.

These grants, targeted towards community programs designated by the 105 NJTL chapters, are anticipated to support 60,000 youth participants at the selected chapters, including 30,000 who are estimated to pick up a racquet for the first time. In total, these chapters will offer more than 56,000 hours of education and 95,000 hours of tennis activities, including the creation and expansion of after-school and summer camp programs. The USTA Foundation also designated $100,000 of the grants towards 20 new NJTL network members.

“We’re thrilled to provide grants to help these NJTL chapters fund their essential programming for under-resourced children during these difficult economic times,” said USTA Foundation President Kathleen Wu. “These grants are a reflection of the tremendously impactful work that NJTL chapters do every day in local communities.”

Cycle 1 grants cover the first of two annual grant periods. Applications for Cycle 2 grants will open on Aug. 2, with Cycle 2 grants ranging from $2,500 to $40,000. Selection is based on each NJTL’s stated goals, including the number of youth, implementation of educational curricula, mentoring, social-emotional learning, and improved tennis delivery using USTA on-court resources.

The USTA Foundation also recently launched the Rally for the Future campaign, the largest single fundraising campaign in USTA Foundation history with a $20 million target over the next three years. Rally for the Future is targeted towards planning and building the future strength of NJTL chapters, which are supported by the USTA Foundation. NJTL chapters provide free or low-cost tennis and education programming for more than 160,000 under-resourced youth across the country in over 250 diverse communities to ensure all children have equal access to participate in the sport.

CLICK HERE TO SEE A FULL LIST OF GRANT RECIPIENTS

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USTA Foundation Incorporated (USTAF or USTA Foundation), the national charitable arm of the United States Tennis Association Incorporated (USTA), utilizes the powerful combination of tennis and education to enhance the lives of under-resourced youth through its support of the National Junior Tennis & Learning (NJTL) network. For more than 50 years, NJTL has impacted thousands of youth across the nation, and today the network features more than 250 chapters that reach more than 160,000 young people annually. The USTAF supports these chapters by providing financial grants, scholarship opportunities, curricula, technical assistance, and training. USTAF raises money and public awareness through private donations, corporate sponsorships, foundations, and fundraisers, including the US Open Opening Night Gala, the US Open Paver program, and various Pro-Ams, to name just a few. To date, the USTA Foundation has awarded more than $50 million in grants and scholarships. For more information on the USTA Foundation, visit www.ustafoundation.com, or stay connected through Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok (at @USTA)

Some Players Advance, Some Wait To Finish Due To Rain At Mardy Fish Tennis – 10 AM Start Thursday

manfr3dw · May 2, 2019 · 84 Comments

Rain washed away most of the afternoon and evening play Wednesday at the $25,000 Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championship causing tournament officials to start play at 10 am on Thursday – two hours earlier than previously planned – in an effort to get back on schedule. The full schedule of play for Thursday can be found here: https://www.usta.com/content/dam/usta/pdfs/20190429_VeroBeach_M_OP.pdf

After a three-hour rain delay Wednesday, Paul Oosterbaan needed just two more points to advance into the second round before the hard rains returned. It took just three minutes for the 6-foot-8 Oosterbaan to seal the deal with one of his trademark booming serves as he finished off Great Britain’s Jack Findel-Hawkins 6-2, 7-6 (3) under the lights at The Boulevard tennis club.

“It’s nice to walk away with a win but it was tough waiting around for awhile but I’m excited to move on to tomorrow,’’ said Oosterbaan, who left the University of Georgia after his sophomore season to pursue a professional tennis career. “I tried not to think about leading 5-1 in the tiebreaker and just think about the point coming up we had to play. Luckily, I won my service point.’’

Oosterbaan, 23, ranked No. 682, has been training across the street from The Boulevard at Grand Harbor club. Despite facing a hostile crowd Tuesday night he and partner Andrew Watson edged Vero Beach locals Chase Perez-Blanco and Andrew Butz, 6-2, 4-6 (10-8).

“It was a fun night, big crowd, and a great atmosphere to play in.’’

It had to be far worse for Findel-Hawkins, 24, who waited three hours just to lose.

“I played a scratchy match anyway,’’ the 678th-ranked Findel-Hawkins said.
When Nicolas Mejia of Colombia made it through qualifiers and reached the quarterfinals of the Mardy Fish tournament last year he was still a junior. He ran into eventual Fish champion Juan Benitez in the quarters. A year later Mejia returns a 19-year-old man beginning his professional career.

Mejia, who trains in Bradenton with IMG, used some of that experience during a three-hour rain delay after splitting sets (and 1-1 in the third) against Japan’s Naoki Nakagawa. Serving at 5-3, Mejia was broken but broke right back and converted match point by having to hit two feathery drop shots during the final rally.

“I’m really lucky I travel with a lot of friends at IMG,’’ said Mejia, who won the Grade 1 Eddie Herr Junior Championships last year while reaching the semifinals of Junior Wimbledon, the quarterfinals of the Junior French Open and the round of 16 at the Junior U.S. Open. “We are lucky to have each other. It’s really fun.’’

Still waiting to play his first-round match Wednesday night was Benitez, who has since returned to Baylor University to pursue his degree in communications. Benitez, 23, ranked 608, has decided the gypsy-like existence is no longer right for him.

While Benitez has won at least three Future events, he has never played in the main draw of a ‘major league’ ATP-sanctioned event.
“It’s time to live a more stable lifestyle. It’s been fun traveling to 15 to 20 countries, but I want to get my degree and settle down. I have so many stories,’’ said Benitez of Colombia.

Also anxious to play his first-round match was 16-year-old Zachary Svajda, the youngest competitor in the tournament. The rain pushed back his match against fellow qualifier Dragos Constantin Ignat of Romania. Ignat, 26, manages a tennis club in East Hampton, N.Y., and is trying to get his career back on track after a litany of injuries, including shoulder surgery and severe migraines accompanied by vertigo.

Svajda, whose father is from the Czech Republic, eschews most junior tournaments, and prefers to play on the ITF circuit. He did post a big junior win in Carson, Calif., earlier this year.

Although the Dominican Republic is well known for churning out Major League All-Star baseball players, several athletes from the idyllic Caribbean island prefer a fuzzy yellow ball to the stitched cowhide variety.

Dominican Jose Olivares swung a formidable racket rather than a baseball bat as he bounced back from a first-set thrashing to vanquish hard-hitting qualifier Baker Newman 2-6, 6-1, 6-2 to advance to the second round.
Fellow Dominican, 580th-ranked Nick Hardt, 18, was unable to finish off his rain-delayed match with with 320th-ranked Maksim Tikhomirov of Philadelphia. Another downpour came at 8:25 p.m. All the doubles matches were postponed until Thursday.

Olivares’ reward for his first-round victory in the 25th-running of this newly dubbed $25,000 ITF World Tennis Tour event was a second-round meeting with top-seeded Pedro Sakamoto, who happens to be his doubles partner this week. Sakamoto, a Brazilian with a Japanese mother and Hawaiian grandfather, cruised past Isaac Stoute of Great Britain, 6-4, 6-2 on Stadium Court.

“I played baseball when I was about 12, but my uncle taught me tennis, so I preferred that and basketball over baseball,’’ smiled the 22-year-old Olivares, now ranked 670th. “[Sakamoto] is a good player but I’m confident in me. I will concentrate on the doubles and then talk to my coach about strategy against him and concentrate on that tomorrow.’’

Olivares’ coach Gustavo Granitto, who trains his disciple in South Florida (Pembroke Pines), said young Dominicans are riding the wave left by countryman Victor Estrella Burgos, who was the first Dominican to play in a Grand Slam at age 34 when he reached the third round of the U.S. Open in 2014. He was also the first to crack the Top 100 and reached a career-high 43 in 2015, while winning three ATP titles, all in Ecuador.

“They saw Estrella and they wanted to follow,’’ Granitto said. “They know their stuff and are working hard.’’

Newman, 23, has honed his strokes in Miami where he was a five-time state champion for Gulliver Academy before a standout career at Vanderbilt University. However, Newman and his older brother Spencer, play Davis Cup for the Bahamas, the birthplace of their father, Eric.

Sakamoto, 25, is enjoying a breakthrough season, having reached the finals of a $15,000 ITF event in Naples in January, winning a $15,000 ITF in Argentina last month as well as another finals berth in an ATP Challenger in Mexico. He appreciates being the top seed but also isn’t thrilled to have a target on his back.

“It’s a pleasure but everybody is against you and wants to beat the top seed,’’ said 382nd-ranked Sakamoto, who’s proficient in Portuguese, Spanish and English, but not Japanese. “All tournaments are hard, and everyone is playing good, so I have to look at each match and keep working for it.’’

A few weeks ago Sakamoto ousted 100th-ranked Alexander Bublik and earlier this year took out Carlos Berlocq, who was ranked 37th in 2012.

“I’ve been struggling in Futures and Challengers for the past 5-6 years, but this year has been quite different,’’ he said. “I started well in the U.S., reaching a final of a $15,000. I don’t know what happened, but I’ve been playing better and better, and now I’m enjoying tennis more this year. My main goal this year is to play in qualifying of Grand Slams. That’s the first step, and after that work hard to get into the Top 100.’’

The Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships 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, the non-profit tennis foundation benefiting children, named for Vero Beach native son Mardy Fish, the former top 10 tennis star and the current U.S. Davis Cup captain. The event will be held April 29 – May 5 at The Boulevard tennis club in Vero Beach.

Tournament tickets and sponsorships for the event can be purchased at www.MardyFishChildrensFoundation.org Daily tickets for the April 29-May 5 are $20, with “night session” tickets starting at 5 pm from April 29 – May 4 costing $10. Season tickets for every session of the event are $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 Tfish10s@aol.com or Randy Walker at RWalker@NewChapterMedia.com Approximately 3,000 fans annually attend the event, which is seen as one of the best-attended entry-level professional events in the world.

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 world No. 50 player and teen sensation 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. Seven 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 and Frances Tiafoe.

Founded in 2007, the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation (www.MardyFishFoundation.com and @MardyFishFound on Twitter) currently supports over 2,200 children in 15 elementary schools, six middle schools and two after school centers 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.

The tournament schedule is as follows:

Thursday, May 2
Main Draw Singles & Doubles – The Boulevard Tennis Club, 10 AM, 5 pm, 6:45 pm

Friday, May 3
Main Draw Singles & Doubles – The Boulevard Tennis Club, Noon, 5 pm, 6:45 pm

Saturday, May 4

Singles Semifinals, Doubles TBD – The Boulevard Tennis Club, Noon, 5 pm
Sunday, May 5

Singles Final – The Boulevard Tennis Club, 1 pm
Doubles TBD

Tournament sponsors for 2019 include Presenting Sponsor PNC Bank, Grand Slam Sponsors Boston Barricade, George E. Warren Corporation and the Jake Owen Foundation, Cabana/Box Seat Sponsors John’s Island Real Estate, John Klein, Gene Simonsen, TeamChristopher.com, Dan Holman, Hadleigh Investments, Pene Chambers / Lynn Southerly, Lace and Bob Milligan / Mickey and Rob Stein, William Barhorst, CPA, Michael and Kathleen Pierce, The Pitcher Family, Shirley Becker, Scoreboard Sponsor Fit for Life / Syde Hurdus Foundation Backhand Sponsors Vero Beach Magazine, Rossway Swan, Nalzaro Music, Coastal Van Lines, Diamond Resorts International, Forehand Sponsors Karen and Steve Rubin, Mike and Meg Hickey / Premier Estate Properties, Shaklee / Suzie Sunkel, Indian River Animal Hospital – Charles B. Johnson, DVM, Marjorie Johnson, DVM, MS, DAVP, Serve Sponsors Cravings, Bistro Fourchette, Willem and Marion DeVogel, Foglia Custom Homes Topspin Sponsors Alex MacWilliam Real Estate, Eternal Water, Kit Fields Realtor, Patrick Williams / Tom Collins Insurance, Riverside Café, MinuteMan Press, Center Court Tennis Outfitters, Drop Shot Sponsors Treasure Coast Financial Planning, Inc., Peter and Judith Saidel, Deb Benjamin, Paul & Linda Delaney, Stewart Dunn, Susan Flannery (Aluma Tower), Tom Flannery (Malesardi, Quackenbush, Swift and Company LLC, Jim & Suzi Keegan, Don Moyle, Dee Patberg, Fran Smyrk (Treasure Coast Sotheby’s), Gary & Beth Williams, ABCO Garage Door Company, Inc., Barker Air Conditioning & Heating, Busy Bee Lawn & Garden Center, Coastal Comforts at the Village Shops, Colton, Williams & Reamy, CPAs, Complete Electric, Inc., Complete Restaurant Equipment, LLC, Glacier Clear Pool Service, Jack’s Complete Tree Service, Inc., Jimmy’s Tree Services, Ken’s Pool Service, ML Engineering, Inc., Nozzle Nolen, Inc., O’Haire, Quinn, Casalino, Chartered, Rich Look Lawn Care, Rick’s Custom Care, Statewide Condominium Insurance, Steve Supplee Construction LLC, Summit Construction of Vero Beach, LLC, Sunshine Furniture, White Glove Moving & Storage and Wilco Construction, Inc.

Mardy Fish Tennis Kicks Off With Pre-Qualifying At The Boulevard Tennis Club

manfr3dw · April 25, 2019 · Leave a Comment

James Van Deinse, Vero Beach High School’s tennis coach who runs the Vero Beach Tennis Club with his family, registered one of the biggest wins of his competitive tennis career Wednesday night holding on to defeat Brian Battistone 6-3, 7-5 to advance into the quarterfinals of the pre-qualifying tournament for the $25,000 Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships at The Boulevard tennis club.
Van Deinse served for the match three times against Battistone, finally closing out the win on his third attempt to defeat the former top 100 ATP ranked doubles player known for this double-handled racquet, volleyball-style jump serve and ambidexterous style. Van Deinse served for the match at 5-2 and 5-4 in the second set and came back from 0-40 down on his serve while serving for the match at 6-5, winning the last five points of the match.
Van Deinse will pay Chris Rosensteel of East Windsor, N.J. at 12:30 pm Thursday at The Boulevard in the quarterfinals. Rosensteel upset No. 7 seed Quinn Snyder of Delran, N.J., 6-7 (7), 6-2, (10-6) to advance into the quarterfinals.
The other three quarterfinals are scheduled for 1 pm on Thursday with top-seed Magnus Johnson of Naples, Florida taking on No. 5 seed Jack Vance of Las Vegas, No. 2 seed Christian Vinck of Germany talking on No. 8 seed John Mullane of White Lake, Michigan and No. 6 seed Tommi Carnevale-Miino of Italy taking on Juan Mateus of Edmond, Okla. Admission is free for fans.
This event features 32 players who are competing for the right to earn one position into the qualifying rounds of this International Tennis Federation (ITF) World Tennis Tour event that is part of the U.S. Tennis Association’s Competitive Pathway. The qualifying tournament, which was reduced from a four-day 128-player event in previous years to a two-day 32-player event this year, will be played Monday, April 29 and Tuesday, April 30, prior to the start of the main draw of the tournament.
The top-seeded Johnson, 18, lost only one game in his first and second round matches played Tuesday. In the first round, he defeated Eric Oncins, the son of former Brazilian Davis Cup and Olympic team standout Jaime Oncins, by a 6-1, 6-0 margin. Oncins was inserted into the draw earlier that morning as an alternate after Vero Beach High School standout Emilio van Cotthem withdrew with tendinitis in his right wrist.
“I didn’t know his father was a former top-40 player,” said Johnson upon learning that his first-round opponent was the son of a former Olympic quarterfinalist. “I heard him speaking with one of the spectators before the match but didn’t realize that. That’s pretty cool.”
Johnson said he was sick the previous night and was not pleased with his performance, despite only giving up one game in two matches. “I haven’t been feeling the greatest on the court today,” he said. “I just tried to do the best I could and hope to get another match and keep building on that.”
The second-seeded Vinck gave up only five games in two matches Wednesday to reach the quarterfinals. The 43-year-old Germany was once ranked No. 101 in the world and reached the third round at Wimbledon in 2000, but still feeds his competitive nature by competing in this tournament every year while on vacation from his job as a management consultant. He is perhaps best known in the history of tennis as the player who defeated Andre Agassi in the final of the 1997 USTA Challenger in Agassi’s hometown of Las Vegas during Agassi’s comeback from his ranking dropping to No. 141 in the world.
Mullane, a former All-American for Michigan State University, has played one main draw win at a “Futures” event under his belt and he is seeking a chance to fight for another one here at Vero Beach. He lost only two games in two matches Wednesday, delivering a double bagel versus Peyton Hickman of Bay Minette, Alabama in the first round, followed by a 6-2, 6-0 win over Bruno Nunes of Montverde, Florida.
Jack Vance, best known in Vero Beach for reaching the singles final of the Mardy Fish main draw wild card tournament at the Sea Oaks Club in 2018, won his first two matches Wednesday in straight sets, while Carnevale-Miino defeated John McEnroe Academy student Lazar Markovic 6-2, 6-3 in the first round and Bernardo Costa of Montverde, Florida 6-1, 6-0 in the second round. In the match of the day, Juan Mateus of Edmond, Oklahoma saved a match point in his upset of No. 4 seed Kyle Johnson, a member of El Salvador’s Davis Cup team, 1-6, 7-6 (5), (13-11) to reach the quarterfinals.
Play in the main draw doubles wild card event will also start Thursday with matches starting at 3 pm. Schedule and draw and results can be found on the UTR website here: https://www.myutr.com/events/3744?t=2
The Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships 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, the non-profit tennis foundation benefiting children, named for Vero Beach native son Mardy Fish, the former top 10 tennis star and the current U.S. Davis Cup captain. The event will be held April 29 – May 5 at The Boulevard tennis club in Vero Beach.
Tournament tickets and sponsorships for the event can be purchased at www.MardyFishChildrensFoundation.org Daily tickets for the April 29-May 5 are $20, with “night session” tickets starting at 5 pm from April 29 – May 4 costing $10. Season tickets for every session of the event are $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 Approximately 3,000 fans annually attend the event, which is seen as one of the best-attended entry-level professional events in the world.
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 world No. 50 player and teen sensation 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. Seven 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 and Frances Tiafoe.
Founded in 2007, the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation (www.MardyFishFoundation.com and @MardyFishFound on Twitter) currently supports over 2,200 children in 15 elementary schools, six middle schools and two after school centers 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.
The tournament schedule is as follows:
Thursday, April 25 – Friday, April 26
Pre-Qualifying Tournament – The Boulevard Tennis Club, Times TBD (Free to public)
Sunday, April 28
Pro-Am – Sea Oaks Tennis Club, 1:30 – 3:30 pm
Kick-off Party – The Boulevard Tennis Club, 5:30 – 8:30 pm
Monday, April 29
Qualifying Tournament Begins – The Boulevard Tennis Club, Noon, 5 pm, 6:45 pm
Tuesday, April 30
Qualifying Tournament Ends, Main Draw Beings – The Boulevard Tennis Club, Noon, 5 pm, 6:45 pm
Wednesday, May 1
Main Draw Singles & Doubles – The Boulevard Tennis Club, Noon, 5 pm, 6:45 pm
Thursday, May 2
Main Draw Singles & Doubles – The Boulevard Tennis Club, Noon, 5 pm, 6:45 pm
Friday, May 3
Main Draw Singles & Doubles – The Boulevard Tennis Club, Noon, 5 pm, 6:45 pm
Saturday, May 4
Singles Semifinals, Doubles Final – The Boulevard Tennis Club, Noon, 5 pm
Sunday, May 5
Singles Final – The Boulevard Tennis Club, 1 pm
Tournament sponsors for 2019 include Presenting Sponsor PNC Bank, Grand Slam Sponsors Boston Barricade, George E. Warren Corporation and the Jake Owen Foundation, Cabana/Box Seat Sponsors John’s Island Real Estate, John Klein, Gene Simonsen, TeamChristopher.com, Dan Holman, Hadleigh Investments, Pene Chambers / Lynn Southerly, Lace and Bob Milligan / Mickey and Rob Stein, William Barhorst, CPA, Michael and Kathleen Pierce, The Pitcher Family, Shirley Becker, Scoreboard Sponsor Fit for Life / Syde Hurdus Foundation Backhand Sponsors Vero Beach Magazine, Rossway Swan, Nalzaro Music, Coastal Van Lines, Diamond Resorts International, Forehand Sponsors Karen and Steve Rubin, Mike and Meg Hickey / Premier Estate Properties, Shaklee / Suzie Sunkel, Indian River Animal Hospital – Charles B. Johnson, DVM, Marjorie Johnson, DVM, MS, DAVP, Serve Sponsors Cravings, Bistro Fourchette, Willem and Marion DeVogel, Foglia Custom Homes Topspin Sponsors Alex MacWilliam Real Estate, Eternal Water, Kit Fields Realtor, Patrick Williams / Tom Collins Insurance, Riverside Café, MinuteMan Press, Center Court Tennis Outfitters, Drop Shot Sponsors Treasure Coast Financial Planning, Inc., Peter and Judith Saidel, Deb Benjamin, Paul & Linda Delaney, Stewart Dunn, Susan Flannery (Aluma Tower), Tom Flannery (Malesardi, Quackenbush, Swift and Company LLC, Jim & Suzi Keegan, Don Moyle, Dee Patberg, Fran Smyrk (Treasure Coast Sotheby’s), Gary & Beth Williams, ABCO Garage Door Company, Inc., Barker Air Conditioning & Heating, Busy Bee Lawn & Garden Center, Coastal Comforts at the Village Shops, Colton, Williams & Reamy, CPAs, Complete Electric, Inc., Complete Restaurant Equipment, LLC, Glacier Clear Pool Service, Jack’s Complete Tree Service, Inc., Jimmy’s Tree Services, Ken’s Pool Service, ML Engineering, Inc., Nozzle Nolen, Inc., O’Haire, Quinn, Casalino, Chartered, Rich Look Lawn Care, Rick’s Custom Care, Statewide Condominium Insurance, Steve Supplee Construction LLC, Summit Construction of Vero Beach, LLC, Sunshine Furniture, White Glove Moving & Storage and Wilco Construction, Inc.

Kyle Johnson of Charlotte, NC competes at The Boulevard

Players From Five Continents To Play In Mardy Fish Pro Tennis At The Boulevard

manfr3dw · April 24, 2019 · Leave a Comment

Players from five continents, including former University of Florida All-American Sekou Bangoura, all-time leading Venezuelan Davis Cupper Ricardo Rodriguez, Zimbabwe Davis Cupper Takanyi Garanganga and Kazakhstan Davis Cupper Dmitry Popko, highlight the field of direct entries into the $25,000 Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships April 29 – May 5 at The Boulevard tennis club in Vero Beach.
The event is being held for a 25th straight year in Vero Beach and is part of the International Tennis Federation World Tennis Tour and part of the U.S. Tennis Association’s Competitive Pathway. This year marks the first year the event has been elevated to a $25,000-level tournament. In the previous 24 years of the event, it was a $10,000 or $15,000 level competition.
“Tennis has never been as globally popular as it is now and this is reflective in our fascinating singles field of players from literally every corner of the world,” said Tom Fish, co-tournament director and President of the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation. “We encourage everyone in the Vero Beach area to come watch these amazingly talented international tennis players compete while supporting the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation that benefits at-risk youth in Indian River County. This is the 25th year of this tournament, which is the premier international sporting event in Vero Beach.”
Bangoura from Bradenton, Florida, is the top-ranked singles entry with an ATP Tour singles ranking of No. 400. He earned All-American status for the Florida Gators in 2011. In 2010, he won the USTA national junior doubles title with Nathan Pasha and played in the first round of doubles of the U.S. Open in New York. Other Americans among the 18 direct entries include former Northwestern standout Strong Kircheimer, a semifinalist in Vero Beach last year, Alafia Ayeni, the No. 1 player for Cornell University currently ranked No. 441 by the ATP, former Texas A&M standouts Harrison Adams, the doubles runner-up in Vero Beach last year, and new professional Jordi Arconanda, and Swiss-American Alexander Ritschard of Zurich, a former standout at the University of Virginia.
South America is represented by nine direct singles entries lead by No. 2 entry Bastian Malla of Chile, ranked No. 435 in the ATP Tour rankings, as well as Rodriguez, the all-time leading Davis Cup player from Venezuela who was defeated in last year’s Vero Beach singles final by Juan Benitez of Colombia. Nico Mejia, the Colombian Davis Cupper and Wimbledon junior semifinalist last summer who reached the quarterfinals in Vero Beach last year as a qualifier, is also among the direct entries. Other South Americans in the field include three Argentines lead by 2014 and 2015 Vero Beach finalist Facunda Mena and also Camilo Ugo Carabelli and Juan Ignacio Galarza. Brazil is represented by Pedro Sakamoto, Peru by Nicolas Alvarez and Ecuador by Diego Hidalgo.
Andrew Watson of Great Britain, ranked No. 677 by the ATP, is Europe’s lone direct entry and is looking to equal the success in Vero Beach of his countryman Tim Henman, the former top 10 star who was a Vero Beach semifinalist in 1995, and Kyle Edmund, Britain’s current No. 1 who won the title in Vero Beach in 2013.
Representing Asia in Vero Beach is Dmitry Popko of Kazakhstan, who is currently one of the hottest players in the ITF World Tennis Tour having won six titles already this year, including his last two tournaments in Sunrise, Florida and Orange Park, Florida. Popko, a member of Kazakhstan’s Davis Cup team, has competed in the qualifying rounds of all four Grand Slam tournaments and was ranked as high as No. 178 in the world.
Africa is represented in Vero Beach by Garanganga, a member of Zimbabwe’s Davis Cup team since 2007. He has competed in all four junior Grand Slam tournaments and qualified for the ATP Tour event in Los Cabos, Mexico last summer. He won the first ever gold medal for Zimbabwe at the 2011 All-Africa Games.
Leading entries into the 32-player, two-day qualifying tournament, that will be played April 29 and April 30, including defending champion Benitez of Colombia, defending doubles champion Junior Ore of Miami and Irish Davis Cupper Julian Bradley. Players in the qualifying tournament must win two matches on Monday and Tuesday to earn entry into the 32-player main draw.
The Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships 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, the non-profit tennis foundation benefiting children, named for Vero Beach native son Mardy Fish, the former top 10 tennis star and the current U.S. Davis Cup captain. The event will be held April 29 – May 5 at The Boulevard tennis club in Vero Beach.
Tournament tickets and sponsorships for the event can be purchased at www.MardyFishChildrensFoundation.org Daily tickets for the April 29-May 5 are $20, with “night session” tickets starting at 5 pm from April 29 – May 4 costing $10. Season tickets for every session of the event are $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 Approximately 3,000 fans annually attend the event, which is seen as one of the best-attended entry-level professional events in the world.
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 world No. 50 player and teen sensation 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. Seven 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 and Frances Tiafoe.
Founded in 2007, the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation (www.MardyFishChildrensFoundation.org and @MardyFishFound on Twitter) currently supports over 2,200 children in 15 elementary schools, six middle schools and two after school centers 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.
The tournament schedule is as follows:
Wednesday, April 24 – Friday, April 26
Pre-Qualifying Tournament – The Boulevard Tennis Club, Times TBD (Free to public)
Sunday, April 28
Pro-Am – Sea Oaks Tennis Club, 1:30 – 3:30 pm
Kick-off Party – The Boulevard Tennis Club, 5:30 – 8:30 pm
Monday, April 29
Qualifying Tournament Begins – The Boulevard Tennis Club, Noon, 5 pm, 6:45 pm
Tuesday, April 30
Qualifying Tournament Ends, Main Draw Beings – The Boulevard Tennis Club, Noon, 5 pm, 6:45 pm
Wednesday, May 1
Main Draw Singles & Doubles – The Boulevard Tennis Club, Noon, 5 pm, 6:45 pm
Thursday, May 2
Main Draw Singles & Doubles – The Boulevard Tennis Club, Noon, 5 pm, 6:45 pm
Friday, May 3
Main Draw Singles & Doubles – The Boulevard Tennis Club, Noon, 5 pm, 6:45 pm
Saturday, May 4
Singles Semifinals, Doubles Final – The Boulevard Tennis Club, Noon, 5 pm
Sunday, May 5
Singles Final – The Boulevard Tennis Club, 1 pm
Tournament sponsors for 2019 include Presenting Sponsor PNC Bank, Grand Slam Sponsors Boston Barricade, George E. Warren Corporation and the Jake Owen Foundation, Cabana/Box Seat Sponsors John’s Island Real Estate, John Klein, Gene Simonsen, TeamChristopher.com, Dan Holman, Hadleigh Investments, Pene Chambers / Lynn Southerly, Lace and Bob Milligan / Mickey and Rob Stein, William Barhorst, CPA, Michael and Kathleen Pierce, The Pitcher Family, Shirley Becker, Scoreboard Sponsor Fit for Life / Syde Hurdus Foundation Backhand Sponsors Vero Beach Magazine, Rossway Swan, Nalzaro Music, Coastal Van Lines, Diamond Resorts International, Forehand Sponsors Karen and Steve Rubin, Mike and Meg Hickey / Premier Estate Properties, Shaklee / Suzie Sunkel, Indian River Animal Hospital – Charles B. Johnson, DVM, Marjorie Johnson, DVM, MS, DAVP, Serve Sponsors Cravings, Bistro Fourchette, Willem and Marion DeVogel, Foglia Custom Homes Topspin Sponsors Alex MacWilliam Real Estate, Eternal Water, Kit Fields Realtor, Patrick Williams / Tom Collins Insurance, Riverside Café, MinuteMan Press, Center Court Tennis Outfitters, Drop Shot Sponsors Treasure Coast Financial Planning, Inc., Peter and Judith Saidel, Deb Benjamin, Paul & Linda Delaney, Stewart Dunn, Susan Flannery (Aluma Tower), Tom Flannery (Malesardi, Quackenbush, Swift and Company LLC, Jim & Suzi Keegan, Don Moyle, Dee Patberg, Fran Smyrk (Treasure Coast Sotheby’s), Gary & Beth Williams, ABCO Garage Door Company, Inc., Barker Air Conditioning & Heating, Busy Bee Lawn & Garden Center, Coastal Comforts at the Village Shops, Colton, Williams & Reamy, CPAs, Complete Electric, Inc., Complete Restaurant Equipment, LLC, Glacier Clear Pool Service, Jack’s Complete Tree Service, Inc., Jimmy’s Tree Services, Ken’s Pool Service, ML Engineering, Inc., Nozzle Nolen, Inc., O’Haire, Quinn, Casalino, Chartered, Rich Look Lawn Care, Rick’s Custom Care, Statewide Condominium Insurance, Steve Supplee Construction LLC, Summit Construction of Vero Beach, LLC, Sunshine Furniture, White Glove Moving & Storage and Wilco Construction, Inc.