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.
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