Sebastian Mendoza, the No. 1 player on Vero Beach High School’s state runner-up boys tennis team, defeated Jose Moreno of Tampa, Florida 6-2, 6-2 to win the $500 Universal Tennis Rating (UTR) “On This Day In Tennis History” Book Open at The Boulevard tennis club.
Mendoza earned the first prize of $325 with the win while Moreno, who just finished his freshman year at Division II St. Leo University, earned $175. Among those in the crowd watching the final were former world No. 1-ranked senior player King van Nostrand, Tom Fish, the father of U.S. Davis Cup captain Mardy Fish, former Mexican Davis Cupper Danny Garza and former French Open singles runner-up Mikael Pernfors, whose 16-year-old son Figge also competed in the event.
The tournament was created by Randy Walker, the co-tournament director of the $15,000 Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships ITF World Tennis Tour event and also the author of the book “On This Day In Tennis History.” The event was run to give local players an opportunity to compete, earn money and become familiar and get a ranking on the Universal Tennis Rating system, which is similar to a golf handicap in golf.
Figge Pernfors earned his first UTR rating – a 9.6 – by virtue of playing the event and reaching the semifinals.
For the complete draws for the event click here: https://app.universaltennis.com/events/53979?d=afb41410-7565-4e6a-b699-c35ab622dc90&r=0&t=3
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