Magnus Johnson of Naples, Fla. withstood a first set blitz and a second set rope-a-dope and hung on to win the final by the narrowest of margins of the pre-qualifying tournament for the $25,000 Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships Friday night at The Boulevard tennis club.
Johnson, 18, won this 32-player wild card feed-in tournament by beating a player more than twice his age and with more than three times the tennis experience, 43-year-old Christian Vinck of Germany by a 4-6, 6-1, 10-8 scoreline, the narrowest margin of victory – two points – in the decisive 10-point match tiebreaker, played in lieu of a third set. The tournament victory qualifies Johnson to play in the 32-player qualifying tournament for this International Tennis Federation (ITF) World Tennis Tour event that is played Monday and Tuesday next week, leading into the main draw of this U.S. Tennis Association Competitive Pathway event.
“It was an awesome experience for me to be a part of the pre-qualifying event for this tournament, knowing it is a prestigious one and I’m happy to receive a wild card and go all the way,” said Johnson. “I was excited for having the opportunity to compete against Christian. He is very experienced and knows what he has to do on the court. I knew it was going to be a difficult task and it is awesome to beat a player who accomplished that much.”
For a player of Vinck’s age and level of professional tennis experience to be playing in this pre-qualifying tournament for what is the tennis equivalent of minor league baseball is an anomaly. One month before Johnson was born in August of 2000, Vinck was narrowly losing a third-round match to world No. 8 Thomas Enqvist on Centre Court at Wimbledon, the grandest stage in tennis. Three years prior to that, Vinck was registering perhaps the signature win of his career over all-time great Andre Agassi in the final of the Challenger-level tournament in Agassi’s hometown of Las Vegas, in front of his family and then wife Brooke Shields. While Johnson is an up-and-coming prospect, verbally committing this week to play college tennis at the University of Central Florida next year, Vinck was in Vero Beach on vacation. While he ended his full-time career as a pro tennis player in 2003, he continued to compete in club and team events in Germany, and an occasional minor league pro event, to continue to quench his competitive fire while he excelled in his career in international management consulting. He has competed and won matches in the qualifying rounds in this Vero Beach event the last three years as it was timed perfectly around his Spring vacation.
Johnson, the No. 1 seed, lost only six games in five matches entered the final against, Vinck, the No. 2 seed, but quickly found himself in unknown territory for the week down 5-2 in the first set, with a crowd of nearly 200 fans eagerly watching. Vinck held on to win the first set 6-4, but the hot and humid conditions, and his 43-year old body, became to take a toll in the second set. After falling down two service breaks, Vinck conserved his energy and played a game of “rope-a-dope,” barely running for balls and going for quick winners to save energy for the decisive 10-point match tiebreaker, played in lieu of a third set in this specially-created prequalifying tournament. After Johnson won the second set 6-1, Vinck, with reserve energy saved up, started full throttle in the tiebreaker. Johnson lead most of the tiebreaker, but Vinck stayed close and worked to tie the score at 7-7. Johnson won the next two points to reach double-match point at 9-7. After Vinck slammed a backhand winner to narrow the gap to 9-8, Johnson calmly stood at the service line and launched a powerful serve down the middle, causing Vinck to miss a backhand return to close out the tournament victory.
“It was a difficult match overall for me,” said Johnson, who was fighting a cold during the week. “I was trying to fight and do the best I could. He wanted to preserve the best he had for the match tie-breaker once I moved in front in the second set. I’m happy for being able to keep my level high, especially after he started to give his best again in the deciding part of the match.”
After two days of rest back home, Johnson will compete in the first round of the qualifying tournament on Monday. Johnson will have to win two matches in the 32-player qualifying tournament to be among eight qualifiers into the main draw of the event that starts on Tuesday.
A main draw doubles “wild card” tournament was also held in conjunction with this pre-qualifying singles event with the winning team earning a main draw doubles invitation into the tournament. This was won by brothers Quinn and Hayden Snyder of Delran, N.J., who defeated Juan Mateus of Edmond, Okla., and Chris Rosensteel of East Windsor, N.J. 4-2, 0-4, 10-5 in the final in the “fast four” scoring format. James and Joseph van Diense of Vero Beach were defeated in the semifinals, losing to the Snyder brothers in three tiebreakers 4-3(3), 3-4(5), 10-8.
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:
Sunday, April 28
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.
Christian Vinck
43-Year-Old Vinck To Play 18-Year-Old Johnson In Mardy Fish Pre-Qualifying Final Friday
In July of 2000, Christian Vinck of Germany was experiencing perhaps the high point of his professional tennis career, playing a five-set match against a top ten player on Centre Court at Wimbledon. A month later, Magnus Johnson was born.
Friday these two tennis players will meet in the pre-qualifying tournament final of the $25,000 Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships at The Boulevard tennis club in Vero Beach.
The winner of this 4 p.m. singles final between the 18-year-old Johnson, the No. 1 seed, and the 43-year-old Vinck, the No. 2 seed, will earn a “wild card” or tournament entry into the qualifying rounds of this International Tennis Federation World Tennis Tour that is part of the U.S. Tennis Association’s Competitive Pathway.
For Vinck, playing against much younger players is now common to him. Following his five-set loss to No. 8 seed Thomas Enqvist of Sweden on Wimbledon’s Centre Court in 2000, Vinck played three more years of professional tennis, but turned tennis from a job to a hobby. He became a businessman and a management consultant but continued to play competitive tennis when he could, in team and club matches in Germany while also playing in the qualifying rounds of lower-level pro tournaments like the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships.
“It happens all the time that I play against the players who weren’t even born yet when I competed on the biggest tennis stages,” said Vinck Thursday following a 6-2, 6-1 win over another 18-year-old Tommi Carnevale-Miino of Italy in the semifinals. “I’m practicing with the youngsters and play team tennis and in the open events. It is nothing new for me.”
Johnson advanced into the final in torrid fashion, losing only six games in four matches on Wednesday and Thursday. On Thursday, Johnson beat Jack Vance of Las Vegas 6-1, 6-2 in the quarterfinals and Chris Rosensteel of East Windsor, N.J. 6-2, 6-0 in the semifinal. A resident of Naples, Florida, Johnson is one of the top junior players in the United States and earlier this week, verbally committed to play college tennis next year at the University of Central Florida with head coach John Roddick, the older brother of 2003 U.S. Open champion Andy Roddick.
“I’m excited,” said Johnson of his future at UCF.” They have an excellent program and a young team and I think they are doing a lot of great things out there. John Roddick had some good stories about working with his brother Andy, that’s always fun to hear.”
The most talked about and dramatic match at The Boulevard Thursday was the quarterfinal between Vinck and former Michigan State All-American John Mullane, as both players engaged in a hotly contested match, featuring verbal barbs, contested calls and Mullane suffering severe cramps at the end of the match, preventing him from serving overhead or moving. Vinck led 6-0, 4-1 before Mullane’s go-for-broke style began to payoff and he was able to square the second set at 5-5. Tensions ran high as close line-calls were challenged, causing a screaming match between to the highly-competitive athletes. As Mullane fought back into the match, he began to deteriorate physically, showing signs of cramping and he began to ask fans and fellow players for bananas to help prevent the cramping. With Vinck leading 6-5 in the second set, Mullane’s cramping became so bad that he was unable to walk and was forced to serve the last game underhanded from six feet behind the baseline. Vinck was then able to easily break’s Mullane’s serve to win the match.
“When you see an injured player who is cramping on the other side of the net, you think it is good for your game but you don’t want anybody to have pain, especially since I know how it feels,” said Vinck.
Earlier in the day in the quarterfinals, James van Deinse of the Vero Beach Tennis Club and the tennis coach at Vero Beach High School, was narrowly defeated by Rosensteel 4-6, 6-4, (13-11 in the match tiebreaker.) Van Deinse fought out of a triple-match-point deficit at 6-9 in the decisive match tiebreaker and held a match point at 11-10 before falling. On Wednesday night, Van Deinse won what he described as “the best ever win in a tournament” in upsetting former top 100 ATP doubles player and No. 3 seed Brian Battistone 6-3, 7-5.
Friday’s schedule will also feature doubles quarterfinal, semifinal and final matches starting at 3 pm, before the 4 pm singles final. Van Deinse and his younger brother Joseph will compete at 3 pm in the doubles quarterfinals. The doubles semifinals will be played at about 5 pm and the doubles final at about 7 pm. Doubles matches feature “Fast 4” matches – first to four games with no-ad scoring, a tiebreaker at 3-3 and a 10-point match tiebreaker for a third set.
Friday Schedule
3 pm – Doubles Quarterfinals
James and Joseph van Deinse vs. Olavo Neto / Vitor Jordao
John Mullane /. Jericho Grollman vs. Juan Mateus / Chris Rosensteel
4 pm – Singles Final
Christian Vinck vs. Magnus Johnson
Approx. 4:30 pm – Doubles Semifinals
John Mullane / Jericho Grollman /// Juan Mateus / Chris Rosensteel WINNER vs. Hayden and Quinn Snyder
James and Joseph van Deinse /// Olavo Neto / Vitor Jordao WINNER vs. Colin Tavares / Gabriel Diaz
Approx. 6:30 pm – Doubles Final
THURSDAY RESULTS
Quarterfinals
Chris Rosensteel (East Windsor, NJ) def. James Van Deinse (Vero Beach, FL) 4-6, 6-4, (13-11)
Christian Vinck (Germany) def. John Mullane (White Lake, Mich.) 6-0, 7-5
Magnus Johnson (Naples, Fla..) def. Jack Vance (Las Vegas, Nev.) 6-1, 6-2
Tommi Carnevale-Miino (Italy) def. Juan Mateus (Edmond, Okla.) 6-2, 7-6 (4)
Semifinals
Magnus Johnson def. Chris Rosensteel 6-2, 6-0
Christian Vinck def. Tommi Carnevale-Miino 6-1, 6-2
Doubles Quarterfinals
Quinn Snyder and Hayden Snyder def. Ernani Neto / Thiago Negrao 4-0, 3-4(6), 10-7
Colin Tavares and Diaz def. Jack Vance and Jaime Vance 4-0, 4-2
Doubles First Round
Colin Tavares / Gabriel Diaz def. Bernardo Costa / Gui Jasmin 4-2, 4-2
John Mullane and Jericho Grollman def. Mike Hickey and Andrew Harper 4-0, 4-0
WEDNESDAY RESULTS
FIRST ROUND SINGLES
John Mullane (White Lake, Mich) def. Peyton Hickman (Bay Minette, Ala.) 6-0, 6-0
Jack Vance (Las Vegas) def. Ryan Isjett (Perry, Ga.) 6-1, 6-0
Brian Battistone (Las Vegas) def. Gabriel Diaz (Rockledge, Fla.) 6-3, 6-2
Viju George (Boca Raton, Fla.) def. Charlie Dossetter (Great Britain) 6-4, 6-1
Tommi Carnevale-Miino (Italy) def. Lazar Markovic (Locust Valley, N.Y.) 6-2, 6-3
Juan Mateus (Edmond, Okla.) def. Jaime Vance (Las Vegas) 6-4, 6-1
Kyle Johnson (Charlotte, N.C.) def. Masaki Posey (Union City, Ga.) 6-4, 2-6, 10-7
Daniel Botti (Hilton Head, SC) def. Jericho Grollman (Orlando, Fla.) 6-4, 1-6, 10-6
Magnus Johnson (Naples, Fla.) def. Eric Oncins (Montverde, Fla.) 6-1, 6-0
Bernado Costa (Montverde, Fla.) def. Joseph van Deinse (Vero Beach, Fla.) 6-2, 6-2
Christian Vinck (Germany) def. Vitor Jordao (Montverde, Fla.) 6-0, 6-2
Colin Tavares (Titusville, Fla.) def. Olavo Neto (Montvedre, Fla.) 6-3, 6-4
Bruno Nunes (Monteverde, Fla.) def. Bill Lachlan (Winter Park, Fla.) W/O
Quinn Snyder (Delran, N.J.) def. Thiago Negrao (Montverde, Fla.) 6-0, 6-1
Chris Rosensteel (East Windsor, N.J.) def. Brian Boggs (Columbus, Ga.) 6-0, 6-2
James van Deinse (Vero Beach, Fla.) def. Sebastian Flores (Orlando) 6-1, 6-3
SECOND ROUND SINGLES
Jack Vance d Viju George 6-4, 6-2
Juan Mateus d. Kyle Johnson 1-6, 7-6 (2), 13-11
John Mullane d. Bruno Nunes 6-2, 6-0
Tommi Carnevale Miino d. Bernardo Costa 6-0, 6-1
Chris Rosensteel d. Quinn Snyder 6-7 (7), 6-2, 10-5
Magnus Johnson d. Chris Botti 6-0, 6-0
James van Deinse d. Brian Battistone 6-3, 7-5
Christian Vinck d. Colin Tavares 6-1, 6-2
Battistone, Vinck Among Leading Entries In Mardy Fish Pre-Qualifying Event Starting Wednesday At The Boulevard
Brian Battistone and Christian Vinck, two veteran tennis players who have both played in the main draws of Grand Slam tournaments, are among the leading entries into the Pre-qualifying event for the $25,000 Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships that begins Wednesday at The Boulevard tennis club.
Battistone and Vinck are among 32 players competing for the right to earn a “wild card” entry into the qualifying rounds of the tournament, Vero Beach’s 25th annual professional tennis tournament that is a $25,000 event on the International Tennis Federation (ITF) World Tennis Tour and part of the U.S. Tennis Association’s competitive pathway. The qualifying tournament, which in previous years was played over four days featuring 128 players playing for eight main draw positions, was reduced this year by the ITF to 32 players competing over two days for eight main draw positions. This special pre-qualifying tournament was created by the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation in an effort to give more players competitive tournament opportunities and to help non-qualifying players earn entry into the qualifying tournament.
Battistone, 39, is a fan favorite around the country for his unique volleyball jump serve, his ambidexterous playing style and his double-handed tennis racquet. A native of Las Vegas, Battistone reached a career high ATP doubles ranking of No. 88 in 2010, the same year he competed in the main draw of doubles at the U.S. Open, partnering with Ryler deHeart, losing in the first round to eventual finalists Rohan Bopanna and Aisam ul-Haq Qureshi.
Vinck, 43, has played in the main draw of all four Grand Slam tournaments with his best result being a third-round showing at Wimbledon in 2000. In 1997, he famously defeated Andre Agassi in the final of the USTA Challenger in Agassi’s hometown of Las Vegas, during Agassi’s initial comeback from his ranking dropping to No. 141 in the world.
Vinck is the No. 2 seed in the event, followed by Battistone at No. 3. The top seed is 18-year-old Jan-Magnus Johnson of Naples, one of the top junior players in the United States.
Other notable entries include former Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation pupil Emilio Van Cotthem of Fort Pierce, Vero Beach Tennis Club owners James and Joseph Van Deinse, former Michigan State All-American J.P. Mullane, and Jack Vance, the runner-up at the 2017 Mardy Fish Main Draw Wild Card Championship at Sea Oaks.
The draws and schedule can be found on the Universal Tennis Rating (UTR) website here: https://www.myutr.com/events/3744?t=2
Play begins on Wednesday, April 24 at 1 pm and is scheduled to conclude Friday evening. All singles matches will be two sets with a 10-point match tiebreaker played in lieu of a third set.
A main draw doubles wild card event will also be held during this event. The doubles winners will receive a main draw wild card into the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships. Doubles matches will be two “Fast Four” sets (first to four games, tiebreaker at 3-3, no ad scoring) with a match tiebreaker played in lieu of a third set.
Admission is free for the pre-qualifying and doubles wild card events.
The Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships is the USTA’s $25,000 ITF World Tennis Tour tournament 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, 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.
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.
A Footnote In Tennis History, Christian Vinck Returns To Tournament Tennis In Vero Beach
It’s been ten years since 40-year-old Christian Vinck of Germany played in a professional tennis event.
Now an international management consultant, Vinck was one of 64 winners Friday in the opening round of qualifying rounds of the $10,000 Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships at The Boulevard Club defeating Nicolas Buitrago of Colombia 6-2, 6-3.
Vinck decided to enter the qualifying rounds of the $10,000 USTA Pro Circuit event to relive some of his competitive “thrills” – of which he had some big ones in his career as an ATP-ranked tennis professional.
Most notably, Vinck handed Andre Agassi his only pro loss in his hometown of Las Vegas in the final of the 1997 Las Vegas Challenger, also a “minor league” USTA Pro Circuit event that marked the start of Agassi’s famous comeback from a ranking of No. 144 back to No. 1.
“Since it I beat Andre, it was in 1997. It was quite a while ago,” said Vinck of his famous win over Agassi. “Going into that event in Las Vegas, I had lost six matches in a row, so I gained a lot of confidence. When Andre was playing in the event, there were 3,000 fans watching. When Andre wasn’t playing, nobody was watching. So I got the spectators in the final. I had a day where I wanted to hit the lines and I could. He was playing, maybe not like he was No. 1, but I have beaten top 10 players and I had one of those days.”
See full Vinck interview here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQVdd2k9j8U&feature=youtu.be
Among the early winners Friday at The Boulevard was former University of Georgia All-American Nathan Pasha of Atlanta, Ga., who defeated Pratheek Mandalapu of Branchburg, N.J., 6-1, 3-0, ret. Pasha, 23, is just concluding his first year of pro tennis, playing on the “Futures” level and is playing in the qualifying event in Vero Beach ranked No. 755 in the world. He trains at Saddlebrook Academy in Tampa, where he trains and receives encouragement from fellow University of Georgia alum John Isner, the U.S. Davis Cup team standout and top-ranked American player.
What makes the life on the USTA Pro Circuit so fun for Pasha isn’t necessarily winning matches and earning money and points in the ATP rankings, but seeing the progress he has made as a person. “You have to try to conquer yourself and see how good you can become as a person,” stated Pasha about life on the pro tour. “From the discipline, to the sacrifices, and just dealing with struggles and pain of losing,” Pasha claims that finding success on the USTA Pro Circuit is a matter of winning the ultimate battle with yourself. Looking at the general adversity of professional tennis as the most fun part of his life on the tour is Pasha’s way of keeping himself going week in and week out and not being discouraged if he comes across a rough patch of performance during the year.
Pasha’s goal for the near future is to reach the “three or four hundreds” of the ATP rankings and begin playing in more challenger level tournaments, but he is not going to let himself be distracted and discouraged if those goals are achieved further down the road than he hoped. Overall, Pasha just wants “to be the best [he] can be each day and then hope that everything takes care of itself.”
One thing that Pasha had to take care of himself early in 2016 was having to sleep in his car during a wild card tournament to get into the USTA Pro Circuit event in Memphis when he was unable to find housing.
“I’m more than willing to do it and to be honest, it’s not the worst thing in the world because, you know, with phones these days you can watch TV on your phone and it’s like you have everything there,” said Pasha about sleeping in his car. The time was spent watching “a little bit of tennis, a little bit of HBO, a little bit of South Park, really anything.”
Pasha has not let the financial struggles of the lower levels of professional tennis get to him, though, as “it all depends on how you look at things.” Pasha continued by stating that “the money part is what takes the fun out of tennis…I’ve just come to terms with the fact that I’m just going to be broke sometimes.”
No matter how successful Pasha’s career winds up being, he will remain humble and will not forget those who helped him get to wherever it is he ends up. “My ultimate dream is to be top 20 in the world and ultimately be able to give back and help people as much as I can,” stated Pasha.
Among local entries in the event, Vero Beach high school senior Eric Zwemer was defeated by Jack Vance of Henderson, Nev. 6-1, 6-3 while Trevor Quenan was defeated by Syrry Can Korkmaz of Turkey 6-2, 6-1.
“It was a tough first set,” said Zwemer of his loss, played on the Grandstand court. “Then, in the second set I had a couple points to get back in it, I didn’t quite execute, but I was right there. So, it’s a good experience.”
After finishing his career at Vero Beach high school earlier this month, Zwemer will be heading to Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Michigan to play tennis.
“I played this tournament the last two years and I benefited personally from the Mardy Fish Foundation while I was growing up from camps and clinics and all that other good stuff,” said Zwemer of the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation taking over the management of the event that has been played in Vero Beach since 1995. “It’s nice that Mardy Fish Foundation is putting it on now and I get to participate still. I’ll be back again.”
Play continues Saturday with the second round qualifying matches followed by third-round matches on Sunday and the eight final-round qualifying matches on Monday that will determine which players will advance into the main draw of the event. Tickets for the qualifying event cost $10 and kids age 18 and under are free.
Saturday’s schedule of play can be seen here: https://s3.amazonaws.com/ustaassets/assets/1/15/schedule520.pdf
Friday’s First Round Qualifying Results
(1/WC) Tigre Hank, Mexico d. (WC) Perris Burke, United States 6-3, 6-0
(WC) Ignacio Martinez, United States d. Michael Schlapfer, United States 6-1, 6-1
Austin Abbrat, United States d. Abhishek Bastola, Nepal 6-3, 6-4
Gabriel Carvajal, Ecuador d. Shubham Aggarwal, India 6-2, 6-4
(WC) Jericho Grollman, United States d. (WC) Andrew Bochte, United States 6-0, 6-0
Michael Zhu, United States d. Sebastian Rodriguez, Peru 6-4, 6-1
Christian Vinck, Germany d. Nicolas Buitrago, Colombia 6-2, 6-3
(15) Alexander Merino, Peru d. (Alt.) Christopher Tasker, United States 6-4, 6-1
(2) Eduardo Agustin Torre, Argentina d. Dennis Moses, Zimbabwe 6-0, 6-4
(WC) Ian O’Jon, United States d. Benjamin Adrian, United States 6-2, 6-0
Carlos Arana, Panama d. (WC) Alexander Hepburn, United States 6-0, 6-0
Yosuke Yoshikawa, Japan d. (WC) Erik Olliges, United States 6-4, 6-3
Joseph Rotheram, United States d. Keni Hadzic, United States 6-4, 6-0
Andrew Ely, United States d. Joshua Breault, United States 6-0, 6-1
Alexandru Gasca-Silav, Romania d. Fernando Vargas, Mexico 6-2, 6-4
(10) Benjamin Hannestad, Denmark d. Dejon Bivens, United States 6-1, 6-2
(3) Nathan Pasha, United States d. Pratheek Mandalapu, United States 6-1, 3-0 Ret.
William Howells, United States d. (WC) Ivan Pintado, United States 6-0, 6-0
Sean Burnette, United States d. W. Scott Cameron, United States 6-3, 6-1
Thomas Cook, United States d. Francesco Alejandro Cori Gamero, Peru 7-5, 2-6, 6-3
Hsiang-Yi Wang, Taiwan d. Andrew Blair, United States 3-6, 6-4, 6-3
Kurt Thein, United States d. Stewart Block, Canada 6-3, 6-2
Curran Verma, United States d. Isaac Eck, United States 6-0, 6-0
(13) Patrick Kypson, United States d. Jamie Vance, United States 6-0, 6-1
(4) Janis Podzus, Latvia d. David Powell, United States 6-0, 6-0
Tommaso Carnevale-Miino, Italy d. Matthew Nicholson, United States 4-6, 7-6(3), 6-1
Yili Zheng, China d. Reece Wild, United States 6-0, 6-0
Rowland Phillips, Jamaica d. Santiago Garcia, United States 6-1, 6-2
Francesco Mowrey, United States d. Chanon Phunsawat, Thailand 7-5, 6-4
(WC) Ty Trombetta, United States d. Varun Jayaram, United States 6-1, 6-0
Johnathan Small, United States d. Roy Smith, United States 6-3, 6-3
(14) Antoine Leduc, Canada d. Michael Atlesonn Staff, Norway 6-0, 6-0
(5) Frederick Saba, United States d. Brian Cernoch, United States 4-6, 6-1, 7-5
Syrry Can Korkmaz, Turkey d. Trevor Quenan, United States 6-2, 6-1
Luca Gelhardt, Germany d. Lloyd Dillon, United States 6-0, 6-0
Vasil Kirkov, United States d. Karl Adrian Ringdal Noerstenaes, Norway 6-2, 6-2
Hady Habib, United States d. Thomas Tomczak, United States 6-1, 6-2
Aleksandar Kovacevic, United States d. Admir Tabak, Bosnia and Herzegovina 6-0, 6-0
Victor Segantini Bertoldo, Brazil d. Gafur Sirojiddinov, Uzbekistan 6-2, 6-3
(12) Juan Rocha, Argentina d. Andre Schoeman, United States 4-6, 7-5, 6-0
Jose Daniel Bendeck, Colombia d. Joel Vincent Link, Germany 6-0, 7-5
Eric Morris, United States d. Samuel Beddow, Great Britain 6-7(2), 6-4, 6-4
Evgeny Korolev, Russia d. Federico Herrera Duran, Argentina 6-0, 6-2
William Genesen, United States d. Mason Beiler, United States 6-2, 6-2
Viju George Jr., United States d. Isaiah Strode, United States 6-4, 2-6, 6-4
Jonathan Chang, United States d. Dietrich Dernowski, Germany 6-2, 6-2
Alexandry Sturzu, Australia d. Parrish Preston, United States 6-2, 6-1
Drew van Orderlain, United States d. (9) Nicholas Reyes, United States 7-5, 3-6, 6-2
(7) Raleigh Smith, United States d. LeVaughn Price, United States 6-0, 6-0
Patrick Davidson, United States d. Robin Calais, Switzerlan 6-3, 6-2
Romain Nowaczyk, France d. Daniil Evseev, Russia 6-4, 7-5
David Pfister, United States d. Lazar Markovic, United States 6-2, 6-1
Javier Naser, Chile d. Mwendwa Mbithi, United States 4-6, 7-5, 6-0
(8) Juan Manuel Benitez Chavarriaga, Colombia d. Javier Renato Rodriguez Sanchez, Peru 6-2, 6-1
Brian Battistone, United States d. Agustin Moreno, Mexico 6-1, 7-6(0)
Aron Pierce, United States d. Geronimo Espin Busleiman, Argentina 6-7(3), 6-2, 6-4
Andrew Dottino, United States d. Alexander Reinke, United States 6-4, 7-6(4)
Michael Lippens, United States d. Norman Love, United States 6-0, 6-1
Jack Vance, United States d. (WC) Eric Zwemer, United States 6-1, 6-3
Bradley Holt, United States d. Kiril Gushterov, Macedonia 6-3, 6-2
Victor Krustev, Canada d. (11) Esteban Bruna, Chile 6-4, 6-2
Five Vero Beach Juniors, Koralev and Vinck Highlight Mardy Fish Tennis Qualifying Tournament
Five Vero Beach junior tennis players and two players who have reached the third round of Grand Slam tournaments highlight a tournament record 133 entries in to the qualifying tournament for the $10,000 USTA Vero Beach Futures event, the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships.
The 128-players will compete in the qualifying tournament that begins at 9 am Friday morning at The Boulevard Tennis Club with the day’s play expected to go for approximately12 hours for the 64 first round matches. The 128-player qualifying draw will be played to determine eight qualifiers who will be placed into the 32-player main draw that begins Tuesday.
Vero Beach High School seniors Eric Zwemer and Erik Olliges received wild card entries into the qualifying tournament along with Vero Beach residents Alexander Hepburn and Drew Bochte. Vero Beach’s Trevor Quenan was a direct entry into the field. Bochte lives in The Boulevard real estate complex, just yards from where the tournament is staged.
Evgeny Koralev from Russia, who was ranked at one time No. 46, is also in the 128-player qualifying field He reached the third round of the 2000 Australian Open where he beat current top 10 player Tomas Berdych before losing in five sets to 2008 Olympic silver medalist Fernando Gonzalez. Koralev reached one ATP singles final in his career in Delray Beach, Fla., in 2009 where he lost to …. Mardy Fish. Also in the qualifying tournament is Christian Vinck of Germany, who qualified for Wimbledon in 2000 and defeated future Olympic gold medalist Nicolas Massu in the first round, Harel Levy of Israel in the second round before falling to No. 9 seed Thomas Enqvist of Sweden in the third round in five sets. Vinck, now age 40, has a distinct story in the history of tennis as he defeated Andre Agassi in the final of the 1997 Las Vegas Challenger, the event that started Agassi’s comeback from being ranked No. 144 in the world to eventually rank No. 1 again in 1999.
The full qualifying draw can be seen here: https://assets-ssl.usta.com/assets/1/15/qualifying_draw515.PDF
The order of play for Friday can be seen here: https://assets-ssl.usta.com/assets/1/15/schedule520.PDF
Tickets for the qualifying rounds of the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships from April 22 – April 25 will cost $10 and are available for sale at the club entrance. Tickets for the main draw of singles and doubles from April 26 – May 1 will be $20. Season tickets that include both the qualifying and main draw events cost $100. Advance tickets can be purchased at www.VeroBeachTennisTickets.com. Admission for children 18 and under is free. Fans can follow news and developments on the tournament on Facebook and on Twitter at @VeroFutures and by going to the website www.TennisVeroBeach.com.
Tournament match start times are as follows:
9 am Friday, April 22 (Qualifying Rounds Starting)
9 am Saturday, April 23 (Qualifying Rounds)
10 am Sunday, April 24 (Qualifying Rounds
11 am Monday, April 25 (Qualifying Rounds End)
10 am Tuesday, April 26 Not before 6 pm Night Match (Main Draw Starts)
10 am Wednesday, April 27, Not before 6 pm Night Match (Main Draw)
10 am Thursday, April 28, Not before 6 pm Night Match (Main Draw)
10 am Friday, April 29 Not before 6 pm Night Match (2nd Doubles Semifinal)
1 pm, 3 pm Saturday, April 30, Singles semifinals
11 am Sunday, May 1 (likely doubles championship match first, followed by singles championship match at 1 pm, depending on if a player is competing in both finals)
Starting in 2016, the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation is the new operator of the $10,000 “Futures” tennis tournament in Vero Beach, one of the longest-running and best attended events on the U.S. Tennis Association Pro Circuit. The tournament, now called The Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships, benefits the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation, the non-profit tennis 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. The event was managed for 20 years by Vero Beach tennis teaching professional Mike Rahaley, who made the annual Vero Beach stop one of the crown jewels on the USTA Pro Circuit. The 2016 tournament will be held April 22 through May 1 at The Boulevard Tennis Club.
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.” Mardy Fish recently completed his ATP professional tennis career at the 2015 U.S. Open, highlighted by a career-high ranking of No. 7, six ATP singles titles, eight ATP doubles titles and an Olympic silver medal in singles at the 2004 Olympics. He reached the quarterfinals at the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open and was a mainstay on the U.S. Davis Cup team from 2002 to 2012.
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 Australian Open semifinalist 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.