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Nico Godsick

Top Junior Nico Godsick, ATP Dallas Open Player Liam Krall Added To Mardy Fish Tennis Field

Randy Walker · April 20, 2023 · Leave a Comment

Nico Godsick, one of the world’s top junior players who reached the second round of doubles at the 2022 U.S. Open, and Liam Krall, a main draw participant at this year’s ATP Tour Dallas Open, have been added to the singles field at the 2023 Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships April 24-30 at the Vero Beach Tennis & Fitness Club at Timber Ridge.

Godsick entered the event via a special “junior reserve” position, set aside for the world’s top junior player to gain entry into ITF World Tennis Tour U.S. Tennis Association Pro Circuit events. Godsick is the son of two-time Olympic gold medalist and ESPN television commentator Mary Joe Fernandez and Tony Godsick, the agent of Roger Federer and the co-founder of the Laver Cup competition. Godsick won the USTA National Boy’s 18s doubles championship last year with Ethan Quinn, last year’s Mardy Fish singles finalist, and with Quinn reached the second round of the main draw in doubles at the U.S. Open, losing to former Wimbledon, U.S. and Australian Open doubles champions Mate Pavic and Nikola Mektic. Godsick, who has signed to go to Stanford University next year, also played last year in Vero Beach, losing in the first round of singles and the quarterfinals of doubles.

Krall impressed the pro tennis community in February at the ATP Tour Dallas Open where he nearly upset world former top 40 pro Radu Albot in the first round as a wild card entry, falling by a 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 scoreline. Krall, from Bronxville, N.Y., is a junior at Southern Methodist University where he plays No. 2 singles and No. 1 doubles for the Mustangs. Krall received a main draw wild card into the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Association by the USTA.

Bruno Kuzuhara, the 2022 Australian Open junior champion, withdrew from the event this week and will not compete this year in Vero Beach.

Play at the 2023 Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships begins Monday, April 24 at the Vero Beach Tennis & Fitness Club with the start of the two-round singles qualifying event. The main draw of doubles will start on Tuesday and the main draw of singles will start on Wednesday. Play begins each day at 11 am through Friday, April 28 with a feature match each evening at 5:30 pm.

Tickets for the event can be purchased at www.VeroBeachTennisTickets.com On site offerings include the Tasteful Express Food Truck, American Icon Bar Service, Yami’s Ice Cream Shop, Fisher’s Island Spiked Lemonade as well as other local vendors and artists.

The Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships has been held in Vero Beach since 1995 and, since 2016, has benefitted the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation, the non-profit 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.

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, 2021 Wimbledon semifinalist Denis Shapovalov, 2022 U.S. Open semifinalist France Tiafoe, 2023 Australian Open semifinalist Tommy Paul and new rising star and 2022 NCAA singles champion Ben Shelton. 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.

Affectionately known as “Timber Ridge” to locals, the Vero Beach Tennis & Fitness Club has been a staple in the community for over 30 years and has been owned and run since 2016 by James and Joseph van Deinse. The club boasts 14 Har-Tru tennis courts, a pickleball court, pool and clubhouse with fitness center and bar. The facility previously hosted a $25,000 women’s USTA Pro circuit event in 2014 that featured future major tournament champions Naomi Osaka and Sofia Kenin, future top 10 star Jennifer Brady and future major doubles champions Nicole Melichar, Laura Siegemund and Gaby Dabrowski. The club is also the original home of the “King of the Hill” tennis competition, hosting the first seven editions of Vero Beach’s popular doubles competition from 1996 to 2002. The Vero Beach Fitness & Tennis Club will be the third different venue to host the tournament after being held at Grand Harbor Club for 17 years from 1995 to 2009 and in 2017 and 2018 and at The Boulevard where it was held for 11 years from 2010 to 2016 and from 2019 to 2022.

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 2023 include Presenting Sponsor PNC Bank, Grand Slam Sponsor: John’s Island Real Estate, Scoreboard Sponsor Tara Layne Alex MacWilliam Real Estate, Hat Sponsor: The Roberts Family Foundation and additional event sponsors Cliff Norris Real Estate, Tom Collins Insurance Agency, Hazel House, Antle Foundation, Gene Simonsen, Kathie and Michael Pierce, Maureen and Peter Lee, Bob and Emilie Burr, Daniel Holman,  Lynn Southerly, John and Sara Marshall, John and Marie McConnell, Peter and Ellen Kendall, Shirley Becker, Jaime Yordan, Steve and Karen Rubin, Katherine Cerullo, Pene Chambers, Willem and Marion de Vogel, M&M Realty, Foglia Contracting Corp, Hazelton Marketing Group, Block and Scarpa, Attorneys at Law, Center Court Tennis Outfitters, Publix, Kitchens By Design, Orchid Island Realty, Joe and Barbara Price, Charlie and Este Brashears, Rob and Mickey Stein, Evelyn’s Plant Care, Vero Marine Center, Boston Retail Solutions and Minuteman Press.

Features ATP, ITF, Liam Krall, Mardy Fish, Nico Godsick, USTA, Vero Beach

From Vero Beach To The U.S. Open – Ben Shelton, Ethan Quinn and Nico Godsick Shine In New York

Randy Walker · September 12, 2022 · Leave a Comment

Ben Shelton, Ethan Quinn and Nico Godsick, who all competed in Vero Beach at the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships within the last year, also shined in the U.S. Open spotlight. Shelton, who was the doubles runner-up and singles quarterfinalist at the special October of 2021 edition of the tournament, competed in the main draw in singles and doubles at the 2022 U.S. Open, where he officially announced that he was turning pro after winning the 2022 NCAA singles title for the University of Florida. Shelton lost a tough five-set match in the first round to Nuno Borges of Portugal. He and partner Chris Eubanks beat 2021 French Open runner-up Stefanos Tsitsipas and his brother Petros in the first round of doubles before losing in the second round.

Quinn, who was the 2022 singles runner-up in Vero Beach in April, paired in the main draw of doubles with his Vero Beach doubles partner Nico Godsick, the son of former Olympic doubles gold medal winner and ESPN commentator Mary Joe Fernandez and Roger Federer and Coco Gauff’s agent Tony Godsick. Quinn and Godsick beat former world No. 16 Nikoloz Basilashvili and  Hans Hach Verdugo in the first round before losing to 2021 Wimbledon and Olympic champions Mate Pavic and Nikola Mektic in the second round. Junior Wimbledon doubles champion Alex Michelsen and our 2020 singles champion Diego Hidalgo were also among the recent Vero Beach competitors who competed in the main draw of doubles at the 2022 U.S. Open.

Ethan Quinn and Nico Godsick after losing to 2021 Wimbledon and Olympic champions Mate Pavic and Nikola Mektik

Features Ben Shelton, Ethan Quinn, Nico Godsick, US Open

Recent Mardy Fish Tennis Competitors Ben Shelton, Ethan Quinn and Nico Godsick To Play 2022 U.S. Open Main Draw

Randy Walker · August 16, 2022 · Leave a Comment

From Stadium Court at The Boulevard in Vero Beach to the main draw of the 2022 U.S. Open at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York.

That’s the scenario for three recent competitors at the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships, the $15,000 ITF World Tennis Tour USTA Pro Circuit tennis tournament.

Ben Shelton, Ethan Quinn and Nico Godsick, who thrilled fans in Vero Beach within the last year at the Fall and Spring events at The Boulevard, will all be competing in the main draw of the 2022 U.S. Open.

Shelton will be competing in the main draw of singles, by virtue of his NCAA singles title win in May for the University of Florida, and Quinn and Godsick will be competing in the main draw in doubles, by virtue of their win in doubles at the USTA National Boy’s 18 Championships in Kalamazoo, Michigan last week. Quinn will also be competing in the qualifying rounds for the U.S. Open in singles, by virtue of reaching the singles final in Kalamazoo.

Shelton competed in Vero Beach at the special October edition of the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships in 2021 where he reached the quarterfinals in singles and finished as the doubles runner-up. Since he played in Vero Beach, he not only won the NCAA singles title, but moved his ATP singles ranking to No. 229.

Quinn, who was a redshirt freshman at the University of Georgia, was the singles runner-up in Vero Beach in April, falling to Sekou Bangoura 6-4, 6-3. He continued to excel on the ITF World Tennis Tour over the summer, moving his ATP singles ranking to No. 501, making him the No. 4 ranking American teenager in the ATP rankings.

Godsick drew the No. 1 seed in the first round of singles and doubles in Vero Beach last April, but he and Quinn reached the quarterfinals in the doubles competition. He is the son of former two-time Olympic gold medalist Mary Joe Fernandez and tennis agent Tony Godsick.

The 2023 edition of the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships is tentatively set for April 24-30, 2023. For sponsorship and box seat and cabana ticket information, contact Lynn Southerly at Lsouth1072@gmail.com or 202-438-5225

Ben Shelton and Nico Godsick and Ethan Quinn

Features Ben Shelton, Ethan Quinn, Nico Godsick, US Open

Nico Godsick, Son of Mary Joe Fernandez, Faces Top Seed Liam Draxl 6 pm Wednesday at Mardy Fish Tennis at The Boulevard

Randy Walker · April 27, 2022 · Leave a Comment

Vero Beach Locals Perez-Blanco, Hamza Fall In Close First-Round Doubles Match

Nico Godsick, the son of American tennis legend Mary Joe Fernandez and Roger Federer’s agent Tony Godsick, will see if he can knock off his second No. 1 seed in two days at the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships Wednesday night at 6 pm against top-seed Liam Draxl of Canada.

Godsick and doubles partner Ethan Quinn upset the No. 1 seeds Alejandro Franco of Colombia and Antonia March of Ecuador 7-6 (2), 2-6, 10-6 on Tuesday in the highly-entertaining first round match in doubles. He will go for the double sweep of the No. 1 seeds in the tournament against Draxl, the top player from the University of Kentucky who just on Sunday played in the Southeastern Conference team championship match in Athens, Georgia. Fernandez, the two-time Olympic gold medalist in doubles and a singles finalist at the French and Australian Opens, was in attendance at The Boulevard on Tuesday, along with her husband, also known as the co-creator of the Laver Cup team competition. Godsick was also the one-time agent for Mardy Fish during his pro career.

John McNally will start off the tennis “family affair” theme on Stadium Court at noon against a “lucky loser” who will replace Blu Baker, who withdrew with an arm injury after his doubles match Tuesday. McNally is the brother of Caty McNally, a doubles player on the WTA Tour who plays with Coco Gauff.

The full schedule of all 16 first round matches can be found here: https://www.usta.com/content/dam/usta/2022-pro-circuit/20220425_vero_beach_m15/OP.pdf

The updated doubles draw can be found here: https://www.usta.com/content/dam/usta/2022-pro-circuit/20220425_vero_beach_m15/MDD.pdf

The singles draw can be found here: https://www.usta.com/content/dam/usta/2022-pro-circuit/20220425_vero_beach_m15/MDS.pdf

The most anticipated match of the 2022 Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships came on Tuesday night when approximately 500 fans came to support local teaching pros Chase Perez Blanco of the Quail Valley Club and Slim Hamza of The Moorings Club. The two received the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation automatic wild card for the winner and runner-up of the annual “King of the Hill” competition, benefitting Youth Guidance, won by Perez-Blanco. The dup faced Joshua Sheehy of Arlington, Texas and Jakub Wojcik of Delray Beach, Florida and had two set points at 6-4 in the first-set tiebreaker, but lost 7-6 (8-6) 6-4.

The post-match on-court interview with Sheehy and Wojcik can be found here https://youtu.be/f3VHGDcxbX8

The post-match on-court interviews with Hamza and Perez-Blanco can be found here: https://youtu.be/xkkR0Mv8r-k

Harvey Fialkov’s story from the early final-round qualifying matches from Tuesday can be found here:

Jesse Flores, Blaise Bicknell Wave Their National Flags At Mardy Fish Tennis
Nico Godsick and Ethan Quinn at Mardy Fish Tennis
Nico Godsick and Ethan Quinn at Mardy Fish Tennis

Features, Vero Beach Champions Mardy Fish, Nico Godsick, Vero Beach

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