The luck streak of Vasil Kirkov continued Thursday at the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships.
The 17-year-old American from Tampa, one of the apprentices of Vero Beach’s Ivan Lendl, advanced into the event’s quarterfinals when his opponent, Mexican Davis Cupper Daniel Garza, quit the match with a muscle strain in his left leg in the third set.
Kirkov’s 4-6, 6-4, 4-1, (ret.) match victory was highlighted by Garza’s frequent attempts to drop shot the young American. The Mexican, the 2011 tournament champion who lives in Vero Beach part time, would also go for outright winners in rallies, attempting to shorten points in the hot conditions.
“You don’t know what’s coming, you don’t get any rhythm,” said Kirkov of Garza’s eclectic style of tennis. “I just tried to play my game and execute my shots.”
Kirkov is only into the 32-player $10,000 USTA Pro Circuit “Futures” level due to the withdrawal of Alejandro Gomez of Colombia. Kirkov was placed into the draw as a “lucky loser” being randomly drawn among the players who lost in the final round of qualifying to replace Gomez. He made the most of his “lucky” opportunity in the first round on Tuesday defeating Alejandro Mendoza of Bolivia. His win over Garza places him his first-ever quarterfinal at a professional event.
In Friday’s night’s 6 pm featured match, Kirkov will face Roberto Quiroz of Ecuador, who defeated another 17-year-old Lendl apprentice Gianni Ross 6-7 (2), 6-4, 7-5 in two hours, 41 minutes.
Quiroz comes from a strong tennis pedigree as his uncle is long-time Top 10 player and 1990 French Open champion Andres Gomez. His cousin, Emilio Gomez, also plays on the tour and is ranked No. 308
Quiroz felt pressure as he dropped the first set in a tiebreak and had to come back from a set down after a spirited performance from Ross was too much to handle in the early goings. In the last two sets, though, Quiroz was in control as he only had to face one break point after facing nine in the first set. Ross appeared nervous and tentative in the final game as Quiroz broke his serve to close out the match.
Quiroz recently graduated from the University of Southern California – where he played alongside U.S. Davis Cup team member Steve Johnson for one season – and is still adjusting to life on the professional circuit.
“I haven’t been playing my best tennis in the last couple weeks,” said Quiroz, who is currently ranked No. 832, almost 350 places off his best ranking of No. 483. He said he sometimes leans on his uncle for help and inspiration.
“We’re always consulting him,” said Quiroz of Gomez. “To be able to have someone like him, it’s such a great asset for me…we’ve trained with him since we were little kids.”
Another winner on Thursday was the No. 2 seed Deiton Baughman of Carson, Calif. The 20-year old took out former world No. 46 Evgeny Korolev of Russia in a three-set battle 6-3, 5-7, 6-1.
A solid performance in the first set from Baughman made it difficult for Korolev to get into the match, but after a few games, the Russian began to make his presence felt on the court.
“When he’s hitting his shots, it’s dangerous, you can see why he was Top 50,” said Baughman of Korolev.
The powerful game of Korolev was on display throughout the second set as he was able to apply pressure on Baughman’s serve, especially at 5-5 in the second set.
“That’s just well played, too good,” said Baughman of Korolev’s returns in that game that gave him the break and eventually the set.
Korolev couldn’t keep that level of play up through the third set, and Baughman took full advantage.
“In the third set, I feel like he just got tired…I was just making him play,” said Baughman. The American’s level of fitness is something that he and his coach take pride in, and that allowed him to hold on for the win.
“I’ve watched him play before plenty of times when I was younger…it’s cool to play a guy who actually was at that level,” said Baughman in regards to Korolev being a former Top 50 player, “It’s cool for me to say hey, I was able to manage it…I played my game and played pretty well toward the end.”
Baughman is the top-seeded player remaining the tournament after No. 1 seed Gonzalo Escobar, also of Ecuador, was defeated by 18-year-old Marcelo Tomas Barrios Vera of Chile 6-4, 6-3. Barrios Vera, a top 10 ranked junior player last year, will face Latvia’s Martins Podzus who beat Juan Sebastien Gomez 6-0, 6-3. Germany’s Jonas Luetien defeated Peruvian Davis Cupper Mauricio Echazu of Peru 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 and will face Baughman.
Thursday’s Second Round Results
Marcelo Tomas Barrios Vera, Chile d. (1) Gonzalo Escobar, Ecuador 6-4, 6-3
Martins Podzus, Latvia d. (5) Juan Sebastian Gomez, Colombia 6-0, 6-3
Roberto Quiroz, Ecuador d. (WC) Gianni Ross, United States 6-7(2), 6-4, 7-5
(LL) Vasil Kirkov, United States d. Daniel Garza, Mexico 4-6, 6-4, 4-1 Ret.
(Q) Juan Manuel Benitez Chavarriaga, Colombia d. (Q) Ty Trombetta, United States 7-5, 6-2
(3) Denis Shapovalov, Canada d. (Q) Michael Zhu, United States 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(1)
Jonas Luetjen, Germany d. Mauricio Echazu, Peru 6-2, 3-6, 6-2
(2) Deiton Baughman, United States d. (Q) Evgeny Korolev, Russia 6-3, 5-7, 6-1
Thursday’s Doubles Semifinal Results
(1) Deiton Baughman, United States/Anderson Reed, United States d. Gonzalo Escobar, Ecuador/Roberto Quiroz, Ecuador 1-6, 6-4, 13-11
Miomir Kecmanovic, Serbia/Jonas Luetjen, Germany d. Janis Podzus, Latvia/Martins Podzus, Latvia 7-6(5), 4-6, 10-4
Friday’s Schedule
Stadium (Starting at 11AM)
Marcelo Tomas Barrios Vera, Chile v. Martins Podzus, Latvia
Not before 1PM
(2) Deiton Baughman, United States v. Jonas Luetjen, Germany
Not before 3PM
(3) Denis Shapovalov, Canada v. (Q) Juan Manuel Benitez Chavarriaga, Colombia
Not before 6PM
(LL) Vasil Kirkov, United States v. Roberto Quiroz, Ecuador
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:
11 am Friday, April 29 Not before 6 pm Night Match
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.
Sponsors and supporters of the event are as follows:
Grand Slam Sponsors
SorensenRealEstate.com
Boston Barricade
Laser Spine Institute
George E. Warren Corp.
Indian River Medical Center
Syde Hurdus Foundation
PNC Bank
Backhand Sponsors
John’s Island Real Estate
Coastal Van Lines Storage
Indian River Press Journal / TCPalm.com
Barbara Ettinger
Dr. Larry Landsman
Dr. John Sarbak
Citrus Grillhouse
White Orchid Day Spa
Gene Simonsen
Michael & Kathleen Pierce
Center Court
Publix
Indian River Oxygen
Forehand Sponsors
Rosato Plastic Surgery Center
Kay C. Betancourt, DMD
Jeff & Rosanne Susi
Mello Financial
Jean Ueltschi
Sam & Susie Bell
Cravings
Sue Powell Rentals
William Barhorst
Peter Bernholz Family
Don & Linda Proctor
The Whole Person Project, Inc.
Ocean Drive Plastic Surgery
Ocean Drive Elite Physiques
Huryn Construction
Riverside Café
Barker Air Conditioning
Bill & Laurie Stewart
Steve McCloud / Wells Fargo Private Mortgage Banking
Coggin BMW of Ft. Pierce / Mercedes of Ft. Pierce
Twig Swim & Sportswear Shop
Osceola Bistro
Supporting Sponsors and Patrons
The Moorings Yacht & Country Club
New Leaf Designs
A Pampered Life / Disney Spa
Carpe Antiperspirant Hand Lotion
Robert Kowalczyk – Moorings Yacht & Country Club
Win Detergent
Calvetti & Company
NewChapterMedia.com
Steve Hardin – Twin Oaks Tennis Club
Aurelija Merrill – John’s Island Club
Carol Donnelly
Roy & Tish Wissel
Boast
Hutchinson’s Florist
Casey’s Restaurant
Chelsea’s Market
Tennis Resort at the ESPN Wide World of Sports at Disney
Sassy Boutique
Quail Valley Club
Bottle Shop
Busy Bee
Veranda
Avanzare
Maison Beach Gifts
Center for Advanced Eye Care
Diamond Resorts International
Monreal London
Rock City Gardens
Tina Simone Company
Pogues, Inc.
Kevin Healy, M.S., D.S.
Chiropractic Nutrition and Wellness
Treasure Coast Sports Commission
Saddlebrook Academy
Nailtiques
Sam Garcia – Quail Valley Club
Dr. Raymond Della Porta, D.M.D.
Yulin Day Spa
Pat Gorman – Bent Pine Golf Club
Frosting
Grind & Grape bar & grill
JMcLaughlin
Vero Beach Yoga Barre
Ken & Annette Krasnow
Indian River County School District
Body Network
Studio Gabriel
Quinn Hiaason
Tommy Falcone
Sandy Malone
Spring Hill Suites by Marriott
Vero Beach Inn & Suites
Seaside Grill
Swarovski Jewelry
Minuteman Press
Dr. Michele Maholtz
Jony Leitenbauer and Tom Fish – Windsor Club
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Randy Walker – 917 770 0843
RWalker@NewChapterMedia.com