Two world-ranked players from Mexico, top American junior players and the recently-crowned “King of the Hill” champion highlight the field at this week’s “Wild Card” tournament for the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships being held Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at The Boulevard Tennis Club in Vero Beach.
The winner of the event will receive a “wild card” invitation to play in the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships, the $15,000 U.S. Tennis Association Pro Circuit “Futures” event that will be held April 21-30 at Grand Harbor Golf and Beach Club.
Mexico’s Carlos Ramirez Uterman and Mauricio Resendiz Dominguez, who both currently have ATP World Tour rankings, highlight the “Wild Card” singles field, along with highly-regarded American junior Williams Howells, who competed in the main draw of last year’s Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships, and 16-year-old Ivan Yatsuk of the United States. James Van Deinse of the Vero Beach Tennis Club, winner of the 22nd annual “King of the Hill” competition last week to earn a main draw doubles wild card into the Mardy Fish Futures, is also competing.
Admission to this “Wild Card” tournament is free and play begins Tuesday, Feb. 28 at 11 am and includes two of the “King of the Hill” finalists competing in evening matches – Van Deinse playing Viju George of the United States at 6 pm and Uterman playing Bryant Mohns of the United States at 7 pm.
Play continues with quarterfinal matches starting at 9:30 am on Wednesday, March 1 and semifinal matches later on Wednesday night at 6 pm. The final match will be played Thursday night, March 2 at 6 pm.
All matches are best of three sets with a 10-point Super Tiebreaker played in lieu of a third set.
The full event draw can be found below.
The Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships is the USTA’s $15,000 Futures-level tournament played in Vero Beach since 1995 and 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 a U.S. Davis Cup standout.
Advance tickets – and sponsorships – for the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships are available at www.VeroBeachTennisTickets.com. Season tickets for all 10 days of the competition are available for $100. Daily by-one-get-one free tickets for the qualifying rounds April 21-24 are for sale for $10, with daily tickets for the main draw sessions April 25-30 for sale for $20. A special $10 “Happy Hour” ticket is available for $10 after 5 pm for night sessions on Tuesday, April 25 – Friday, April 28 that includes a featured 7 pm night match. Admission for children 18 and under is free. Approximately 3,000 fans annually attend the event, which is seen as one of the best-attended events in the world on the “Futures” level of professional tennis tournaments. The 2016 event featured 13 players who played Davis Cup for their country and was won by Jonas Luetjen of Germany, who defeated Latvian Davis Cupper Martins Podzus in the final.
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 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.
2017 “Wild Card” Tournament For Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships
Draw
Mauricio Resendiz Dominguez (MEX)
Vs. Bye (Next Match 9:30 am Wednesday)
11 am Tuesday
Emilio Van Cotthem (USA)
Vs. Richard Torres (USA)
6 pm Tuesday
James Van Deinse (USA)
Vs. Viju George (USA)
11 am Tuesday
Sage Leaman (USA)
Vs. Joel Link (GER)
William Howells (USA)
Vs. Bye (Next Match 9:30 am Wednesday)
Noon Tuesday
Alejandro Valencia (COL)
Vs. Drew Bochte (USA)
Noon Tuesday
Ivan Yatsuk (USA)
Vs. Dave Weltz (USA)
7 pm Tuesday
Bryant Mohns (USA)
Vs. Carlos Ramirez Uterman (MEX)
USTA
"King of the Hill" Winner, Runner-Up Receive Main Draw Doubles Wild Card Into Mardy Fish Futures
James Van Deinse of the Vero Beach Tennis Club and Michael Alford of the Quail Valley River Club, the winner and runner-up respectively at the annual “King of the Hill” tennis competition, have been awarded a main draw doubles wild card into the 2017 Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships, to be held April 21 – 30 at Grand Harbor in Vero Beach, Florida.
Van Deinse and Alford were awarded the wild card by the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation, the operators of the Vero Beach $15,000 U.S. Tennis Association Pro Circuit “Futures” event, as part of an agreement with the 22-year “King of the Hill” (KOTH) competition and organizer Gigi Casapu to give a wild card entry into the Futures event to the KOTH winner and runner-up.
Van Deinse and Alford will play their first round doubles match on Tuesday, April 25 at 7 pm.
“We are happy to welcome James and Michael into our doubles field for the 2017 tournament and hope that their many Vero Beach fans come out to support two local residents as they compete against ATP-ranked professional players from around the world,” said Tom Fish, President of the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation. “We are excited to have started a new tradition with our partnership with Gigi Casapu in awarding the ‘King of the Hill’ winner and runner-up a main draw doubles wild card into our event. We’d also like to start the tradition of having the ‘King of the Hill’ doubles team play on our opening main draw night session on Tuesdays, creating a ‘King of the Hill’ Tuesday night at the tournament.”
The Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships is the USTA’s $15,000 Futures-level tournament played in Vero Beach since 1995 and 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 a U.S. Davis Cup standout.
“The King of Hill” is the annual doubles competition featuring tennis professionals from the Vero Beach area who compete in round-robin competitions on Tuesday nights to the determine the “king” of the local tennis professional. Proceeds from “King of the Hill” benefit the Youth Guidance Mentoring & Activities Program.
Many former KOTH champions and competitors have played in the Vero Beach USTA Futures, including four-time champion Robert Kowalczyk, the former USTA National Boy’s 18 Hard Court Champion, four-time champion Aldo Burga, now of The Legacy club, two-time champion Kriegler Brink, a singles semifinalist at the Vero Beach Futures in 2011, and 2016 KOTH champion Mike Alford, a former standout at the University of Florida, among others.
Advance tickets for the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships are available at www.VeroBeachTennisTickets.com. Season tickets for all 10 days of the competition are available for $100. Daily by-one-get-one free tickets for the qualifying rounds April 21-24 are for sale for $10, with daily tickets for the main draw sessions April 25-30 for sale for $20. A special $10 “Happy Hour” ticket is available for $10 after 5 pm for night sessions on Tuesday, April 25 – Friday, April 28 that includes a featured 7 pm night match. Admission for children 18 and under is free. Approximately 3,000 fans annually attend the event, which is seen as one of the best-attended events in the world on the “Futures” level of professional tennis tournaments. The 2016 event featured 13 players who played Davis Cup for their country and was won by Jonas Luetjen of Germany, who defeated Latvian Davis Cupper Martins Podzus in the final.
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 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.
Micah Nalzaro, Mardy Fish Children's Foundation Student/Mentor, Receives Call Back For US Open Singing Performance
Micah Nalzaro, a 14-year-old from Vero Beach, Fla., and a tennis participant in the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation program, has been selected for a call-back try-out to potentially perform “America The Beautiful” at Arthur Ashe Stadium during the 2016 US Open tennis championships.
Nalzaro submitted a video of him singing “America The Beautiful” performed before the men’s semifinal matches in Vero Beach during April’s Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships, a $10,000 “Futures” event on the U.S. Tennis Association Pro Circuit.
Nalzaro is one of a select number of contestants chosen from online submissions from children around the country for the in-person call-back audition June 28 in New York City. Winners selected from the call-back audition will perform “America the Beautiful” live during the night sessions at the 2016 US Open, which will be held Aug. 29 to Sept. 11.
“We are so proud of Micah, who is a terrific young man, an enthusiastic tennis player and a talented singer and performer,” said Tom Fish, chairman of the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation and the father of Mardy Fish. “Our Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships is kind of like a mini-US Open for us in Vero Beach and it certainly would be amazing if Micah was able to turn his performance at our event into an opportunity to sing during the real US Open in New York.”
To view Nalzaro’s online submitted audition from the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships, click here on YouTube: https://youtu.be/XI_bb7h5d3w
The program is part of the USTA’s nationwide online casting as part of its 10th annual US Open anthem audition. For the second consecutive year, the audition age will be extended to children 14 years of age or younger to submit an online audition performance. Previously, the casting call was only open to those 12 and under. The USTA first launched an open casting call in 2006. All entries were reviewed by a panel of judges from the music and entertainment industry.
Nalzaro has appeared in Vero Beach stage performances since 2012, including his most recent role as the Prince in the Vero Beach Theatre Guild presentation of “The King and I” in 2016. He is currently a participant in the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Middle School Tennis League and also volunteers with the Foundation mentoring younger children. Micah and his father Edmund also participated in the foundation’s Team Fish Community Outreach program, where he volunteered to work in different philanthropic community events such as The Special Olympics. He also has served as a ball person at the USTA Pro Circuit event the last few years.
Founded in 2007, the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation (www.MardyFishFoundation.com and @MardyFishFound on Twitter) is a non-profit foundation benefitting children and named for Vero Beach native and former top-ranked American player Mardy Fish. The Foundation 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 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.
The Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation recently completed its first year as the new operator of the $10,000 “Futures” tennis tournament in Vero Beach, one of the longest-running and best attended events on the USTA Pro Circuit. All proceeds from the event benefit the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation.
Area Youth Highlighted at Mardy Fish Children's Foundation Tennis Championships
Along with top-notch tennis, The Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation is serving up a week of activities and programs to recognize area youth and highlight what this Children’s Foundation is all about, the kids.
Spectating kids are invited to join on court each evening between 5 and 6 pm as local clubs offer clinic demonstrations.
Wednesday: Lozano/Osorio Tennis Academy players with Marco Osorio and Adrianna Canape from the Boulevard
Thursday: Wayne Keeler from Hidden Palms Tennis Club
Friday: KIDS DAY (FREE EVENT)
4:00-5:00pm kids ages 4-14 are invited for face painting, on court games and drills, match play, radar serve contest and more.
5:00-5:20pm Join Yoga Barre as they run a yoga cool down for Kids Day participants.
5:25- 5:45pm Alain Mignolet of Twin Oaks will be hosting a mini-exhibition highlighting local top junior players.
As a reminder, feature matches will not be held before 6pm each evening. Balls Kids must report at 5:30 to receive assignments.
Saturday/Sunday: Matches will begin at 1pm on Saturday and 11am on Sunday. Ball kids to report 1/2 hour early if only attending after-noon matches to receive team assignment.
Sunday Closing Ceremony- National Anthem to be sung by Edmund Nalzarro
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 is being 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