Vero Beach

Former Olympian, Davis Cupper, French Open Doubles Champ Ryan Harrison Leads 2021 Mardy Fish Tennis Entries

Randy Walker · October 9, 2021 · Leave a Comment

Former French Open doubles champion and U.S. Olympic and Davis Cup team member Ryan Harrison is among the leading entries in the $15,000 Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships to be held October 18-24 at The Boulevard Tennis Club.

Harrison is among the 18 confirmed main draw singles player to date who will compete in Vero Beach’s annual professional tennis tournament that is part of the International Tennis Federation’s World Tennis Tour and the U.S. Tennis Association’s Pro Circuit. The tournament serves as the largest fundraiser for the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation, the non-profit organization founded by Vero Beach native Mardy Fish, the former top 10 tennis star, 2004 Olympic silver medalist and the current U.S. Davis Cup captain.

Harrison, 29, was a member of the 2012 U.S. Olympic tennis team and the U.S. Davis Cup team in 2012 and 2018. He won the 2017 French Open doubles title with Michael Venus as the highlight of his five career ATP singles and doubles titles to date, also winning the ATP singles title in Memphis in 2017. Harrison has played in 29 Grand Slam main draw singles tournaments in his career, reaching the third round at the U.S. Open in 2016 and the Australian Open in 2018. He ranked as high as No. 40 in the ATP rankings in 2017, but has seen his ranking fall to a current ranking of No. 475, due to injuries and limited playing opportunities due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The No. 2 leading entry is No. 476-ranked Patrick Kypson of Raleigh, N.C., the winner of the 2017 USTA National Boy’s 18 Championships who competed in the main draw of the 2017 U.S. Open and played for one season for Texas A&M. Also in the field is University of Florida standout Ben Shelton of Gainesville, Fla., who clinched the NCAA team title for the Gators last May playing for his father, Florida head coach Bryan Shelton. During the U.S. Open qualifying tournament in August, ESPN’s Brad Gilbert predicted Shelton would be in the top 100 in the world within three years.

Other leading entries include Liam Draxl of Canada, who was the No. 1 seed at the 2021 NCAA singles championship competing for the University of Kentucky, Juncheng Shang of China, the singles runner-up at the 2021 U.S. Open junior championships, and Evan Zhu of Ann Arbor, Mich., the 2018 NCAA doubles champion at UCLA. The tournament will also feature several fan favorites from previous editions of the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships including 2018 champion Juan Benitez of Colombia, 2016 semifinalist Vasil Kirkov of Tampa, Fla., 2018 semifinalist Strong Kircheimer of Cary, N.C., three-time Mardy Fish wild card event winner Matthew Segura of Apopka, Fla., the great nephew of tennis legend Pancho Segura, and 2018 runner-up Ricardo Rodridugez of Venezuela, who is fresh off playing Davis Cup for his country last month against South Africa at the historic West Side Tennis Club at Forest Hills.

“This is the best player field this tournament has had since it started in 1995,” said co-Tournament Director Tom Fish, the President Emeritus of the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation and the father of Mardy Fish. “To have in our field a player like Ryan Harrison, with a resume that includes a Grand Slam doubles title, along with many talented young players who have won and contended for junior Grand Slam tournament titles, USTA National Championships and NCAA Championships, makes the anticipation for this event as high as it has ever been.”

Due to COVID protocols, limited seating is available via reserved tickets and sponsorships. No daily tickets are being sold. Those interested in reserved tickets or sponsorships can contact Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Executive Director Lynn Southerly at LSouth1072@gmail.com The tournament is traditionally held in late April but was postponed to October due to COVID-19.

“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to once again host this event at The Boulevard in continued challenging times,” said Southerly. “Unfortunately, we are only able to accommodate event sponsors and those who buy reserved seats for the entire tournament as spectators due to COVID protocols with the condensed player and fan areas at the event. All proceeds for the event benefit the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation so at-risk children in Indian River County will be the real winners at our event this year.”

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 new top 10 start 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. 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.

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 2021 include Presenting Sponsor: PNC Bank, Grand Slam Sponsors: Boston Barricade, George E. Warren Corporation, The Jake Owen Foundation, John’s Island Real Estate, Tom Collins Insurance, Cabana/Box Seat Sponsors: Michael and Kathleen Pierce, Gene Simonsen, John and Charlotte Klein, Peter and Maureen Lee, John’s Island Real Estate, Wilmington Trust, Bob and Lace Milligan, Micky and Rob Stein, Bob and Emilie Burr, Lynn Southerly, John and Sara Marshall, John and Marie McConnell, Shirley Becker, Hadleigh Investments and Supporting Sponsors: Syde Hurdus Foundation, Mike and Meg Hickey/The M&M Group, Nalzarro Music, Flat Rock Global, LLC, Hoskins, Turco, Lloyd & Lloyd, Kitchens by Design, Diamond Resorts, Center Court Outfitters, Foglia Contracting, Offfutt, Barton, Schlitt, Inc, Joe and Gloria Papalardo, Dave and Nina Piacquad, Baerbel O’Haire, Dr. Curtis Dalili, Line Ory, Rebecca Emmons, Linda Johnson, Pene Chambers, Felicia Payton, Kaye Manly, Kathy Silloway, Willem and Marion DeVogel, Ron Chesley, Dr. Collin Kitchell and Minuteman Press.

Riverside Park-Based Tennis Program Receives U.S. Tennis Association Support

Randy Walker · July 16, 2021 · Leave a Comment

The USTA Foundation, the charitable arm of the United States Tennis Association Incorporated (USTA), has awarded grants totaling more than $1,070,000 to 105 National Junior Tennis & Learning chapters (NJTL) in 36 states and the District of Columbia. The grants are designated to support under-resourced youth through tennis and education programs designed to improve health, build character and strive for academic excellence. This is an initial investment as the USTA Foundation will award approximately $4 million in grants in 2021.

Among those receiving grants was the Treasure Coast Tennis Association in Vero Beach, Florida. The NJTL chapter, run by former Baylor University men’s and women’s tennis coach Tim Palmer, is the organization that executes the youth tennis programming on behalf of the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation, the charitable foundation of the U.S. Davis Cup captain and former top 10 star. The Treasure Coast Tennis Association conducts most of its tennis programming at Vero Beach’s beautiful Riverside Park tennis complex, the public park which is the site of where Fish first began to learn the game with his father Tom Fish.

These grants, targeted towards community programs designated by the 105 NJTL chapters, are anticipated to support 60,000 youth participants at the selected chapters, including 30,000 who are estimated to pick up a racquet for the first time. In total, these chapters will offer more than 56,000 hours of education and 95,000 hours of tennis activities, including the creation and expansion of after-school and summer camp programs. The USTA Foundation also designated $100,000 of the grants towards 20 new NJTL network members.

“We’re thrilled to provide grants to help these NJTL chapters fund their essential programming for under-resourced children during these difficult economic times,” said USTA Foundation President Kathleen Wu. “These grants are a reflection of the tremendously impactful work that NJTL chapters do every day in local communities.”

Cycle 1 grants cover the first of two annual grant periods. Applications for Cycle 2 grants will open on Aug. 2, with Cycle 2 grants ranging from $2,500 to $40,000. Selection is based on each NJTL’s stated goals, including the number of youth, implementation of educational curricula, mentoring, social-emotional learning, and improved tennis delivery using USTA on-court resources.

The USTA Foundation also recently launched the Rally for the Future campaign, the largest single fundraising campaign in USTA Foundation history with a $20 million target over the next three years. Rally for the Future is targeted towards planning and building the future strength of NJTL chapters, which are supported by the USTA Foundation. NJTL chapters provide free or low-cost tennis and education programming for more than 160,000 under-resourced youth across the country in over 250 diverse communities to ensure all children have equal access to participate in the sport.

CLICK HERE TO SEE A FULL LIST OF GRANT RECIPIENTS

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USTA Foundation Incorporated (USTAF or USTA Foundation), the national charitable arm of the United States Tennis Association Incorporated (USTA), utilizes the powerful combination of tennis and education to enhance the lives of under-resourced youth through its support of the National Junior Tennis & Learning (NJTL) network. For more than 50 years, NJTL has impacted thousands of youth across the nation, and today the network features more than 250 chapters that reach more than 160,000 young people annually. The USTAF supports these chapters by providing financial grants, scholarship opportunities, curricula, technical assistance, and training. USTAF raises money and public awareness through private donations, corporate sponsorships, foundations, and fundraisers, including the US Open Opening Night Gala, the US Open Paver program, and various Pro-Ams, to name just a few. To date, the USTA Foundation has awarded more than $50 million in grants and scholarships. For more information on the USTA Foundation, visit www.ustafoundation.com, or stay connected through Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok (at @USTA)

Popko, Italian Duo Frigerio and Virgili Crowned Vero Beach Champions For 2019

manfr3dw · May 6, 2019 · Leave a Comment

Despite some afternoon rain showers delaying play for five of the seven days of play, the 2019 Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships concluded on time early Sunday evening after Italians Lorenzo Frigerio and Adelchi Virgili won the doubles title, defeating top-seeds Boris Arias of the Bolivian Davis Cup team and Sekou Bangoura of Bradenton, Fla., 6-4, 6-3 in the final.

Earlier Sunday, Dmitry Popko of Kazakhstan was crowned the singles champion of this 25-year annual Vero Beach tennis tradition, a $25,000 event on the ITF World Tennis Tour, defeating Bangoura 6-1, 7-6 (1) in the singles final. Popko, the No. 8 seed and a member of Kazakhstan’s Davis Cup team, was dominant this week in Vero Beach, putting on a dazzling display of shot-making for the scores of enthusiastic spectators and volunteers and won his seventh ITF event this year, a $3,600 payday, and more significantly, three ATP ranking points.

“This one means a lot because it’s a $25,000 event and also gave me three ATP points and put me in the Top 10 of the ITF rankings,’’ said Popko, 22, ranked 12th before the tournament and just 608th in the ATP, down from a career-high of 178 in 2017. “Now I can play Challenger level tournaments and hopefully I’m going to earn as many ATP points as I can and then see where it’s going to bring me.’’

Popko cancelled his plans to play in next week’s Pensacola ITF stop because he has been accepted into a more prestigious ATP Challenger tournament in Shymkent, located in his adopted Kazakhstan. He sped to the airport to fly half way around the world immediately following the singles final Sunday.
This year Popko has won three ITF tournaments in Turkey and four in Florida, including Naples, Sunrise, Orange Park and Vero Beach. He has won his last three ITF tournaments while winning 15 consecutive matches and 31 of his last 33.

“I’m hungrier now and enjoying the wins,’’ Popko said.

Just as hungry was his opponent, as Bangoura got to No. 213 in 2016, but has since dropped to 400. His ITF ranking of 30th will surely improve after his second final of the year, along with a title in Naples. He was forced to play twice on Sunday because his semifinal against Diego Hidalgo of Ecuador was stopped on Saturday with Bangoura trailing 7-5, 5-3.

Early Sunday morning, Bangoura staved off a match point before capping off his comeback victory, 5-7, 7-6 (5), 6-1. A few hours later, he was getting hammered by Popko’s titanic forehands and pinpoint two-hand backhand, quickly dropping the first set 6-1.

Bangoura, 27, an accomplished chess player, used his analytical skills on a different squared surface, and began attacking the net, pressuring Popko to come up with the passing shot. Suddenly, the match flip-flopped and Bangoura jumped out to a 5-2 lead in the second set.

“He started to come in more and kind of broke my rhythm,’’ said Popko, who was only truly tested this week in his second-round, three-set victory over young Colombian, Nicolas Mejia. “He adjusted it by himself and made me uncomfortable. I was down 2-5 and had to fight back. I picked up my level and that’s how I went up 6-5.’’

However, Bangoura, again living on the edge, saved two match points and broke Popko’s serve to force a tiebreaker. It was there Bangoura ran out of fuel as Popko, perhaps buoyed by his 45-6 match record this year, reeled off six consecutive points in the tiebreaker before finishing off his fleet-footed opponent with a wicked crosscourt forehand passing shot. Checkmate.

“The tiebreaker was a game of nerves and I think I played better because it had a 1-0 [set lead],’’ Popko said.

Perhaps the most illustrious player to have won this event was Great Britain’s Kyle Edmund, who was ranked No. 513 in 2013 when he took the title. Last year Edmund reached the semifinals of the Australian Open and was ranked a career-high No. 14. Why not Popko?

The USTA reports that ITF events such as the Mardy Fish ITF championships can bring in approximately $500,000 to the local economy and several thousand more for the foundation’s charities, which are geared to getting children involved in healthy activities.

“This tournament didn’t feel like an ITF, it felt like a much bigger tournament because of the great atmosphere,’’ Popko said. “More than 50 people came up to me after to congratulate me.’’

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. Fans can continue to follow news and developments on the tournament on Facebook and on Twitter at @VeroFutures. Future sponsorship and ticket information can be obtained by emailing Tom Fish at Tfish10s@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.MardyFishChildrensFoundation.org 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.

Some Players Advance, Some Wait To Finish Due To Rain At Mardy Fish Tennis – 10 AM Start Thursday

manfr3dw · May 2, 2019 · 84 Comments

Rain washed away most of the afternoon and evening play Wednesday at the $25,000 Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championship causing tournament officials to start play at 10 am on Thursday – two hours earlier than previously planned – in an effort to get back on schedule. The full schedule of play for Thursday can be found here: https://www.usta.com/content/dam/usta/pdfs/20190429_VeroBeach_M_OP.pdf

After a three-hour rain delay Wednesday, Paul Oosterbaan needed just two more points to advance into the second round before the hard rains returned. It took just three minutes for the 6-foot-8 Oosterbaan to seal the deal with one of his trademark booming serves as he finished off Great Britain’s Jack Findel-Hawkins 6-2, 7-6 (3) under the lights at The Boulevard tennis club.

“It’s nice to walk away with a win but it was tough waiting around for awhile but I’m excited to move on to tomorrow,’’ said Oosterbaan, who left the University of Georgia after his sophomore season to pursue a professional tennis career. “I tried not to think about leading 5-1 in the tiebreaker and just think about the point coming up we had to play. Luckily, I won my service point.’’

Oosterbaan, 23, ranked No. 682, has been training across the street from The Boulevard at Grand Harbor club. Despite facing a hostile crowd Tuesday night he and partner Andrew Watson edged Vero Beach locals Chase Perez-Blanco and Andrew Butz, 6-2, 4-6 (10-8).

“It was a fun night, big crowd, and a great atmosphere to play in.’’

It had to be far worse for Findel-Hawkins, 24, who waited three hours just to lose.

“I played a scratchy match anyway,’’ the 678th-ranked Findel-Hawkins said.
When Nicolas Mejia of Colombia made it through qualifiers and reached the quarterfinals of the Mardy Fish tournament last year he was still a junior. He ran into eventual Fish champion Juan Benitez in the quarters. A year later Mejia returns a 19-year-old man beginning his professional career.

Mejia, who trains in Bradenton with IMG, used some of that experience during a three-hour rain delay after splitting sets (and 1-1 in the third) against Japan’s Naoki Nakagawa. Serving at 5-3, Mejia was broken but broke right back and converted match point by having to hit two feathery drop shots during the final rally.

“I’m really lucky I travel with a lot of friends at IMG,’’ said Mejia, who won the Grade 1 Eddie Herr Junior Championships last year while reaching the semifinals of Junior Wimbledon, the quarterfinals of the Junior French Open and the round of 16 at the Junior U.S. Open. “We are lucky to have each other. It’s really fun.’’

Still waiting to play his first-round match Wednesday night was Benitez, who has since returned to Baylor University to pursue his degree in communications. Benitez, 23, ranked 608, has decided the gypsy-like existence is no longer right for him.

While Benitez has won at least three Future events, he has never played in the main draw of a ‘major league’ ATP-sanctioned event.
“It’s time to live a more stable lifestyle. It’s been fun traveling to 15 to 20 countries, but I want to get my degree and settle down. I have so many stories,’’ said Benitez of Colombia.

Also anxious to play his first-round match was 16-year-old Zachary Svajda, the youngest competitor in the tournament. The rain pushed back his match against fellow qualifier Dragos Constantin Ignat of Romania. Ignat, 26, manages a tennis club in East Hampton, N.Y., and is trying to get his career back on track after a litany of injuries, including shoulder surgery and severe migraines accompanied by vertigo.

Svajda, whose father is from the Czech Republic, eschews most junior tournaments, and prefers to play on the ITF circuit. He did post a big junior win in Carson, Calif., earlier this year.

Although the Dominican Republic is well known for churning out Major League All-Star baseball players, several athletes from the idyllic Caribbean island prefer a fuzzy yellow ball to the stitched cowhide variety.

Dominican Jose Olivares swung a formidable racket rather than a baseball bat as he bounced back from a first-set thrashing to vanquish hard-hitting qualifier Baker Newman 2-6, 6-1, 6-2 to advance to the second round.
Fellow Dominican, 580th-ranked Nick Hardt, 18, was unable to finish off his rain-delayed match with with 320th-ranked Maksim Tikhomirov of Philadelphia. Another downpour came at 8:25 p.m. All the doubles matches were postponed until Thursday.

Olivares’ reward for his first-round victory in the 25th-running of this newly dubbed $25,000 ITF World Tennis Tour event was a second-round meeting with top-seeded Pedro Sakamoto, who happens to be his doubles partner this week. Sakamoto, a Brazilian with a Japanese mother and Hawaiian grandfather, cruised past Isaac Stoute of Great Britain, 6-4, 6-2 on Stadium Court.

“I played baseball when I was about 12, but my uncle taught me tennis, so I preferred that and basketball over baseball,’’ smiled the 22-year-old Olivares, now ranked 670th. “[Sakamoto] is a good player but I’m confident in me. I will concentrate on the doubles and then talk to my coach about strategy against him and concentrate on that tomorrow.’’

Olivares’ coach Gustavo Granitto, who trains his disciple in South Florida (Pembroke Pines), said young Dominicans are riding the wave left by countryman Victor Estrella Burgos, who was the first Dominican to play in a Grand Slam at age 34 when he reached the third round of the U.S. Open in 2014. He was also the first to crack the Top 100 and reached a career-high 43 in 2015, while winning three ATP titles, all in Ecuador.

“They saw Estrella and they wanted to follow,’’ Granitto said. “They know their stuff and are working hard.’’

Newman, 23, has honed his strokes in Miami where he was a five-time state champion for Gulliver Academy before a standout career at Vanderbilt University. However, Newman and his older brother Spencer, play Davis Cup for the Bahamas, the birthplace of their father, Eric.

Sakamoto, 25, is enjoying a breakthrough season, having reached the finals of a $15,000 ITF event in Naples in January, winning a $15,000 ITF in Argentina last month as well as another finals berth in an ATP Challenger in Mexico. He appreciates being the top seed but also isn’t thrilled to have a target on his back.

“It’s a pleasure but everybody is against you and wants to beat the top seed,’’ said 382nd-ranked Sakamoto, who’s proficient in Portuguese, Spanish and English, but not Japanese. “All tournaments are hard, and everyone is playing good, so I have to look at each match and keep working for it.’’

A few weeks ago Sakamoto ousted 100th-ranked Alexander Bublik and earlier this year took out Carlos Berlocq, who was ranked 37th in 2012.

“I’ve been struggling in Futures and Challengers for the past 5-6 years, but this year has been quite different,’’ he said. “I started well in the U.S., reaching a final of a $15,000. I don’t know what happened, but I’ve been playing better and better, and now I’m enjoying tennis more this year. My main goal this year is to play in qualifying of Grand Slams. That’s the first step, and after that work hard to get into the Top 100.’’

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 Tfish10s@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:

Thursday, May 2
Main Draw Singles & Doubles – The Boulevard Tennis Club, 10 AM, 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 TBD – The Boulevard Tennis Club, Noon, 5 pm
Sunday, May 5

Singles Final – The Boulevard Tennis Club, 1 pm
Doubles TBD

Irish Davis Cupper Julian Bradley To Play Feature 6:45 PM Match Monday At Mardy Fish Tennis at The Boulevard

manfr3dw · April 29, 2019 · Leave a Comment

Julian Bradley, a member of Ireland’s Davis Cup team, will be part of the featured 6:45 pm night match Monday at the $25,000 Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships at The Boulevard tennis club in Vero Beach.
Bradley, a resident of Dublin, will face Duke recruit Garrett Johns of Atlanta in the first round of the 32-player qualifying tournament for this 25th annual professional tennis tournament that is part of the International Tennis Federation World Tennis Tour and part of the USTA’s Competitive Pathway.
The other feature match Monday afternoon will be Magnus Johnson of Naples, Florida, who won the special Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation pre-qualifying tournament last week, playing at 5 pm against Alan Kohen of Argentina on the Grandstand Court. Sixteen first round qualifying singles matches will be played Monday on four courts starting at Noon.
Both Bradley and Johnson are part of the 32-player qualifying tournament that will be played Monday and part of Tuesday to determine eight positions in the main draw of this event. Players will have to win two matches on Monday and Tuesday to qualify for the main draw of the event that will begin on Tuesday.
Matches begin Monday at noon with former University of Minnesota standout Matic Spec of Slovenia, the No. 1 seed in the 32-player qualifying event, taking on very uniquely-named Kakaka’loikamalie Companion of Honolulu, Hawaii first at noon. The second match on Stadium will feature Bolivian Davis Cupper Boris Arias, a former college tennis standout at LSU, taking on Chris Rosensteel of East Windsor, N.J., who competed in the tournament’s pre-qualifying event last week. The third match on Stadium will feature Jamaican Davis Cupper Rowland Phillips against Mihnea Lorin Stefan Turcu of Romania.
Bradley has been part of Ireland’s Davis Cup contingent the last years after playing college tennis at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville. Bradley’s story of tennis development is an incredible one as he did not even pick up tennis until the age of 14, working on his family’s farm in the village of Carlow, Ireland, south of Dublin. When he was 16 years old, he commuted nearly four hours a day every day to Dublin to work with the best tennis coaches in Ireland. After studying dentistry for two years at Trinity University in Ireland, he transferred to the University of North Florida.
“Julian is an under-the-radar type of guy who just gets on with business,” wrote former top 200 ATP player from Ireland James McGee on Facebook. “His work ethic is better than anyone I’ve ever seen and he is known in tennis circles for being an animal!”
Bradley last year lost in the final of the then 128-player qualifying rounds of this tournament at Grand Harbor and defeated “King of the Hill” champions Mike Alford and Robert Kowalczyk of Vero Beach in the first round of doubles.
Johns was a quarterfinalist in 2017 at the USTA National Boy’s 16 Championships in Kalamazoo, Michigan and won the USTA National Boys’ 16 Clay Court Championships in 2017. He will enroll to play college tennis at Duke starting in the fall of 2019.
“When I think of Garrett’s game, I think of the word solid,” said Duke University tennis coach Ramsey Smith, the son of tennis legend Stan Smith. “He does not blow you away with flash, but has a high tennis IQ, moves well and makes a ton of balls. Garrett’s consistency and heart has the ability to frustrate opponents and push them past their breaking points. The longer the match, the better for Garrett.”
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.
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 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.
The tournament schedule is as follows:
Monday, April 29
Qualifying Tournament Begins – The Boulevard Tennis Club, Noon, 5 pm, 6:45 pm
Tuesday, April 30
Qualifying Tournament Ends, Main Draw Begins – 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.