2013/06/18

Kosakowski Beats Amritraj for Claremont USTA Pro Circuit Futures Title

CLAREMONT, Calif., (Sept. 16, 2012) – Daniel Kosakowski couldn’t have picked a better time to play near-perfect tennis, as the 20-year from nearby Downey, Calif., captured the singles title and the $1,300 first-prize money on Sunday at the 17th annual Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center Pro Classic, a $10,000 USTA Pro Circuit men’s event.
The No. 2-seeded Kosakowski beat unseeded Prakash Amritraj, 6-3, 6-1, for his second career Futures title in five finals attempts.
“That was Top 100 tennis right there,” Amritraj’s cousin Stephen, a former pro player who played at Duke told a smiling Kosakowski as he came off the court. A nice finals crowd at the Claremont Club plus tournament director Barry Friedman all had to agree with Stephen after what they saw: Kosakowski has a huge forehand, a booming serve and loads of potential to compete on the ATP Tour.
“He played great today,” said Prakash Amritraj, representing India but living in Sherman Oaks, Calif. “There were a couple of moments of the first set where if I would have won a crucial point or two it could have changed the complexion of the match.
“Once he got that early momentum he did a great job of building on it and really raising his level. He didn’t seem to miss much.”
Both players started strong holding serve at 3-all before Kosakowski got the crucial break in the seventh game of the first set. Making a very high percentage of his first serves, Kosakowski never dropped his serve and went on to reel off nine of the next 10 games for the title with a heavy forehand and a consistent backhand.
“Everything just seemed to click today,” said Kosakowski, who will play in the Costa Mesa Futures event, which starts on Monday. “I had a good warm-up this morning with my brother-in-law,” adding that it’s always more comfortable to sleep in your own bed.
For more information, check on the web at:www.procircuit.usta.com, www.claremontclub.com; Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/The-Claremont-Club/236147226396
Sunday’s Final Singles Result
Daniel Kosakowski, U.S. (2), def. Prakash Amritraj, India, 6-3, 6-1
Friday’s Final Doubles Result
Devin Britton, U.S.-Reid Carleton, U.S. (1), def. Jeff Dadamo, U.S.-Kyle McMorrow, U.S. (2), 4-6, 7-5, 10-6
Share
Filed Under: Front Page News, tournaments Tagged With: , ,

Kosakowski to Play Amritraj in Claremont Futures Final

CLAREMONT, Calif., (Sept. 15, 2012) – Winning eight singles matches in nine days finally proved too much for Haythem Abid to overcome, as the 27-year-old veteran Tunisia Davis Cup player came out flat and fell to 28-year-old and unseeded Prakash Amritraj, 6-2, 6-1, on Saturday in the semifinals at the 17th annual Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center Pro Classic, a $10,000 USTA Pro Circuit men’s event.
Amritraj will play No. 2-seeded fellow Southern Californian Daniel Kosakowski, who beat qualifier Daniel Nguyen, 7-6 (3), 6-3, on a scorching day at the Claremont Club. The final is set for 10 a.m.
Abid has played more than 50 Davis Cup ties for Tunisia, a country led by world Top 100 player Malek Jaziri, and which currently competes in the Euro African World Group II. “We’ve played some teams like Ghana, Zimbabwe and India,” said the former UCLA Bruin Abid, who lives in Westwood and trains at the Weil Academy in Ojai. “For me, playing Davis Cup has really just kept the competitive juices flowing.”
Abid’s highest career singles ranking was No. 360, and the lefty has been hampered by a bum left wrist, which he had surgery on in 2008 and 2010. “It doesn’t feel 100 percent but I’ll go with 90,” he said earlier in the week. He also played doubles with young Bruin Dennis Novikov but the pair lost in the second round.
Nguyen, 21, played Kosakowski, 20, tight in the first set, before Kosakowski went up 4-1 in the second and then continued serving well to pull out the match and make his fifth career ITF Futures final. His only Futures victory came in 2011 when he won the $15,000 Sacramento title. A runner-up at the $10,000 Irvine tournament in 2010, Kosakowski also fell in the Calabasas Futures final back in March of this year.
Kosakowski played doubles this week with his brother and coach Marcin, a former UC Santa Barbara standout who is now 31, as the two were the last to gain direct entry acceptance. He said the Bryan and Harrison brothers don’t have too much to worry about. “It didn’t go so well,” he said, of the 6-1, 6-2 loss to Jason Jung and Mark Verryth.
“I think my brother’s best days are behind him,” he laughed. “Maybe we’ll try it again someday, but yeah, he’s a little bit past his prime.”
For more information, check on the web at:www.procircuit.usta.com, www.claremontclub.com; Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/The-Claremont-Club/236147226396
Saturday’s Semifinal Singles Results
WC: Wild card; Q: Qualifier
Daniel Kosakowski, U.S. (2), def. Daniel Nguyen, U.S. (q), 7-6 (3), 6-3
Prakash Amritraj, India, def. Haythem Abid, Tunisia (q), 6-2, 6-1
Friday’s Final Doubles Result
Devin Britton, U.S.-Reid Carleton, U.S. (1), def. Jeff Dadamo, U.S.-Kyle McMorrow, U.S. (2), 4-6, 7-5, 10-6
Share
Filed Under: Front Page News, tennis news, tournaments Tagged With: , ,

Semifinals Are Set at Claremont USTA Pro Circuit Futures Event

Daniel Nguyen and Daniel Kosakowski are likely not talking about strategy here. The pair face each other in the semfinals on Saturday

CLAREMONT, Calif., (Sept. 14, 2012) – USC will take on UCLA on Saturday in the semifinals at the 17th annual Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center Pro Classic, a $10,000 USTA Pro Circuit men’s event being played this week at the Claremont Club.
Qualifier Daniel Nguyen, a recent USC graduate, will face former UCLA Bruin and No. 2-seeded Daniel Kosakowski in the first semi at 10 a.m. followed by former Trojan Prakash Amritraj against qualifier Haythem Abid, a Tunisia Davis Cup player who played for UCLA.
The quartet each beat seeded players on Friday in tightly contested matches to advance to Saturday’s semifinals.
The 20-year-old Kosakowski had to come back to beat former Michigan star Jason Jung, 23, the No. 6 seed from Torrance, 4-6, 6-1, 6-4. Kosakowski used his big forehand to dictate play in the second set and went up a break in the third taking a 5-3 lead, losing a game on Jung’s serve and then serving out the match at love with four big serves.
Amritraj, representing India and using a protected ranking, is playing essentially his first tournament in two years. He beat No. 5-seeded Jeff Dadamo, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (5). Amritraj said he requested an early start time as he had to assist his father Vijay Amritraj at his big celebrity exhibition benefitting the Vijay Amritraj Foundation, which was to include Michael Chang and Tommy Haas in Calabasas later in the day.
“It’s exciting to be out there and competing again,” said the Sherman Oaks resident, who rehabbed surgery on both his left and right wrists but stayed away from the game a bit longer than planned. “I’ve been training with Steve Johnson and some of the other USC players. It’s really a blessing just being out here and competing and trying to enjoy it. Being away from the game kind of brings back some thoughts and love for the game.”
Amritraj got to a career-high ranking of No. 140 in the world but used a ranking of No. 366 to get into the Futures event. “Hopefully next year my body will be well enough to play a full schedule,” he said.
In the doubles final contested later in the day, top-seeded Devin Britton and Reid Carleton beat No. 2 seeds Dadamo and Kyle McMorrow, 4-6, 7-5, 10-6, to split the $630 prize money that goes to the winning team.
Friday’s Quarterfinal Singles Results
WC: Wild card; Q: Qualifier
Prakash Amritraj, India, def. Jeff Dadamo, U.S. (5), 7-6 (3), 7-6 (5)
Daniel Nguyen, U.S. (q), def. Dennis Lajola, U.S. (4), 6-3, 7-6 (5)
Haythem Abid, Tunisia (q), def. Alex Bogdanovic, Great Britain (1), 6-1, 3-6, 6-3
Daniel Kosakowski, U.S. (2), def. Jason Jung, U.S. (6), 4-6, 6-1, 6-4
Friday’s Final Doubles Result
Devin Britton, U.S.-Reid Carleton, U.S. (1), def. Jeff Dadamo, U.S.-Kyle McMorrow, U.S. (2), 4-6, 7-5, 10-6
Share
Filed Under: Front Page News, tennis news, tournaments Tagged With: , ,

Top Seeds Advance to Final Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center Pro Classic

CLAREMONT, Calif., (Sept. 14, 2012) – A five-week layoff because of an ailing back didn’t seem to bother top-seeded Alex Bogdanovic of Great Britain, who beat a determined Mark Verryth of Australia in a tough three-set match on Thursday to advance to the quarterfinals at the 17th annual Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center Pro Classic, a $10,000 USTA Pro Circuit men’s event being played this week at the Claremont Club.
Bogdanovic downed Verryth, 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-3, in the second round of play, and the current world No. 311-ranked player said afterward that he’s set to play the three SoCal Futures events in Claremont, Costa Mesa and Irvine before playing USTA Pro Circuit events in Sacramento and Tiburon.
“We’ll see how the body reacts,” Bogdanovic said.
Bogdanovic will play qualifier and former UCLA standout Haythem Abid of Tunisia in the quarterfinals on Friday. Abid, now 27 and recovering from wrist surgery on his left hand, beat fellow American and No. 7-seeded Reid Carleton, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.
Abid, who played Davis Cup matches for Tunisia this year, is driving 45 miles back and forth each day from his home in West Los Angeles. He is currently training at the Weil Tennis Academy and hoping for a full 2013 tour campaign.
A fellow Bruin alum, No. 2-seeded Daniel Kosakowski, also won his match on Thursday and will next face fellow Southern Californian Jason Jung, who beat wild card – and yet another Bruin – Dennis Novikov in straight sets on Thursday.
“I’ve never face Jason but he’s playing well,” said Kosakowski, who beat American Ryan Rowe, 6-4, 7-6 (4). Kosakowski said he’s been working out with Taylor Dent and some others in Orange County recently.
In the doubles final on Friday scheduled for 4 p.m., Devin Britton and Reid Carleton of the United States will face fellow former collegiate standouts Jeff Dadamo and Kyle McMorrow.
For more information, check on the web at:www.procircuit.usta.com, www.claremontclub.com; Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/The-Claremont-Club/236147226396
Thursday’s Second-Round Singles Results
WC: Wild card; Q: Qualifier
Dennis Lajola, U.S. (4), def. Boris Bakalov, Bulgaria, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4
Daniel Nguyen, U.S. (q), def. Chris Wettengel, U.S., 6-2, 6-3
Haythem Abid, Tunisia (q), def. Reid Carleton, U.S. (7), 6-4, 3-6, 6-3
Prakash Amritraj, India, def. Devin Britton, U.S. (3), 6-4, 7-6 (4)
Jason Jung, U.S. (6), def. Dennis Novikov, U.S. (wc), 6-0, 7-6 (3)
Daniel Kosakowski, U.S. (2), def. Ryan Rowe, U.S., 6-4, 7-6 (4)
Jeff Dadamo, U.S. (5), def. Finn Tearney, New Zealand (wc), 6-2, 6-0
Alex Bogdanovic, Great Britain (1), def. Mark Verryth, Australia, 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-3
Thursday’s Semifinal Doubles Results
Devin Britton, U.S.-Reid Carleton, U.S. (1), def. Daniel Nguyen, U.S.-Ryan Rowe, U.S. (3), 7-5, 4-6, 10-6
Jeff Dadamo, U.S.-Kyle McMorrow, U.S. (2), def. Nicholas John Andrews, U.S.-Dennis Nevolo, U.S., 6-4, 5-7, 10-7
Note: Doubles final will take place on Friday at 4 p.m.
Share
Filed Under: Front Page News, tennis news, tournament coverage, tournaments Tagged With: , ,

Nguyen Posts Big Victory Over Former Junior and College Rival Thacher

CLAREMONT, Calif., (Sept. 12, 2012) – From the juniors to college and now to the pros, former USC star and four-time NCAA team champion Daniel Nguyen still calls four-year Stanford standout Ryan Thacher a rival.
The two first-year professionals – who each won four qualifying matches Friday through Monday – both enjoyed a day off of singles on Tuesday but drew each other in a first-round match on Wednesday at the 17th annual Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center Pro Classic, a $10,000 USTA Pro Circuit men’s event being played this week at the Claremont Club.
Surviving an early break in the first set, Nguyen came back to post a solid 6-4, 6-1 win over Thacher. It was a revenge win for Nguyen, who lost a tough first-round three-setter to Thacher after both qualified at the Godfrey, Ill., Futures tournament in late July.
“I could never beat him in the juniors but I think I got him twice in college,” Nguyen said of his fellow Southern Californian Thacher. “I was just able to stay mentally composed today. I got down an early break but I kept telling myself to keep playing aggressive and to dictate the points.”
This is only Nguyen’s fourth professional tournament since helping guide the Trojans to a fourth NCAA team title back in May. “I took a month off after the NCAAs, didn’t pick up a racket for four weeks,” Nguyen said. “I traveled to Asia with a friend and kind of just got away. That’s when it started to sink it what we had accomplished during my four years at SC.”
Nguyen, who advanced to the semifinals at the Decatur Futures event two years ago, is well aware that the Claremont event has been won the past two years by former Trojans Gary Sacks (2010) and Steve Johnson (2011). “I guess I have to keep the USC tradition going,” he said.
Another pair of junior rivals also met up in the first round as former Hawaii juniors Dennis Lajola and Thomas Shubert squared off with the No. 3-seeded Lajola taking out the qualifier Shubert in a competitive match, 6-4, 5-7, 6-2.
“We hadn’t played since the 12s in Hawaii and now we’re both pros,” Shubert, who played his college tennis at BYU, said after the match.
In all, there were eight players with Pac-12 ties who competed in the 10 singles matches on Wednesday, including former USC standout Prakash Amritraj, who beat former Illinois player Dennis Nevolo, 6-3, 6-4, while his father Vijay looked on.
In an all-UCLA match between two qualifiers, Mohamed Abid edged Marcos Giron, 7-6 (5), 7-5, to advance.
For more information, check on the web at:www.procircuit.usta.com, www.claremontclub.com; Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/The-Claremont-Club/236147226396
Wednesday’s First-Round Singles Results
WC: Wild card; Q: Qualifier
Dennis Lajola, U.S. (4), def. Thomas Shubert, U.S. (q), 6-4, 5-7, 6-2
Daniel Nguyen, U.S. (q), def. Ryan Thacher, U.S. (q), 6-4, 6-1
Mohamed Abid, Tunisia (q), def. Marcos Giron, U.S. (q), 7-6 (5), 7-5
Prakash Amritraj, India, def. Dennis Nevolo, U.S., 6-3, 6-4
Jeff Dadamo, U.S. (5), def. Alex Llompart, Puerto Rico, 6-3, 6-3
Ryan Rowe, U.S., def. T.J. Pura, U.S. (q), 7-6 (5), 6-3
Dennis Novikov, U.S. (wc), def. Marton Bots, Hungary (q), 3-6, 6-4, 6-1
Daniel Kosakowski, U.S. (2), def. Collin Altamirano, U.S. (q), 6-2, 6-2
Finn Tearney, New Zealand (wc), def. Alexander Sarkissian, U.S. (wc), 1-6, 7-6 (3), 4-1, ret.
Alex Bogdanovic, Great Britain (1), def. Arthur Karagezian, U.S., 6-2, 6-1
Wednesday’s Second-Round Doubles Results
Daniel Nguyen, U.S.-Ryan Rowe, U.S. (3), def. Mohamed Abid, Tunisia-Dennis Novikov, U.S., 7-6 (6), 6-2
Devin Britton, U.S.-Reid Carleton, U.S. (1), def. Dennis Lajola, U.S.-Leo Rosenberg, U.S., 7-5, 6-2
Jeff Dadamo, U.S.-Kyle McMorrow, U.S. (2), def. Jason Jung, U.S.-Mark Verryth, Australia, 7-5, 6-7 (4), 10-8
Nicholas John Andrews, U.S.-Dennis Nevolo, U.S., def. Denny Fafek, U.S.-Xavier Smith, U.S. (4), 6-3, 7-6 (5)
Share
Filed Under: Front Page News, tennis news, tournament coverage, tournaments Tagged With: , ,

Kalamazoo Winner Novikov to Play Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center USTA Pro Classic

CLAREMONT, Calif., (Sept. 8, 2012) – US Open first-round winner Dennis Novikov leads a talented group of young American players into next week’s 17th annual Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center USTA Pro Classic, a USTA Pro Circuit $10,000 Futures event being played at the Claremont Club.
The 32-draw singles and 16-draw doubles events began with 128-round singles qualifying on Friday. The tournament is once again being run by tournament director Barry Friedman of the Claremont Club.
Foreign players have won the singles title six of the past seven years, with two-time NCAA singles champion Steve Johnson from the nearby City of Orange snapping the six-year streak by capturing the singles before his senior season at USC last year.
The Russian-born, Bay Area-raised 18-year-old Novikov made the US Open main draw by way of his USTA Boys’ 18s National title at Kalamazoo where he also won the doubles title. At the Open, Novikov beat Poland’s Jerzy Janowicz in four sets hitting 25 aces. Entering the Open, Novikov held a world ranking of 1,089 while Janowicz came in at No. 87. In the second round, Novikov fell to France’s Julien Benneteau.
“My confidence is pretty high right now, especially coming off a 15-0 winning streak that includes both singles and doubles from Kalamazoo, where I played seven singles and six doubles matches, and then my match here,” Novikov told reporters in New York City, where he also got to meet LMFAO’s Redfoo. “So I’m feeling really good about things.”
In doubles at the Open, Novikov and Michael Redlicki upset the ATP veteran team of Bobby Reynolds and Michael Russell, 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (7), in the opening round.
The top seed in Claremont is expected to be 28-year-old tour veteran Alex Bogdanovic from Great Britain, who is currently ranked No. 311 in the world. He achieved a career-high ranking of No. 108 in singles in 2007 and has finished in the top 200 in the year-end rankings five times in his career, most recently in 2009.
He has won 13 professional titles, including nine Challengers. He’s no stranger to the USTA Pro Circuit; his last three titles have come on U.S. soil. He captured back-to-back clay court titles in the U.S. in July, winning Futures titles in Pittsburgh, Pa., and Rochester, N.Y. He also made the semifinals at the Lexington Challenger in July.
Using a protected ranking, Prakash Amritraj qualified for the main draw despite not playing a match in 2011. The 28-year-old veteran of the pro circuit was born in Encino, Calif., and represents India in ITF events. He achieved a career-best ranking of No. 154 in 2009 and has been playing professionally since 2001. His two career singles titles came in 2007 on the pro circuit in India.
Former UCLA Bruin Daniel Kosakowski is the highest ranked American in the draw. He recently reached the final round of qualifying at the US Open. He won his first — and only — career title in the summer of 2011 at the Sacramento Futures event. He has reached the finals in two Futures events this year: in Biois, France; and Calabasas, Calif. His best result this year has been a quarterfinal appearance at the Caltanissetta Challenger in Italy.
Others players in the draw include former collegiate stars Devin Britton and Jeff Dadamo.
Notable players in qualifying with Southern California ties include former Pepperdine standout Alex Llompart; former Washington All-American Kyle McMorrow; 18-year-old Glendale resident Alexios Halebian; former Stanford star Ryan Thacher; former USC standout Daniel Nguyen; current UCLA sophomores Dennis Mkrtchian and Marcos Giron: current UCLA junior Clay Thompson and current USC junior Ray Sarmiento.
Several current ATP World Tour stars have found success in Claremont. Dmitry Tursunov of Russia won the 2002 singles title, broke into the Top 20 in 2006, and has won seven tour-level singles titles and five tour-level doubles titles. Israeli Dudi Sela, the 2006 Claremont singles champion, peaked at No. 29 in the world in 2009 after reaching the fourth round at Wimbledon.
Community Events:
Saturday, Sept. 8: Wheelchair Tennis Fun Day, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Wednesday, Sept. 12: Women’s Clinic, exhibition and luncheon, 9 a.m. to noon.
Friday, Sept. 14 – Free High School Clinic and Coaches Workshop.
Share
Filed Under: Front Page News, tennis news, tournaments Tagged With: , , ,

Johnson Wins First USTA Pro Circuit Futures Title

 

By Steve Pratt

CLAREMONT, Calif., (Sept. 18, 2011) – Serving bigger and bigger each game, Steve Johnson captured his first USTA Pro Circuit Futures event with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Darian King on Sunday in the final of the 16th annual Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center USTA $10,000 Pro Classic played at the Claremont Club.

 

“It feels good to come back and do it here,” said Johnson, who tournament Barry Friedman recalled has been playing junior events at Claremont since he was six years old. “It’s fun to come back and see people I’ve known for a long time. I’ve lost matches here and I’ve won tournaments here. It’s a fantastic facility.”

 

Johnson started quickly with an early break and 3-0 lead relying on his booming serve on big points. “My serve got me out of trouble today at times,” he said. “It’s something I’ve definitely been working on.”

 

The 21-year-old Johnson, who lost in three sets to college rival Daniel Kosakowski in the finals at a Sacramento Futures event back in June, will now rest and prepare to win back-to-back Futures events as he is entered in the Costa Mesa Futures tournament this week.

 

So is King, a 19-year-old from Barbados. “I just came out a little flat,” said King, who earned 10 ATP ranking points and will likely move into the Top 800 when the new rankings are released. “For me it was a new exposure to someone who serves so big and whose ball is so heavy. All in all it was a good tournament for me. Hopefully next week in Costa Mesa I’ll come out victorious.”

 

Sunday’s Final Result

Singles

Steve Johnson, U.S. (1), def. Darian King, Barbados, 6-2, 6-3

Share
Filed Under: Front Page News, tennis news, tournament coverage, tournaments Tagged With: , , , , ,

King to Meet Johnson in Claremont Futures Final

 

By Steve Pratt

 

CLAREMONT, Calif., (Sept. 17, 2011) – Calling him “just part of the family,” former USTA national coach Roger Smith watched intently and took thorough notes of his 19-year-old pupil Darian King, who scored a big straight-set win over former Florida All-American Alexandre Lacroix on Saturday to reach the finals of the 16th annual Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center USTA $10,000 Pro Classic being played at the Claremont Club.

 

King, from the island of Barbados and currently ranked No. 975 in the world, displayed an effective all-court game and some blistering ground strokes as he slugged it out with Lacroix in the first set taking a tight tiebreaker, 7-5. The 23-year-old Frenchman qualifier ran out of steam in the second set with King running away with it, 6-1.

 

King meets current NCAA singles champion from USC Steve Johnson Sunday in an 11 a.m. final at the $10,000 event. Johnson had no trouble with a hobbled Vladimir Obradovic of Serbia, winning easily 6-2, 6-0.

 

“Today I played exceptional,” said King, a Top 40 ITF-ranked junior player a year ago. “I knew I could do it if I could just stick to my game plan, which was to serve and volley at least twice a game. It’s tough out here sometimes, more mentally than physically. I’ve really been working on my mental game.”

 

Smith, originally from Freeport, Bahamas, who cracked the Top 100 as a pro following an All-American career at Ohio State, currently resides on the west side of Los Angeles and is the full-time coach of rising WTA American star Sloane Stephens, who is currently No. 89 in the WTA world rankings.

 

Stephens won two rounds at the recent US Open before finally falling to Ana Ivanovic, 6-3, 6-4.

 

“He’s really coming along,” Smith said of King. “Being from an island country, Darian doesn’t have the financial means to be traveling all the time so we pick our spots. But we saw an opportunity here and he’s just like family to us. He and Sloane are very close, close in age and even their games are similar. So it’s always great to have them together.”

 

King has played mostly ITF Futures events this year, at least one every month except for June.

 

Smith said he had the time to spend with King since Stephens’ recurring wrist injury forced her to shut down her season early. “She’s still hitting with one hand and working on fitness,” Smith said. “It’s stabilized right now and just yesterday was put in a soft cast. She figured this was the best time to deal with it.”

 

After a close three-set win in the first round, Johnson has cruised losing just 11 games total in his last six set wins. “That’s how it is in most tournaments, you just work way through some of the early rounds,” said Johnson, who will play the Costa Mesa Futures and then head to USTA $50,000 Pro Circuit Challengers in Sacramento and Tiburon after that.

 

Saturday’s Semifinal Results

Singles

Steve Johnson, U.S. (1), def. Vladimir Obradovic, Serbia (4), 6-2, 6-0

Darian King, Barbados, def. Alexandre Lacroix, France (q), 7-6 (5), 6-1

 

Note: Sunday’s singles final will be played at 11 a.m.

 

For more information, check on the web at:www.procircuit.usta.com, www.claremontclub.com; Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/The-Claremont-Club/236147226396

Share
Filed Under: Front Page News, tennis news, tournament coverage, tournaments Tagged With: , , , ,

Djokovic’s Buddy to Face Steve Johnson at Claremont Futures Event

Vladimir Obradovic's Facebook profile photo showing Obradovic, at left, and a 15-year-old Novak Djokovic.

by Steve Pratt

CLAREMONT, Calif., (Sept. 16, 2011) – Vladimir Obradovic can still recall a 12-year-old Novak Djokovic hitting tennis ball after tennis ball sometimes five hours a day at the bottom of a drained Olympic-sized swimming pool in war-torn Belgrade, Serbia, which was bombed for 78 days in 1999 by a U.S.-led NATO coalition.

 

Despite the war and uncertainty of the times, Obradovic says Djokovic never lost sight of his ultimate goal of some day being the world’s best player.

 

“He was always so talented and so focused,” said Obradovic, who on Friday advanced to the semifinals in singles at the 16th annual Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center USTA $10,000 Pro Classic being played at the Claremont Club. “Later on, he won the European juniors at age 14 and then the 16s. We always knew he was talented and good. But no one could have imagined the season he’s just had. It’s really amazing.”

 

Obradovic, who later in the day fell in the doubles final, beat Rudolph Siwy of the Czech Republic in three sets and will next play NCAA champion Steve Johnson of USC in the semifinals on Saturday at 10 a.m.

 

The Partizan Tennis Club in Belgrade was the hub of tennis in Serbia – which is about as large as the size of Maine — and produced pro players such as Janko Tipsarević, Nenad Zimonjić and Ana Ivanovic, along with Obradovic and Djokovic.

 

Obradovic can remember Djokovic coming to the club as early as age six and when Obradovic was named to the Serbian Davis Cup team in 2001 at the age of 20, Djokovic was a practice partner at age 15 the same year. “No one minded (Novak) hanging around the older guys,” Obradovic said. “We would always tell him things like about his racquets or his strings and he would always listen to us.”

 

In a May 23, 2011 Sports Illustrated story, Djokovic spoke to reporter Scott Price about returning to the Partizan Tennis Club, a place he hadn’t been back to in seven years.

 

“You can’t imagine,” Djokovic said. “I have spent my good and my bad times in this club. I watched planes go over our heads, I celebrated my birthdays here, I cried, I laughed, I had the joy, I had sorrow—all the things you can experience as a human, I had here. Coming back, it’s just overwhelming. It’s too good to be true.”

 

After he won the recent US Open, Djokovic recalled his childhood growing up and thanked guys from his hometown like Obradovic who helped mentor him so many years ago.

 

“I go back in my thoughts in my childhood, all these memories growing up, playing tennis, spending time in Serbia experiencing a lot of different kinds of situations and experiences in the life,” Djokovic told the media. “That helped actually to become a better person, to appreciate things in life more. My parents …  and a couple of other people that have always been there for me. This is individual sport, but it’s not an effort of myself. I may be on the court by myself winning or losing, I maybe take the whole credit or all the blame, but it’s actually the team, the family, the support, everybody around you that spends their energy as well.”

 

Obradovic, who was the second-oldest player in the 32-man Claremont singles field at age 30, went on to play at the University of Florida from age 21 to 26 and ended up with a master’s degree in business.

 

He went out on tour in 2007 and got to as high as 300 in the world in singles and top 100 in doubles.

 

Injuries have sidelined him for the past two years but he is once again healthy and ready to return to the upper echelon of professional tennis.

 

“We are all very proud of him,” Obradovic said of Djokovic. “He’s just such a great player and champion. I texted him after he won the Open and just told him how proud I was of him.

 

“He has so much charisma and has such a great personality and has really helped our country, actually. He’s helped clean up the image of Serbia, the way we are viewed.”

 

In the other semifinal match to follow Obradovic-Johnson, Darian King will face former Florida star Alexandre Lacroix.

 

Friday’s Quarterfinal Results

Singles

Vladimir Obradovic, Serbia, (4) def. Rudolph Siwy, Czech Republic (6), 6-7 (2), 6-3, 6-4

Steve Johnson, U.S. (1), def. Timothy Kpulun, Sierra Leone (q), def. 6-2, 6-0

Darian King, Barbados, def. Bassam Beidas, Lebanon (2), 2-6, 6-4, 6-4

Alexandre Lacroix, France (q), def. Dennis Novikov, U.S., 6-3, 6-4

 

Doubles Final

Alexandre Lacroix, France, def. Sanam Singh, India (4), def. Vladimir Obradovic, Serbia-Vignesh Peranamallur, India, 6-3, 6-1

 

For more information, check on the web at:www.procircuit.usta.com, www.claremontclub.com; Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/The-Claremont-Club/236147226396

Share
Filed Under: Front Page News, tennis news, tournament coverage, tournaments Tagged With: , , , ,

Obradovic, Novikov Advance at USTA Pro Classic at Claremont

 

By Steve Pratt

CLAREMONT, Calif., (Sept. 15, 2011) – A 30-year-old who grew up at the same tennis club as Novak Djokovic in Belgrade, Serbia, and a 17-year-old who splits his time between Northern California and Florida moved into the quarterfinals on Thursday at the 16th annual Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center USTA $10,000 Pro Classic being played at the Claremont Club.

 

Vladimir Obradovic, the No. 4 seeded player from the Partizan Tennis Club in Belgrade where he trained with a younger Djokovic, beat Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo’s Andre Dome, 7-5, 7-5. The youngest player left in the draw, American Dennis Novikov, had to rally for his 6-7 (3), 6-2, 6-3 upset over No. 3 seeded Mark Verryth of Australia.

 

“I’ve had some good results and am playing well,” said Novikov, who lost in the first round of the recent US Open Juniors to the No. 4 seeded player.

 

Novikov, who played all four Grand Slam junior events this year, said he is still deciding on a college to play at next year but plans to enroll in January. He is considering USC, Florida and Ohio State. The win equaled his career-best and third quarterfinal appearance at an ITF Futures event and he was also a quarterfinalist at the National 18s Hardcourts at Kalamazoo.

 

Steve Johnson, the top-seeded player from USC, beat former Virginia star Sanam Singh of India, 6-4, 6-3, to advance to the quarterfinals after a tough three-setter in the first round on Wednesday.

 

Johnson said he feels no pressure being the No. 1 player. “The goal is always to go out and win,” he said. “At the Open it’s to win a round or two but here yeah, it’s to win Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. There’s really no pressure. I mean, it’s a tennis match. I’ve played many bigger and there will be many more bigger in the future.”

 

After playing three big pro events over the summer, Johnson admitted the atmosphere is a little different in Claremont this week. “This is a beautiful club and everything but just maybe a little bit of a different atmosphere,” he said. “To be in L.A., and then Cincinnati,.and then the U.S. Open. It’s just different. I had the same thing last year. Even though I had the qualies at the Open I came here right afterward and had a letdown (losing to James Duckworth of Australia in the quarterfinals).”

 

Obradovic teamed with Vignesh Peranamallur of India to advance to Friday’s doubles final. The duo will face No. 4 seeded Alexandre Lacroix of France and Singh.

 

Thursday’s Second-Round results

Singles

Vladimir Obradovic, Serbia, (4) def. Andre Dome, U.S., 7-5, 7-5

Steve Johnson, U.S. (1), def. Sanam Singh, India, 6-4, 6-3

Darian King, Barbados, def. Marcos Giron, U.S., 6-2, 3-6, 7-6 (3)

Dennis Novikov, U.S., def. Mark Verryth, Australia (3), 6-7 (3), 6-2, 6-3

Rudolph Siwy, Czech Republic (6), def. Dennis Mrktchian, U.S., 3-6, 6-1, 7-5

Alexandre Lacroix, France (q), def. Mousheg Hovhannisyan, U.S. (wc), 6-4, 6-2

Timothy Kpulun, Sierra Leone (q), def. Terence Nugent, Ivory Coast, 6-0, 6-4

Bassam Beidas, Lebanon (2), def. Thomas Shubert, U.S. (q), 3-6, 6-2, 6-2

 

Doubles Semifinals

Vladimir Obradovic, Serbia-Vignesh Peranamallur, India, def. Joshua Graves, U.S.-Rudolph Siwy, Czech Republic, 6-4, 7-6 (4)

Alexandre Lacroix, France, def. Sanam Singh, India (4), def. Dennis Mrktchian, U.S.-Dennis Novikov, U.S., 6-0, 6-1

 

For more information, check on the web at:www.procircuit.usta.com, www.claremontclub.com; Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/The-Claremont-Club/236147226396

Share
Filed Under: Front Page News, tennis news, tournament coverage, tournaments Tagged With: , , , ,
«Older Posts