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Kubler tops Williams in Futures final, 6-2, 6-3
Diane S. Zeeman
Jason Kubler of Australia defeated American Rhyne Williams, 6-2, 6-3 to win the $10,000 USTA Pro Circuit Men's Futures tournament Sunday at the Palm Coast Tennis Center. Kubler never lost his serve in the two sets while breaking Williams three times.
Williams, 20, who turned pro last year after winning a Futures tournament in Innisbrook, is a former All American at the University of Tennessee. Both Williams and Kubler defeated seeded players in their march to the final round and neither player was extended to three sets in their first three matches.
Kubler and Williams were on serve for the first three games of the first set but Kubler broke Williams' serve in the fourth game. Williams won only one game after that. In the second set, the two held serve until the eighth game when Kubler broke Williams to go up 5-3.
A native of Brisbane, Kubler, 18, turned pro in 2008 and was a member of the Australian team that won the junior Davis Cup in 2009. He shares with Rafael Nadal the feat of being the only two players to have completed a Junior Davis Cup campaign undefeated in singles and doubles. His Davis Cup triumph was part of a 36-match winning streak that also saw him win five junior ITF titles.
As a wildcard, he made his Grand Slam debut at the 2010 Australian Open where he lost to Ivan Ljubicic in the first round. Kubler reached the Number 1 junior ranking in May 2010 and competed in the Wimbledon Boys Juniors in that year. In 2011, he received a wildcard entry into the Wimbledon Juniors and reached the semifinals. His ATP world ranking is currently 496.
Williams, a native of Knoxville, won the USTA/ITA National Indoor Collegiate Championship while at the University of Tennessee, and reached the finals of the 2011 NCAA Tournament. As a junior, he had ranked as high as No. 8. He comes from a tennis family: his grandfather was a coach, his father a collegiate player and his mom a tennis professional. He followed in his mother's footsteps by earning the junior Orange Bowl title.
Williams has won two futures titles in his career and has served as a practice partner for tennis champion Roger Federer of Switzerland.
His current ATP world ranking is 509, but on Monday, Williams will crack the top 500 ATP singles ranking for the first time in his career.
Both Kubler and Williams were in the main draw of the tournament, the third year it has been held in Palm Coast. The Futures tour consists of pro tournaments around the country offering $10,000 to $15,000 in prize money and serves as a proving ground for top-ranked juniors, college players and pros at the beginning of their careers.
Kubler left after the awards ceremony to fly back to Australia. He said he expects to play there and perhaps in Europe before returning to the USA. In his brief remarks following the match, Williams drew laughs when he said he hopes "Kubler goes back to Australia so I don't have to play him again."
Williams, Kubler in Sunday's Futures final in Palm Coast
By Diane S. Zeeman
Australian Jason Kubler will face American Rhyne Williams in Sunday's final round of the USTA Pro Circuit Men's Futures tournament at the Palm Coast Tennis Center. In his semifinal match Saturday against No. 1 seed Pedro Sousa of Portugal, Kubler fought back from 0-3 and 2-5 deficits in the second set to win the match, 6-3, 7-5. Williams had defeated Rumania's Gabriel Moraru, who had been seeded sixth in the tournament, in an earlier match, 6-2, 6-4.
Kubler won the first set after a service break to go up 4-2 on Sousa, 23, and had two service breaks in the second set. He was down 2-5 in that set but won the next five games and the match. Sunday's final will be Kubler's first match against Williams, a former All American at the University of Tennessee.
Moraru, 30, a three-time Rumanian national champion, requested aid from the tournament trainer at the end of the first set, but was able to continue play.
Williams, 20, turned pro last year after wining a USTA Futures tournament in Innisbrook. He comes from a tennis family: his grandfather was a coach at the University of Tennessee, his dad played collegiate tennis at Duke, and his mother is a former tennis professional. While in college, Williams won the USTA/ITA National Indoor Collegiate Championship and reached the finals of the 2011 NCAAA Tournament. As a junior, Williams was as high in No. 8 in the world junior rankings.
Kubler, 18, was part of the winning Australian junior Davis Cup team in 2009, and later won several junior titles. He also played in juniors at the French Open and Wimbledon. Last year, he won his first Futures tournament, in Birmingham, AL, defeating Yoshihito Nishioka of Japan. He won again the following week in Niceville, topping Roman Vogeli.
It's the third consecutive year for the Futures tournament at the Palm Coast Tennis Center, and the last of four consecutive clay court events in Florida. The Futures tour consists of pro tournaments offering $10,000 to $15,000 in prize money and it serves as a proving ground for top-ranked juniors, college players, and pros at the beginning of their careers.
Sunday's final begins at 11 a.m. at the city-owned tennis center, 1290 Belle Terre Parkway, Palm Coast. Admission is $8; for more information, call the center at 386 986-2550.
Doubles final, singles quarterfinals on Friday
By Diane S. Zeeman
It was a long day Thursday at the USTA Pro Circuit Men's Futures tournament at the Palm Coast Tennis Center. The second semifinal doubles match did not get under way until after 5:30 because one member of the doubles team did not complete his singles round until late in the afternoon.
The singles match between Andrea Collarini of the USA and opponent Vladimir Obradovic of Serbia went to three sets, two with tiebreakers. Obradovic won the lengthy battle, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (6), 6-4. Collarini then teamed up with Petru-Alexandru Luncanu of Rumania for their semifinal doubles match, but the twosome lost, 6-2, 6-1, to Sweden's Christian Lindell and Pedro Sousa of Portugal.
In the doubles finals, slated for after 3 p.m., Friday, Americans Vahid Mirzadeh and Michael Shabaz will face Lindell and Sousa.
Luncanu, however, had earlier won his singles match, besting American Tennys Sandgren 7-6 (3), 6-3, and will face American Rhyne Williams in Friday's quarterfinal.
In other singles matches, 16-year-old Yoshihito Nishioka of Japan, a student at the Bollettieri Academy in Bradenton, Fl., lost to Austrian Jason Kubler, 6-1, 6-1. The youngster played well, but Kubler made few errors in the match.
In another three-set singles match earlier, Sweden's Lindell topped American Alexios Halebian, 5-7, 6-4, 6-3.
In singles, Sousa had beaten Japan's Hiroyasu Ehara, 6-3, 7-6 (4), while Williams won his match against Sergio Gutierrez-Ferrol of Spain, 6-4, 6-3. Edward Corrie of Great Britain defeated Sekou Bangoura of the USA, 6-4, 6-4, and Gabriel Moraru of Rumania topped Alexandre LaCroix of France, 6-2, 6-3.
Lindell will face Kubler on Friday, Sousa will play Obradovic, and Moraru will face Corrie. The singles begin at 10 a.m.
Admission is $8.00 Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The tennis center is 1290 Belle Terre Parkway. For information, call 386 986-2550.
Hometown fans turn out for Ouellette
By Diane S. Zeeman
It was the only three-set singles match of the day, and hometown fans of Ormond Beach's Greg Ouellette were excited when he tied his match with Great Britain's Edward Corrie at a set each. Ouellette, however, then dropped the third set of his USTA Pro Circuit Men's Futures match Wednesday at the Palm Coast Tennis Center.
The left-handed Ouellette, seeded second in the tournament, lost the match 6-4, 1-6, 6-1, and later said he still had some problems with his hip. A hip problem at his last tournament in Weston, Florida, led to his withdrawal from that event.
Ouellette, who is coached by his dad, Ken, was a five-time All American at the University of Florida and had been ranked as high as 269 in December of last year. He represented the USA at the Pan American Games in October.
Corrie went on to play a doubles match late in the day with partner Sekou Bangoura of the USA. It was a hard-fought match, but Corrie and Bangoura lost 7-6 (3), 2-6, (10-5). And Corrie will face his doubles partner, Bangoura, in singles Thursday morning.
In semifinal doubles Thursday, Andrea Collarini, USA, and Petru-Alexandru, Rumania, will face Christian Lindell of Sweden and Pedro Sousa of Portugal in the afternoon. They defeated the Chilean duo of Pedro Graber-Anguita and Laslo Urrutia Fuentes Wednesday, 6-7 (2), 6-3, (10-6). The other semi, an all-American matchup, will feature Vahid Mirzadeh and Michael Shabaz, against Tennys Sandgren and Rhyne Williams. They defeated Arnav Mohanty and Arsav Mohanty, both Americans, Wednesday, 6-1, 6-2.
There are eight singles matches Thursday in addition to the doubles semifinals. The doubles final is Friday; the tournament will conclude Sunday with the singles final.
Admission on Friday, Saturday and Sunday is $8; the tennis center is at 1290 Bell Terre, Palm Coast. For information, call 386 986-2550.
Japanese 16-year-old wins in three sets
By Diane S. Zeeman
Sixteen-year-old Yoshihito Nishioka of Japan defeated Catalin-Ionut Gard of Roumania in a two-hour, 40-minute match Tuesday, 6-3, 3-6, 6-2, in the USTA Pro Circuit Men's Futures tournament at the Palm Coast Tennis Center. Gard was seeded eighth in the draw, while Nishioka was unseeded.
The teenager, known as Yoshi, is a second-year student at the Nick Bollettieri Academy in Bradenton. His coach at the academy, Glenn Weiner, was with him, along with Reiko Walls of Palm Coast, a native of Japan who follows the youngster when he comes to the area and cooks for him, giving him a taste of home.
Eight singles and eight doubles matches were played Tuesday; the second round of the singles draw begins tomorrow at 10 a.m., followed by the doubles. The doubles final is Friday; the singles final begins at 11 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 5.
Yoshi, who also plays in junior tournaments, is at the Bollettieri Academy thanks to the sponsorship of Japan's Morita Fund, which aids talented young Japanese tennis players. He is one of three Japanese students at the academy. Masaaki Morita, the retired CEO of the Sony Corporation, loves tennis, and that passion led to the founding of the Masaaki Morita Tennis Fund.
Weiner, Yoshi's mentor, also coached Kei Nishikori, another Japanese prodigy who trained at Bollettieri and who upset James Blake in a 2008 tournament on his way to a number of wins.
Another singles match also went to three sets. Hiroyasu Ehara of Japan defeated Michael Shabaz of the United States, 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (7).
In doubles action, and the last match of the day, the all-Chilean team of Pedro Graber-Anguita and Laslo Urrutia Fuentes came out on top in a hard-fought win over Americans Nikita Kryvonos and Dennis Zivkovic, 4-6, 6-1, 10-7. They will play Christian Lindell of Sweden (3) and Pedro Sousa of Portugal in a Wednesday afternoon match. Lindell is also playing a singles match in the morning.
The players, following a private dinner Wednesday night, will participate in a "Meet and Greet" event at 7 p.m. at McCharacters restaurant in Palm Coast.
Admission to quarterfinal, semifinal and final rounds is $8. Call the tennis center at 386 986-2550 for more information.
USTA Futures tournament kicks off Tuesday in Palm Coast
Eight qualifiers have made it into the main draw of the USTA Pro Circuit Men's Futures Tournament beginning Tuesday at the Palm Coast Tennis Center. They were in a group of more than 100 players who turned out Friday to begin the first round of qualifying for the $10,000 Futures event.
It's the third year that the tennis center has hosted the USTA event, and the last of four consecutive USTA Pro Circuit clay court tournaments in Florida that kicked off the 2012 season. With approximately 90 tournaments hosted annually throughout the country and with prize money ranging from $10,000 to $100,000, the USTA Pro Circuit is the pathway to the U.S. Open and tour-level competition for aspiring tennis players. It is the largest developmental circuit in the country, and last year more than 1,000 men and women from more than 70 nations competed. Tennis stars Mardy Fish, Maria Sharapova, Andy Roddick, Carline Wozniacki, James Black, Li Na, and Andy Murray are among today's top stars who began their careers on the Futures circuit.
The eight qualifiers will join 24 other players in the singles main draw that begins Tuesday, along with the doubles competition. The doubles final will be held Friday, Feb. 3; the singles final is Sunday, Feb. 5.
The eight qualifiers who made it into the main draw are Edward Corrie (Great Britain), Alexandre LaCroix (France), Antoine Benneteau (France), Mitchell Krueger (USA), Libor Salaba (Czech Republic), Carlos Boluda-Purkiss (Spain), Rafael Mazon-Hernandez (Spain), and Laslo Urrutia Fuentes (Chile).
Also scheduled to play in the main draw is Greg Ouelette of Ormond Beach, a four-time All American at the University of Florida who did not have to qualify. Ouelette reached the quarterfinals or better of five USTA events in 2011, and won the doubles competition, with partner Dennis Britton, at the $15,000 Futures tournament in Brownsville, Texas, last year. He also represented the USA at the Pan Am Games in Guadalajara, Mexico, last October.
Tuesday's matches begin at 10 a.m. There will be an opportunity for area residents to meet the players on Wednesday night, beginning at 7 p.m., at McCharacters restaurant, 215 St. Joe Plaza Drive, Palm Coast.
Admission is free until the quarter finals begin, then tickets are $8. For more information, call the Palm Coast Tennis Center at 386 986-2550.
Third round play for Futures tournamet today
By Diane S. Zeeman, Correspondent
Thirty-two players made it through the second round of qualifying for the $10,000 USTA's Pro Circuit Men's Futures Tournament on a postcard perfect Saturday at the Palm Coast Tennis Center. Eight qualifiers will join the 20 top seeds and four wild cards in the main draw, which begins Tuesday.
In Saturday's matches, Pedro Graber-Anguita, a 23-year-old from Chile, defeated Rafael Mazon-Hernandez of Spain, 6-0, 6-0, while Brandon Donaldson (USA) topped John Valenti (USA), 7-5, 7-6(5) in a tough battle. Both Graber-Anguita and Donaldson returned to the courts after their matches to participate in the Kids Day activities and spent time hitting balls with two 11-year-old girls from Ormond Beach, Isabella Buenner and Kiley Rogers. The girls kept the Futures players racing around the court with well-placed forehands and backhands.
It's the third year in Palm Coast for the Futures event, and it is the last of four consecutive clay-court USTA Pro Circuit events to start the 2012 season, all in Florida. With approximately 90 tournaments hosted annually throughout the country and prize money ranging from $10,000 to $100,000, the USTA Pro Circuit is the pathway to the U.S. Open and tour level competition for aspiring tennis players. It is the largest developmental circuit in the country and last year, more than a thousand men and women from more than 70 nations competed. Tennis stars Mardy Fish, Maria Sharapova, Andy Roddick, Caroline Wozniacki, James Blake, Li Na, and Andy Murray are among today's top stars who began their careers on the circuit.
In a match completed very late Friday night, another youngster, 14-year-old Alex Ross, played in his first futures tournament. The teenager, from Burr Ridge, Ill., lost 6-2, 6-0 to John Michael Busch, and before the match, he was candid about his chances, admitting that he "didn't think he was good enough yet."
Ross, who was the youngest player in the tournament, is a pupil in Illinois of renowned tennis coach Jack Sharpe, a developer of junior tennis players, some of whom have made it to top 100.
Alex said he has been playing, since he was five, "ever since I could first hold a racket," and it was his dad, Dan Ross, a plastic surgeon in the Chicago area, who got him started.
Alex has been involved with tournament tennis since he was eight, traveling around the country for junior events. He practices two to three hours a day and despite his tournament travels, still manages to maintain a 4.125 grade point average at Lyon Township High School. His mother, Diana, accompanies him to most events, and was with him Friday when he was one of the last to play in the first round, delayed five hours by rain.
The third round begins Sunday at 10 a.m. A pro-am, where locals will have the opportunity to play doubles with a pro for $25, will be held Monday afternoon, and a meet and greet with Futures players is slated for Wednesday at 7 p.m. at McCharacters restaurant in St. Joe Plaza. The tournament will conclude on Feb. 5.
For more information on the tournament events, call the Center at 986-2550.
Tennis tournament gets off to a wet start
By Diane S. Zeeman
It was a long day on and off the courts at the Palm Coast Tennis Center Friday as rain pushed back the start of the third annual USTA Pro Circuit Men''s Futures Tournament by five hours. Only six matches were completed by 4 p.m. and play was expected to continue until late at night under the lights.
In the first six matches, Luis Osio (USA) d. Erik Halaj (SVK) 7-6 (2), 6-3; Yuanfeng Li (China) d. Stephen Stege (USA) 6-3, 7-5; Pavel Vanis (CZE) d. Massimiliano Fornaciari (ITA) 6-3, 6-1; Maxim Levanovich (BLR) d. David Poole (Aus) 6-1, 6-1 and Benjamin Rogers (USA) d. David Crisovan (USA) 6-0, 6-3. One hundred and twelve players, ranging from 14 to 42 were attempting to qualify for the tournament, which has a $10,000 purse.
The event is the last of four consecutive clay court tournaments held by the tour in Florida to open the 2012 season.
Expected to play in the main draw, beginning Tuesday, is Gregory Ouellette of Ormond Beach, a five-time University of Florida All American, the highest-ranked American in the field. Ouellette captured the bronze medal in men''s doubles at the 2011 Pan American Games in Mexico.
Also expected to compete is Olivier Sajous of Plantation, Fl, a native Haitian whose family home was destroyed in the 2010 earthquake.
The USTA hosts about 90 tournaments for men and women throughout the country annually, with prize money ranging from $10,000 to $100,000. It is the pathway to the U.S. Open and tour-level competition for aspiring tennis players. Veterans of the tour include tennis stars Maria Sharapova, Mardy Fish, Andy Roddick, Caroline Wozniacki, James Blake, and Andy Murray.
During the long rain delay, players milled around the clubhouse and watched the Australian Open while Aaron Brown, the pro at the Trails Racquet Club in Ormond Beach, brought his stringing equipment indoors and re-strung rackets for many of the players. He did it the "old-fashioned way," by hand.
The qualifying rounds continue tomorrow, along with a special Kids Day beginning at 2 p.m. when youngsters can practice drills with touring pros free of charge. On Monday, the public can play doubles with a pro for $25. And on Wednesday, at 7 p.m., there will be a "meet and greet" with the players at McCharacters, 215 St. Joe''s Plaza. The tournament continues through Feb. 5.
The tennis center is 1290 Belle Terre Parkway; the phone number is 386 986-2550.
PLAY DOUBLES TENNIS WITH A PRO
If you've ever dreamed of volleying on a tennis court with a genuine professional, now is your chance. United States Tennis Association players will be competing next week in Palm Coast's Third Annual Men's Futures Championship Tournament and the public is invited to the Annual Pro Am event to play doubles with these pros. Fun begins on Monday, January 30th, 4:30 p.m. at the Palm Coast Tennis Center, located at 1290 Belle Terre Parkway. Space is limited to 28 players, so plan to register soon and pay your $25 fee so that you can match footwork and shots with the pros! For more information, log onto www.palmcoasttenniscenter.com or call the Tennis Center at 386-986-2550.
KIDS CAN PLAY TENNIS WITH THE PROS
Bring your children to the Palm Coast Tennis Center on Saturday, January 28th as part of our 10-day celebration of the USTA Pro Circuit Men's Futures Tournament in Palm Coast. A free Kids Day will include activities from 2:00 to 6:00 p.m. and will begin with children of all ages watching the future international tennis stars as they play to qualify for a spot in the main draw of the tournament. When the matches are completed, kids will move onto the courts for workouts with the ball machine, skills and drills with the Center's teaching professional and actual court time with some of the pro players.
This experiences promises to be memorable and educational for children who love tennis or who may wish to learn more about the game. The Palm Coast Tennis Center is located at 1290 Belle Terre Parkway. For more information, log onto www.palmcoasttenniscenter.com or call 386-986-2550.
Catch a Rising Star Contest for Palm Coast's Men's Futures Tennis Tournament
Submit an online entry for a chance to win the Catch a Rising Star Grand Prize Package from the Daytona Beach News-Journal.
Grand Prize Package:
- 4 tickets to the Quarter, Semi and Finals of the USTA Men's Futures Tennis Championships at the Palm Coast Tennis Center, Feb. 3-5
- An autographed tennis racket by the singles champion
- Two player spots in the Pro-Am, Jan. 30
- Admission for 4 to the exclusive players dinner at McCharacter's Sports Bar
- Two nights and three days hotel stay during the tournament
1st runner up :
- 4 tickets to the semifinals of the USTA Men's Futures Tennis Championships at the Palm Coast Tennis Center, Feb. 4
- An autographed tennis racket by the doubles champion
2nd runner up :
- 4 tickets to the quarter finals of the USTA Men's Futures Tennis Championships at the Palm Coast Tennis Center, Feb. 3
How to enter
Log on to news-journalonline.com. Click on the Catch a Rising Star contest. Read the official contest rules and submit your entry. Entry deadline, Wed. Jan. 25, 2012 at noon. Limit one entry per person. Winners will be randomly selected Wednesday, Jan. 25 at 2 p.m. Complete list of rules and prizes available online.
USTA Pro Circuit Men's Futures Tennis Tournament
Jan. 27-Feb. 5, 2012
Palm Coast Tennis Center
For tickets and information call 386 986 2550 or log on to PalmCoastTennisCenter.com
USTA Men's Futures Tournament Comes Once Again To Palm Coast
Palm Coast is honored to once again welcome the $10,000 USTA Pro Circuit Men's Futures Tournament to town! The tournament events begin on Friday, January 27th at the Palm Coast Tennis Center when over one hundred international professional players will compete to win prize money and valuable ATP points. Qualifying play will run from Friday, January 27th to Monday, January 30th and Main Draw Play is scheduled from Tuesday, January 31st to Thursday, February 2nd. Quarter final rounds will be held on Friday, February 3rd, semi-finals on Saturday, February 4th and the dazzling final rounds on Sunday, February 5th at 11:00 a.m.
Fans are invited to cheer players and enjoy professional tennis at Palm Coast's beautiful 10-clay court Center, located at 1290 Belle Terre Parkway. Admission is free for qualifying and main draw play and tickets for final rounds are only $8. The Daytona New Journal is this year's premier sponsor, with Brighthouse Cable, City of Palm Coast, Flagler County Tourist Development Commission, Palm Coast Observer, McCharacters Music Café/Sports Bar and Flagler Broadcasting-WNZF/Beach/Easy Oldies Radio joining the event as contributing sponsors.
Several interactive community Tennis Center events will be held during the tournament. Kids Day will open on Saturday, January 28th, from 2:00-6:00 p.m., when youngsters can practice drills with touring pros, free of charge! On Monday, January 30th, the public can enjoy playing doubles matches with the pros, sponsored by the Friends of Tennis. This Pro-Am event begins at 4:30 p.m. and fees are $25 per player. On Wednesday, February 1st at 7:00 p.m., fans can enjoy a free Meet & Greet with players at McCharacters Music Café/Sports Bar, 215 St. Joe Plaza.
The City of Palm Coast is proud to once again host this prestigious professional USTA Tournament. Stop by the Tennis Center to enjoy ten days of live action or call 386-986-2550 for details. More information is available at www.palmcoasttenniscenter.com.