Qualifier Broady to face Bublik, 20, in Aptos final

   Qualifier Liam Broady of Great Britain upset wild card Taylor Fritz, a top U.S. prospect, 7-6 (3), 6-3 today to reach the final of the $100,000 Nordic Naturals Challenger in Aptos, Calif.
   Throughout the match at the Seascape Sports Club near the Pacific Ocean, the 23-year-old Broady served his way out of trouble and outsteadied the 19-year-old Fritz from the backcourt.
   Broady, a 6-foot (1.83-meter) left-hander, won 84 percent of the points on his first serve (41 of 49) and saved all six break points against him.
   Fritz is ranked No. 131, down from a career-high No. 53 one year ago. Broady is No. 336 after climbing as high as No. 158 two years ago.
   Broady is the third British finalist, and second to emerge from qualifying, in Aptos in the past two years. Dan Evans defeated qualifier Cameron Norrie, a South Africa native, last year. Also, current world No. 1 Andy Murray of Scotland won the Aptos title in 2005 at age 18.
   Evans, 27, faces a suspension of up to four years after testing positive for cocaine in April.
   Broady's older sister, 6-foot-2 (1.89-meter) Naomi, is ranked No. 127 after reaching a career-high No. 76 in March last year.
   Liam Broady will face Alexander Bublik, who was born in Russia but changed his allegiance to Kazakhstan after being offered financial support, for the first time on Sunday after the 1 p.m. doubles final. The matches will be streamed live.
   Bublik, 20, defeated Sam Groth, a 29-year-old Australian with a booming serve, 7-6 (2), 6-3. The 6-foot-4 (1.93-meter), 165-pound (75-kilogram) Bublik won 82 percent of the points on his first serve (31 of 38).
   Groth set an unofficial record with a 163.7-mph (263.4-kph) serve in the 2012 Busan (South Korea) Challenger.
   Bublik already has beaten two top-20 players in his career: No. 13 Roberto Bautista Agut of Spain to reach the quarterfinals in Moscow on the ATP World Tour last October and No. 16 Lucas Pouille of France in the first round of the Australian Open in January as a qualifier.
   Both Bublik, ranked No. 125, and Broady will play in their second Challenger singles final. Bublik won a $50,000 hardcourt tournament in Morelos, Mexico, in February. Broady was the runner-up in Charlottesville, Va., also a $50,000 hardcourt tourney, in 2014.
   The Aptos Challenger, the oldest on the men's circuit in the United States, is celebrating its 30th anniversary. Past competitors include International Tennis Hall of Famers Patrick Rafter and Michael Chang, as well as future Hall of Famers Murray, Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan.
   Here are the Nordic Naturals singles and doubles draws and Sunday's schedule.

U.S. sensation Fritz reaches semis at 100K Aptos

After practicing, Taylor Fritz glances at a match
on Center Court in Aptos, Calif., on Wednesday.
Photo by Paul Bauman

   Wild card Taylor Fritz, one of the United States' top prospects, defeated sixth-seeded Tennys Sandgren of Gallatin, Tenn., 6-5, 7-6 (1) today in the quarterfinals of the $100,000 Nordic Naturals Challenger at the Seascape Sports Club in Aptos, Calif.

   Fritz, 19, of Palos Verdes in the Los Angeles area, saved three sets points while serving at 5-6 in the second set.
   Fritz made his Challenger debut two years ago in Aptos, losing to veteran Mischa Zverev, now ranked 26th, in the first round. Two months later, Fritz won the Sacramento and Fairfield Challengers, also in Northern California, back to-back at 17.
   He became the second-fastest American man to reach an ATP World Tour final last year at Memphis and stunned then-No. 7 Marin Cilic, the 2014 U.S. Open champion, at Indian Wells in March.
   Ranked a career-high No. 53 one year ago, Fritz has tumbled to No. 131 because of knee problems.
   Fritz's mother (Kathy May), father (Guy Fritz) and uncle (Harry Fritz) all played professionally.  May peaked at No. 10 in the world in 1977 and played in three career Grand Slam quarterfinals.
   Taylor Fritz will meet qualifier Liam Broady of Great Britain in today's second semifinal. Broady, a 23-year-old left-hander, beat Raymond Sarmiento of Los Angeles 6-4, 6-4. Sarmiento, a 25-year-old former USC All-American, played in the Aptos quarterfinals for the second consecutive year.
    In the first semifinal, which will follow an 11 a.m. doubles semi, Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan will face Sam Groth of Australia.
   Bublik, a 20-year-old Russia native, eliminated wild card Dennis Novikov of Milpitas in the San Francisco Bay Area 6-1, 6-4 in 64 minutes. Milpitas is a one-hour drive north of Aptos.
   Bublik, 6-foot-4 (1.93 meters) and only 165 pounds (75 kilograms), qualified for the Australian Open and Wimbledon this year. He shocked France's Lucas Pouille, then ranked 16th, in the first round in Melbourne before losing to Malek Jaziri of Tunisia. Bublik fell to top-ranked Andy Murray 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 in the opening round at Wimbledon.
   Groth held off countryman Akira Santillan, a 20-year-old Tokyo native, 7-5, 7-6 (4). Groth pounded 17 aces, and Santillan had 15.
   Groth, 29, set an unofficial record with a 163.7-mph (263.4-kph) serve in the 2012 Busan (South Korea) Challenger and climbed to a career-high No. 53 in 2015.
    Both semifinals will be first-time meetings.
    The Aptos tournament, the oldest men's Challenger in the United States, is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. Past competitors include International Tennis Hall of Famers Patrick Rafter and Michael Chang, as well as future Hall of Famers Andy Murray, Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan.

Four seeds, including top two, fall in 100K Aptos

   All four seeds in action on Monday, including the top two, lost in the first round of the $100,000 Nordic Naturals Challenger in Aptos, Calif.
   U.S. qualifier Austin Krajicek, the runner-up two years ago, routed No. 1 Malek Jaziri of Tunisia 6-2, 6-1 at the Seascape Sports Club.
   Akira Santillan, 20, knocked off No. 2 Jordan Thompson 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 in an all-Australian affair. Santillan, a Tokyo native, won last month's $75,000 Winnetka (Ill.) Challenger.
   Qualifier Liam Broady of Great Britain ousted No. 4 Ruben Bemelmans of Belgium 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 in a battle of left-handers. Bemelmans won the Aptos doubles title in 2014 with Laurynas Grigelis of Lithuania.
   Also, Sam Groth of Australia downed No. 8 Bjorn Fratangelo of Orlando, Fla., 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-3.
   Groth, 6-foot-4 (1.93 meters) and 220 pounds (100.0 kilograms), holds the unofficial record for the world's fastest serve. He reached 163.7-mph (263.4-kph) in the 2012 Busan (South Korea) Challenger.
   Fratangelo, 24, had reached the semifinals of the last two Aptos Challengers. He advanced to the semis on grass in Newport, R.I., on the ATP World Tour last month, losing to eventual champion John Isner.
   Jaziri is ranked No. 76, Thompson No. 78 and Bemelmans No. 97.
   Australia's John Millman, the 2015 Aptos champion, will take on Mackenzie McDonald, a 22-year-old wild card from Piedmont in the San Francisco Bay Area, in the opening round today not before 4:30 p.m.
   Millman became the first No. 1 seed in the then-28-year history of the Aptos tournament, the longest-running Challenger in the United States, to win the title.
   McDonald and former Cal star Ben McLachlan of Japan reached last year's doubles final, losing to South Africans Nicolaas Scholtz and Tucker Vorster 6-7 (5), 6-3 [10-8].
   Aptos, located on the Pacific Ocean, is a 90-minute drive south of San Francisco.
   Here are the Nordic Naturals Challenger qualifying draw, singles and doubles draws, and today's schedule.

Bellis, 18, falls to Wozniacki in French Open

Caroline Wozniacki, playing at Indian Wells
in March, defeated CiCi Bellis 6-2, 2-6, 6-3
today in the third round of the French Open.
Photo by Paul Bauman

   No. 11 seed Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark defeated 18-year-old CiCi Bellis, who grew up in Atherton in the San Francisco Bay Area, 6-2, 2-6, 6-3 today in the completion of a suspended match in the third round of the French Open.
   Bellis was about to serve for the second set at 5-2 on Friday night when rain and darkness halted play. After holding her serve for the set today, she broke for 2-1 in the third set.
   "That's when Wozniacki really started to settle down and be a little more consistent," commentator Lindsay Davenport said on Tennis Channel. "Also, she started to attack the forehand side of the Bellis court more."
   Wozniacki, who climbed to No. 1 in the world in 2010, broke back and won the last three games of the match. She ended the match with a service winner and two aces.
   Bellis still took away many positives. She equaled her best Grand Slam result with her third-round showing and is projected to rise from No. 48 to No. 40. She is the youngest player in the top 50.
   "What a tournament for CiCi Bellis," Davenport crowed. "She showed a lot of people how good she is going to be, but Wozniacki used her experience well to finish this final set."
   Wozniacki, who will turn 27 on July 11, reached the fourth round of the French Open for the first time since advancing to the quarterfinals in 2010 for her best result at Roland Garros.
   Wozniacki will face No. 8 seed Svetlana Kuznetsova, the 2009 champion, on Sunday in their first meeting on clay. Wozniacki leads the head-to-head series 7-6.
   In the second round of men's doubles on Friday, No. 3 seeds and two-time French Open champions Bob and Mike Bryan (Stanford, 1997-98) lost to Sam Groth of Australia and Robert Lindstedt of Sweden 7-6 (4), 6-3.
   The 39-year-old Bryan twins won the last of their record 16 Grand Slam men's doubles titles in the 2014 U.S. Open.
   Groth, 6-foot-4 (1.93 meters) and 220 pounds (100.0 kilograms), holds the unofficial record for the world's fastest serve. He unleashed a 163.7-mph (263.4-kph) rocket in the 2012 Busan (South Korea) Challenger.
   Lindstedt, 40, played at Fresno State before transferring to Pepperdine and reaching the 1998 NCAA doubles final with Kelly Gullett. In that match, they lost to the Bryans 6-4 in the third set.  

Tiafoe, 18, cracks top 100 with Stockton title

Third-seeded Frances Tiafoe, right, beat unseeded Noah Rubin
6-4, 6-2 in a matchup of U.S. prospects in the final of the
$100,000 Stockton Challenger. Photo by Paul Bauman

   STOCKTON, Calif. -- Northern California fans might want to check out this week's $100,000 Fairfield Challenger at Solano Community College.
   It probably will be their last chance to see Frances Tiafoe in person. Barring injury or a prolonged slump, the 18-year-old phenom will graduate to Grand Slam and ATP World Tour events next year. So far, Tiafoe has only dabbled in the major leagues of men's professional tennis.
   By outclassing fellow American prospect Noah Rubin 6-4, 6-2 Sunday to win the $100,000 Stockton Challenger at the new Eve Zimmerman Tennis Center at the University of the Pacific, the third-seeded Tiafoe cracked the top 100 in the world for the first time.
   "It's an unbelievable feeling, something you always dream of and work as hard as you can to achieve," gushed Tiafoe, who jumped 17 spots to No. 100. "It (helps immensely) to be inside the top 100, getting in the main draw of Grand Slams and tour events. It definitely makes your life much easier; you don't have to play so many of these (Challenger) events."

   Tiafoe becomes the youngest player, fourth teenager and second American teen in the top 100. Alexander Zverev, 19, of Germany is No. 21; Borna Coric, 19, of Croatia is No. 41; and Taylor Fritz, 18, of Rancho Santa Fe in the San Diego area is No. 71. Fritz will turn 19 on Oct. 28, and Tiafoe will follow on Jan. 20.
   American Jared Donaldson, who turned 20 Sunday, dropped from No. 98 to No. 108 in the new rankings. Fritz won the singles titles in last year's Sacramento and Fairfield Challengers with victories over Donaldson and Dustin Brown of Germany, respectively. The Sacramento tournament moved to Stockton.

   Although Tiafoe eventually could reach the top 10, his immediate task is staying in the top 100. He will drop unless he at least matches his 2015 appearance in the semifinals in Fairfield, where he's the top seed, and runner-up finish in the $50,000 Knoxville (Tenn.) Challenger, scheduled for the first week of November.

Tiafoe didn't face a break point in the final.
Photo by Paul Bauman

   Tiafoe has ideal size (6-foot-2 and 170 pounds or 1.88 meters and 77 kilograms) with power, touch, quickness -- you name it. His serve and forehand, both hit with a distinctive loose wrist, are devastating. His two-handed backhand is textbook perfect. And he has a deft volley.
   Weaknesses? Tiafoe has had temper problems (it was not an issue against Rubin), his concentration wanes at times (whose doesn't?), and his second serve needs improvement (according to Isner).
   Tiafoe's father, Constant, emigrated from Sierra Leone in West Africa to the Washington, D.C., area, where Frances was born, in the late 1990s. Constant helped build the Junior Tennis Champions Center in College Park, Md., and stayed as the head of maintenance.
   Frances and his twin brother Franklin, who attended the Stockton Challenger, began playing at 3 or 4. Frances won the prestigious Orange Bowl at 15 in 2013 to become the youngest boys 18 champion in the tournament's 67-year history. He was profiled in Sports Illustrated in 2014 and turned pro last year.
   As a wild card the recent U.S. Open, Tiafoe led 6-foot-10 (2.08-meter) veteran John Isner, seeded No. 20 and ranked No. 1 in the United States at the time, two sets to none in the first round before falling in a fifth-set tiebreaker.
   Rubin, only 5-foot-10 (1.78 meters) and 155 pounds (70 kilograms), doesn't have as much of an upside as Tiafoe but well could join him in the top 100 next year. With his runner-up finish, he improved 25 places to No. 167.
   A counterpuncher who relies on quickness, Rubin stunned then-No. 18 Benoit Paire of France in the first round of the Australian Open in January but missed much of the summer with a sprained ankle.

   A native of Long Island, N.Y., Rubin trained at the John McEnroe Tennis Academy in New York as a junior. During his dream summer of 2014, he won the Wimbledon boys and USTA 18 national singles titles.
   Rubin then attended Wake Forest University for one year, falling in the 2015 NCAA singles final to 6-foot-4 (1.93-meter) junior Ryan Shane of Virginia, before turning pro.

Rubin could join Tiafoe in the top 100 next year.
Photo by Paul Bauman

   Tiafoe and Rubin, 20, met as pros for the first time. Rubin was 3-0 in ITF junior tournaments against Tiafoe.
   This time, Tiafoe broke the unseeded Rubin in the first game of each set and broke again to lead 4-1 in the second set. Rubin double-faulted on key points in both of the second-set breaks. Tiafoe, meanwhile, never faced break point en route to his second Challenger title in his seventh final.
   "He was pretty nervous," declared Tiafoe, who earned $14,400. "He made a lot of mistakes. He obviously didn't play his best, but I thought I played my game about as well as I can play. I played pretty aggressive, took the strikes early and didn't really let him stay steady and try to make balls the way he usually plays. I thought I did a great job of putting a lot of pressure on him early."
   Tiafoe won the coin toss and elected to receive.
   "I always do that," he noted. "I don't want to come out and play a loose game in the opening game, so if I win the coin toss, I always receive.
   "I knew he was going to be a little nervous. It was only his second (Challenger) final, and I've been in quite a few finals, so I was pretty comfortable today."
   Rubin, who won his only previous Challenger final, denied he was nervous.
   "Actually, that did not affect me," said Rubin, wearing a necklace with a small Wimbledon pendant. "I was way more nervous to play the first round of this tournament. Maybe there was some internal, subconscious thing I can't even tell you. Yeah, I was a little slower than normal, but it happens."
   Instead, Rubin attributed his slow starts in each set to physical and mental fatigue. He won his first three matches in three sets before coasting past ailing Michael Mmoh, another 18-year-old American, 6-2, 6-3 in Saturday's semifinals.
   "It could be just cumulative," suggested Rubin, who collected $8,480. "It's a lot of matches, a lot of games. I put a lot of pressure on myself at the beginning of the tournament, more than at the end, because I was not playing my best tennis coming into this tournament. I was just working hard and putting in a lot of hours, and sometimes it wears on you."

   Against Tiafoe, there would be no Noah's bagels.
   "He played good tennis," said Rubin, who also is entered in Fairfield. "He mixed it up well. I think what hurt me the most was my movement was not (up to) par, which usually helps me get back into matches.

Second-seeded Sam Groth, left, and Brian Baker won the
doubles title in their first tournament together. Photo by
Paul Bauman

   "He kept me on my toes and didn't play loose points. I've been watching some of his matches, and sometimes he gives away loose points. He was pretty controlled today and consistent. It was good to see. He's in the top 100 now, and hopefully I'll see him there soon."
   Second-seeded Brian Baker and Sam Groth, playing their first tournament together, beat fourth-seeded Matt Reid and John-Patrick Smith 6-2, 4-6 [10-2] for the doubles title. All except Baker, from Nashville, Tenn., are Australian.
   Baker, 31, and Groth, who will turn 29 on Oct. 19, ended Reid and Smith's winning streak at seven matches. They won the title in the previous week's $100,000 Tiburon Challenger.
   Baker has come back from 11 operations (both hips, right elbow, back, sports hernia and four repairs of his right knee). Groth set an unofficial world record with a 163.7-mph (263.4-kph) serve in the 2012 Busan (South Korea) Challenger.
   Here are:
   --The complete Stockton singles and doubles draws.
   --The Fairfield singles qualifying draw, singles and doubles main draws, and Monday's schedule.
   --The complete Redding (Calif.) women's singles and doubles draws.

Reynolds' hot summer: Centre Court, White House

   SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Bobby Reynolds had two unforgettable experiences this summer.
   On June 28, the 31-year-old journeyman professional from Marietta, Ga., played top-ranked Novak Djokovic on Centre Court at Wimbledon. Eleven days later, President Barack Obama honored Reynolds and the rest of the Washington Kastles at the White House for their 2012 World TeamTennis title.

Bobby Reynolds, playing with an injured
right wrist, fell to No. 2 seed Tim Smyczek
in the second round of the Sacramento
Challenger. Photos by Paul Bauman

   Reynolds, a Wimbledon qualifier, lost to Djokovic 7-6 (2), 6-3, 6-1 in the second round but was thrilled by the experience.
   "You grow up watching obviously on TV all the guys who go out on Centre Court," Reynolds said today after losing to No. 2 seed Tim Smyczek of Tampa, Fla., 6-2, 6-4 in the second round of the $100,000 Sacramento Pro Circuit Challenger at the Natomas Racquet Club. "To have those emotions running through you before, during and after is a neat thing. It's definitely a lifetime experience for me, and to play the No. 1 guy in the world and see what it's like, there's a reason he's No. 1.
   "There really weren't any flaws that I felt I could exploit. I did everything I could on my serve just to stay in it. I spent a lot of energy obviously in the first set. He took it up a notch or two, and that's the difference."
  Reynolds admitted that he had a strong case of nerves before the match.
  "If you don't have butterflies going out before a match like that, I think there's something wrong," he said. "Walking out, you feel like your heart is beating a thousand miles a minute."  
   Reynolds, who's listed at 6 feet (1.83 meters) but appears two or three inches shorter, was the last American man left in singles at Wimbledon. Former top-five player James Blake and qualifier Denis Kudla had lost earlier in the day. It was the first time in 101 years that no U.S. man reached the third round at Wimbledon.
   Blake, who won the last year's Sacramento Challenger, retired from tennis after losing to 6-foot-10 (2.08-meter) Ivo Karlovic in the first round of the U.S. Open. Kudla, seeded first this year in Sacramento, lost to Daniel Cox of Great Britain in the first round.
   Reynolds also was elated to visit the White House, even though he's a Republican and was unable to chat with Obama during the team's 10- or 15-minute visit.

Smyczek, serving to Reynolds, advanced
to Friday's quarterfinals.

   "That was an unbelievable experience to meet President Obama in the Oval Office," said Reynolds, the 2012 WTT Male MVP. "It's something a lot of people are never able to do."   
   Reynolds and his teammates didn't know they were going to the White House until that afternoon. Team owner Mark Ein told the players in the morning only to bring nice clothes to work.
   "You never know with him," Reynolds said. "He has so many things up his sleeve and so many contacts that you didn't know."
   Two nights later, the host Texas Wild ended the Kastles' 34-match winning streak, one of the longest in North American professional sports history, spanning two-plus seasons. 
   Reynolds, ranked No. 142 after reaching a career-high No. 63 in 2009, endured another dose of adversity today. The right-hander, a Sacramento semifinalist last year and quarterfinalist in 2011, was treated for a right wrist injury early in the second set against Smyczek.
   "I did something in the warmup," said Reynolds, who's scheduled to play in the first round of doubles with countryman Rajeev Ram today. "(The trainer) thinks it might be the tendon. I felt it on most of the forehands I hit. We'll see how it is."         
   Reynolds declined to use the injury as an excuse, though.

Samuel Groth, who owns the world's
fastest serve, celebrates after beating
Peter Polansky in 2 hours, 30 minutes.

   "It kind of played in the back of my mind more than anything," he said. "He played well. He makes you play a lot of balls, makes you go for more than you want to go for. Right when you think you're in control of the point, he neutralizes the point well. Kudos to him. He played really well."
   Also advancing to Friday's quarterfinals were eighth-seeded Donald Young of Atlanta and Australians Matt Reid and Samuel Groth.
   Young, who won the 2008 title in the final Sacramento Challenger at the Sutter Lawn Tennis Club and last week's $50,000 Napa Valley Challenger, dispatched James McGee of Ireland 6-2, 6-3.
   McGee stunned American Ryan Harrison, who reached No. 43 in the world last year at 20 years old, in the first round of the $100,000 Aptos Challenger in August after trailing 5-1 in the third set.
   Reid ousted Cox 6-4, 6-3.
   Groth outlasted Peter Polansky of Canada 6-7 (6), 7-6 (7), 6-3 in 2 hours, 30 minutes as the temperature reached 82 degrees (27.8 Celsius). Groth, 6-foot-4 (1.94 meters) and 210 pounds (95.3 kilograms), blasted a record 163.4-mph (263-kph) serve in last year's Busan (South Korea) Challenger.
   Polansky had upset sixth-seeded Alex Kuznetsov, a two-time Sacramento semifinalist, 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (2) in 2 hours, 21 minutes in the first round. The match was played on Tuesday morning before the temperature climbed to a high of 80 degrees (26.7 Celsius).
   The other four quarterfinalists will be determined Thursday.
   Doubles defending champions Tennys Sandgren and Rhyne Williams, seeded third, lost to wild cards Jarmere Jenkins and Young 6-3, 6-2 in the first round in an all-American encounter.
   As a senior at the NCAA championships in May, Jenkins led Virginia to its first tennis team title, reached the singles final and won the doubles crown with Mac Styslinger.
   Following are the singles and doubles draws and Thursday's schedule:
   http://assets.usta.com/assets/1/15/singles_draw291.PDF
   http://assets.usta.com/assets/1/15/doubles_draw292.PDF
   http://assets.usta.com/assets/1/15/schedule292.PDF

World's fastest server downplays his feat

Samuel Groth of Australia blasts a serve Tuesday
in the $100,000 RelyAid Natomas Challenger
in Sacramento. He set the record with a 163.4-mph
(263-kph) serve in May. Photo by Paul Bauman

   SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Ivo Karlovic might want to work on that cream-puff serve of his.
   Sure, the 6-foot-10 Croat set the record with a 156-mph (251-kph) effort in a Davis Cup match 18 months ago. But Samuel Groth of Australia shattered it with a 163.4-mph (263-kph) missile in a Challenger tournament in Busan, South Korea, in May.
   Groth also pounded serves clocked at 158.9 mph (255.7 kph) and 157.5 mph (253.5 kph) in the second-round match but lost 6-4, 6-3 to Belarus' Uladzimir Ignatik.
   Karlovic is not playing in this week's $100,000 RelyAid Natomas Challenger after winning last year's title. Nor is Ignatik, a 2011 quarterfinalist. But Groth is, for the first time.  
   Groth's feat has made him something of a celebrity in tennis circles. He was featured in a New York Times story in June during Wimbledon, although he was not ranked high enough to play there, on the questionable accuracy of serve speeds because different systems are used around the world. The article noted, however, that the company used in Busan, FlightScope, is one of the most prominent in the field.  
   Groth stands by the record but downplays it.
   "I guess people write a lot about it," he said Tuesday after losing to fifth-seeded Matteo Viola of Italy 6-2, 6-3 in the first round at the Natomas Racquet Club. "For me, the focus is still on trying to get my ranking up and playing tennis. One serve doesn't make a career or get you inside the top 100. It draws attention, and it's good for promoting yourself, I guess, but in terms of getting where I want to be, I've got to play a lot better tennis than I did today, that's for sure."
   Groth remains alive in doubles, though, with countryman Chris Guccione. They reached the semifinals with a 6-1, 6-4 victory Wednesday over fourth-seeded Andrei Daescu of Romania and Adam Hubble of Australia.
   Guccione, a 6-foot-7 (2.0-meter) left-hander with a formidable serve of his own, won last year's title with American-born Aussie Carsten Ball. The longtime partners split up at the end of last year, though, and Ball did not return to Sacramento.
   Hubble said Groth's serve is the toughest he has faced "in terms of pure pace coming at you. ... Sometimes you can get lucky and hit it back for a winner. Some of the other guys who spin it are equally tricky because the ball isn't in the hitting zone."
   Hubble, 26, and Groth, who will turn 25 on Oct. 19, are both from Melbourne. They have known each other for 10 years. Groth and Andrew Kennaugh of Great Britain reached the Wimbledon boys doubles final in 2005.
   "(Groth) has always had a big serve," Hubble said. "It was always in the cards that he was going to set the fastest serve in the world eventually. It was a just a matter of time until he got on a court that had a radar gun clocking him."
   At 6-foot-4 (1.94 meters) and 210 pounds (95.3 kilograms), Groth looks more like a linebacker or rugby competitor than tennis player. In fact, he played Australian rules football last year after recovering from shoulder surgery. He has blond, spiked hair and wears an elaborate tattoo on his upper left arm.
   Groth said he is separated from women's pro Jarmila Gajdosova but would not confirm numerous reports that they are divorced. Gajdosova has tumbled from a career-high No. 25 in the world in May 2011 to No. 149. 
   Groth's service motion is similar to that of another powerful server, recently retired Andy Roddick. Groth has a low ball toss and whips his right arm in a seemingly effortless motion as the ball explodes off his racket.
   "I'm a big guy," reasoned Groth, who has improved his singles ranking from No. 786 at the beginning of the year to No. 237. "I've got a loose arm. I think you'll find a lot of the big servers can throw a ball far. I think it's quite a natural sort of thing. I've tampered with my legs on my serve, but I've never really touched my throwing motion."
   Groth trailed 3-5, 30-0 in the first set when he hammered his record-setting serve down the middle with the aid of a light wind. Ignatik barely moved, and a display registered the eye-popping speed.
   "I knew when I turned around," Groth recalled. "I hit an ace. I was down a break and a bit frustrated and had new balls. I hit it and heard a few people murmuring. My first reaction was 'Wow.' My second reaction was, What am I going to do on the next point?
   "At the time, I didn't know how accurate the radar was, as well. When I came off the court and spoke to the guy from the company, that was my first question. He said he was going to have to go through all the data.
   "I hit that serve great, but I'm down a break. I have to win the next point. I'm not stepping up to the line every point going, Let's try to break a record. It's, How am I going to win this point?"  
   Hubble played doubles with Groth that week — they lost in the first round to Rik de Voest and soon-to-be Wimbledon men's doubles champion Frederik Nielsen — and watched some of his partner's match against Ignatik but missed the record-setting serve.
   "He was definitely hitting big serves throughout the match," Hubble said. "A few people questioned whether it was actually that speed. I think, sitting there, it definitely was, judging by the rest of the match."
   Groth topped out at a mere 140 mph (225.3 kph) against Viola in the Natomas Challenger. 
   "I made (39) percent of first serves today," Groth lamented. "Just by that stat alone, you can tell my serve wasn't on at all. When you're making one in five serves in the first set, I don't think it's a day when you're going to come out and (hit) your best serves.
   "This is the worst I've served this year by far. I think I was around 50 percent in the second set (actually 57 percent). I tried to take a little off it to make some."
   That was fine with Viola.
   "Maybe he wasn't so confident with his serve, so better for me," he said with a chuckle.
   Wednesday's singles — Luca Vanni of Italy defeated American Alex Kuznetsov, who reached the semifinals of the Sacramento Challenger in 2006 and last year, 6-4, 6-4 in the second round.
   Americans Bobby Reynolds, 30, and Tennys Sandgren, 21, joined Vanni in the quarterfinals with straight-set victories. Reynolds also was a quarterfinalist last year at Natomas.

RELYAID NATOMAS CHALLENGER - SACRAMENTO, CA, USA
$100,000
SEPT. 29 - OCT. 7, 2012

RESULTS - WEDNESDAY, OCT. 3, 2012

Second-round singles
T Sandgren (USA) d M Reid (AUS) 64 63
M Zverev (GER) d I Van der Merwe (RSA) 76 (5) 63
B Reynolds (USA) d A El Mihdawy (USA) 63 61
L Vanni (ITA) d A Kuznetsov (USA) 64 64
First-round doubles
D Courtney  (USA) / P Raja (IND) d D Kudla  (USA) / T Smyczek (USA) 61 67(5) 13-11
B Reynolds (USA) / I Van der Merwe (RSA) d [Q] J Dadamo (USA) / B Klahn (USA) 63 26 10-8 
Doubles quarterfinals
S Groth (AUS) / C Guccione (AUS) d [4] A Daescu (ROM) / A Hubble (AUS) 61 64
 
ORDER OF PLAY - THURSDAY, OCT. 4, 2012
STADIUM start 11:00 am
[1] J Kerr (AUS) / A Siljestrom (SWE) vs W Odesnik (USA) / L Vanni (ITA)
R Farah (COL) vs [5] M Viola (ITA)
[3] B Reynolds (USA) / I Van der Merwe (RSA) or [Q] J Dadamo (USA) / B Klahn (USA) vs A Kuznetsov (USA) / M Zverev (GER)

Not Before 4:00 PM
R De Voest (RSA) vs [2] [WC] J Blake (USA)
COURT 1 start 11:00 am
[Q] G Jones (AUS) vs [WC] B Klahn (USA)
[WC] D Kosakowski (USA) vs M McClune (USA)
A Courtney (USA) / P Raja (IND) vs D Britton (USA) / A Krajicek (USA)

Top seed Becker ousted in Sacramento Challenger

Daniel Kosakowski, a 20-year-old wild card, upset No. 1 seed
Benjamin Becker, below, 7-5, 6-3 Tuesday in the first round
of the $100,000 RelyAid Natomas Challenger in Sacramento.
Photos by Paul Bauman

   SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- On paper, it was a stunning upset.
   Daniel Kosakowski, a 20-year-old wild card who turned pro last year in Sacramento, ousted Benjamin Becker, a 31-year-old veteran seeded first, 7-5, 6-3 Tuesday in the first round of the $100,000 RelyAid Natomas Challenger at the Natomas Racquet Club.
   Becker is ranked No. 85 in the world after reaching a career-high No. 38 five years ago. Kosakowski, meanwhile, is No. 304.
   Most glaring of all, Becker has won 97 matches on the ATP World Tour, the major leagues of men's professional tennis, to Kosakowski's one.
   But considering recent history, Kosakowski's victory wasn't all that surprising on a day featuring the exits of three more seeds, the world's fastest server, a former Sacramento champion and several U.S. prospects. Kosakowski's triumph might have even been predictable. He has been on fire while Becker has been recovering from his latest injury.

   Kosakowski, a Los Angeles-area native whose parents are Polish, has won 11 straight matches and 13 of his last 14. He reached the final round of qualifying at the U.S. Open in August, beating 82nd-ranked Aljaz Bedene of Slovenia in the second round. Becker was the second top-100 win of Kosakowski's career.
   Last month, Kosakowski won $10,000 Futures tournaments in the Los Angeles suburbs of Claremont and Costa Mesa in consecutive weeks.
   "I was working on a lot of things in the summer, and things are starting to click now," said Kosakowski, who turned pro after winning the $15,000 Futures tournament in Sacramento in June 2011. "I got a lot of confidence from the Open. I know what I'm doing on the court and executing my game plan."
   Kosakowski, who won 24 of 25 points on his first serve against Becker and displayed a sensational one-handed backhand, added that he worked on his "serve and trying to be more aggressive with the backhand, trying not to give up too many freebies or short balls."     

Second-seeded James Blake, 32, wore down 19-year-old
qualifier Taro Daniel of Japan 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 in a match featur-
ing the oldest and youngest players in the singles draw.

   Becker, meanwhile, tore a groin muscle three weeks ago playing in a Davis Cup doubles match for his native Germany. He lost with Philipp Petzschner, but host Germany beat Australia 3-2 on clay to qualify for the elite World Group next year.
  "When I came here, I didn't know if I could play," said Becker, a right-hander with a two-handed backhand who underwent two operations on his left elbow last year and missed seven months. "I'm happy I didn't have any pain today, but I'm not happy with the way I played. I expected not to play my best, obviously. That's how it goes when you have a tough first round.
   "I saw he won a few tournaments (recently)," added Becker, who's best known for ending Andre Agassi's career in the third round of the 2006 U.S. Open. "He had a lot of confidence, and he could see that my confidence was not very high. I'm trying to get it back and hopefully have a better week next week (in the Tiburon Challenger in the San Francisco Bay Area)."
   Despite their age difference and nationalities, Becker and Kosakowski have a few things in common. Both are undersized former college stars.
   Becker, who's listed at 5-foot-10 and 158 pounds, is one of the few pros who played for four years in college. As a junior at Baylor in Waco, Texas, he won the 2004 NCAA singles crown and helped the Bears capture their only NCAA team title.
   Kosakowski said he's 6-foot and 180, but he appears smaller. He turned pro after one year at UCLA, where he was named first-team All-Pacific-10 Conference and the Pac-10 Freshman of the Year.
   After the first round of the Natomas Challenger, the only seeds left are No. 2 James Blake of Tampa, Fla., and No. 5 Matteo Viola of Italy. No. 3 Ryan Sweeting, the 2005 U.S. Open boys champion, withdrew with food poisoning, and No. 8 Denis Kudla, a 20-year-old American born in Ukraine, lost to qualifier Greg Jones of Australia 6-3, 6-0.
   Blake, a 32-year-old wild card and last year's runner-up to 6-foot-10 Ivo Karlovic, wore down 19-year-old qualifier Taro Daniel of Japan 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 on a 99-degree day in a match featuring the oldest and youngest players in the singles draw.
   "I got my legs moving a little better in the second and third sets, and I think his legs kind of went out on him  in the third set," said Blake, ranked No. 97 after reaching a career-high No. 4 in 2006. "He's already played three matches here.
   "I'm not a spring chicken anymore. Sometimes it takes a little longer to warm up. Those things are going to happen sometimes, but I'm happy I got through it."
   Blake, plagued by tendinitis in his right knee last year and earlier this year, pronounced himself fit but said he's taking his career "one match at a time at this point." He hopes to play all next year, "but you never know. One more bad injury, and that can change real quick."
   Eight years ago, Blake broke his neck while practicing in Rome. He slipped on a wet clay court while racing to return a drop shot and struck the net post. Had he not moved his head at the last moment, doctors said he could have been paralyzed.
   Viola dismissed Samuel Groth of Australia 6-2, 6-3. Groth, who blasted a 163-mph (263-kph) serve in a Challenger tournament in South Korea in May, converted only 20 percent of his first serves in the first set and 39 percent overall.
   "I felt really flat on court," said Groth, who has battled a head cold for two days. "I probably had my worst serving day for a year, and I was pretty slow in my movement. I don't think there was actually too much I did well out there. Matteo doesn't give you much, and I knew I was going to have to play a lot better than I did today, that's for sure."
   Bradley Klahn, a San Diego-area resident, and John Millman of Australia had big years in 2010. Klahn won the NCAA singles title as a Stanford sophomore, and John Millman captured the Sacramento Challenger. They met for the first time Tuesday, with wild card Klahn prevailing 7-6 (0), 6-4.
   The day ended with two 30-something veterans knocking out young Americans.
   Rik de Voest, a 32-year-old South African who won the 2005 (inaugural) Sacramento Challenger at the Sutter Lawn Tennis Club, outlasted 21-year-old Rhyne Williams of Knoxville, Tenn., 5-7, 7-6 (3), 6-4 in 3 hours, 13 minutes.
   Williams, who turned pro shortly after reaching the NCAA singles final in 2011 as a Tennessee sophomore, served for the match at 5-4 in the second set and led 4-1 (one service break) in the third set.
   Bobby Reynolds, 30, of Acworth, Ga., outslugged Jack Sock, 20, of Lincoln, Neb., 7-6 (6), 7-6 (4) in a matchup of 2011 Sacramento Challenger quarterfinalists. Sock, last year's doubles runner-up with Nicholas Monroe, already is out of this year's tournament. He and Phillip Simmonds of Reston, Va., narrowly lost in  the first round of doubles to Groth and Chris Guccione, the defending champion with Carsten Ball, on Monday.
   
RELYAID NATOMAS CHALLENGER - SACRAMENTO, CA, USA

$ 100,000
SEPT. 29 - OCT. 7, 2012

RESULTS - TUESDAY, OCT. 2, 2012Singles - First Round
[WC] D Kosakowski (USA) d [1] B Becker (GER) 75 63
[2] [WC] J Blake (USA) d [Q] T Daniel (JPN) 46 63 61
M Reid (AUS) d [LL] F Wolmarans (RSA) 64 64
[5] M Viola (ITA) d S Groth (AUS) 62 63
[Q] G Jones (AUS) d [8] D Kudla (USA) 63 60
M McClune (USA) d [Q] P Simmonds (USA) 16 63 61
R Farah (COL) d A Bogdanovic (GBR) 61 62
B Reynolds (USA) d J Sock (USA) 76(6) 76(4)
L Vanni (ITA) d [Q] L Gregorc (SLO) 46 64 76(3)
[WC] B Klahn (USA) d J Millman (AUS) 76(0) 64
R De Voest (RSA) d R Williams (USA) 57 76(3) 64
Doubles - First Round
[4] A Daescu (ROU) / A Hubble (AUS) d [LL] L Gregorc (SLO) / A Pavic (CRO) 63 64
A Kuznetsov (USA) / M Zverev (GER) d S Ianni (ITA) / M Viola (ITA) 63 64

ORDER OF PLAY - WEDNESDAY, OCT. 3, 2012
STADIUM start 11:00 am
D Kudla (USA) / T Smyczek (USA) vs A Courtney (USA) / P Raja (IND)
Not Before 12:30 PM
A El Mihdawy (USA) vs B Reynolds (USA)
S Groth (AUS) / C Guccione (AUS) vs [4] A Daescu (ROU) / A Hubble (AUS)
Not Before 4:00 PM
L Vanni (ITA) vs A Kuznetsov (USA)
COURT 1 start 11:00 am
M Reid (AUS) vs T Sandgren (USA)
M Zverev (GER) vs I Van der Merwe (RSA)
Not Before 3:30 PM
[3] B Reynolds (USA) / I Van der Merwe (RSA) vs [Q] J Dadamo (USA) / B Klahn (USA) - After suitable rest

Updated: World's fastest server enters Sacramento

   The world's fastest server, the player who ended Andre Agassi's career and a Wimbledon champion head the field in next week's $100,000 RelyAid Natomas Challenger in Sacramento.

   Samuel Groth, 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds, was credited with a 163.4-mph (263-kph) serve in May at a Challenger tournament in Busan, South Korea. Groth, a 24-year-old Australian ranked No. 237 in the world, broke the record of 156 mph by 6-foot-10 Ivo Karlovic, who won last year's Sacramento and Tiburon Challengers. 
   Benjamin Becker beat Agassi in the third round of the 2006 U.S. Open, the last tournament of the future International Tennis Hall of Famer's career. Becker, the 2004 NCAA singles champion from Baylor, is the only top-100 player entered in the RelyAid Challenger at the Natomas Racquet Club. The 31-year-old German, just 5-foot-10 and 158 pounds, is ranked No. 84. He reached a career-high No. 38 in 2007 and sat out for six months last year with an elbow injury.

   Also entered in Sacramento is Frederik Nielsen, 29, of Denmark. Nielsen, the grandson of two-time Wimbledon singles runner-up Kurt Nielsen, and Jonathan Marray of Great Britain teamed in July to become the first wild cards to win the Wimbledon men's doubles title.
   James Blake, last year's runner-up, accepted a wild card to return to Sacramento. The 32-year-old American is ranked No. 99 after reaching a career-high No. 4 in 2006.
   Neither Karlovic nor 2011 semifinalist Sam Querrey is on the direct entry list this year. Both are former top-20 players who were coming back from injuries at this time last year. The 24-year-old Querrey has rebounded to No. 26, but the 33-year-old Karlovic is mired at No. 80. 
   Three former Sacramento Challenger champions plan to return: 32-year-old Rik de Voest, a South African who won the inaugural tournament at the Sutter Lawn Tennis Club in 2005; Wayne Odesnik (2007) of Weston, Fla.; and John Millman (2010) of Australia. Odesnik, a 5-foot-11 left-hander, served a one-year suspension in 2010 for transporting human growth hormone into Australia.

   The Sacramento field also includes top U.S. prospects Denis Kudla (20 years old), Jack Sock (20), Rhyne Williams (21) and Steve Johnson (22). Sock won the U.S. Open mixed doubles title last year with Melanie Oudin. Johnson captured the last two NCAA singles titles, beating Williams of Tennessee in the 2011 final at Stanford, before completing his eligibility at USC in May.
   Based on current rankings, the Sacramento seeds will be Becker, 34-year-old Michael Russell (No. 104) of Houston, Ryan Sweeting (No. 135) of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Odesnik (No. 136), Matteo Viola (No. 148) of Italy, Peter Polansky (No. 149) of Canada, Tim Smyczek (No. 154) of Tampa, Fla., and Kudla (No. 158) of Arlington, Va.
   Qualifying for this year's Sacramento Challenger begins Saturday at 9 a.m. The main draw starts Monday at 10 a.m., and the singles and doubles finals will be played on Oct. 7 at times to be determined.

TV SCHEDULE

(All Times PDT)

   Wednesday -- Tokyo (women), quarterfinals, Tennis Channel, 10 p.m.-5 a.m. Thursday (live).
   Thursday -- Tokyo (women), semifinals, Tennis Channel, 9 p.m.-1 a.m. Friday (live). Bangkok (men), early rounds, Tennis Channel, 5-9 p.m. (delay).
   Friday -- Tokyo (women), final, Tennis Channel, 9-11 p.m. (live). Bangkok (men), quarterfinals, Tennis Channel, 5-9 p.m. (delay).
   Saturday -- Kuala Lumpur (men), semifinals, Tennis Channel, 1-5 p.m. (delay). Bangkok (men), semifinals, Tennis Channel, 5-9 p.m. (delay).
   Sunday -- Kuala Lumpur (men), final, Tennis Channel, 1-3 p.m. (delay). Bangkok (men), final, Tennis Channel, 5-7 p.m. (delay).

CALENDAR

    Saturday-Oct. 7 -- $100,000 RelyAid Natomas Challenger, Natomas Racquet Club, 2450 Natomas Park Drive, Sacramento, Calif., 95833, www.natomaschallenger.com, (916) 649-0909. 2011 champions: Ivo Karlovic, Carsten Ball-Chris Guccione.
   Oct. 6-14 -- $100,000 First Republic Bank Men's Challenger, Tiburon Peninsula Club, 1600 Mar West St., Tiburon, Calif., 94920, www.tiburonchallenger.com, (415) 789-7900. 2011 champions: Ivo Karlovic, Carsten Ball-Chris Guccione.
   Oct. 23-28 -- WTA Championships (top eight singles players and top four doubles teams of 2012), Istanbul, www.wtatennis.com/page/Tournaments/Info/0,,12781~742,00.html. 2011 champions: Petra Kvitova, Liezel Huber-Lisa Raymond.
   Nov. 3-4 -- Fed Cup Final, Serbia at Czech Republic, www.fedcup.com. 2011 champion: Czech Republic.
   Nov. 5-12 -- ATP World Tour Finals (top eight singles players and top eight doubles teams of 2012), London, www.atpworldtour.com/Finals/2012.aspx. 2011 champions: Roger Federer, Max Mirnyi-Daniel Nestor.
   Nov. 16-18 -- Davis Cup Final, Spain at Czech Republic, www.daviscup.com. 2011 champion: Spain.
   Jan. 14-27, 2013 -- AUSTRALIAN OPEN, www.australianopen.org. 2012 champions: Novak Djokovic, Victoria Azarenka, Leander Paes-Radek Stepanek, Svetlana Kuznetsova-Vera Zvonareva.
   Feb. 1-3, 2013 -- Davis Cup, first round, Brazil at United States, www.daviscup.com.
   Feb. 9-10, 2013 -- Fed Cup, first round, United States at Italy, www.fedcup.com.
   Feb. 11-17, 2013 -- SAP Open, HP Pavilion in San Jose, www.sapopentennis.com. 2012 champions: Milos Raonic, Mark Knowles-Xavier Malisse.
   March 4-17, 2013 -- BNP Paribas Open, Indian Wells, Calif., www.bnpparibasopen.com. 2012 champions: Roger Federer, Victoria Azarenka, Marc Lopez-Rafael Nadal, Liezel Huber-Lisa Raymond.

PRO RANKINGS

   Following are this week's world rankings of professional players with Northern California ties (change from last week in parentheses):

Men

   Kevin Anderson, Sacramento Capitals (2012) of World TeamTennis -- No. 35 in singles (no change), No. 96 in doubles (-3).
   Nick Andrews, Cal All-American in 2012 -- No. 1,429 in singles (-4), career-high No. 1,221 in doubles (+294).  
   Bob Bryan, 1998 NCAA doubles champion from Stanford -- Career-high No. 1 in doubles (no change), unranked in singles.
   Mike Bryan, 1998 NCAA doubles champion from Stanford -- Career-high No. 1 in doubles (no change), unranked in singles.
   Mardy Fish, Capitals (2012) -- No. 22 in singles (no change), No. 728 in doubles (+2).
   John Paul Fruttero, Cal All-American in 2001 and 2002 -- No. 107 in doubles (-8), unranked in singles.
   Artem Ilyushin, Granite Bay resident -- No. 921 in singles (-1), No. 1,224 in doubles (+5).
   Bradley Klahn, 2010 NCAA singles champion and 2011 NCAA doubles runner-up from Stanford -- Career-high No. 347 in singles (+2), No. 1,024 in doubles (+7). 
   Mark Knowles, Capitals (2001-07, 2009-12), three-time World TeamTennis Male MVP (2001, 2005 and 2007) -- No. 124 in doubles (-1), unranked in singles.
   Alex Kuznetsov, Capitals (2012) -- No. 194 (+4) in singles, No. 427 in doubles (+1) in doubles.
   Scott Lipsky, 2002 NCAA doubles runner-up from Stanford -- No. 26 in doubles (+1), unranked in singles.
   Sam Querrey, San Francisco native, Capitals (2012) -- No. 26 in singles (no change), No. 46 in doubles (-2).
   Ryan Sweeting, Capitals (2012) -- No. 135 in singles (-1), No. 844 in doubles (-7).
   Ryan Thacher, 2011 NCAA doubles runner-up from Stanford -- No. 1,288 in singles (-7), No. 1,466 in doubles (-33).
   Dmitry Tursunov, Folsom resident -- No. 100 in singles (+25, won $83,000 tournament in Izmir for second Turkish Challenger singles title in two weeks), No. 179 in doubles (-2).
   Jimmy Wang, trains part-time in Granite Bay -- No. 151 in singles (+2), No. 339 in doubles (+5).
   Pedro Zerbini, All-Pacific-10 Conference first team at Cal (2009-11) -- No. 625 in singles (no change), No. 701 in doubles (+5).

Women

   Mallory Burdette, NCAA singles runner-up in 2012 and NCAA doubles champion in 2011 and 2012 from Stanford -- Career-high No. 165 in singles (-5), No. 660 in doubles (+10). 
   Jana Juricova, NCAA singles (2011) and doubles (2009) champion from Cal -- No. 927 in singles (no change), unranked in doubles.
   Vania King, Capitals (2010-12) -- No. 13 in doubles (no change), No. 59 in singles (-2).
   Raquel Kops-Jones, 2003 NCAA doubles champion from Cal -- No. 20 in doubles (no change), No. 743 in singles (+19).
   Asia Muhammad, Capitals (2012) -- No. 168 in doubles (no change, won $75,000 Albuquerque Challenger), No. 474 in singles (+41, quarterfinalist in $75,000 Albuquerque Challenger).
   Maria Sanchez, Modesto resident -- Career-high No. 108 in doubles (+7, runner-up in $75,000 Albuquerque Challenger), career-high No. 149 in singles (+28, won $75,000 Albuquerque Challenger).

   Yasmin Schnack, Elk Grove resident, Capitals (2011-12) -- No. 141 in doubles (+12, won $75,000 Albuquerque Challenger), No. 505 in singles (-50).
   Romana Tedjakusuma, Tracy resident -- No. 492 in singles (-28), No. 1,123 in doubles (-1).
   CoCo Vandeweghe, Capitals (2009, 2012) -- No. 83 in singles (+4), No. 490 in doubles (+5).