Zverev ends Djokovic's bid for Golden Slam

Alexander Zverev of Germany ended Novak Djokovic's winning streak
at 22 matches. 2016 photo by Paul Bauman

   No. 4 seed Alexander Zverev of Germany surprised top-ranked Novak Djokovic 1-6, 6-3, 6-1 today in the semifinals of the Tokyo Olympics, ending the Serb's bid for the first men's Golden Slam.

   Zverev battled back from a service break down in the second set to end Djokovic's winning streak at 22 matches and improve to 3-6 in the head-to-head series.

   Djokovic, who fell to 38-4 this year, was trying to win all four Grand Slam tournaments and an Olympic gold medal in a calendar year. Steffi Graf accomplished the feat in 1988. The Olympics dropped tennis from 1924 until 1988.

   Djokovic still would earn the first men's calendar-year Grand Slam since 1969 (Rod Laver) by winning the U.S. Open, Aug. 30-Sept. 12 in Flushing Meadows, N.Y.

   Zverev is scheduled to face No. 12 seed Karen Khachanov of Russia on Sunday for the gold medal in a matchup of 6-foot-6 (1.98-meter) players. Khachanov beat No. 6 seed Pablo Carreno Busta of Spain 6-3, 6-3.

   Zverev, 24, and Khachanov, 25, have split four career matches, but Khachanov has won the last two. Djokovic and Carreno Busta are set to meet for the bronze medal on Saturday. 

   In women's singles on Saturday, No. 9 seed Belinda Bencic of Switzerland is slated to play unseeded Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Republic for the gold medal, and No. 4 seed Elina Svitolina of Ukraine is set to meet No. 15 seed Elena Rybakina, a Moscow native who represents Kazakhstan, for the bronze medal.

   The left-handed Vondrousova, the runner-up in the 2019 French Open at 19, outlasted Bencic 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the third round in Miami last March in their only previous meeting.

   Svitolina reached the semifinals of the 2015 Bank of the West Classic at Stanford. Rybakina is entered in next week's Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic in San Jose, Calif.

   WTA Tour — Former Stanford stars Carol Zhao of Canada and Kristie Ahn of Englewood Cliffs, N.J., are scheduled to play back-to-back on Saturday beginning at 10 a.m. PDT in the first round of qualifying for the Silicon Valley Classic at San Jose State University. Then Katie Volynets, 19, of nearby Walnut Creek, Calif., is set to play.

   The main draw will begin Monday as the tournament celebrates 50 years of women's tour tennis in the San Francisco Bay Area. In featured 7 p.m. matches, 18-year-old British sensation Emma Raducanu will meet Zhang Shuai of China on Monday, Fresno, Calif., product Sloane Stephens will face compatriot Alison Riske on Tuesday, and No. 3 seed Madison Keys will play Raducanu or Zhang on Wednesday. Keys won the last Bank of the West Classic at Stanford in 2017.

   Elise Mertens of Belgium and Rybakina are seeded first and second, respectively, in San Jose. 

   ATP Challenger Tour — Eighth-seeded Thanasi Kokkinakis of Australia outlasted top-seeded Jenson Brooksby, 20, of Carmichael, Calif., in the Sacramento area 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 in 2 hours, 56 minutes in the quarterfinals of the $52,080 Lexington (Ky.) Challenger. 

   Kokkinakis, 25, pounded 15 aces and converted four of 19 break-point opportunities. Brooksby capitalized on four of eight break-point chances.

   Injuries have derailed Kokkinakis' promising career. In 2018, he stunned Roger Federer in the second round in Miami and won the Aptos (Calif.) Challenger. Kokkinakis also reached the final of the 2019 Tiburon (Calif.) Challenger, losing to American Tommy Paul.

   Brooksby was coming off an appearance in the final of the Hall of Fame Open in Newport, R.I., two weeks ago. It was his first tournament ever on grass and first in the main draw on the ATP Tour.

   In the Lexington doubles semifinals, wild cards Alex Rybakov of Fort Worth, Texas, and Reese Stalder of Costa Mesa in the Los Angeles region beat third-seeded Christian Harrison of Bradenton, Fla., and Dennis Novikov of San Jose 7-6 (4), 7-6 (3). Harrison and Novikov won the doubles crown in last week's $52,080 Cary, N.C., Challenger.

Paul tops Kokkinakis for $108K Tiburon title

Tommy Paul, right, beat Thanasi Kokkinakis 7-5, 6-7 (3), 6-4 on Sunday to win
the $108,320 First Republic Tiburon (Calif.) Challenger. Photo by Natalie Kim

   Tommy Paul overcame a determined opponent, the wind and a sore shoulder on Sunday to win his third Challenger singles title of the year.
   The top-seeded Paul, from Greenville, N.C., outlasted eighth-seeded Thanasi Kokkinakis of Australia 7-5, 6-7 (3), 6-4 in the $108,320 First Republic Tiburon Challenger.
   Paul broke the 6-foot-4 (1.93-meter) Kokkinakis' serve at love in the final game of the 2-hour, 46-minute match at the Tiburon Peninsula Club. Kokkinakis double-faulted for 0-30 and missed his first serve on the next two points. It was the only break of the third set.
   For the second consecutive day, USTA supervisor Keith Crossland was called onto Center Court. Crossland assessed Kokkinakis a game penalty for taking too long of a bathroom break after the second set. Kokkinakis then uttered an audible obscenity while arguing with chair umpire Roger Pennington but was not penalized.
   On Saturday, Crossland defaulted doubles player Alex Lawson, a 25-year-old left-hander from Tempe, Ariz., for swatting a ball into the VIP seats.
   Paul, 22, earned $14,400 and rose six places to a career-high No. 81.
   Kokkinakis, 23, received $8,480 and improved 22 spots to No. 161. He was playing in only his ninth tournament, and first final, of the year because of a nagging pectoral injury.
   Kokkinakis climbed as high as No. 69 at age 18 in 2015 before injuries derailed his career. Last year, he shocked Roger Federer in the second round in Miami and won a $100,000 Challenger in Aptos, Calif., 98 miles (157 kilometers) south of Tiburon. 
   Here are the complete Tiburon singles and doubles draws.

Doubles player defaulted; Paul, Aussie reach singles final

Thanasi Kokkinakis, shown en route to the title in Aptos, Calif.,
last year, will try to win another Northern California Challenger
on Sunday. Photo by Paul Bauman

   After a scary moment in the doubles semifinals, Tommy Paul and Thanasi Kokkinakis reached the singles final in the $108,320 First Republic Tiburon (Calif.) Challenger.
   Alex Lawson, seeded second with fellow American Jackson Withrow, was defaulted for swatting a ball into the seats today during a match tiebreaker against third-seeded Robert Galloway of Greenville, S.C., and Roberto Maytin of Venezuela.
   After Lawson sailed a moonball long on his serve for a 1-3 deficit, a ballboy tossed a ball to him to serve again. Lawson swung at the ball, apparently intending to bash it high in the air.
   Instead, the ball zoomed into the VIP seats, striking a middle-aged man in the back. The man, who was not injured, was standing at a banquet table behind the seats with his back to the court.
   Lawson immediately dropped his racket, put his head in his hands in dismay and ran to the stands. USTA supervisor Keith Crossland, who was watching the match, promptly defaulted the 25-year-old former Notre Dame All-American, who's ranked No. 139 in doubles.
   The top-seeded Paul, 22, of Greenville, N.C., beat fourth-seeded Emilio Gomez of Ecuador 6-1, 7-5 on a windy day to tie their head-to-head series 1-1. Gomez, the son of 1990 French Open champion Andres Gomez, defeated Paul, the 2015 French Open boys singles champion, 6-2, 6-2 on clay in the final of the $54,160 Tallahassee (Fla.) Challenger in April.
   The eighth-seeded Kokkinakis, a 23-year-old Australian who has battled a pectoral injury all year, topped 14th-seeded Thai-Son Kwiatkowski of Charlottesville, Va., 2-6, 6-2, 6-1.
   Last year, Kokkinakis stunned Roger Federer in the second round in Miami and won a $100,000 Challenger in Aptos, Calif., 98 miles (157 kilometers) south of Tiburon.
   Kwiatkowski won the 2017 NCAA singles title as a University of Virginia senior.
   Paul, the only top-100 player in the singles draw at No. 87, and Kokkinakis, ranked No. 183, will meet for the first time on Sunday not before 2 p.m. Kokkinakis climbed as high as No. 69 at 18 in 2015 before injuries derailed his career.
   Here are the updated Tiburon singles and doubles draws and Sunday's schedule.

For top seed Paul, narrow win in Tiburon tastes good

Tommy Paul, playing in Tiburon last year, took a swig
of beer after edging Gonzalo Escobar in Friday's quar-
terfinals. Photo by Paul Bauman

   Tommy Paul didn't wait long to celebrate his narrow victory over Gonzalo Escobar.
   After shaking hands with Escobar, Paul walked to the side of the court opposite the chair umpire and took a swig of beer from an unattended pitcher sitting on the first row of the stands.
   The top-seeded Paul, from Greenville, N.C., edged the unseeded Escobar, from Ecuador, 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (2) on Friday in the quarterfinals of the $108,320 First Republic Tiburon Challenger at the Tiburon Peninsula Club.
   Paul, the only top-100 player in the field at No. 87, is scheduled to meet another Ecuadorian, fourth-seeded Emilio Gomez, today at about 4:30 p.m. Gomez, ranked No. 158, beat unseeded Sekou Bangoura of Bradenton, Fla., 6-3, 1-6, 6-2.
   Gomez, the son of 1990 French Open champion Andres Gomez, defeated Paul, the 2015 French Open boys singles champion, 6-2, 6-2 on clay in the final of the $54,160 Tallahassee (Fla.) Challenger in April in their only previous meeting.
   In today's first semifinal at 2:30 p.m., eighth-seeded Thanasi Kokkinakis of Australia will play 14th-seeded Thai-Son Kwiatkowski of Charlottesville, Va., for the first time.
   Kokkinakis, ranked No. 183, dispatched 16th-seeded Maxime Cressy, a 6-foot-6 (1.98-meter) Paris native who plays for the United States, 6-4, 6-2.
   Kokkinakis reached a career-high No. 69 at age 18 in 2015 before injuries derailed his career. He shocked Roger Federer in the second round in Miami and won the $100,000 Aptos (Calif.) Challenger last year.
   Cressy and Keegan Smith of UCLA won the NCAA doubles title in May.
   Kwiatkowski, the 2017 NCAA singles champion from the University of Virginia, nipped wild card Brandon Nakashima, a Virginia sophomore from San Diego, 7-5, 1-6, 7-6 (6).
   Here are the updated Tiburon singles and doubles draws and today's schedule.

Gerasimov ousts defending champ Kokkinakis in Aptos

Defending champion Thanasi Kokkinakis, who shocked
Roger Federer last year, lost to Egor Gerasimov 7-6 (2),
6-4 today in the second round of the Nordic Naturals
Challenger in Aptos, Calif. 2018 photo by Paul Bauman

   Sixth-seeded Egor Gerasimov of Belarus beat defending champion Thanasi Kokkinakis of Australia 7-6 (2), 6-4 today in the second round of the $81,240 Nordic Naturals Challenger at the Seascape Sports Club in Aptos, Calif.
   The 6-foot-5 (1.96-meter) Gerasimov, 26, saved both break points against him and converted his only one against the 6-foot-4 (1.93-meter) Kokkinakis, 23.
   Gerasimov reached two quarterfinals on the ATP Tour, in Los Cabos and Moscow, last year. He defeated three top-60 players in the process, including then-No. 28 Sam Querrey in Los Cabos.
   Kokkinakis, whose promising career has been derailed by injuries, shocked Roger Federer in the second round in Miami in March 2018. He is ranked No. 171 after climbing as high as No. 69 at 19 years old in 2015.
   Gerasimov, ranked No. 146, is scheduled to face 12th-seeded Emilio Gomez, an Ecuadorian ranked No. 169, on Thursday for a quarterfinal berth. They will meet for the first time.
   Top-seeded Damir Dzumhur of Bosnia and Herzegovina beat Keegan Smith, a 6-foot-7 (2.01-meter) qualifier from San Diego, 6-4, 6-4. Smith won the NCAA doubles title as a UCLA sophomore with Maxime Cressy last May in Orlando, Fla.
   The 5-foot-9 (1.75-meter) Dzumhur, who has plunged from a career-high No. 23 last July to No. 109, will meet unseeded Lukas Lacko of Slovakia.
   The 31-year-old Lacko, down from a career-high No. 44 in 2013 to No. 227, topped 6-foot-7 American Christopher Eubanks, an Aptos semifinalist last year, 7-6 (1), 7-6 (5).
   Dzumhur and Lacko have split two career matches.
   Fifth-seeded Bjorn Fratangelo of Orlando beat Italy's Jannik Sinner, who won last week's $54,160 tournament in Lexington, Ky., 7-6 (6), 6-3. Fratangelo won the $100,000 Fairfield (Calif.) Challenger last October and reached the Aptos semifinals in 2015 and 2016.
   Second-seeded Steve Johnson of Redondo Beach in the Los Angeles area dismissed Roberto Quiroz of Ecuador 6-1, 6-2 in 48 minutes. Johnson, the 2012 Aptos champion, has tumbled from a career-high No. 21 in 2016 to No. 93.
   Johnson will meet unseeded Liam Broady, a left-hander from Great Britain. Broady, the 2017 Aptos runner-up, beat 14th-seeded Ramkumar Ramanathan of India 7-6 (2), 6-4.
   Here are the updated Aptos singles and doubles draws and Thursday's schedule. Live streaming is available.

Kokkinakis ends title drought, Harris streak

Fourth-seeded Thanasi Kokkinakis, serving in the
first round on Tuesday, beat unseeded Lloyd Harris
6-2, 6-3 today to win the $100,000 Nordic Naturals
Challenger in Aptos, Calif. Photo by Paul Bauman

   Note to readers: If you enjoy my coverage of Northern California tennis, please donate on my homepage. Here's why I need your help.
   It's only a Challenger title, but Thanasi Kokkinakis will take it.
   Kokkinakis, who was on his way to stardom three years ago before injuries derailed his career, dominated Lloyd Harris 6-2, 6-3 in 67 minutes today to win the $100,000 Nordic Naturals Challenger at the Seascape Sports Club in Aptos, Calif.
   It was Kokkinakis' first title since he won the 85,000 euro ($96,781) Bordeaux Challenger on clay as a qualifier in May 2015. The following month, he reached a career-high No. 69 in the world at age 19.
   Later that year, the right-hander hurt his right shoulder lifting weights -- not to improve his tennis but to look better in Nike's new sleeveless shirts -- and had surgery. Because of that and numerous other injuries, he played only one match in 2016 and seven tournaments last year.
   Kokkinakis reached his first ATP final last August in Los Cabos but lost to promising American Taylor Fritz 7-6 (6), 7-6 (5) in the first round there last week. That dropped Kokkinakis' ranking 104 places to No. 268. He will rise to No. 201 on Monday.
   Before losing to Kokkinakis in Saturday's semifinals, top-seeded Thomas Fabbiano of Italy predicted the 22-year-old Australian, who stunned Roger Federer in the second round at Miami in March, eventually will crack the top 10.
   Kokkinakis, seeded fourth, emphatically ended the unseeded Harris' winning streak at nine matches. Harris, who won his first Challenger title last week in a $75,000 tournament in Lexington, Ky., lost no more than four games in a set during his streak.
   Kokkinakis dropped only one set during the week. He trailed eighth-seeded Prajnesh Gunneswaran of India by a set and an early service break before prevailing 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 on Friday night in the quarterfinals.
   Against Harris, the 6-foot-4 (1.93-meter) Kokkinakis had 12 aces and one double fault, lost only one point on his first serve (26 of 27) and did not face a break point.
   The 6-foot-5 (1.96-meter) Harris finished with six aces and six double faults, and won only 8 of 27 points on his second serve (30 percent).
   Harris, appearing tight, lost his serve in the opening game when he netted a forehand putaway and for 1-4 on a double fault. Both players held serve for 3-3 in the second set before Kokkinakis broke twice on unforced errors.
   Harris, 21, of South Africa will crack the top 150 for the first time at No. 145. He was ranked No. 221 at the beginning of July.
   Kokkinakis also won the doubles title with countryman Matt Reid. Unseeded, they nipped top-seeded Jonny O'Mara and Joe Salisbury of Great Britain 6-2, 4-6 [10-8].
   Kokkinakis became the first player to sweep the Aptos singles and doubles crowns since Chris Guccione of Australia in 2009 and the fourth in the tournament's 31-year history.
   Past competitors in the Aptos Challenger, the oldest in the United States, include International Tennis Hall of Famers Patrick Rafter and Michael Chang and future Hall of Famers Andy Murray, Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan. The Bryan twins played at Stanford in 1997 and 1998, winning the NCAA doubles title as sophomores.
   Kokkinakis collected $14,400 for the singles title and $3,100 for the doubles crown. Harris, who lost in the first round of doubles, pocketed $8,480 for reaching the singles final.
   Both Kokkinakis and Harris are scheduled to play in next week's $100,000 Vancouver Challenger. Kokkinakis drew second seed and countryman Jordan Thompson, ranked No. 100, and Harris will play a qualifier to be determined.
   Here are the complete Aptos singles and doubles draws.

Kokkinakis, Harris to meet for 100K Aptos title

Fourth-seeded Thanasi Kokkinakis, shown Tuesday, beat
top-seeded Thomas Fabbiano 7-5, 6-1 today in the semi-
finals in Aptos, Calif. Photo by Paul Bauman

   Thanasi Kokkinakis, who beat Roger Federer in March, and red-hot Lloyd Harris will meet for the first time Sunday in the final of the $100,000 Nordic Naturals Challenger.
   The fourth-seeded Kokkinakis, a 22-year-old Australian, beat top-seeded Thomas Fabbiano, 29, of Italy 7-5, 6-1 today at the Seascape Sports Club.
   Harris, a 21-year-old South African, dismissed 6-foot-7 (2.01-meter) Christopher Eubanks, 22, of Atlanta 6-2, 6-2 in only 46 minutes in a matchup of unseeded players.
   Harris' four matches in the tournament have averaged 55 minutes. His longest one, a 6-2, 6-2 decision over Liam Broady in the quarterfinals, lasted 64 minutes.
   Harris, who won his first Challenger title last week in a $75,000 tournament in Lexington, Ky., extended his winning streak to nine matches. He has not lost more than four games in any of them.
   Kokkinakis, 6-foot-4 (1.93 meters), is rebounding from multiple injuries. He had 11 aces and three double faults against the 5-foot-8 (1.73-meter) Fabbiano, ranked No. 105 after reaching a career-high No. 70 last September. Kokkinakis converted all four of his break points and saved six of seven against him.
   "He started playing really well, and I immediately felt I needed to raise my level and be a bit more switched-on," said Kokkinakis, who has plunged from a career-high No. 69 in June 2015 to No. 268. "I couldn't really sustain that at the start, but then I started to find my way into the match. I started to serve a lot better and played really well toward the end."
   Harris, 6-foot-5 (1.96 meters) finished with eight aces and one double fault. He won 73 percent of the points on both his first serve (22 of 30) and second delivery (11 of 15).
   "Really good performance once again," said Harris, ranked a career-high No. 161. "I felt I played tremendously well the whole match. I think I retrieved so many serves that he didn't expect. I was making him play every single point and really found my range to get the balls nice and deep and made it difficult for him to attack and play his game."
   Eubanks had no aces after hammering 10 in his 6-4, 7-6 (6) semifinal victory over former top-70 players Ernesto Escobedo. Eubanks, ranked No. 236, flexed his right wrist late in today's match.
   WTA tour -- No. 3 seed Sloane Stephens, a 25-year-old Fresno product, beat No. 5 Elina Svitolina of Ukraine 6-3 6-3 to reach the Rogers Cup final in Montreal.
   Stephens, now based in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., will meet No. 1 seed Simona Halep in a rematch of the French Open final in June. Halep won that match 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 for her first Grand Slam title after going 0-3 in major finals.
   Halep advanced to the Montreal final with a 6-4, 6-1 victory over No. 15 seed Ashleigh Barty of Australia.
   Stephens won her only Grand Slam singles title in last year's U.S. Open, beating countrywoman and close friend Madison Keys.
   ITF Pro Circuit -- Unseeded Kristie Ahn, a 26-year-old Stanford graduate, topped fellow American Jessica Pegula 6-7 (3), 7-6 (7), 6-4 in the semifinals of the Koser Jewelers $60,000 Tennis Challenge in Landisville, Pa.
   Ahn will play third-seeded Madison Brengle, a 28-year-old American who beat Priscilla Hon of Australia 7-5, 7-5.

Kokkinakis continues comeback after beating Federer

Thanasi Kokkinakis called himself "an idiot" for lifting weights to look better.
He hurt his shoulder and needed surgery. Photo by Paul Bauman

   Note to readers: If you enjoy my coverage of Northern California tennis, please donate on my homepage. Here's why I need your support.
   APTOS, Calif. — Beating Roger Federer is a pretty good indication that you're back from injuries.
   Thanasi Kokkinakis stunned Federer 7-6 in the third set in the second round at Miami in March as a qualifier.
   "It was a bit of a reward for all the setbacks and hard work I've had, so hopefully I can get a few more of those," Kokkinakis, seeded fourth in the $100,000 Nordic Nationals Challenger, said after overpowering fellow Australian Max Purcell 6-2, 6-2 in 56 minutes today in the first round at the Seascape Sports Club.
   As usual, though, Kokkinakis' euphoria didn't last long. 
   In his next tournament, the Monte-Carlo Masters in April, Kokkinakis chased a deep ball from Russian Karen Khachanov and stumbled on a sponsor sign. Kokkinakis completed the match, losing 7-5, 6-4, but sat out more than a month with a small fracture in his left kneecap and a deep bone bruise.

Illya Marchenko, a former top-50 player from Ukraine, fell
to 0-8 since returning in May from shoulder surgery.
Photo by Paul Bauman

   It was the latest in a long line of injuries for Kokkinakis over the past 2 1/2 years, causing him to consider retirement. Name a part of the anatomy, and he likely has had a problem there: shoulder, groin, chest, abdomen, elbow and ankle.
   Kokkinakis' right shoulder injury was the most serious. He had surgery in December 2015 and played only one match in 2016. Other injuries limited him to seven tournaments last year, from May through August.
   "It's been pretty s--- — I'm not going to lie," said the 22-year-old Kokkinakis, a 6-foot-4 (1.93-meter) right-hander. "I've hated it. But that's a part of sport. Some people get more (injuries) than others, but it's just something you have to try to deal with. I'm on the comeback trail now, and I'm trying to get a few matches. That's why I'm trying to play a few Challengers. Hopefully, I can do well and get my ranking back up where it should be."
   Kokkinakis has tumbled from a career-high No. 69 at age 19 to No. 268. He plunged 104 places on Monday after losing to U.S. prospect Taylor Fritz 7-6 (6), 7-6 (5) in the first round in Los Cabos last week. Kokkinakis reached his first ATP final there last year, losing to San Francisco native Sam Querrey.
   Kokkinakis blames himself for his shoulder injury.
   "I'm an idiot," Kokkinakis told 20FOUR, a sports social media site. "Looking back, it was probably my biggest regret. The back end of 2015, I started lifting weights (because) I heard Nike was bringing out sleeveless tops. So I was like, 'All right, I've got to bulk up a little bit.' Terrible idea. Never do bench press. And then yeah, my shoulder's screwed.
   "I remember I came back home — I was in a taxi — and I went to hand the driver a credit card, and I couldn't lift my arm above here. I had a couple of cortisones. I was like, 'No, I'm screwed.'
   "So I knew I was going to have surgery, which was pretty shattering."

Liam Broady, last year's runner-up in Aptos as a qual-
ifier, snapped his losing streak at nine matches.
Photo by Paul Bauman

   Kokkinakis' surgeon told him he could start hitting in three to four months, news.com.au reported. But after completing a 12-week rehabilitation program, Kokkinakis learned otherwise.
   "I picked up a racket, hit a serve, and it felt like my shoulder just disclocated again," he said. "I was like, 'Oh, I can't handle this.' I piffed (threw) my racket over to the other side. I smashed it. I was crying."
   Goodbye 2016 French Open and Wimbledon. While Kokkinakis was preparing for the U.S. Open, misfortune struck again.
   "I hit a high forehand, and I tear my pec," he said. "And I was like, 'Oh man, I'm so over this.' "
   Illya Marchenko, 30, is trying to rebound from his own shoulder operation. The former top-50 player from Ukraine lost to seventh-seeded Jay Clarke of Great Britain 6-3, 2-6, 6-3 today to fall to 0-8 since returning in May.
    "My confidence is not there," sighed Marchenko, who has plunged from a career-high No. 49 in 2016 to No. 337. "During the important points, I'm shaking all the time. It's a long process."
   Clarke, who won his first Challenger title two weeks ago in Binghamton, N.Y., will meet countryman Liam Broady on Thursday. Broady, last year's runner-up in Aptos as a qualifier, ended his losing streak at nine matches with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Marc Polmans of Australia.

Lloyd Harris, who won his first Challenger title
last week in Lexington, Ky., needed only 59 min-
utes to beat No. 3 seed Quentin Halys. Photo by
Paul Bauman  

   Two seeds lost today, both in less than an hour.

   No. 3 Quentin Halys of France fell to Lloyd Harris, a 21-year-old South African who won his first Challenger title last week in Lexington, Ky., 6-4, 6-2 in 59 minutes. Halys reached the final of the $100,000 Fairfield Challenger in Northern California in 2016.
   Also, No. 5 Kevin King of Atlanta bowed out to qualifier Aleksandar Vukic of Australia 6-1, 6-3 in 55 minutes.
   In the featured night match, top-seeded Thomas Fabbiano of Italy topped promising Miomar Kecmanovic, an 18-year-old Serb based in Bradenton, Fla., 6-4, 7-6 (0).
   Kecmanovic, the No. 1 junior in the world in 2016, reached the final of the $100,000 San Francisco Challenger indoors in February. Aptos, situated on the Pacific Ocean, is 82 miles (132 kilometers) south of San Francisco.
   Fabbiano, only 5-foot-8 (1.73 meters) and 152 pounds (69 kilograms), advanced to the third round at Wimbledon as a qualifier last month and at last year's U.S. Open. He will face countryman Stefano Napolitano, the Lexington runner-up who defeated 24-year-old San Jose product Dennis Novikov 6-4, 6-3.
   Here are the updated Aptos singles and doubles draws and Wednesday's schedule. Live streaming is available.

Australian Open Day 1: Ivanovic, 7 other women exit

Fifth-seeded Ana Ivanovic lost to Czech qualifier
Lucie Hradecka 1-6, 6-3, 6-2. 2014 photo
by Paul Bauman

   Upset of the day -- Former world No. 1 Ana Ivanovic, seeded fifth, lost to Czech qualifier Lucie Hradecka 1-6, 6-3, 6-2 on Sunday. Ivanovic, who finished in the top five last year for the first time since 2008, was one of eight seeded women to fall.

   Matches of the day -- Thanasi Kokkinakis, an 18-year-old wild card from Australia, saved four match points in the fourth set of a 5-7, 6-0, 1-6, 7-6 (2), 8-6 victory over 11th-seeded Ernests Gulbis of Latvia. The 6-foot-5 (1.96-meter) Kokkinakis, ranked No. 147, needed 4 hours, 7 minutes to subdue Gulbis, a French Open semifinalist last year.
   Christina McHale of Englewood Cliffs, N.J., vomited on the court and saved a match point in a 6-4, 1-6, 12-10 win over qualifier Stephanie ("Can't See The") Foretz of France. The third set lasted 1 hour, 51 minutes and the match 3 hours, 9 minutes.
   Men's seeded winners -- No. 2 Roger Federer, No. 3 Rafael Nadal, No. 6 Andy Murray, No. 7 Tomas Berdych, No. 10 Grigor Dimitrov, No. 14 Kevin Anderson, No. 20 David Goffin, No. 22 Philipp Kohlschreiber, No. 23 Ivo Karlovic, No. 24 Richard ("Blew A") Gasquet, No. 26 Leonardo ("Don't Call Me Da Vinci") Mayer, No. 28 Lukas Rosol, No. 29 Jeremy Chardy, No. 32 Martin Klizan.
   Men's seeded losers -- No. 15 Tommy Robredo (retired).
   Women's seeded winners -- No. 2 Maria Sharapova, No. 3 Simona ("I Need") Halep, No. 7 Eugenie Bouchard, No. 10 Ekaterina Makarova, No. 14 Sara Errani, No. 21 Shuai Peng, No. 22 Karolina Pliskova, No. 31 Zarina Diyas.
   Women's seeded losers -- No. 5 Ana Ivanovic, No. 9 Angelique Kerber, No. 16 Lucie Safarova, No. 17 Carla Suarez Navarro, No. 23 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, No. 27 Svetlana Kuznetsova, No. 28 Sabine Lisicki, No. 32 Belinda Bencic.
   U.S. report -- American men and women went 3-3 combined. Advancing were qualifier Tim Smyczek, Bethanie Mattek-Sands and McHale. Losing were 36-year-old qualifier Michael Russell (the oldest man in the draw), Grace Min and Alison ("Take A") Riske.
   Fast facts -- Ivanovic led the WTA tour with 58 match victories last year and made her earliest exit in a Grand Slam tournament since the 2011 French Open. She upset top-ranked Serena Williams in last year's Australian Open en route to the quarterfinals. 
   Quote -- McHale: "I would have preferred to have not thrown up on the court."

Things are looking up Down Under

Matthew Ebden of Australia is close to return-
ing to the top 100. Photos by Paul Bauman

   SACRAMENTO, Calif. — You think the United States has struggled in men's professional tennis?
   Consider Australia.
   The nation that has won 28 Davis Cup championships, second to the United States' 32, and produced legends such as Rod Laver, Roy Emerson, Ken Rosewall, Lew Hoad, John Newcombe and Tony Roche has no men in the top 50 in the world. As recently as the 2010 year-end rankings, Australia had one man in the top 100 -- Lleyton Hewitt at No. 54.
   No Aussie man has won a Grand Slam singles title since Hewitt in 2002 at Wimbledon. That tops the U.S. drought by one year; Andy Roddick won the 2003 U.S. Open.
   Of course, Australia has about 1/14th the population of the United States.
   However, there's hope for Australian men's tennis. The country is up to three men in the top 100 -- No. 55 Bernard Tomic, No. 56 Marinko Matosevic and No. 59 Hewitt. Tomic is 20 years old, Matosevic 28 and Hewitt 32.
   And it appears more Aussies are on the way, as they represent half of the quarterfinalists in the $100,000 Sacramento Pro Circuit Challenger. In fact, all four of today's quarterfinals pit Australians against Americans.

Robby Ginepri is the only active U.S. man
to have reached a Grand Slam singles semifinal.

   Third-seeded Matthew Ebden, who ascended to a career-high No. 61 last October, is No. 114 and rising. The 25-year-old veteran survived the wind and a challenge from 30-year-old Robby Ginepri, the only active U.S. man to have reached a Grand Slam singles semifinal, for a 6-0, 3-6, 6-4 victory on Thursday at the Natomas Racquet Club.
   "A few years back, we might not have had one guy in the top 100 for a short time," said Ebden, the runner-up in last week's $50,000 Napa Challenger and the mixed doubles champion in this year's Australian Open with Slovakian-born Australian Jarmila Gajdosova. "Now we're looking at four or five guys maybe soon going to be in there. Then there's the potential to get to 50 or better.
   "Everybody sort of has an Australian attitude -- just keep our head down and work hard and keep improving month after month and year after year. I'm trying to do the same thing."
   Just as the Ebden-Ginepri match was beginning on the Stadium Court, a matchup of two potential stars from Australia was ending on an outside court. Nick Kyrgios, an 18-year-old right-hander, topped 17-year-old qualifier Thanasi Kokkinakis 2-6, 7-6 (6), 6-1 despite being treated for a right wrist injury. Both players are prototypically tall and powerful.

Nick Kyrgios, 18, of Australia is by far the youngest player ranked in the
top 200 in the world.

   Kyrgios (pronounced KEER-ee-ose) also beat Kokkinakis in the Australian Open boys singles final in January, and they teamed to win the Wimbledon boys doubles title in July. Kyrgios, ranked No. 191, is the youngest player in the top 200 by 20 months over Dominic Thiem, 20, of Austria.
   Aussies Samuel Groth and Matt Reid -- ranked No. 202 and No. 235, respectively -- advanced to the Sacramento quarterfinals on Wednesday. Groth, who owns the world's fastest serve (163.4 mph or 263 kph), is 25 and Reid 23.
   Not playing in Sacramento is 19-year-old Luke Saville, who won the boys singles title at Wimbledon in 2011 and the Australian Open last year.
   Ebden cited two reasons for Australia's woes.
   "Like anything in life, there are cycles," he said. "In the economy, there are upturns and downturns. For a long time, Spain didn't have players, and then all of a sudden, they had tons of players.

Thanasi Kokkinakis of Australia won this year's
Wimbledon boys doubles title with Kyrgios.

   "Australia is very far away geographically. That's one thing people have to overcome, but if you want it bad enough, you'll find a way. With some good people in charge of Australian tennis, like (two-time U.S. Open champion) Pat Rafter who bring a really strong work ethic, everyone is sort of picking up on that and fighting to get up there."
   Ebden, from Perth, used his experience in the wind and his fighting spirit to subdue a valiant Ginepri, who lost to Andre Agassi in five sets in the semifinals of the 2005 U.S. Open, in a match featuring outstanding athleticism and shotmaking.
   "Where I live in Australia, it's quite a windy place, so I don't actually mind the wind too much," Ebden said. "I think that's probably why in the first set I was settled from very early on and maybe he wasn't. But he adjusted really well, and then it was just a good fight. I tried to be a little more aggressive in the third set when I could, and I think that was the key for me."    
   Seventh-seeded Bradley Klahn, a former NCAA singles champion from Stanford who won his first career Challenger title in August at Aptos, reached the Sacramento quarterfinals for the second consecutive year. The 23-year-old left-hander from Poway in the San Diego area defeated 20-year-old Benjamin Mitchell of -- you guessed it -- Australia, 7-6 (6), 6-4.
   Wild card Jarmere Jenkins, who completed his eligibility at Virginia in May, eliminated Daniel Evans of Great Britain 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 to reach his first Challenger quarterfinal. At the NCAA Championships in May, Jenkins led Virginia to its first team title, reached the singles title and won the doubles crown with Mac Styslinger.
   Evans reached the third round of the recent U.S. Open, upsetting No. 11 seed Kei Nishikori of Japan and 2011 Wimbledon quarterfinalist Tomic.
   In the doubles quarterfinals, wild cards Robert Kendrick and Brian Martinez edged Americans Austin Krajicek and Denis Kudla 5-7, 6-2, 10-6 match tiebreaker.
   Kendrick, a 33-year-old Fresno native, retired from the tour last year. He reached the Sacramento Challenger singles final in 2008 and 2010 and won the doubles title with Brian Wilson in 2007. In the second round at Wimbledon in 2006, Kendrick came within a tiebreaker of beating Rafael Nadal in straight sets before losing.
   Martinez is the tournament director of the Sacramento Challenger and director of tennis at the Natomas Racquet Club.
   Krajicek, a distant relative of 1996 Wimbledon champion Richard Krajicek from the Netherlands, and Devin Britton of Brandon, Miss., reached last year's doubles final in Sacramento. They fell to Americans Tennys Sandgren and Rhyne Williams 4-6, 6-4, 12-10 match tiebreaker.
   Following are links to the singles and doubles draws and today'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

Ex-Stanford star survives another challenge in Napa

Former Stanford star Bradley Klahn, seeded fifth, will meet
fellow American Tim Smyczek, seeded second, on Friday
in the quarterfinals at Napa. 2012 photo by Paul Bauman

   Bradley Klahn already has had a tough draw in the inaugural Napa Valley Challenger.
   It's about to get tougher.
   The former Stanford All-American, seeded fifth, turned back 17-year-old qualifier Thanasi Kokkinakis of Australia 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 today to reach the quarterfinals of the $50,000 tournament at the Napa Valley Country Club.
   Kokkinakis reached the boys singles final of the Australian Open and U.S. Open and won the boys doubles title at Wimbledon this year.
   Klahn, a 23-year-old left-hander from Poway in the San Diego area, outlasted Daniel Evans of Great Britain 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 in the first round at Napa. Evans, also 23, advanced to the third round of the recent U.S. Open as a qualifier.
   Klahn will face another player who reached the third round at Flushing Meadows, second-seeded Tim Smyczek of Tampa, Fla., in Friday's quarterfinals. The 5-foot-9 (1.75-meter) Smyczek (pronounced SMEE-chek), 25, has lost only six games in his two Napa matches.
   Klahn won the 2010 NCAA singles title as a sophomore, underwent surgery for a herniated disc as a junior (but reached the NCAA singles quarterfinals and doubles final), and graduated in economics last year.
   He is 3-2 against Smyzcek, including 1-1 this year. In their last meeting, also on hardcourt, Klahn won 6-3, 7-5 in the quarterfinals of the $50,000 Winnetka (Ill.) Challenger in July. 
   In the other quarterfinal in the bottom half of the Napa draw, third-seeded Rhyne Williams will meet fellow American and eighth seed Donald Young for the first time. Young dismissed Australian Samuel Groth, who owns the world's fastest serve (163.4 mph or 263 kph), 6-3, 6-1.
   An American is guaranteed to play in Sunday's final. The quarterfinalists in the top half of the draw will be determined today, with one American playing in each of the four matches.
   All four doubles seeds lost in the first round. Eliminated were No. 1 Groth and countryman Chris Guccione, No. 2 Tennys Sandgren of the United States and Williams, No. 3 Klahn and New Zealand's Michael Venus, and No. 4 Denys Molchanov of Ukraine and Matt Reid of Australia.
   Here are links to the singles and doubles draws and Thursday's schedule:
   http://assets.usta.com/assets/1/15/singles_draw287.PDF
   http://assets.usta.com/assets/1/15/doubles_draw288.PDF
   http://assets.usta.com/assets/1/15/schedule288.PDF

College, junior stars to meet in Napa qualifying

   Mitchell Frank will face Thanasi Kokkinakis on Saturday in a matchup of top young players in the first round of qualifying for the inaugural $50,000 Napa Valley Challenger at the Napa Valley Country Club.
   The match will follow the 10 a.m. encounter between wild cards Robert Stineman of Stanford and Matt Seeberger, a former UC Santa Cruz star, on the Stadium Court.
   Frank gave the University of Virginia its first NCAA team title in tennis last May. Now a junior, the Annandale, Va., resident saved a championship point in a 0-6, 6-4, 7-5 victory over Adrien Puget of UCLA at No. 3 singles.
   Kokkinakis, 17, of Australia this year reached the boys singles final in the Australian Open and U.S. Open and won the boys doubles title at Wimbledon with countryman Nick Kyrgios.
   Frank's teammate, sophomore Mac Styslinger, will play in the next match on the Stadium Court. Styslinger, who won the NCAA doubles title with Jarmere Jenkins, will play wild card Philip Holbrook of Napa.
   At 10 a.m. on Court 7, Stanford teammates Jamin Ball and Anthony Tsodikov will meet. Both are wild cards.
   Seeberger won a record eight NCAA Division III titles (two team, three singles and three doubles) at UC Santa Cruz.
   Here are links to the qualifying draw and Saturday's schedule:
   http://assets.usta.com/assets/1/15/qualifying_draw285.PDF
   http://assets.usta.com/assets/1/15/schedule288.PDF