Wimbledon doubles champ routed in Sac singles

Frederik Nielsen, a reigning Wimbledon doubles champion,
lost to unseeded Tennys Sandgren 6-1, 6-2 Monday in the
first round of the $100,000 RelyAid Natomas Challenger in
Sacramento. Photos by Paul Bauman

   SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- This is the guy who won the Wimbledon men's doubles title a few months ago?
   As John McEnroe famously said, you cannot be serious.
   Frederik Nielsen sprayed groundstrokes all over the place, served poorly and somehow dumped a high backhand volley into the bottom of the net. And he ran into a young, strong, highly motivated player on top of his game.
   It added up to a 6-1, 6-2 shellacking in 52 minutes by unseeded American Tennys Sandgren on Monday in the first round of the $100,000 RelyAid Natomas Challenger at the Natomas Racquet Club.
   And it wasn't that close. Saying Nielsen had a bad day is like saying the Houston Astros have had a bad year.
   OK, so this was singles and not doubles. It's still tennis, right? And Nielsen did reach the singles quarterfinals in the Natomas Challenger two years ago. 
   At least the 29-year-old Danish wild card showed strong soccer skills Monday. After double-faulting at 2-2 in the second set, he booted a stationary ball over the fence, incurring a warning for ball abuse.

Sandgren said he had extra incentive against Nielsen.

   After swatting a routine forehand way long on match point, Nielsen could only laugh out loud at his futility.
   The errant shot, Nielsen said later in impressive English, "was very symptomatic of the match. ... It was a forehand as standard as possible, and I played it in the fence."
   All three seeds in action Monday lost to Americans.
   No. 4 Wayne Odesnik, a Weston, Fla., resident who won the 2007 Sacramento Challenger, fell to Alex Kuznetsov, a Sacramento semifinalist in 2006 at 19 years old and last year, 6-4, 6-4. Odesnik, who was suspended for one year in 2010 for importing human growth hormone into Australia, had been 5-1 lifetime against Kuznetsov.
   No. 6 Peter Polansky of Canada retired with a shoulder injury with Adam El Mihdawy leading 3-6, 7-6 (2), 4-1. And Izak Van der Merwe, who won the doubles title in the 2010 Natomas Challenger with fellow South African Rik de Voest, ousted No. 7 Tim Smyczek 6-3, 6-2.
   Australia's Samuel Groth, the world's fastest server at 163 mph (263 kph), will meet fifth-seeded Matteo Viola of Italy in the first round today at 10 a.m. Then 32-year-old wild card James Blake, the second seed and last year's runner-up to 6-foot-10 Ivo Karlovic, will face 19-year-old qualifier Taro Daniel of Japan in a matchup of the tournament's oldest and youngest players.
   Also playing separate matches today are top-seeded Benjamin Becker of Germany and past Sacramento singles champions de Voest, who won the inaugural tournament in 2005 at the Sutter Lawn Tennis Club, and John Millman (2010) of Australia.  
   Nielsen, who's ranked No. 23 in doubles and No. 353 in singles, took his dismal performance philosophically.
   "That's the way it is in sports sometimes," he said. "Sometimes you do everything in your power and win, and sometimes you get rewarded with nothing. That's the beauty and annoyance of sports."
   Nielsen's grandfather Kurt was the Wimbledon singles runner-up in 1953 and 1955. Frederik did not enter doubles in Sacramento, he said, so he could play singles qualifying this weekend in the Tiburon Challenger.
   Nielsen, who often wears a hangdog expression on the court, denied suffering a letdown after winning Wimbledon. But Sandgren said: "It's kind of tough if you have a result like that and come to a tournament like this. This is a great tournament, but it's not the same kind of glamour."   
   For all the benefits of a Wimbledon title -- prestige, fame, entry into top doubles events, money, etc. -- there's one major drawback. Nielsen is a marked man whenever he steps on the court.
   "It helps you focus," Sandgren observed. "You know the guy is loose and relaxed. I knew he could come out and play amazing tennis. I had to be on my toes and bring my best game."
   Sandgren did exactly that. Powerfully built at 6-foot-2, he blasted serves at up to 128 mph, pounded deep groundstrokes and returned well.  
   "I didn't miss too much," Sandgren conceded. "I served extremely well. I think my first-serve percentage was in the 70s, and they were bombs. My arm was loose, and I was feeling good. It was one of my better days, which helps, especially because this court is fast."
   Sandgren, 21, turned pro last year after reaching the NCAA singles semifinals as a sophomore at Tennessee. He has almost halved his world ranking this year from No. 540 to No. 278.
   And no, Sandgren is not named for his sport. He was given his great-grandfather's name, which is Swedish.
   On Monday, Sandgren made a name for himself.

RELYAID NATOMAS CHALLENGER - SACRAMENTO, CA, USA
$ 100,000.00
SEPT. 29 - OCT. 7, 2012

RESULTS - MONDAY, OCT. 1, 2012
Singles - First Round
A Kuznetsov (USA) d [4] W Odesnik (USA) 64 64
A El Mihdawy (USA) d [6] P Polansky (CAN) 36 76(2) 41 Retired
I Van der Merwe (RSA) d [7] T Smyczek (USA) 63 62
T Sandgren (USA) d [WC] F Nielsen (DEN) 61 62
M Zverev (GER) d S Bubka (UKR) 26 62 63

Doubles - First Round
D Britton (USA) / A Krajicek (USA) d [2] R De Voest (RSA) / R Farah (COL) 76(4) 76(4)
[WC] T Sandgren (USA) / R Williams (USA) d [WC] D Kosakowski (USA) / N Meister (USA) 62 36 10-7
S Groth (AUS) / C Guccione (AUS) d [WC] P Simmonds (USA) / J Sock (USA) 46 76(5) 10-4

Mens
Qualifying Singles - Quarterfinals
T Daniel (JPN) d A Daescu (ROU) 36 63 61
G Jones (AUS) d D Britton (USA) 46 63 63
L Gregorc (SLO) d F Wolmarans (RSA) 64 61
P Simmonds (USA) d R Thacher (USA) 16 64 62

Qualifying Doubles - Final
[1] J Dadamo (USA) / B Klahn (USA) d [2] L Gregorc (SLO) / A Pavic (CRO) 64 61

ORDER OF PLAY - TUESDAY, OCT. 2, 2012
STADIUM start 10:00 am
S Groth (AUS) vs [5] M Viola (ITA) 
Not Before 12:00 PM
[Q] T Daniel (JPN) vs [2] [WC] J Blake (USA) 
[3] R Sweeting (USA) vs M Reid (AUS) 
Not Before 4:30 PM
J Sock (USA) vs B Reynolds (USA)

COURT 1 start 10:00 am
[Q] P Simmonds (USA) vs M McClune (USA) 
R Farah (COL) vs A Bogdanovic (GBR) 
[1] B Becker (GER) vs [WC] D Kosakowski (USA) 
R Williams (USA) vs R De Voest (RSA) 
A Kuznetsov (USA) / M Zverev (GER) vs S Ianni (ITA) / M Viola (ITA)

COURT 2 start 10:00 am
[8] D Kudla (USA) vs [Q] G Jones (AUS) 
[Q] L Gregorc (SLO) vs L Vanni (ITA) 
J Millman (AUS) vs [WC] B Klahn (USA) 
[LL] L Gregorc (SLO) / A Pavic (CRO) vs [4] A Daescu (ROU) / A Hubble (AUS)

Wimbledon doubles champ to play in Sac today

   SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Frederik Nielsen, a reigning Wimbledon men's doubles champion, will face Tennys Sandgren today in the first round of singles in the $100,000 RelyAid Natomas Challenger at the Natomas Racquet Club.
  Nielsen, 29, of Denmark and Jonathan Marray of Great Britain in July became the first wild cards in Wimbledon history to win the men's doubles title. Sandgren, a 21-year-old American, turned pro last year after reaching the NCAA singles semifinals at Stanford as a sophomore at Tennessee. He is named after his great-grandfather, not tennis. "Tennys" is a Swedish name.
   Nielsen, who is not playing doubles in Sacramento, and Sandgren will meet for the first time in the third match on the stadium court. The first one begins at 10 a.m. After the Nielsen-Sandgren encounter, fourth-seeded Wayne Odesnik will take on fellow American Alex Kuznetsov.
   Both Odesnik, a 26-year-old left-hander, and Kuznetsov, 25, moved from their native countries to the United States at 3 and have had success in the Sacramento Challenger.
   Odesnik, a native of South Africa, won the 2007 title at the Sutter Lawn Tennis Club but was suspended for one year in 2010 for importing human growth hormone into Australia. Kuznetsov reached the Sacramento semifinals in 2006 and last year. Odesnik leads the head-to-head series 5-1.
   In the third match on Court 2, Australians Samuel Groth and Chris Guccione will meet American wild cards Phillip Simmonds and Jack Sock in the first round of doubles.
   Groth was credited with the world's fastest serve (163.4 mph/263 kph) in a South Korea Challenger in May, breaking the record of 156 mph (251 kph) by 2011 Sacramento singles champion Ivo Karlovic in the Davis Cup last year.
   Guccione won the Sacramento doubles title last year with Carsten Ball over Sock, the 2011 U.S. Open mixed doubles champion with Melanie Oudin, and Nicholas Monroe.  
   Coaching corner -- Mackenzie McDonald, a 17-year-old wild card who lost Sunday in the second round of Sacramento qualifying, is coached by South Africa native Wayne Ferreira, who peaked at No. 6 in the world in 1995.
   McDonald, from Piedmont in the San Francisco Bay Area, reached the Australian Open boys singles semifinals in January and won the boys 18 singles title at the prestigious Easter Bowl in Rancho Mirage, Calif., in April. Brad Gilbert, who climbed to No. 4 in the world in 1990 and later became a renowned tennis coach and commentator, also grew up in Piedmont.
   Fritz Wolmarans, a 26-year-old South African who will play today for a berth in the Sacramento main draw, is coached by Brian MacPhie, the World TeamTennis Male MVP in 1996, 1997 and 1998 for the Sacramento Capitals.
   College decisions -- McDonald will play at a prominent university next fall but is waiting for the school to announce his decision this week. Sacramento's Lovedeep Singh, who lost to 2009 NCAA singles champion Devin Britton (Mississippi) in the second round of qualifying at Natomas, verbally committed to Fresno State.
   Technology time -- Video streaming and live scoring of the Sacramento Challenger are available at www.usta.com.
   Speaking of fast serves, speeds are shown on digital displays on the stadium court at the Natomas Racquet Club for the second straight year, courtesy of Sacramento-based Eagle Eye Sports.
   Eagle Eye owner Ryan Ancheta said the fastest serves he witnessed in last year's tournament were 134 mph by Guccione (6-foot-7) and 133 by Karlovic (6-foot-10) and Ball (6-foot-6).                         
   The radar gun also measures groundstrokes over 60 mph, Ancheta said. The fastest he saw in 2011 were 103-mph forehands by Sock and Sam Querrey.

RELYAID NATOMAS CHALLENGER - SACRAMENTO, CA, USA
$ 100,000.00
RESULTS - SUNDAY, SEPT. 30, 2012
Qualifying Singles - Second Round
P Simmonds (USA) d A Bossel (SUI) 62 67(5) 61
T Daniel (JPN) d S Ianni (ITA) 76(4) 75

G Jones (AUS) d [WC] M McDonald (USA) 63 46 64
F Wolmarans (RSA) d A Hubble (AUS) 76(3) 63
R Thacher (USA) d A Pavic (CRO) 64 63
D Britton (USA) d [WC] L Singh (USA) 61 63
L Gregorc (SLO) d N Meister (USA) 62 64
A Daescu (ROU) d J Jung (USA) 62 36 22 Retired

Qualifying Doubles - Semifinals 
[1] J Dadamo (USA) / B Klahn (USA) d Z Hindle (USA) / S Kolar (USA) 63 62
[2] L Gregorc (SLO) / A Pavic (CRO) d M McDonald (USA) / R Thacher (USA) 36 62 10-4
ORDER OF PLAY - MONDAY, OCTOBER 01, 2012
STADIUM start 10:00 am
Qualifying - T Daniel (JPN) vs A Daescu (ROU)
Not Before 11:30 am
M Zverev (GER) vs S Bubka (UKR)
T Sandgren (USA) vs [WC] F Nielsen (DEN)
A Kuznetsov (USA) vs [4] W Odesnik (USA)
[WC] T Sandgren (USA) / R Williams (USA) vs [WC] D Kosakowski (USA) / N Meister (USA)
COURT 1 start 10:00 am
Qualifying - G Jones (AUS) vs D Britton (USA)
Not Before 11:30 am
I Van der Merwe (RSA) vs [7] T Smyczek (USA)
[6] P Polansky (CAN) vs A El Mihdawy (USA)
D Britton (USA) / A Krajicek (USA) vs [2] R De Voest (RSA) / R Farah (COL)
COURT 2 start 10:00 am
Qualifying - P Simmonds (USA) vs R Thacher (USA)
Qualifying - F Wolmarans (RSA) vs L Gregorc (SLO)
Not Before 1:00 pm
S Groth (AUS) / C Guccione (AUS) vs [WC] P Simmonds (USA) / J Sock (USA)
Qualifying - [1] J Dadamo (USA) / B Klahn (USA) vs [2] L Gregorc (SLO) / A Pavic (CRO)

Two magical weeks changed Nielsen's life

Wimbledon men's doubles champion Frederik Nielsen
practices Saturday at the Natomas Racquet Club
in Sacramento. Photo by Paul Bauman

   SACRAMENTO, Calif. — After three months, the glow remains.
   It probably always will.
   During a practice session Saturday at the Natomas Racquet Club, Frederik Nielsen joked to a shirtless player on the adjacent court, "If you're topless, you gotta make that shot."
   After the workout, it took Nielsen about 15 minutes to make the short walk back to the clubhouse as he stopped to chat amiably with fellow pros.
   Once inside the locker room, Nielsen happily granted an interview to a reporter and encouraged him to "ask anything you want."
   Until late June, the Danish veteran was a journeyman pro playing in the shadow of his grandfather, two-time Wimbledon runner-up Kurt Nielsen, not to mention countrywoman and former world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki. Nielsen had toiled mostly in tennis' minor leagues at distant outposts around the world for 11 grueling years.
   But after two magical weeks, Nielsen will be known for the rest of his life as a Wimbledon champion. He and Jonathan Marray became the first wild cards in the revered tournament's 135-year history to win the men's doubles title.
   As if the fairy tale needed any more drama, Nielsen felt a pop in his left wrist late in the second set of the five-set final against Robert Lindstedt of Sweden and Horia Tecau of Romania. But Nielsen, who's right-handed with a two-handed backhand, said a CT scan later showed no major damage.  
   So how much has Nielsen's life changed?
   "Well, obviously it's changed a little bit. You're here talking to me, and you probably wouldn't be (otherwise)," the 29-year-old Nielsen, who received a wild card to play singles in next week's $100,000 RelyAid Natomas Challenger, cracked to the reporter.
   Turning serious, he said: "Even in Denmark, people didn't know who I was. And the ones who (did) couldn't really relate to it. But it's (a tournament) everyone can relate to because basically everyone knows Wimbledon."
   There also have been practical advantages.
   "It made a big difference for my doubles ranking," said Nielsen, who soared from No. 111 to No. 24 with the title and is now No. 22 after reaching the final in Metz, France, last week. "That's obviously giving me the chance to play all the doubles tournaments that I want, but that's not really what I'm trying to do. My schedule is roughly gonna be the same.
   "But it goes without saying that it's gonna give me some new opportunities. There's a good chance we're gonna play the (ATP) World Tour Finals (for the top eight doubles teams of the year), and it opens up some other doors. So (my life) definitely has changed, but I don't feel different. Sometimes I have to remind myself (that it has changed) because I keep forgetting."
   Nielsen didn't mention money, but the $210,000 he pocketed for winning the Wimbledon title represents 37 percent of his career earnings of $563,585.  
   Nielsen insisted that winning Wimbledon was not more meaningful because of his grandfather's appearance in the 1953 and 1955 singles finals there.
   "Wimbledon is big enough by itself," said Nielsen, the first Dane to win a Wimbledon title. "It's the pinnacle of our sport. I think if you ask most tennis players what tournament they want to win, they would say Wimbledon. It's the same for me. It's obviously fun and a great side fact that my granddad did well there back in the days, but the fact that it's Wimbledon is big enough."
   Marray and Nielsen received a wild card because Marray is British.
   "He could pick whoever he wanted to play with," Nielsen said. "We had played a Challenger a few weeks before where we played really, really well together (cruising to the Nottingham final before narrowly losing). A hundred or 120 other people already were in the (Wimbledon men's doubles) draw, so he didn't really have that many to pick from. They were all roughly around my ranking, so it's not like he had an obvious choice. I think the fact that we played really well together made him believe that it's better to take a chance with me knowing what we were capable of instead of playing with somebody for the first time." 
   Nielsen cited three reasons that he and Marray, a 31-year-old doubles specialist who had been ranked No. 76, marched to the title. In the semifinals, they stunned Bob and Mike Bryan, arguably the best men's doubles team of all time.
   "The biggest reason is we were able to completely enjoy and make the most of the experience," Nielsen said. "I was just ecstatic that I was able to play Wimbledon. I had never played Wimbledon in my life (except in qualifying).
  "Second, we weren't trying to win Wimbledon. I think that was key, as well. We weren't really worried about it. We were just trying to play the best we could, see how far it was going to take us and enjoy the moment. I wasn't going to let anything ruin the moment or ruin the experience of playing Wimbledon.
   "We didn't expect much anyway, so when we got into tough situations in the last few matches, we were just happy we were there. We didn't change our mentality just because we were close to the win. We were just trying to stay positive, play aggressive tennis and do what got us there.
   "Last of all, we get along really well. We had fun on the court together. We have roughly the same (temperament) and approach in tennis. That's key in doubles. We were a good match on the court. It definitely helps in doubles when you have good chemistry."    
   Ironically, Nielsen will play singles only in Sacramento. He plans to try to qualify for the Tiburon Challenger in singles the following week, which could have created a conflict next weekend with doubles in Sacramento.
   "Singles will always have priority, and I'll build my doubles around that," said Nielsen, who reached the singles quarterfinals of the Sacramento Challenger two years ago before losing to eventual champion John Millman of Australia 6-0, 6-3. "That's what gives me joy and pleasure. That's the reason I'm playing tennis.
   "I play tennis for singles and doubles. I'm not ready to sacrifice one for the other. I see myself as a tennis player, not a singles player or a doubles player."
   Nielsen is ranked No. 352 in singles, down from his career high of No. 190 in August last year. In addition to his wrist injury, he pulled a muscle in his ribe cage last spring. But injuries have been only part of the problem.
   "I've never been top 100 (in singles), so obviously something has held me back," said the 6-foot-3, 168-pound Nielsen, who's nicknamed "The Turtle" for his deliberate ways off the court. "It's a long journey, and I was not very good as a junior. It takes some people longer to find their way. I've been trying my best, but obviously I haven't done the right things.
   "I feel the last year or two have been very productive. It's a learning process. I think I was many years behind all the other guys physically, mentally and tactically. I've had to build that up. Tennis is not easy."
   Now, though, Nielsen will have something to tell his grandchildren.                    
   Sacramento qualifying — Eighth-seeded Nicolas Meister of Trabuco Canyon in the Los Angeles area saved two match points and edged Chris Guccione of Australia 1-6, 6-3, 7-6 (3) in the first round of qualifying for the RelyAid Natomas Challenger.
   Guccione, a 6-foot-7 left-hander, has plunged to No. 572 in the world after reaching a career-high No. 67 in 2008. Meister completed his eligibility at UCLA in May following an All-America career. ...
   Mackenzie McDonald, a 17-year-old wild card from Piedmont in the San Francisco Bay Area, dispatched Drew Courtney of Clifton, Va., 6-2, 6-2. McDonald overcame a huge size disadvantage against Courtney, who won the 2010 NCAA doubles title as a Virginia sophomore with Michael Shabaz. McDonald is 5-9 and 140 pounds, Courtney 6-5 and 205. ...
   Jason Jung of Torrance ousted sixth-seeded Austin Krajicek of Brandon, Fla., 7-6 (5), 6-1. Jung, a former Michigan standout, turned pro in January only because he was laid off after one month at an oil company in Torrance and didn't do as well on the law school admission test as he had hoped. Krajicek won the 2011 NCAA doubles title with fellow Texas A&M senior Jeff Dadamo over Bradley Klahn and Ryan Thacher of Stanford. Thacher avenged that loss by beating Dadamo 6-4, 6-3 Saturday in Natomas qualifying.

$100,000 RELYAID NATOMAS CHALLENGER

In Sacramento, Calif.

First-round qualifying 

A Pavic (CRO) d M Santiago (USA) 75 63
J Jung (USA) d A Krajicek (USA) 76(5) 61
D Britton (USA) d [WC] Z Hindle (USA) 64 60
N Meister (USA) d C Guccione (AUS) 16 63 76(3)
P Simmonds (USA) d [WC] L Rosenberg (USA) 62 63
R Thacher (USA) d J Dadamo (USA) 64 63
S Ianni (ITA) d [WC] B Sutter 63 46 61
A Daescu (ROU) d [WC] C Altamirano (USA) 60 60
[WC] M McDonald (USA) d A Courtney (USA) 62 62
[WC] L Singh (USA) d [WC] S Kolar (USA) 63 61

A Hubble (AUS) d [WC] N Andrews (USA) 64 62
L Gregorc (SLO) d [WC] O Morel (FRA) 61 61 

Today's schedule

(Beginning at 10 a.m.)

Stadium 

Qualifying - A Bossel (SUI) vs. P Simmonds (USA)

Qualifying - G Jones (AUS) vs [WC] M Mcdonald (USA) 

Court 1

Qualifying - L Gregorc (SLO) vs N Meister (USA) 
Qualifying - [WC] L Singh (USA) vs D Britton (USA) 

Court 2

Qualifying - R Thacher (USA) vs A Pavic (CRO) 
Qualifying - A Daescu (ROU) vs J Jung (USA) 

Court 6

Qualifying - F Wolmarans (RSA) vs A Hubble (AUS) 
Qualifying - T Daniel (JPN) vs S Ianni (ITA)

Former top-70 player set for Sacramento qualifying

  Chris Guccione, a former top-70 singles player and the defending doubles champion, is scheduled to face eighth-seeded Nicolas Meister today at 10 a.m. in the first round of qualifying for the $100,000 RelyAid Natomas Challenger at the Natomas Racquet Club in Sacramento.
   Guccione, a 6-foot-7 left-hander from Australia, is ranked No. 572 after reaching a career-high No. 67 in 2008. The 27-year-old veteran missed six months in 2010 with an Achilles' tendon injury.
   In September 2011, Guccione and former world No. 1 singles player Lleyton Hewitt beat 2008 Olympic gold medalists Roger Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka in Sydney in the Davis Cup playoffs. Two weeks later, Guccione and Carsten Ball, a native of Newport Beach, Calif., who plays for Australia, won the doubles title in Sacramento.
   Meister, a 23-year-old Los Angeles-area resident, made his professional debut in June in a $15,000 Futures tournament at the Park Terrace Swim & Tennis Club in Sacramento. The former UCLA All-American reached the singles semifinals and doubles final (with friend and ex-Cal star Pedro Zerbini).
   Two other All-Americans from the Pacific-12 Conference who completed their eligibility this year, Nicholas John Andrews (Cal) and Ryan Thacher (Stanford), also are scheduled to play today in separate matches.
   Andrews, a wild card from the Sacramento suburb of Folsom, will meet Adam Hubble of Australia. Thacher will take on fellow American Jeff Dadamo in a rematch of the 2011 NCAA doubles final at Stanford. Texas A&M's Dadamo and Austin Krajicek, also set to play today in Natomas qualifying, defeated Thacher and Bradley Klahn in a contest featuring four left-handers.
   Seventh-seeded Devin Britton, who edged Dadamo in the Sacramento Futures in June for his first professional singles title, will meet wild card Zeke Hindle of Los Angeles. At Mississippi in 2009, Britton became the youngest NCAA singles champion at 18 years, 2 months and joined Jimmy Connors (1971), John McEnroe (1978) and Cecil Mamiit (1996) as the only male freshmen to win the title.
   Today's schedule also features Northern California wild cards Mackenzie McDonald of Piedmont, Brandon Sutter of El Dorado Hills, Collin Altamirano of Yuba City, Sean Kolar of Loomis and Lovedeep Singh of Sacramento.   
   McDonald, 17, reached the boys singles semifinals at the Australian Open in January and won the boys 18 singles title at the prestigious Easter Bowl junior tournament in Rancho Mirage in April.

ORDER OF PLAY - SATURDAY, SEPT. 29, 2012

 STADIUM start 10:00 am
Qualifying - C Guccione (AUS) vs N Meister (USA)
Qualifying - [WC] M Mcdonald (USA) vs A Courtney (USA)  
 Qualifying - J Jung (USA) vs A Krajicek (USA) 
COURT 1 start 10:00 am
Qualifying - A Hubble (AUS) vs [WC] N Andrews (USA)
Qualifying - J Dadamo (USA) vs R Thacher (USA)
Qualifying - [WC] C Altamirano (USA) vs A Daescu (ROU) 
COURT 2 start 10:00 am
Qualifying - L Gregorc (SLO) vs [WC] O Morel (FRA)
Qualifying - [WC] B Sutter vs S Ianni (ITA)
Qualifying - [WC] Z Hindle (USA) vs D Britton (USA) 
COURT 6 start 10:00 am
Qualifying - [WC] S Kolar (USA) vs [WC] L Singh (USA)
Qualifying - M Santiago (USA) vs A Pavic (CRO)
Qualifying - [WC] L Rosenberg (USA) vs P Simmonds (USA)

Zach Gilbert's background serves him well

Zach Gilbert, Brad's son, coached former Cal teammate
Pedro Zerbini in the spring and summer. Under Gilbert,
the 23-year Brazilian dramatically improved his world
ranking. Photos by Paul Bauman

  When Pedro Zerbini turned pro in February, he chose a 23-year-old coach with no professional playing experience.
   Zerbini is no dummy, though. The Brazilian graduated from prestigious Cal in December in economic development.
   And Zach Gilbert is no ordinary 23-year-old coach. He's the son of Brad Gilbert, who ascended to a career-high No. 4 in the world during a 13-year playing career before becoming a renowned tennis coach, commentator and author. Zach also was Zerbini's teammate at Cal for four years. 
   At least Zach is older than Zerbini. By two weeks.
   "I get people asking me about (my age)," Gilbert admitted in June during the Sacramento Futures tournament, in which Zerbini reached the singles quarterfinals and doubles final. 'Aren't you a little young to be doing this?' Yeah, but I'm confident in my knowledge of the game. I think I have a lot to offer Pedro. It's a little strange to be friends and former teammates. Now I have to be the boss a little bit, but I think things are working out alright so far."
   Indeed, since Zerbini debuted in the world singles rankings in April, he has almost halved his position from No. 1,218 to No. 625. On the Futures circuit, he has reached two finals and four quarterfinals in singles and two finals in doubles (winning one).
   Gilbert cautioned, though, that "it's easy to let your mind wander out here, especially at the Futures level. It's hard to be out there on your own and keep your drive week in and week out. The biggest thing I can do is make sure he stays on track mentally. If you have a bad loss, it happens. You have to shake it off and make sure it doesn't hang on for long stretches."
    Brad Gilbert said by telephone that his son "has a good demeanor, which is maybe the most important thing for a coach. He's very relaxed. One thing about tennis and coaching -- you always have to be open to learning. You have to understand the player and push the right buttons to make him play better."

Zerbini addresses the fans after he and former Pacific-10
Conference rival Nicolas Meister from UCLA finished
as the doubles runners-up at a Futures tournament
in Sacramento in June.

   Zerbini, named first-team All-Pacific-10 Conference in his last three years at Cal, hired Zach because "he understands the game well. He knows me and my style since we went to college together. He's seen a lot of my matches and been around the game. He's very analytical."
   Wonder where he got that from.
   "The majority of what I know I learned from (my dad) and my college coach (Peter Wright)," Zach said. "My dad wants me to have fun out there. You've got to be passionate about it. When I see how much he loves and cares about the sport, it's hard not to admire that quality, how devoted he is. He obviously taught me a lot about strokes and X's and O's, but that's not as important as loving what you do."
   Andre Agassi also was a big influence. Brad Gilbert coached the International Tennis Hall of Famer from the time Zach was 6 to 14.
   "Those are a lot of impressionable years," Zach said. "I really looked up to him, and I'd go crazy at all of his matches. He was a positive influence on my life and a good role model."
   Zach grew up in San Rafael, across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco and across San Francisco Bay from Cal in Berkeley. He began taking lessons full-time at 7, grew to 6-foot-3 and played low on the ladder at nationally ranked Cal.
   "I competed because I wanted to," Gilbert said. "My dad was not too pushy. He would have been just as happy if I played basketball or baseball. I played a lot of sports until I was 12. Then I decided I was best at tennis. My dad and mom were supportive of me in whatever I wanted to do."
  Zach's two siblings -- sisters Julian, 20, and Zoe, 15 -- take after their artistic mother, Kim, and do not play tennis. Brad said he's not surprised that Zach, who graduated in American studies, became a coach at 23.
   "If that's the path he wants to do down, I'm sure he can do a really good job. He's been around me and a lot of players, and he's a really bright kid. He learned a lot being around tennis his whole life," Brad said.
   Like Brad, though, Zach also is involved in television. He's working full-time for the rest of the year as a writer and researcher for Chris Fowler on ESPN's "College GameDay."
   Then Zach will decide what he wants to do. Return to coaching? Stay in television? Try something else? It doesn't matter to his father.
   "I'm like everybody," Brad said. "I want the best for my son. Whatever he wants to do, it's all good."

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).

Redding notes: Title puts Gullickson back on track

Qualifier Chelsey Gullickson rebounded from recent adversity
to win the $25,000 USTA Oak River Rehab Challenger
in Redding, Calif. Photos by Paul Bauman

   Leftovers from the recent $25,000 USTA Oak River Rehab Challenger in Redding, Calif.:
   That's more like it -- Chelsey Gullickson reversed a rough stretch by winning the singles title as a qualifier.
   Gullickson ended her college career on a bad note in May, then sprained her right ankle in practice the week before making her professional debut in Lexington, Ky., in July. She aggravated the injury in the second round of qualifying, lost the match and withdrew from Vancouver the following week. Redding was her first tournament since Lexington.
   Gullickson won the 2010 NCAA singles title on her home courts as a sophomore at Georgia. The tournament returned to Athens, Ga., this year, but Gullickson lost in the first round.
   "I put a bunch of pressure on myself to do the same thing," she said after reaching the Redding quarterfinals. "It was really upsetting. Then I go to Lexington and hurt my ankle. That was upsetting, but I just went back to the practice court. I'm happy to be out here."

Allie Will lost to Gullickson in the final. They were
Southeastern Conference rivals.

   The 5-foot-11Gullickson, 22, went on to beat former Southeastern Conference rival Allie Will 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 in the final for her second title in a pro tournament. She won a $25,000 event on clay in Raleigh, N.C., as a high school senior in May 2008.
   The 5-foot-10 Will also turned pro in July, after leading Florida to its second consecutive NCAA team title as a junior.
   Gullickson's mother, Sandy, played tennis at Western Kentucky. She introduced the game to Chelsey's older sister, Carly, and Chelsey tagged along. Carly became a professional player and won the 2009 U.S. Open mixed doubles title with Travis Parrott.
   The sisters' father, Bill, pitched in the major leagues for 14 years (1979-94, including a stint in Japan). Chelsey, who was 4 when he retired, has only faint memories of him as a pitcher.
   "I remember he played for the (Detroit) Tigers, and they had family picture day," she said. "We all dressed in Tigers uniforms. He'd walk out of the house to go to work, and we'd all be hugging his feet not to go."
   So is Chelsey a baseball fan?
   "Actually, no. It's a slow-paced game for me. I'm used to tennis being fast, fast," she said, snapping her fingers.     
   Comeback kid -- Another player happy to be back on the court was 21-year-old Canadian Rebecca Marino, who lost in the second round after returning from a 6 1/2-month sabbatical.

Rebecca Marino, a former top-40 player,
says she "did the right thing" by taking
a 6 1/2-month sabbatical.

   "I was at the point where my body was telling me I needed a break," said the 6-foot Marino, who reached a career-high No. 38 in the world last year. "I could either listen to my body and prolong my career or keep going and struggle more. There were also some personal matters that I'd rather not discuss. I feel I did the right thing."
   Added Marino: "It was not an easy decision. There's a coaching team depending on you, and it's my source of income."
   Marino spent most of her time off at home in Vancouver, British Columbia.
   "I reconnected with a lot of friends and had a lot of family time," she said. "I spent time with my brother (a junior rower at Cal) and learned to snowboard. It went miserably for me. I did a backflip and landed on my face."
   Marino said she watched "bits and pieces" of the U.S. Open women's final, in which Serena Williams defeated Victoria Azarenka, on television.
   Marino played on the same court, Arthur Ashe Stadium, two years ago in the U.S. Open. As a qualifier, she lost to Venus Williams 7-6 (3), 6-3 in a second-round day match televised across the United States and Canada.
   Two things about that encounter stand out to Marino. 
   "Firstly, I felt really comfortable in that situation," she recalled. "It surprised me, because it was new territory for me.
   "And Venus is such a great athlete. She's intimidating in a sense because she's tall with a cut physique. She hit so hard, it was unbelievable. It was a great experience and helped build my game a lot."
   The tennis whisperer -- Mercifully, no players shrieked like Maria Sharapova or Azarenka during matches on Tuesday or Wednesday of the Redding tournament.
   But Angelina Gabueva made a whistling noise while blowing every time she hit the ball.
   The 23-year-old Russian reached the quarterfinals before losing to qualifier Kristie Ahn, a Stanford junior.
   Unlikely partners -- Elizabeth Ferris, who lost to Gabueva in the second round, tells a humorous story about how she hooked up with fellow American Nadia Echeverria Alam in doubles at the $50,000 FSP Gold River Women's Challenger in the Sacramento area in May.
   Ferris, 26, of Anaheim, had beaten Echeverria Alam, 17, of Miami, in singles one year previously.
   "We didn't have the best on-court relationship," Ferris said in Gold River. "It was rocky. Out of the blue, she asked me to play doubles. It's funny how it worked out."
   Ferris elaborated on the friction between her and Echeverria Alam.
   "She's young and probably felt she should have beaten me. She was making fun of the way I played. I use slice, placement and spin. My game is the opposite of hers. She's a typical young player with a lot of pace," Ferris said. 
   "She was making comments to her parents: 'This is girls 12s, not women's tennis.' I was pretty shocked by her behavior, but I got to know her, and everything's been fine."
   At Echeverria Alam's request, she and Ferris wore multicolored knee socks on their right legs only during their first-round loss in Gold River to second seeds and eventual champions Asia Muhammad and Yasmin Schnack.
   "(Echeverria Alam) has a fun personality, and it loosens her up," Ferris said. "Whatever I can do to loosen her up and make it fun, I'll be glad to do as her doubles partner."
   Echeverria Alam, a Venezuela native, also wore pink war paint -- actually lipstick -- under her eyes.
   "She tried to get me to do it, but I sweat a lot," Ferris said. "I knew it would be all over my face."