Top seed Evans to face Stanford star in 100K Aptos

Daniel Evans of Great Britain displays his runner-up check
in the 2013 Aptos (Calif.) Challenger. Evans held a cham-
pionship point against former Stanford star Bradley Klahn.
Photo by Paul Bauman

   Top-seeded Daniel Evans of Great Britain will play wild card Tom Fawcett, who finished his sophomore year at Stanford in May, on Monday or Tuesday in the first round of the Nordic Naturals Challenger in Aptos, Calif.
   The draw for the $100,000 tournament at the Seascape Sports Club, situated on the coast of the Pacific Ocean a one-hour drive south of Stanford, was held Saturday.
   The 26-year-old Evans, only 5-foot-9 (1.75 meters), helped Great Britain win its first Davis Cup title in 79 years in 2015 and reached the third round at Wimbledon this summer before falling to seven-time champion Roger Federer in straight sets.
   Evans, ranked No. 82, is no stranger to Aptos. He reached the final three years ago and held a championship point in a loss to former Stanford star Bradley Klahn.
   Second-seeded Yoshihito Nishioka of Japan will meet Evan King, a 24-year-old former University of Michigan All-American, in a first-round clash of left-handers.
   Nishioka, 20, reached his first semifinal on the ATP World Tour this week in Atlanta and advanced to the Aptos quarterfinals last year. He will improve from No. 97 to a career high of about No. 88 when the new rankings are released Monday.
   Third-seeded Bjorn Fratangelo drew fellow American Alex Kuznetsov, who won the Aptos title 10 years ago at 19.
   In an intriguing matchup, fourth-seeded Stefan Kozlov, 18, of Pembroke Pines, Fla., will take on Mackenzie McDonald, a 21-year-old wild card from Piedmont, Calif., for the first time. Piedmont is located a 90-minute drive north from Aptos.
   Kozlov shocked Steve Johnson on grass at s-Hertogenbosch in the Netherlands in June to reach his first quarterfinal on the ATP World Tour. Johnson, then ranked No. 39 and now No. 22, won Aptos in 2012.
   Kozlov advanced to the final of the $100,000 Sacramento Challenger at 16 in 2014, losing to former top-20 player Sam Querrey. Afterward, Querrey predicted that Kozlov eventually would crack the top 10. Kozlov has soared from No. 351 at the beginning of the year to No. 161.
   McDonald, playing for UCLA in May, became the first man to sweep the NCAA singles and doubles titles in 15 years. He then chose to skip his senior year and turn pro.
   In today's final round of qualifying, No. 6 seed John Lamble, a former Santa Clara University standout from nearby Saratoga, will face No. 1 Tucker Vorster of South Africa at 10 a.m.
   The Aptos tournament, in its 29th year, is the longest-running Challenger in the United States.
   Here are the singles main draw, qualifying draw and today's schedule.

NorCal men featured in qualifying for 100K Aptos

   Former Santa Clara University star John Lamble of Saratoga heads a strong Northern California continent in qualifying for the $100,000 Nordic Naturals Challenger in Aptos, Calif.
   Lamble, seeded sixth, will play wild card Perry Gregg of the United States in the first round today at 10 a.m. at the Seascape Sports Club.
   The 16-player qualifying field also includes former University of San Francisco standout Bernardo Saraiva of Portugal, Stanford's Michael Genender and wild cards William Griffith of Cal and Fresno, Roy Lederman of Stanford and Victor Pham of Columbia and Saratoga.
   Players must win two matches to advance to the main draw, which begins Monday. Last year, John Millman of Australia became the first No. 1 seed in the 28-year history of the Aptos tournament, the longest-running Challenger in the United States, to win the singles title.
   Millman, 27, is one of six men on the Australian Olympic tennis team in Rio de Janeiro. Among the other past champions are world No. 2 Andy Murray (2005) and No. 22 Steve Johnson (2012).
   Here are the qualifying draw and today's schedule.

Rankings mover of the week: Dennis Novikov (up)

 Dennis Novikov rose 10 places to
a career-high No. 121 in the world.
2015 photo by Paul Bauman

   Dennis Novikov is closing in on the top 100 in the world in singles.
   The 22-year-old resident of Milpitas in the San Francisco Bay Area rose 10 places to a career-high No. 121 after reaching the second round of the Rogers Cup in Toronto as a qualifier last week.
   The hard-hitting Novikov, 6-foot-4 (1.93 meters) and 200 pounds (91 kilograms), upset No. 43 Federico Delbonis of Argentina in the opening round of the main draw for his first victory over a top-50 player. Novikov then lost to No. 6 Kei Nishikori of Japan.
   Novikov also advanced to the second round of Wimbledon as a qualifier earlier this summer. It was the second time he has reached the second round of a Grand Slam tournament. As a wild card in the 2012 U.S. Open, he shocked then-No. 86 Jerzy Janowicz, a 6-foot-8 (2.03-meter) Pole, before losing to Julien Benneteau of France. Janowicz advanced to the Wimbledon semifinals the following year.

WORLD RANKINGS

   Players with Northern California ties ranked in the top 1,000 in the world (change from last week in parentheses):

Men

   Collin Altamirano, 20-year-old Sacramentan -- No. 854 in singles (+18).

   Bob Bryan, 38-year-old former NCAA singles and doubles champion from Stanford -- No. 4 in doubles (-1), unranked in singles.

   Mike Bryan, 38-year-old former NCAA doubles champion from Stanford -- No. 5 in doubles (-1), unranked in singles.
   Ryan Haviland, 35-year-old former Stanford All-American -- No. 767 in singles (no change).

   Scott Lipsky, 34-year-old former Stanford All-American -- No. 40 in doubles (no change).

   Mackenzie McDonald, 21-year-old resident of Piedmont in San Francisco Bay Area -- No. 422 in singles (+10), No. 746 in doubles (-1).

   Dennis Novikov, 22-year-old resident of Milpitas in San Francisco Bay Area -- Career-high No. 121 in singles (+10), No. 210 in doubles (-6).

   Sam Querrey, 28-year-old San Francisco native -- No. 29 in singles (no change), No. 42 in doubles (no change).

   Matt Seeberger, 31-year-old San Francisco native and former NCAA Division III singles and doubles champion from UC Santa Cruz -- No. 438 in doubles (-5).

   Dmitry Tursunov, 33-year-old resident of Folsom in Sacramento area -- No. 402 in singles (+31), No. 262 in doubles (-2).

Women

   Kristie Ahn, 24-year-old former Stanford All-American -- No. 223 in singles (+6), No. 405 in doubles (+7).

   Raquel Atawo (formerly Kops-Jones), 33-year-old San Jose resident and 2003 NCAA doubles champion from Cal -- No. 17 in doubles (-1).
   CiCi Bellis, 17-year-old resident of Atherton in San Francisco Bay Area -- No. 155 in singles (+4), No. 248 in doubles (+19).
   Alexandra Facey, 23-year-old product of Cameron Park in Sacramento area -- No. 642 in doubles (+2). 
   Kat Facey, 23-year-old product of Cameron Park in Sacramento area -- No. 642 in doubles (+2).
   Nicole Gibbs, 23-year-old former NCAA singles and doubles champion from Stanford -- No. 69 in singles (-1), No. 129 in doubles (-1).
   Michaela Gordon, 17-year-old resident of Saratoga in San Francisco Bay Area -- No. 758 in singles (-1), No. 606 in doubles (+3). 
   Maegan Manasse, 21-year-old Cal junior -- No. 553 in doubles (+5), No. 941 in singles (no change).

   Maria Sanchez, 26-year-old Modesto product -- Career-high No. 59 in doubles (no change), No. 283 in singles (-5).

   Karina Vyrlan, 17-year-old Sacramentan -- No. 797 in doubles (+1).

   Carol Zhao, 21-year-old Stanford junior -- Career-high No. 157 in doubles (no change), No. 352 in singles (-1).

TV schedule, calendar

TV SCHEDULE

(All times in California)

Today

   Atlanta (men), quarterfinals, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. and 5-7 p.m. (live), ESPN3.  

 Saturday   

   Summer Olympics (men and women), 6:30 a.m.-7 p.m. (live), Bravo.
   Atlanta (men), semifinal, noon-2 p.m. (live), ESPN3.
   Atlanta (men), semifinal, 4-6 p.m. (live), ESPN2.

Sunday  

   Summer Olympics (men and women), 6:30 a.m.-7 p.m. (live), Bravo.   Atlanta (men), final, 10 a.m.-noon (live), ESPN2.

CALENDAR

   Through Sunday -- $25,000 Heritage Bank of Commerce Championships, Moraga Country Club, Moraga, Calif.   

   Today-Aug.  14 -- USTA Boys and Girls National Championships, various sites.   

   Saturday-Aug. 14 -- 2016 SUMMER OLYMPICS, Rio de Janeiro. 

   Monday-Aug. 14 -- $100,000 Nordic Naturals Challenger, Seascape Sports Club, Aptos. 2015 champions: John Millman, Chris Guccione/Artem Sitak.   AUG. 29-SEPT. 11 -- U.S. OPEN, Flushing Meadows, N.Y. 2015 champions: Novak Djokovic, Flavia Pennetta, Pierre-Hugues Herbert/Nicolas Mahut, Martina Hingis/Sania Mirza, Martina Hingis/Leander Paes.

   Sept. 26-Oct. 2 -- $100,000 Wells Fargo Tiburon Challenger (men), Tiburon Peninsula Club, Tiburon, Calif. Qualifying begins Sept. 24. Champions in 2015: Tim Smyczek, Johan Brunstrom-Frederik Nielsen.

   Oct. 3-9 -- $100,000 Stockton Challenger (men), Eve Zimmerman Tennis Center, University of the Pacific. Qualifying begins Oct. 1. Champions in 2015 (Sacramento): Taylor Fritz, Blaz Kavcic-Grega Zemlja.

  Oct. 3-9 -- $25,000 Redding Challenger (women), Sun Oaks Tennis & Fitness. Qualifying begins Oct. 1. Champions in 2015: Heidi El Tabakh, Ashley Weinhold-Caitlin Whoriskey.

   Oct. 10-16 -- $50,000 Fairfield Challenger (men), Solano College, Fairfield, Calif. Qualifying begins Oct. 8. Champions in 2015: Taylor Fritz, Johan Brunstrom-Frederik Nielsen.

Bryans, citing health concerns, pull out of Olympics

Bob Bryan, right, and Mike Bryan, playing at Indian Wells in March, said
that as "husbands and fathers, our family's health is now our top priority."
Photo by Paul Bauman

   If 38-year-old twins Bob and Mike Bryan want a shot at another Olympic medal, they will have to wait until Tokyo in 2020.
   The former Stanford stars announced Saturday on Facebook that they have withdrawn from Rio de Janeiro, saying that as "husbands and fathers, our family's health is now our top priority."
   The Bryans did not mention the Zika virus, which has been linked to birth defects. Numerous athletes in tennis and other sports have pulled out of the Rio Games, which begin Friday and end Aug. 21.
   Rajeev Ram was added to the U.S. team to play doubles with Brian Baker.
   The Bryans won the men's doubles gold medal in London in 2012 and bronze medal in Beijing in 2008.
   On the regular tour, the Bryans have won a record 16 Grand Slam titles in men's doubles but none since the 2014 U.S. Open. They reached the French Open final in June, losing to Spaniards Feliciano Lopez and Marc Lopez (no relation).
   It's hardly out of the question that the Bryans will play in the Tokyo Games. Canadian doubles specialist Daniel Nestor, a gold medalist with Sebastien Lareau in Sydney in 2000, will team with Vasek Pospisil in Rio at age 43.

Kenin, 17, clinches U.S. Open Wild Card Challenge

Sofia Kenin displays her trophy after winning last
week's Sacramento Challenger. Photo by Paul Bauman

   Seventeen-year-old Sofia Kenin clinched the U.S. Open Wild Card Challenge on Saturday when Jamie Loeb lost in the semifinals of the $50,000 Kentucky Bank Tennis Championships.
   The American with the most singles points in two of the three tournaments participating in the Challenge -- Stockton, Sacramento and Lexington in consecutive weeks -- earns a wild card into the main draw of the U.S. Open.
   The year's final Grand Slam tournament is scheduled for Aug. 29-Sept. 11 in Flushing Meadows, N.Y.
   Kenin finished with 81 points, 80 for winning last week's $50,000 Sacramento Challenger and one point for losing in the first round in Lexington.
   Grace Min, the runner-up in Sacramento, placed second with 49 points. Loeb, who fell to Arina Rodionova of Australia 7-6 (1), 6-1 on Saturday, was third with 44 points.
   Kenin will play in the main draw of the U.S. Open for the second consecutive year. She earned an automatic wild card by winning last year's USTA Girls 18 National Championships in San Diego and lost to then-No. 96 Mariana Duque-Marino of Colombia 6-3, 6-1 in the first round.
   Kenin again is entered in the Girls 18 Nationals, Aug. 6-14 in San Diego. If she repeats and receives that wild card for the U.S. Open, Min will get the other one.    

Top seed Van Uytvanck quits Kentucky match

Alison Van Uytvanck plays in the semifinals of the $50,000
Stockton Challenger two weeks ago. She went on the win the
title. Photo by Paul Bauman

   Jamie Loeb's path to the title in the $50,000 Kentucky Bank Tennis Championships and a wild card into the U.S. Open got easier on Friday.
   Top-seeded Alison Van Uytvanck of Belgium retired from her quarterfinal against Arina Rodionova of Australia with an ankle injury. Rodionova led 4-2 in the first set at the time in Lexington.
   Van Uytvanck, a French Open quarterfinalist last year who underwent ankle surgery this past spring, won the $50,000 Stockton Challenger two weeks ago.
   In today's semifinals, Michaella Krajicek of the Netherlands will face Jovana Jaksic of Serbia at 2 p.m. PDT, and Loeb of Ossining, N.Y., will meet Rodionova not before 4 p.m. Both matches will be streamed live at usta.com.
   Loeb must win the title to beat out Sofia Kenin of Boca Raton, Fla., in the U.S. Open Wild Card Challenge. Kenin, 17, won last week's $50,000 Sacramento Challenger.
   In the Kentucky doubles semifinals, unseeded Americans Sophie Chang and Alexandra Mueller knocked off top-seeded An-Sophie Mestach of Belgium and Modesto product Maria Sanchez 6-3, 6-4.