TOURNAMENT NOTES
as of April 27, 2016
TAMPA USTA MEN’S PRO CIRCUIT FUTURES
TAMPA, FL • APRIL 29-MAY 8
Site: H arbour Island Athletic Club – Tampa, Fla.
Website: www.procircuit.usta.com
Qualifying Draw Begins: Friday, April 29
Main Draw Begins: Tuesday, May 3
Main Draw: 32 Singles / 16 Doubles
Surface: Clay / Outdoor
Prize Money: $10,000
Tournament Director:
Jose Campos, (813) 468-3659
[email protected]
Tournament Press Contact:
Jose Campos, (813) 468-3659
[email protected]
USTA Communications Contact:
Amanda Korba, (914) 697-2219
[email protected]
PRIZE MONEY / POINTS
SINGLES:
Prize Money
Ranking Points
Winner
$1,44018
Runner-up
$84810
Semifinalist $5026
Quarterfinalist $2922
Round of 16
$172
1
Round of 32
$104
DOUBLES: Prize Money (per team)
Winner$620
Runner-up$360
Semifinalist$216
Quarterfinalist$128
Round of 16
$72
USTA PRO CIRCUIT RETURNS TO TAMPA
The Tampa USTA Men’s Pro Circuit Futures
is being held in Tampa, Fla., for the 17th
consecutive year. The city also hosted nine
USTA Pro Circuit events between 1980 and
1997. It is the last of three consecutive claycourt $10,000 USTA Pro Circuit Futures, all
of which will be held in Florida as part of the
USTA Pro Circuit spring clay-court season. In
conjunction with USTA Player Development,
the USTA Pro Circuit continues to emphasize
the importance of increased training for
younger players on clay.
Jacob Stuckey
TOURNAMENT
INFORMATION
To follow the tournament, download the USTA
Pro Circuit’s phone app for smartphones and
tablets by searching “procircuit” in the Apple
and Google Play stores.
Notable players competing in Tampa include:
2012 champion Tennys Sandgren, who is
a former Top 200 player and a 2011 NCAA
semifinalist. This week’s top seed peaked
at No. 183 in the world in 2013, when he
won the USTA Pro Circuit season-ending
Challenger in Champaign, Ill. Also in 2013,
Sandgren served as a Davis Cup practice
partner for the U.S. team against Serbia.
His rise was disrupted by injury, however, in
2014, when hip surgery sidelined him from
February until after that year’s US Open.
In 2015, Sandgren, whose first name is
pronounced like the sport, played on the
USTA Pro Circuit and in ITF Circuit events in
China, Australia and Canada as he continued
to work his way back into form, winning two
singles titles. This year, he reached the final
of the $25,000 Futures in Memphis, Tenn.,
and won the doubles title at the $25,000
Futures in Little Rock, Ark., the following
week, while reaching the singles semifinals.
Sandgren turned pro following his sophomore
season at the University of Tennessee after
reaching the semifinals of the 2011 NCAA
tournament. He has won nine USTA Pro
Circuit/ITF Circuit singles titles and 15
doubles titles. His brother, Davey, was a twotime All-American for Tennessee (2007-10).
Dennis Nevolo, who graduated from the
University of Illinois in 2012, where he was
twice named an All-American. He was also
the second player in Illini program history
2012 Tampa champion Tennys Sandgren has
won nine USTA Pro Circuit/ITF-level singles
titles and 14 doubles titles. He turned pro
after reaching the NCAA semifinals in 2011.
to earn All-Big Ten honors all four seasons.
Nevolo holds two USTA Pro Circuit singles
titles, both won in 2014, as well as four
USTA Pro Circuit/ITF Circuit doubles titles.
This year, he reached the singles semifinals
at three $25,000 USTA Pro Circuit Futures
tournaments, as well as two doubles finals.
Deiton Baughman, who won eight USTA
Pro Circuit and ITF Circuit titles in 2015,
including three in singles. He won his first
career USTA Pro Circuit title in 2014 by
capturing the doubles crown at the $10,000
Futures in Boynton Beach, Fla., with Collin
Altamirano. In 2015, Baughman added the
first two USTA Pro Circuit singles titles of
his career, winning the $10,000 clay-court
Futures in Sunrise, Fla., and the $10,000
Futures in Claremont, Calif.; he also captured
an ITF Circuit singles title in Bosnia and
Herzegovina. As a junior player, Baughman
reached the doubles semifinals at the 2014
USTA International Spring Championships and
the singles semifinals at the 2013 Eddie Herr
International Junior Tennis Championships—
both prestigious junior events.
Mico Santiago, who, in addition to the USTA
Pro Circuit, has competed all over the world
in tournaments, playing in the Philippines,
*Player field subject to change
TOURNAMENT NOTES
Cambodia, Thailand and Norway. Tampa is just his fourth USTA
Pro Circuit tournament of 2016. Earlier this year, he reached the
quarterfinals at the $25,000 USTA Pro Circuit Futures in Bakersfield,
Calif., and also advanced to the quarterfinals of an ITF Circuit event
in Canada.
Many USTA Pro Circuit and ATP World Tour standouts have found
success in Tampa, Fla.
2010 doubles champion Denis Kudla went on to reach the US Open
boys’ singles final that year. He has since progressed to the USTA Pro
Circuit and ATP World Tour, climbing to a career-best No. 59 in the world
this February. In his career, Kudla has competed in all four Grand Slam
events, reaching the fourth round at Wimbledon last year. He has also
advanced to the second round at the Australian Open and US Open. His
best tour result came in 2015, when he reached the semifinals of the
Emirates Airline US Open Series event in Atlanta. Overall, Kudla holds
six USTA Pro Circuit singles titles and four doubles titles.
1987 singles champion Jim Courier is one of the top American players
of the Open era. He was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of
Fame in 2005, hit No. 1 in the world in 1992 and is a four-time Grand
Slam champion (1991-92 French Open, 1992-93 Australian Open). In
his career, Courier captured 23 singles titles and six doubles titles and
reached the final of all four majors. A Davis Cup stalwart and champion
as a player, he currently serves as the U.S. Davis Cup captain.
1990 Tampa doubles champion Ken Flach won four Grand Slam
doubles titles and captured the men’s doubles gold medal at the
1988 Olympics for the United States with partner Robert Seguso. He
holds 34 career doubles titles and was 11-2 in doubles during Davis
Cup competition.
*Player field subject to change
TAMPA PAST WINNERS
Singles
Doubles
Year
Winner
Runner-Up
Year
Winner
2015
Thales Turini (BRA)
Tennys Sandgren (USA)
2015
Sekou Bangoura (USA) – Brandon Anandan (USA)
2014
Bjorn Fratangelo (USA)
Christian Garin (CHI)
2014
Nicolas Jarry (CHI) – Tiago Lopes (BRA)
2013
Austin Krajicek (USA)
Christian Harrison (USA)
2013
Jean Yves-Aubone (USA) – Ryan Rowe (USA)
2012
Tennys Sandgren (USA)
Bjorn Fratangelo (USA)
2012
Philip Bester (CAN) – Kamil Pajkowski (CAN)
2011
Blake Strode (USA)
Lester Cook (USA)
2011
Ashley Fisher (AUS) – Chris Haggard (RSA)
2010
Augustin Gensse (FRA)
Erling Tveit (NOR)
2010
Denis Kudla (USA) – Junior Ore (USA)
2009
Philip Bester (CAN)
Haydn Lewis (BAR)
2009
Kaden Hensel (AUS) – Adam Hubble (AUS)
2008
Daniel Garza (MEX)
Marcus Fugate (USA)
2008
Adam Fuss (USA) – Vahid Mirzadeh (USA)
2007
Victor Estrella (DOM)
Stefano Ianni (ITA)
2007
Colin Ebelthite (AUS) – Clinton Thomson (AUS)
2006
Robert Yim (USA)
Izak Van Der Merwe (RSA)
2006
Kelly Jones (USA) – Pete Stroer (USA)
2005
Jose De Armas (VEN)
Diego Alvarez (ARG)
2005
Cody Conley (USA) – Ryan Newport (USA)
2004
K.J. Hippensteel (USA)
Brian Baker (USA)
2004
Ryan Haviland (USA) – K.J.Hippensteel (USA)
2003
Dusan Vemic (SRB)
Francisco Rodriguez (PAR)
2003
Ryan Haviland (USA) – K.J.Hippensteel (USA)
2002
Jose De Armas (VEN)
Frank Dancevic (CAN)
2002
Thomas Blake (USA) – Levar Harper-Griffith (USA)
2001
Daniel Andersson (SWE)
Levar Harper-Griffith (USA)
2001
Enrique Abaroa (MEX) – Lee Pearson (AUS)
2000
Cedric Kauffmann (FRA)
Noam Behr (ISR)
2000
Enrique Abaroa (MEX) – Mauricio Hadad (COL)
1998-99
Event not held
1998-99
Event not held
1997
David Witt (USA)
1997
Robert Kraus (RSA) – Markus Zillner (GER)
1991-96
Event not held
1991-96
Event not held
April 1990
Bryan Shelton (USA)
Broderick Dyke (AUS)
April 1990
Doug Flach (USA) – Ken Flach (USA)
March 1990
Jan Apell (SWE)
Massimo Ardinhi (ITA)
March 1990
Scott Melville (USA) – Jacco Van Duyn (NED)
1989
Event not held
1989
Event not held
1988
Jimmy Brown (USA)
Jon Sorbo (USA)
1988
Julian Barham (USA) – Rikard Bergh (SWE)
1987
Jim Courier (USA)
Jimmy Brown (USA)
1987
Tobias Svantesson (SWE) – John Treml (USA)
1986
Andrei Chesnokov (RUS)
Ramesh Krishnan (IND)
1986
Brett Custer (AUS) – David MacPherson (AUS)
1985
Magnus Tideman (SWE)
Ahmed El Mehelmy (EGY)
1985
Peter Carlsson (SWE) – Magnus Tideman (SWE)
1984
Jay Lapidus (USA)
Ben Testerman (USA)
1984
Jonathan Canter (USA) – Derek Tarr (USA)
1981-83
Event not held
1981-83
Event not held
1980
Ben Mckown (USA)
1980
Morris Strode (USA) – Charles Strode (USA)
Ricardo Mena (POR)
Rick Fagel (USA)
TOURNAMENT NOTES
U S TA P R O C I R C U I T
With approximately 90 tournaments hosted annually throughout the country and prize money ranging
from $10,000 to $100,000, the USTA Pro Circuit is the pathway to the US Open and tour-level competition
for aspiring tennis players and a frequent battleground for established professionals. The USTA launched
its Pro Circuit in 1979 to provide players with the opportunity to gain professional ranking points, and
it has since grown to become the largest developmental tennis circuit in the world, offering nearly
$3 million in prize money. Last year, more than 1,000 men and women from more than 70 countries
competed in cities nationwide. John Isner, Maria Sharapova, Andy Murray, Caroline Woznaicki, Kei
Nishikori, Victoria Azarenka and Sam Querrey are among today’s top stars who began their careers on
the USTA Pro Circuit.
Jacob Stuckey
More recently, the USTA Pro Circuit was
a pathway to success for two young
Frances Tiafoe
Americans in 2015—Frances Tiafoe and
Samantha Crawford. Tiafoe, a former world
No. 2 junior who turned pro early in 2015,
started last season ranked No. 1,143. His
successes on the USTA Pro Circuit not only
allowed Tiafoe to finish the year ranked
No. 176, but also gave him experience
on the Grand Slam stage. Tiafoe won
the Har-Tru USTA Pro Circuit Wild Card
Challenge (based on results in three USTA
Pro Circuit Challengers) to earn a spot in
the 2015 French Open, which marked his
Grand Slam debut. He also won his first
USTA Pro Circuit singles title in 2015 at
the $15,000 Futures in Bakersfield, Calif.,
and reached three additional finals. Tiafoe
also competed in the 2015 US Open as a
wild card and continues to climb in the
rankings. Crawford, the 2012 US Open
girls’ singles champion, started the 2015 season ranked No. 293 and competed in 23 USTA Pro Circuit
events throughout the year. She went on to win the first USTA Pro Circuit singles title of her career at
the $50,000 event in Scottsdale, Ariz., and also won two of the USTA Pro Circuit’s wild card challenges
to earn wild cards into the 2015 US Open and 2016 Australian Open. Crawford’s hard work paid off,
and in January 2016, she rose to No. 107 in the world after a strong start to the year in Australia,
where she reached her first WTA semifinal in Brisbane as a qualifier.
U S TA P L AY E R D E V E L O P M E N T
The USTA Player Development program, working with the American Tennis Family of players, coaches
and families, helps to identify and develop the next generation of American champions by surrounding
top junior players and young pros with the resources, facilities and coaching they need to reach their
maximum potential. The Player Development program is based at the USTA Training Center Headquarters
in Boca Raton, Fla., and utilizes National Training Centers in Carson, Calif., and Flushing, N.Y., as well as
a network of Certified Regional Training Centers located throughout the United States.
YOUTH TENNIS
The USTA is making it easier and more fun for kids to get into
the game—and stay in the game. Kids are learning to play
faster than ever before through the USTA’s youth initiative,
which is geared toward getting more kids to participate in
tennis using modified equipment and courts tailored to a
child’s size. For more information, visit YouthTennis.com.
U S TA F O U N D AT I O N
USTA Foundation, the national charitable organization of
the USTA, helps serve up dreams for under-resourced youth;
individuals with disabilities; and wounded, ill and injured
service members, veterans and their families. The foundation
supports programs nationwide that leverage tennis and
education to help those in need, primarily through the National
Junior Tennis & Learning (NJTL) network, and other efforts
to assist military personnel, veterans and individuals with
disabilities. To date, it has awarded more than $19 million in
grants and scholarships to hundreds of programs, benefitting
thousands of children and adults through a tennis, education
and health curricula. For more information, visit the website
www.ustafoundation.com.
U S O P E N N AT I O N A L P L AY O F F S
The USTA launched the
US Open National Playoffs in
2010, making the US Open
“open” to anyone age 14+ and
of all skill levels. Last year, more
than 1,450 players competed
in 13 Sectional Qualifying
Tournaments nationwide for
a 2015 US Open Qualifying
Tournament wild card. A men’s
doubles, women’s doubles, and mixed doubles element also was
held, with the winning team earning a US Open main draw doubles
wild card. Registration for all 2016 sectional events opens on March
15, with tournaments taking place in May and June. The US Open
National Playoffs will take place in New Haven in August. For more
information and the schedule, and to vie for a chance to compete in
the US Open, visit www.usopen.org/NationalPlayoffs.