Ross Advances to Futures Semifinals; Anisimova vs Kenin for Finals Berth at $60K in Dothan; Tiafoe, Sandgren Reach Sarasota Challenger Semifinals; Junior Trio on Hand as US Fed Cup Team Hosts Czech Republic in Tampa

A day after reaching his first USTA Pro Circuit Futures quarterfinal 18-year-old Gianni Ross has advanced to his first semifinal, beating unseeded Thales Turini of Brazil 6-4, 6-0 today at the $15,000 Orange Park Florida tournament.  Ross, a qualifier who has now won six matches in the past seven days, will face top seed Calvin Hemery of France in Saturday's semifinals.

No. 2 seed Evan King will play in the bottom half semifinal against unseeded Felipe Mantilla of Colombia after King defeated Genaro Olivieri of Argentina 7-5, 6-2.

Former Michigan All-American King won the 20th doubles title of his pro career today, teaming with 2014 NCAA champion Hunter Reese, the former Tennessee Volunteer. The No. 3 seeds defeated unseeded Daniel Nolan of Australia and Yosuke Watanuki of Japan 2-6, 7-5, 10-8 in the final.

The semifinals of the $60,000 USTA Women's Pro Circuit event in Dothan Alabama will feature three Americans, with 18-year-old Sonya Kenin facing 15-year-old Amanda Anisimova in one semifinal.  Former Stanford star Kristie Ahn, the No. 8 seed and the only seed remaining, will play Barbara Haas of Austria for a place in the final.  Kenin downed wild card Usue Arconada 6-4, 6-2, while Anisimova, a finalist at last week's $80K at Indian Harbour Beach, beat wild card Sophie Chang 6-1, 4-6, 6-2.  Ahn took out Fanny Stollar of Hungary 6-3, 6-3.

The $100,000 ATP Challenger in Sarasota Florida is down to its last four, with Tennys Sandgren and No. 3 seed Frances Tiafoe making the semifinals. Sandgren advanced over Denis Kudla via walkover and will play unseeded Vincent Millot of France, who beat top seed Jared Donaldson 6-4, 7-5.  Tiafoe beat No. 7 seed Henri Laaksonen of Switzerland 6-3, 6-4 and will face Jurgen Melzer of Austria.

The US Fed Cup team hosts the Czech Republic in the competition's semifinals, which begin Saturday at the Saddlebrook Resort in Wesley Chapel Florida. CoCo Vandeweghe will face 17-year-old Marketa Vondrousova in the in the first singles match, with Shelby Rogers taking on Katerina Siniakova in the second singles match of the day. The doubles matchup, played after the two reverse singles on Sunday, is scheduled to be Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Lauren Davis against Kristyna Pliskova and Denisa Allertova.

Caty McNally, Natasha Subhash and Whitney Osuigwe, who are representing the US in the Junior Fed Cup, are training with the team this week, and spoke to the USTA's Ashley Marshall about what they've learned from observing the preparation for the most important team event in women's tennis.  McNally, Subhash and Osuigwe will be traveling to Mexico next week for the North/Central American qualifying for this fall's Junior Fed Cup.