Ten Questions with Bruno Kuzuhara; Basavareddy Reaches Final at JA Banana Bowl; Shang Beats Top Seed, Advances to Semifinals at Naples $15K; D-I Men's Team Indoor All-Tournament Team; Upsets on First Day of D-III Men's Team Indoor
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| Bruno Kuzuhara in action at ATP Delray Beach Open |
I had an opportunity to talk with Bruno Kuzuhara earlier this month about his Australian Open boys title, his decision to turn pro and his ATP qualifying debut at the Delray Beach Open for this Tennis Recruiting Network article. My first conversation with Kuzuhara was in 2016, when he reached the final of the Junior Orange Bowl B12s (lost to Victor Lilov), so it's been interesting to watch his progress over the past five years, as he has climbed to the top of the junior tennis world and prepares himself for a professional career. Even after his junior slam title the 17-year-old Floridian hadn't ruled out college tennis and he explained his options there and what ultimately informed his decision to turn pro instead. Kuzuhara won a round at this week's $25K in Santo Domingo, and is scheduled to compete in next week's $25K there as well.
Nishesh Basavareddy has played in only two ITF Grade A junior tournaments. The first was at the 2020 Orange Bowl, where he lost in the second round as a 15-year-old old. As a 16-year-old, Basavareddy has now made the final of his second Grade A tournament, defeating unseeded Yaroslav Demin of Russia 6-1, 3-6, 6-2 in the semifinals today at the Banana Bowl in Criciuma Brazil. Basavareddy will face No. 6 seed Bor Artnak of Slovenia, who defeated No. 2 seed Gonzalo Bueno of Peru 6-3, 6-3.
Both US girls semifinalists--Qavia Lopez and Ahmani Guichard--lost today, with No. 8 seed Annabelle Xu of Canada defeating the unseeded Guichard 6-2, 6-2 and No. 7 seed Lucia Havlikcova of the Czech Republic avenging her first round loss at the Australian Open Junior Championships to No. 5 seed Lopez by a 6-2, 7-5 score.
Unseeded Cooper Williams and Aidan Kim won the boys doubles title, defeating No. 2 seed Adolfo Daniel Vallejo and Martin Vergara Del Puerto of Paraguay 6-3, 6-0 in today's final. Williams and Kim didn't come close to losing a set throughout the week's competition. It's the third J1 or above doubles title of the year for Williams, each with a different partner.
No. 4 seed Irina Balus and Nikola Daubnerova of Slovakia won the girls doubles title, beating the unseeded team of Weronika Ewald of Poland and Vivian Yang of New Zealand 6-1, 6-3 in today's final.
Juncheng Jerry Shang, a contemporary of Basavareddy's, has reached the semifinals of a USTA Pro Circuit $15,000 tournament for the fourth time since last September, after defeating top seed Darian King of Barbados 6-4, 6-0 in the quarterfinals at the Naples Florida tournament today. The 17-year-old left-hander, who won titles every time he got to the semifinal stage, will face No. 7 seed Timo Stodder(Tennessee) of Germany Saturday. Shang defeated Stodder two weeks ago in the second round of the $15K in Naples; Stodder had beaten him at the $25K in Weston in January.
In the other semifinal, unseeded Felix Corwin (Minnesota) will take on unseeded teenager Pedro Boscardin Dias of Brazil.
The ITA announced the Division I Men's Team Indoor All-Tournament team today, with TCU's Sander Jong named the Most Outstanding Player. For the results of each player selected, see this article from the ITA.
ITA Men's Division I Team Indoor All Tournament Team:
Singles:1. Luc Fomba, TCU
2. Johannus Monday, Tennessee
3. Sander Jong, TCU
4. JJ Tracy, Ohio State
5. James Trotter, Ohio State
6. Lui Maxted, TCU
Doubles:
1. Luc Fomba/Jacob Fearnley, TCU
2. Sander Jong/Lui Maxted, TCU
3. Johannus Monday/Mark Wallner, Tennessee
Most Outstanding Player:
Sander Jong, TCU
Top seed and host Case Western Reserve defeated No. 8 seed Gustavus Adolphus 8-1, the only match not decided by a 5-4 score. Trinity, the No. 4 seed, got by Brandeis by the same slim margins that gave Chicago and Washington-St. Louis victories.
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