USTA Names Lew Sherr CEO and Executive Director; Qualifying Complete at Palm Harbor $100K, Stearns Receives Main Draw Wild Card; Bernard Qualifies for Sunrise $15K; Sarasota Challenger Update

After the unexpected announcement last December that USTA CEO Executive Director Michael Dowse was stepping down, it wasn't clear how long the search for his replacement would take, but today the USTA announced that Lew Sherr, currently the USTA's Chief Revenue Office, will start in those positions on May 2. 

That the USTA decided to go with an inside candidate is not a surprise, given the short tenure of Dowse, who came from the private sector. With the USTA still struggling with its finances due to the pandemic, Sherr, who has been with the USTA since 2010, is certainly well versed in those challenges. The unwieldy USTA governing structure, with a Board of Directors and its chairman with a two-year term, plus the 17 sections, can present obstacles, but Sherr should at least be aware of what those are, given his tenure with the organization.

Qualifying is complete at the USTA Women's Pro Circuit $100,000 tournament in Palm Harbor Florida, with four women from the US reaching the main draw with wins today, all over fellow Americans.

Hanna Chang[2] beat Ellie Douglas[12] 7-6(1), 6-2; Whitney Osuigwe[4] defeated Eli Mandlik[9] 6-1, 3-6, 10-5; Elvina Kalieva[7] defeated Kayla Day[11] 7-6(2), 6-2 and Maegan Manasse(Cal) beat Gabriella Price 6-2, 6-4. Catherine Harrison[5](UCLA), who lost to Maria Jose Portillo Ramirez of Mexico today, got in as a lucky loser, with Astra Sharma(Vanderbilt) of Australia withdrawing. 

Xinyu Wang of China is the top seed; Sharma was the No. 2 seed and Manasse is assuming her place in the draw. 

Wild cards were given to Taylor Townsend, who is coming back after having a baby, Hailey Baptiste[4], Sophie Chang and University of Texas sophomore Peyton Stearns. Stearns will face Portillo Ramirez in the first round. The Longhorns don't play again until Saturday. when they close out the Big 12 conference regular season at Baylor.

The qualifying at the USTA Men's Pro Circuit $15,000 tournament in Sunrise Florida also concluded today, with just two Americans advancing the main draw. Nicholas Bybel[14](Bucknell) got through when No. 3 seed Blu Baker of Great Britain retired at 4-6, 5-4. Ohio State recruit Alexander Bernard, the No. 6 seed, defeated No. 11 seed Jakub Wojcik(South Florida), but the score of that match is incomplete on the draw, as 6-4, 10-3 makes no sense.

At the ATP 100 Sarasota Challenger, Americans picking up first round wins are Steve Johnson[4](USC), Michael Mmoh[WC], Mitchell Krueger, Jack Sock[7] and JJ Wolf(Ohio State). Top seed Denis Kudla plays later tonight. Alexander Ritschard, the former Virginia Cavalier, played under the US flag for many years, but I believe his father is Swiss, and he is now representing Switzerland. The 28-year-old, now at a career-high of 211 in the ATP rankings, won his first round match today over Tennys Sandgren(Tennessee).

As with the $100K in Palm Harbor, the No. 2 seed, in this case Jordan Thompson of Australia, dropped out after the draw, so a qualifier went into his position. That qualifier, former UNC star Rinky Hijikata of Australia, lost to alternate Tung-Lin Wu of Taiwan 7-6(4), 3-6, 6-4.

Live streaming of the Sarasota Challenger is available here.