Dietrich Reaches First Challenger Quarterfinal on Home Courts; Drenser-Hagmann Stays Perfect with Win at W15 in Sumter SC; Baris Versus Kim in Harlingen; Friend Documentary Coming Friday

The ATP Challenger 75 in Charlottesville has always been a focal point for University of Virginia players during the fall, with many taking advantage of their home courts and local support to jump-start their pro careers. While UVA sophomore Rafael Jodar has managed to make the ATP Top 200 (he's 198 in the live rankings after his first round win last night) without a boost from this tournament, Virginia junior Dylan Dietrich has received a wild card the past two years. Last year he won his first Challenger match with a win over Zachary Svajda; this year he has advanced to the quarterfinals, with the 21-year-old from Switzerland beating No. 4 seed Jay Clarke of Great Britain 7-6(6), 6-2.

If Jodar, seeded No. 7 this week, wins his second round match against Saba Purtseladze of Georgia Thursday, he will face teammate Dietrich in the quarterfinals.

Former Virginia All-American Inaki Montes couldn't match Dietrich's accomplishment, falling to San Diego senior Oliver Tarvet of Great Britain in a match that took over three and a half hours to complete. The third set alone took over 90 minutes, with Tarvet posting a 5-7, 6-4, 7-6(3) victory.

The other two players advancing to Friday's quarterfinals are No. 6 seed Martin Damm, who beat qualifier Keegan Smith(UCLA) 6-1, 7-5 and Daniil Glinka of Estonia, who beat Patrick Zahraj(UCLA) of Germany 7-6(4), 6-2.

At the W15 in Sumter South Carolina, last week's Hilton Head W15 champion Kennedy Drenser-Hagmann  stayed undefeated in pro tennis competition with a 7-5, 6-4 win over 37-year-old Tori Kinard. The 16-year-old from Michigan, now 8-0 on the Pro Circuit, will face Thea Frodin, also 16, in the second round Thursday. Frodin came from a set down in a match suspended Tuesday night, beating No. 6 seed Carolina Bohrer Martins of Brazil 4-6, 7-6(4), 6-1. 

Two other juniors, both of whom received entry via the ITF's Junior Reserved program, will face off in a second round match, with Georgia recruit Ava Rodriguez playing Florida recruit Capucine Jauffret. Rodriguez defeated No. 3 seed Kira Matushkina of Russua 5-7, 7-6(5), 6-3, while Jauffret had beaten wild card Sara Shumate 6-1, 6-1 on Tuesday.

Fifteen-year-old wild card Janae Preston will play 31-year-old Elena-Teodora Cadar of Romania, the No. 8 seed, in the second round after beating wild card Ciara Harding 6-3, 7-5.  Clemson recruit Harper Stone also advanced to the second round with the 16-year-old beating fellow qualifier Sofia Maria Barbulescu of Romania 6-7(3), 6-4, 7-6(5) in a four-hour marathon. The other two Americans in the second round are former collegians who came through qualifying: India Houghton(Stanford) will play Carson Tanguilig(North Carolina) for a place in the quarterfinals.

At the M25 in Harlingen Texas, No. 3 seed Raphael Perot(Texas A&M) of France extended his USTA Pro Circuit winning streak to 16 matches, beating Karl Poling(Princeton, UNC) 7-5, 3-6, 6-4 to advance to the second round against Kaylan Bigun(UCLA). 

In the only all-USA second round match, Michigan State senior Ozan Baris will face Ohio State junior Aidan Kim, the No. 7 seed, after Baris beat qualifier Sebastian Dominko(Notre Dame) of Slovenia 7-5, 7-5 and Kim defeated Oklahoma sophomore Orel Kimhi of Israel 6-1, 6-1. Kim beat Baris this past June in the second round of the Wichita M25 6-2, 6-4, but their meeting in Big Ten play in March went to Kim 6-3, 5-7, 7-6(4), with that result giving Ohio State a 4-3 win.

The ITA has a YouTube documentary coming Friday with Arizona's Jay Friend, this fall's ITA All-American champion. The trailer for the 34-minute behind-the-scenes coverage of Friend's quest for his first college major is below.