Stoiana Title at W50 in Austin Includes WTA WIld Card; Kozlov, Anthrop and Bennett Claim USTA Pro Circuit Singles Championships

Seven Americans reached four finals in this week's six USTA Pro Circuit tournaments, with three champions from the United States guaranteed with all-USA finals.

The tournament title that wasn't certain to go to an American was at the M50 in Austin Texas, where Mary Stoiana, the former ITA National Player of Year while at Texas A&M, was facing No. 4 seed Mai Hontama of Japan in the final. Stoiana, the No. 7 seed, fought back to record a 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory, earning her second Pro Circuit title and the first of 2025. 

Not only does the title boost Stoiana's WTA ranking to a career-high of 260, but also gives her a wild card into February's WTA 250 in Austin next year.

Stoiana, who is getting close to Australian Open qualifying territory, is playing another W50 next week, in Mexico.

DJ Bennett, the NCAA 2024 fall singles finalist, didn't qualify for this year's NCAA individual tournament, but some of that disappointment was no doubt soften by the  22-year-old from Florida claiming first Pro Circuit title today at the W15 in Clemson South Carolina.

The seventh-seeded Bennett, a senior at Auburn, defeated 18-year-old University of Georgia signee Bella Payne, the No. 6 seed, 6-3, 7-6(4) in the final. 

Two players who will be competing in the NCAA Division I singles championships Tuesday faced off this morning in the final of the M25 in Columbus Ohio, with No. 7 seed Jack Anthrop beating Ohio State teammate Aidan Kim, the No. 3 seed, 7-6(1), 6-2. It's the first Pro Circuit singles title for the 22-year-old from Florida, who is a 9-16 seed in Lake Nona. Kim is the No. 3 seed.

Anthrop defeated two other teammates in his run to the title, with the set he lost in the quarterfinals to Preston Stearns, another Buckeye in the NCAA singles draw, the only one he dropped all week.

Wild card Duncan Chan of Canada, a junior at TCU, lost in his first Challenger final today at the ATP 75 in Drummondville Quebec, falling to No. 4 seed Daniil Glinka of Estonia 6-4, 6-2. 

Like Kim and Anthrop, Chan will now be scurrying to get to Orlando for a practice Monday before play begins on Tuesday; Chan is the No. 2 seed.

At the last USTA Pro Circuit Challenger of the year, the 75 in Champaign Illinois, Stefan Kozlov defeated No. 4 seed Murphy Cassone(Arizona State) 7-6(3), 7-5 in this afternoon's final. It's the first Challenger title for the 27-year-old from Florida since he won the Champaign title in 2021. Until this week, his best results at the Challenger level were two quarterfinals in January and April. He was as low as 488 in the ATP rankings earlier this year, but this title brings him up to 306 and he'll be much better positioned for the 2027 Challengers now.

Luca Udvardy, a freshman on the Oklahoma State roster who has yet to play for the Cowgirls, won the biggest title of her career today at the W35 in Orlando. The unseeded 20-year-old from Hungary, who reached Wimbledon girls final in 2022, defeated No. 6 seed Martha Matoula of Greece 6-3, 6-3 to earn her fifth singles title but her first about the W15 level.

Eighteen-year-old Reda Bennani of Morocco, who was eligible to compete on the ITF Junior Circuit this year but has played only on the ITF men's World Tennis Tour, won his second title of the year and his career today at the M15 in Orlando. The No. 5 seed defeated unseeded Christopher Li(UNC, Tennessee, Ohio State) of Peru 6-7(1), 6-4, 6-4 in today's final. He had lost to Li 6-1, 6-2 in the second round of the M15 in Orlando the week before.