Tim Smyczek took the ninth edition of the Charlottesville Men's Pro Challenger on Sunday, downing countryman and top seed Tennys Sandgren 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-2 in exactly two hours. The American had his back against the wall, trailing by a set and a break, but would storm back to hoist the trophy. It was a significant victory for the 29-year-old, who claimed his first ATP Challenger Tour title in more than two years (Tiburon 2015). He rises 31 spots to No. 158 in the Emirates ATP Rankings. The Wisconsin native is the ninth different American to prevail on the circuit this year. He joins Sandgren, Frances Tiafoe, Ryan Harrison, Noah Rubin, Michael Mmoh, Kevin King, Mackenzie McDonald and Stefan Kozlov in...
Christopher Eubanks burst onto the ATP World Tour in July when he advanced to the quarter-finals of the BB&T Atlanta Open, claiming his first two tour-level victories. He then qualified for the Masters 1000 event in Cincinnati, beating World No. 69 Janko Tipsarevic — a candidate for Comeback Player of the Year in the 2017 ATP World Tour Awards Presented by Moët & Chandon — to earn a spot in the main draw, where he lost in three sets. Thanks to his efforts, he received a wild card into the US Open. The thing is, Eubanks was still a college tennis player, having recently completed his junior year at Georgia Tech. There, he became the fifth player in Atlantic Coast...
Just short of 100 aces for the week, including 28 in the final. You said after your semi-final yesterday that you weren’t thrilled with how you served. How did you feel you served today? I served much better today than yesterday, for sure. [Ruben] was a tough returner. I hit a lot of aces, but part of it is that I played a lot more points on my serve. Even if I did hit my spot, he was taking cuts at the ball and was dangerous. He was a nightmare for me today. You only had one look at break chances today as well. I was one for five today, but all of those came in one game. If you...
You’re 20-0, five straight Challenger titles through 2016. How much of it has been you and how much of it has been your partners or even luck? I think it’s always a team effort. I’ve been fortunate to play with good partners every week, Ryan Harrison, Sam Groth twice, Matt Reid and Mackenzie McDonald. It’s been a really fun year in doubles. I still haven’t found my stride yet in singles, but I look to keep playing more doubles next year and hopefully keep getting my [Emirates ATP Doubles] ranking up because I don’t have a point coming off until Savannah. With scoring in doubles, things can get away from you with a bad give minutes. What does that say...
A tennis tournament at any level becomes truly special when it transcends individual achievement and, at the core of its culture, represents something greater than what transpires between the lines. On Sunday, the Charlottesville Men's Pro Challenger, a $50,000 event on the ATP Challenger Tour, concludes its eighth edition with American teen Reilly Opelka facing Belgium's Ruben Bemelmans for the title. But it was what happened exactly seven days ago at the Boar's Head Sports Club, located just outside the campus of the University of Virginia, that set the tone for the entire week of world-class tennis. Since 2013, the tournament has reveled in a unique relationship with the Special Olympics, partnering with the organisation that encourages inclusion for intellectually...
