Number one seed upset, Smyczek advances today at the Napa Valley Challenger
Upsets today, number one seed, Denis Kudla lost to number six seed Matthew Ebden 6-3 7-5. Young won over Williams 6-2 7-5.
The Cinderella story of Michael Venus ended today as he lost a hard fought battle to Kuznetsov 6-2 7-6(3). In an up and down match Tim Smyczek, wild card and number two seed, after losing the first set, took the win over Bradley Klahn decidedly 1-6 6-1 6-2.
In the afternoon featured match, the Australian team of Ben Mitchell and 17 year old phenom Thanasi Kokkinakis, who lost in the finals of this years US Open Junior Grand Slam event, played against John Patrick Smith and local fan favorite Bobby Reynolds. Team Reynolds/Smith took the win today 64 67(7) 10-7.
Today’s tournament opened with a USTA wheelchair demonstration by Teaming Individuals Emphasizing Sports (TIES). The non-profit, charitable organization is dedicated to improving lives of people living with disabilities through sports and providing disability awareness through integrating athletes without disabilities to play tennis with wheel chair players.
Founder David Van Brunt was present, playing in the demo, “This organization is a great way for people to realize their strengths in sports and get active again, it helps raise awareness and helps the players gain confidence in themselves and the game,” said Van Brunt. If you’d you like to find out more or to donate to the organization visit,www.tiessports.org.
USTA Kid’s day is today September 28th starting at 9:30 a.m. Ages 6-12 will participate in fun games and activities on court and receive a free Ben & Jerry’s ice cream cone for participation.
Semifinal action starts at 11:30 a.m. with Donald Young vs Tim Smyczek, followed by Matthew Ebden vs Alex Kuznetsov followed by the featured double USA teams Steve Johnson/Tim Smyczek vs Denis Kudla/Donald Young.
Tickets are only $20 for general admission and $30 for grandstand. Advance tickets must be purchased online at NapaValleyChallenger.com, or purchase tickets at the event at the Napa Valley Country Club, 3385 Hagen Road, we hope to see you out here!
Topics: Denis Kudla, Matthew Ebden, Napa Valley Challenger, Sports, Tennis, Tennis News