Vicky Duval, Sachia Vickery to Meet in Women’s Final, Steve Johnson and Tennys Sandgren to Play in Men’s Final at Australian Open Wild Card Playoffs

Written by: Staff on 21st December 2013

Vicky Duval, Sachia Vickery to Meet in Women's Final, Steve Johnson and Tennys Sandgren to Play in Men's Final at Australian Open Wild Card Playoffs

epa03842761 Victoria Duval of the US hits a return to Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia during their match on the fourth day of the 2013 US Open Tennis Championship at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York, USA, 29 August 2013. The US Open runs through Monday 09 September, a 15-day schedule for the first time. EPA/JUSTIN LANE |

NORCROSS, Ga., December 21, 2013 – Had the draw at this summer’s US Open played out differently, maybe Sachia Vickery would have been the breakout star instead of Vicky Duval.

The two 18-year olds will play each other Sunday for a main draw wild card into January’s Australian Open. Each advanced to the final of the Australian Open Wild Card Playoffs at Life Time Athletic at Peachtree Corners. Vickery defeated Grace Min, 6-3, 6-7(3), 6-4, and Duval took out Shelby Rogers, 6-4, 7-5. The women’s final begins at 1 p.m.

The men’s final between Steve Johnson, who beat Chase Buchanan, 6-0, 6-4, and Tennys Sandgren, who overcame Denis Kudla, 6-3, 7-6(5), will immediately follow. Both matches will be streamed live at www.australianwildcard.com.

Tennis fans around the world now know Duval thanks to her first-round upset of 2011 US Open champion Samantha Stosur at Flushing Meadows. Packaged with her remarkable backstory and infectious personality, Duval became a sensation overnight.

Vickery, meanwhile, quietly advanced to the US Open’s second round, beating Mirjana Lucic-Baroni in straight sets. She’s now ranked No. 195, compared to Duval’s No. 168, but the two have a long history against one another in junior play, and Vickery won their only pro meeting – at the USTA Pro Circuit $100,000 event last February in Midland, Mich. – 6-0, 6-4.

“I think I’m always flying under the radar, which, I think, I prefer it that way. I’m a pretty humble person. Being in the spotlight doesn’t bother me that much, but whatever happens happens,” Vickery said. “She’s playing well, and I’m playing well. She’s had an unbelievable summer, and we’re good friends. I just hope we can have a good match tomorrow.”

Sunday’s men’s final between two former collegians will be a long one, at least if Sandgren has his way.

The men’s final will be played in the same format as an Australian Open main draw match – best of five sets, no fifth-set tiebreak. Sandgren, who was an all-American at Tennessee before turning pro after the 2011 season, hasn’t ever played a five-set match.

“I really want to. I hope it goes five,” Sandgren said. “I kind of want to see how I stack up in a long match like that.”

Conditioning won’t be a problem for Sandgren, or so said Johnson, the former Southern California star who has played Sandgren twice on the pro tour – most recently in Savannah, Ga., in April – and lost both matches in three sets.

“He’s in shape,” said Johnson, the two-time NCAA singles champion whose serve and forehand have played well on Life Time’s indoor courts. “That guy can run for days, and I’ve seen it. So, it’s going to be a battle and I’m really looking forward to it.”

Notes from Day 2 at the Australian Open Wild Card Playoffs …

Johnson, when asked if he’d rather the conditions at this tournament more closely resemble those typical of Australia in January:

“Australia can get pretty hot, so unless they put a nice big heater in here … I think that would be quite uncomfortable for the spectators,” he said. “I like these courts. I don’t mind playing indoors. My serve and forehand, the game style I play, it suits me pretty well.”

For Men’s Draws: click here

For Women’s Draws: click here

For Order of Play – Sunday, Dec. 21: click here

Topics: 10sballs.com, Australian Open Wild Card Playoffs, Chase Buchanan, Denis Kudla, Grace Min, Sachia Vickery, Samantha Stosur, Shelby Rogers, Steve Johnson, Tennis, Tennis News, Tennys Sandgren, US Open, Vicky Duval