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ZooTennis

http://tenniskalamazoo.blogspot.com/ | 141 entries published

ZooTennis

Latest Entries

Eleven Singles Titles for Americans on ITF Junior Circuit; USTA Announces Dates for Roland Garros Wild Card Challege; Features on Jack Pinnington Jones and Matt Forbes; Sik to Represent Australia?

On Saturday I covered the titles for Safir Azam and Adla Lopez at the ITF J200 in the Dominican Republic, but that was just the tip of the iceberg, with US juniors claiming nine additional singles titles on the ITF Junior Circuit last week. Tomas Laukys won his biggest title at the J100 in Trnava Slovakia, with the unseeded 15-year-old defeating No. 2 seed Dominik Macej of Slovakia 7-6(5),

about 10 hours ago | 0 reads

Liutova Wins First Pro Event at W35 Las Vegas; Korda Captures Delray Beach ATP 250; CMS Repeats as Men's Division III Indoor Champions; Barry Continues Dominance of D-II Women's Indoor; No. 2 Ohio State Women Hang On, No. 4 LSU Falls

Last week all four pro tournaments in the United States were won by Americans; this year it was just the ATP 250 in Delray Beach that featured a champion from the United States, with the four other tournaments going to international players.Sixteen-year-old Kristina Liutova, who was born in Moscow but has lived in the United States for many years, captured her first pro title, beating wild card

1 day ago | 1 read

Americans Sweep ITF J200 Titles in Dominican Republic; 16-Year-Olds Clarke and Liutova Meet for W35 Las Vegas Title; Heck Advances to M15 Naples Final; Pegula Triumphs at WTA 1000 in Dubai

Americans won all four titles at the ITF J200 in Punta Cana Dominican Republic, with Safir Azam sweeping the boys titles and Adla Lopez winning her first ITF Junior Circuit singles title.Azam, the No. 3 seed, defeated unseeded Mauricio Schtulmann Gasca of Mexico 6-4, 6-1 in the final to earn his second ITF Junior Circuit singles title, with the first coming last year at a J100, also in the

2 days ago | 0 reads

Three Teens Reach Semifinals at W35 in Las Vegas; Tien Outlasts Tiafoe at Delray; Men's D-III and Women's D-II ITA Team Indoors Underway; Gardner-Webb Drops Tennis; D-I Indoor All-Tournament Teams

Seventeen-year-old Julieta Pareja and 16-year-olds Melije Clarke and Kristina Liutova are through to the all-USA semifinals of the USTA Pro Circuit W35 in Las Vegas, and while the temperatures were in the low 50s, it was sunny there today, allowing the tournament to finish the second round and play all four quarterfinals after a wet day Thursday.Pareja, the No. 3 seed, got a retirement from LSU

3 days ago | 0 reads

My Recap of Texas's Title at ITA D-I Men's Team Indoor; Ohio State Men, Georgia Women Top New Rankings; Ambidextrous Davidov, 15, Reaches Quarterfinals M15 in Naples; Clarke Advances at Las Vegas W35; Frey vs Vidmanova at WTA 125 Midland

If you weren't able to follow my daily coverage of the ITA Men's Division I Team Indoor Championships, my recap of the tournament for the Tennis Recruiting Network can fill that gap. It was an exciting event that I was fortunate to be able to cover in person and I look forward to seeing how the rest of the season plays out as we head to Athens in May for the NCAAs.The conclusion of the Division I

4 days ago | 0 reads

Tucson ITF J300 Acceptances; ITA Announces Host Sites for 2027 and 2028 Team Indoor Championships; Pro Connections at Men's Team Indoor; Confirmation of Tiley's Move to USTA CEO Position Expected Next Week

Acceptances for the ITF J300 in Tucson were posted today, with Janae Preston and Michael Antonius leading the fields. Tucson is the new site of this tournament, which had been during the second week of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells the past three years.Preston, now up to 21 in the ITF junior rankings after her three straight J300 titles in Central and South America, is one of four Top 50

5 days ago | 0 reads

Texas Claims Program's First Title at ITA Men's Division I Team Indoor Championships with 4-2 Victory Over No. 1 Ohio State

©Colette Lewis 2026--Dallas TX--University of Texas head coach Bruce Berque didn't dream that his team would contend for a title at this year's ITA Men's National Team Indoor Championships, and when freshman Kalin Ivanovski delivered a 4-2 victory over top seed Ohio State Tuesday night at SMU's Styslinger/Altec Tennis Complex, securing the Longhorns first Team Indoor title, Berque still couldn't

6 days ago | 0 reads

Ohio State Defeats Virginia, Texas Beats Baylor to Advance to Tuesday's Final of the ITA Men's Division I Team Indoor Championships

©Colette Lewis 2026--Dallas TX--Three-time ITA Men's Team Indoor champion Ohio State will face a Texas team seeking its first title Tuesday night at the Styslinger-Altec Tennis Complex at SMU after earning hard-fought wins over Virginia and Baylor in Monday's semifinals.Top seed Ohio State avoided a third consecutive 4-3 decision, beating No. 2 seed Virginia 4-2 in the 3:30 pm match, with a

7 days ago | 2 reads

Sixteen-year-old Johnson Earns First USTA Pro Circuit Title at M15 Sunrise; Dostanic Claims First ATP Challenger Title; Former Collegians Shelton and Cerundolo Win ATP Titles; ITF Junior Circuit Update

©Colette Lewis 2026--Dallas Texas--Six consolation matches were on Sunday's schedule at the ITA Men's Division I Team Indoor Championships, and I watched Mississippi State's 4-3 win over Stanford and Florida's 4-1 win over SMU here in Dallas(John Isner was also in attendance for the latter), with the Clemson - Arizona State match yet to finish. They had another thriller in Waco today, with Wake

8 days ago | 2 reads

Defending Champion Wake Forest Upset by Baylor, Ohio State Wins Another 4-3 Battle to Reach ITA Men's D-I Team Indoor Semifinals; Johnson Advances to M15 Sunrise Final; Preston Wins Third Straight ITF J300 in Peru

©Colette Lewis 2026--Dallas TX--There will be a new champion Tuesday at the ITA Men's Division I Team Indoor Championships, after No. 5 seed Baylor used its home crowd advantage and some clutch play during two third-set tiebreakers in the deciding matches to earn a 4-3 victory over defending champion and No. 1 seed Wake Forest in Waco. Moments after Baylor's Luc Koenig defeated Charlie

9 days ago | 1 read

Top Seed Ohio State Escapes Host SMU's Upset Bid, Stanford Survives Arizona State in 4-3 Thrillers on Opening Day of ITA Men's D-I Team Indoor Championships; Johnson Reaches Semis at M15 Sunrise; Chang Faces Preston in ITF J300 Final in Peru

©Colette Lewis 2026--Dallas TX-- All the drama of the first day of the ITA Division I Men's Team Indoor Championships was front-loaded in the opening two matches Friday at the Styslinger/Altec Tennis Complex, with 4-3 thrillers clinched by players who had never found themselves in that scenario until today.Of the two 4-3 decisions, The more expected of the two 4-3 decision came in the 9:00 am

10 days ago | 0 reads

Svajda Ready for Top Seed Ohio State as Men's ITA Indoor Championships Begin Friday; Pinnington Jones Makes Dallas Open Quarterfinals; Johnson Beats Fenty To Reach Sunrise M15 Quarterfinals; Preston Extends J300 Winning Streak in Peru

©Colette Lewis 2026--Dallas Texas--Today was Media Day for the teams at the ITA Men's Team Indoor Championships, and the eight teams at the SMU site cycled through the production area on the third floor, filming introductions, answering questions from Cracked Racquets announcer Chris Halioris, the ITA's social media consultants and Nate Walroth of Not Your Country Club.One player who I wasn't

11 days ago | 2 reads

Quinn Fights Off Jet Lag and SMU's Trevor Svajda to Advance, Spizzirri Uses Texas Support to Reach Second Round at ATP 500 Dallas Open

©Colette Lewis 2026--Dallas, Texas--I spent the day at the ATP 500 Nexo Dallas Open, watching many of the players I've covered in the juniors and in college competing or practicing at the highest levels of the game. I decided to focus on the two matches played on the Grandstand court at the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, which is where the Dallas Cowboys conduct their training

12 days ago | 0 reads

Dilek Saves Four Match Points in Third Set Tiebreaker to Deliver Georgia's Second Straight ITA Women's Division I Team Indoor Championship; Seeds, Matchups for Men's Indoor First Round Set for Friday; Kennedy Earns First Challenger Victory in Baton Rouge

Georgia freshman Deniz Dilek was up 6-0, 2-0, then down 5-0 and 6-3 in the third set tiebreaker of the deciding match of this year's ITA Women's Division I Team Indoor Championships. A whole lot happened in between, but Dilek simply would not concede defeat, with the result a 4-3 victory for defending champion Georgia over a formidable Ohio State team.When Georgia took the courts this evening at

13 days ago | 0 reads

Upstart Ohio State Faces Defending Champion Georgia in Tuesday's ITA Women's Division I Team Indoor Final; Four More ITF Junior Circuit Titles Last Week for Americans

There will be a new face and a familiar face in Tuesday night's final of the ITA Division I Women's Team Indoor Championships after defending champion Georgia came from behind to beat Auburn and Ohio State earned the program's a first trip to a national final with a win over Texas A&M.Georgia looked down and out against Auburn this afternoon in Evanston, but roared backed from a 3-1 deficit

14 days ago | 1 read

Smith Defends Cleveland Challenger Title; Day Wins W50 in Orlando; USA Shuts Out Hungary to Advance in Davis Cup; Zheng and Svajda Receive Dallas Open Wild Cards, TCU Pair Claim Doubles WC

Colton Smith returned to the scene of his first ATP Challenger title one year ago and emerged with his second Cleveland Open Challenger 75 title today. The 22-year-old former All-American was a senior at Arizona when he defeated Eliot Spizzirri(Texas) 6-4, 6-7(6), 6-3 in the 2025 final; now beginning his first full season as a professional, the No. 2 seed defeated former Wake Forest All-American

15 days ago | 1 read

Buckeye Women Take Down No.1 UNC, OSU Men Beat No.1 Virginia; Antonius and Preston Claim ITF J300 Titles in Ecuador; Smith Returns to Cleveland Challenger Final; Day vs Scott for W50 Orlando Title; Quinn Gives US Davis Cup Team 2-0 Lead in Hungary

Saturday was a good day to be an Ohio State tennis fan, with both the women and the men taking down the No. 1 teams in the country.Although the North Carolina women were not technically No. 1 in the last coaches poll released, they were the No. 1 seeds in this weekend ITA Division I women's Team Indoor Championships, but their pedigree did not intimidate the fifth-seeded Buckeyes. After

16 days ago | 3 reads

Top Seeds Auburn and North Carolina Cruise into Women's Team Indoor Quarterfinals; All-USA Girls Final, Antonius Goes for Two Straight at ITF J300 Ecuador; Cayetano Reaches First M50 Semifinal in Orlando; Damm into ATP 250 Semifinal

The top two seeds had no trouble with the hosts today as both North Carolina and Auburn picked up 4-0 wins in the first round of the ITA Division I Women's Team Indoor Championships in Champaign and Evanston Illinois. The two matches between the No. 4 and No. 5 seeds are going on now, but I'm going to post with the results of the first six matches and add those singles results in a couple of

17 days ago | 0 reads

Five Americans Advance to Semifinals of ITF J300 Ecuador; Gaines Reaches Palm Coast M15 Quarterfinals; Four Qualifiers Advance at Orlando W50, Seven Americans Reach Cleveland Challenger Quarterfinals; UTR Pro Tennis Tour Update

The semifinals are set at the ITF J300 in Salinas Ecuador, with three US girls and two US boys still in contention for the singles titles.Top seed Michael Antonius, who swept the titles last week at the J300 in Colombia, defeated qualifier Koki Nara of Japan 4-6, 7-5, 6-2 in today's quarterfinals. For the second week in a row, he will play Canadian Xavier Massotte, the No. 3 seed, in the

18 days ago | 2 reads

January Aces; Cragg Upsets No. 1 Seed in ITF J300 Ecuador; Virginia Men Move to Top Spot in Coaches Poll, New No. 1 in D-I Men's Singles; Gaines Earns First ATP Point in Palm Coast; Ekstrand Ousts Top Seed Osuigwe in Orlando

My column for the Tennis Recruiting Network featuring the top performances of the previous month is now available for January, featuring titles won by current and former collegians and juniors. The Australian Open and Les Petits As are always at the heart of the first month of the year, and 2026 is no exception, but Challenger-level titles and expertise in both singles and doubles are also

19 days ago | 5 reads

North Carolina, Auburn Top Seeds for ITA Women's D-I Team Indoor Championships; Davidov, Stoot and Gaines Qualify at M15 Palm Coast; W50 Underway in Orlando; Martin Upsets Top Seed at Cleveland Challenger

The seeds and draw for the ITA Women's Division I Team Indoor Championships are out, with North Carolina and Auburn the top seeds at the two sites. On Friday there will be four matches at each site, with North Carolina at the top of draw in Campaign and Auburn at the top of the draw in Chicago. After the first two rounds, the two semifinalists emerging from the University of Illinois site

20 days ago | 3 reads

Antonius and Traynor Win ITF J300 Titles in Colombia; Kennedy Makes ATP Challenger Main Draw Debut in Cleveland; Georgia Tops Women's Winter Recruiting Class Rankings; Tommy Paul, Christian Harrison Added to USA's Davis Cup Roster

The ITF J300 in Baranquilla Colombia has always been a popular and successful tournament for American juniors, regardless where its been on the ITF Junior Circuit calendar, with American boys winning five of the past six singles titles. Keaton Hance, the Australian Open boys finalist won it last year, along with Julieta Pareja, and again this year Americans swept the titles, with Michael Antonius

21 days ago | 12 reads

Karabanova, Hotelier Capture Les Petits As Titles; Svajda, Kalieva, Andreescu and Grant Win Championships on USTA Pro Circuit; No. 1 Georgia Women, No. 1 Wake Forest Men Fall at UNC, Ohio State

There were two completely different finals at Les Petits As, the prestigious international tournament for 14-and-under players held annually in Tarbes France.Girls champion Aleksandra Karabanova of Russia, the No. 10 seed, saved a match point in her 5-7, 7-6(5), 6-0 win over Elizaveta Anikina of Estonia in a final that spanned nearly three hours, while No. 16 seed Lyoma Hotelier of Japan breezed

22 days ago | 3 reads

Sesko and Efremova Claim Australian Open Junior Singles Titles

The Australian Open Junior Championships concluded Sunday in Melbourne with Ziga Sesko of Slovenia and Ksenia Efremova of France coming through tight battles to earn their first junior slam titles.In the boys final, No. 7 seed Sesko became the first Slovenia boy to win a junior slam singles title, coming back to defeat No. 4 seed Keaton Hance of the United States 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.Hance took the

23 days ago | 1 read

Hance Faces Sesko in Australian Open Boys Final, Efremova and Tupitsyna Meet for AO Girls Title; Harrison and Skupski Capture Men's Doubles Title in Melbourne; Bender and Gardality Win Les Petits As Doubles Championship

I am planning to do two posts today, this one with a recap of Saturday's single semifinals and doubles finals at the Australian Open Junior Championships, and one much, much later tonight, after the completion of Sunday's singles finals.For the fourth time in five years, an American boy has reached the Australian Open final, with Keaton Hance joining Bruno Kuzuhara(2022), Learner Tien(2023) and

24 days ago | 7 reads