Day 5 Highlights: SportMaster Tennis Championships of Maui

More than 50 kids from Kahului Elementary School attended the School’s Day at the SportMaster Tennis Championships of Maui taking place this week at the Royal Lahaina Tennis Ranch.

The School’s Day included a meet and greet with the pros and an opportunity for students to watch the live action on stadium court. The student visit was organized in an effort to further tennis in physical education classes state-wide.

The SportMaster Tennis Championships of Maui is Hawaiʻi’s only men’s professional tennis event. The USTA Pro Circuit event hosts players from over 20 different countries who compete for $75,000 in cash prizes. The TCOM will host a nighttime match this evening at 6 p.m. as well as the finals weekend starting on Saturday at 10 a.m. and Sunday at 10 a.m.

Day 5 Highlights:

It was a slugfest on Thursday morning between fellow Americans Tennys Sandgren and Bradley Klahn. Klahn, a former top 60 player, seemed to have his way in the first set against Sandgren and took the set 6-3. Sandgren knew that he had to adjust his style in the second set noting his decision to serve and volley more which won him the second set 6-3.

“He (Klahn) was neutralizing my serve with a good slice,” Sandgren started. “I needed to be more aggressive to somehow take that away from him. My first and second server were solid for me so I didn’t have to hit too many volleys.”

Sandgren hit 10 aces in the match. His serves held him up all the way until he was broken to go down 3-5 in the third. Sandgren fought back to break Klahn to get back on serve. The two held serve to get to a third-set tiebreaker.

“The tiebreaker was absolute nails,” Sandgren exhaled. “Thankfully I came up with some big serves when I need to when I was down some match points.”

Sandgren fought off three of Klahn’s match points and sealed the deal 3-6,6- 3,7-6(9).

Mitchell Kreuger (USA) also had a solid win on Thursday over Japan’s Go Soeda 6-2, 3-6, 6-3. Kreuger is currently ranked 205 and Soeda holds a ranking of 139.

Michael Mmoh (USA) continues to power through the draw with a win over up and comer, Tommy Paul (USA) 6-1, 1-6, 6-2.

Second seed, Hyeon Chung (KOR), put on a clinic yesterday with American Mackenzie McDonald winning in under an hour, 6-2, 6-0.

Singles quarterfinals matches started at 10 a.m. on Friday morning.

Day 5 RESULTS – JANUARY 26, 2017
Men’s
Singles – Second Round
[2] Hyeon Chung (KOR) d [WC] Mackenzie McDonald (USA) 62 60
[4] Taro Daniel (JPN) d Ze Zhang (CHN) 63 46 62
[7] Henri Laaksonen (SUI) d [Q] Kento Takeuchi (JPN) 62 62
Alexander Sarkissian (USA) d [Q] Zhe Li (CHN) 64 64
Cameron Norrie (GBR) d Austin Krajicek (USA) 61 63
Mitchell Krueger (USA) d Go Soeda (JPN) 62 36 63
Tennys Sandgren (USA) d [WC] Bradley Klahn (USA) 36 63 76(9)
Michael Mmoh (USA) d Tommy Paul (USA) 61 16 62

Men’s
Doubles – Quarterfinals
[1] Dennis Novikov (USA) / Julio Peralta (CHI) d Luke Bambridge (GBR) / Joel Salisbury (GBR) 67(3) 64 13-11
Austin Krajicek (USA) / Jackson Withrow (USA) d Ernesto Escobedo (USA) / Mackenzie McDonald (USA) 64 64
[WC] Bradley Klahn (USA) / Tennys Sandgren (USA) d Marco Chiudinelli (SUI) / Tatsuma Ito (JPN) 46 76(4) 10-4
[2] Mao-Xin(CHN) / Ze Zhang (CHN) d [Q] John Paul Fruttero (USA) / Zihao Xia (CHN) 36 62 12-10

SportMaster Tennis Championships of Maui. Day 5, Jan. 26, 2017. PC: Ryan Trujillo | USTA

SportMaster Tennis Championships of Maui. Day 5, Jan. 26, 2017. PC: Ryan Trujillo | USTA

SportMaster Tennis Championships of Maui. Day 5, Jan. 26, 2017. PC: Ryan Trujillo | USTA

SportMaster Tennis Championships of Maui. Day 5, Jan. 26, 2017. PC: Ryan Trujillo | USTA

Friday, Jan. 27, 2017. Order of Play.