Last weekend was a very successful weekend on the Pro Circuit as seven former collegians won pro titles while another eleven finished as runner-up.
The third seed #502 Connor Smith (Ohio State ’13) swept both the singles and doubles titles at the $10K Israel F11 Futures in Herzliya. Smith won his first singles title of the year, fifth of his career, with a straight set win over the top seed #321 Yannick Jankovits. There were no breaks of serve in the opening set but Smith earned a mini-break to start the tiebreak and managed to pull it out 8-6. The only break of the second set came when Smith broke from 15/40 to go ahead 5-3 and then he served it out from 40/30 to win it 7-6(6), 6-3.
Smith also teamed up with 16-year old American Danny Thomas to defeat Nate Lammons (SMU ’16) and Dane Webb (Oklahoma ’15) 6-3, 6-4 to win the doubles title. It was Smith 10th career doubles title and second with Thomas.
The top seed #346 Yannick Maden (Clemson ’13) won his third Futures singles title of the year, fifth of his career, with a straight set win over #509 Marvin Netuschil in the finals of the $25K Belgium F13 Futures in Arlon. Maden got broke in an eleven deuce game to start the match and in fact each of the first five service games resulted in a break of serve. Maden fell behind 4-2 before winning four straight including a break at love to take the set 6-4. The second set started off with back-to-back breaks and then Maden won five of the next six games to close it out 6-4, 6-2.
#589 Anis Ghorbel (Drake ’13) won his first career professional singles title with a three set win over #563 Roman Safiullin at the $10K Egypt F23 Futures in Sharm El Sheikh. Ghorbel led 4-1 in the first set before Safiullin won six of the next seven games to take the opening set 7-5. Ghorbel took the second set 6-2 and then opened up a 4-1 lead in the third but Safiullin got it back on serve when he broke Ghorbel at love to even it at 5-5. After each held from 40/30, Ghorbel never trailed in the tiebreak and took it 7-4.
The Skupski Brothers, Ken (LSU ’07) and Neal (LSU ’12), won the doubles title at the St. Remy (France) Challenger. Ken and Neal defeated a pair of 2014 Memphis graduates, David O’Hare and Joe Salisbury, 6-7, 6-4, 1-0 (5). It was the Skupski’s 13th career doubles title as a team.
Rhyne Williams (Tennessee) and Hans Hach (Abliene Christian ’13) won their first doubles title as a team after defeating Jackson Withrow (Texas A&M ’16) and Hunter Reese (Tennessee ’15) 7-5, 6-4 to win the $25K Canada F7 Futures in Toronto.
Pro Titles/Finals This Past Week:
Singles:
Belgium – Yannick Maden (Clemson ’13)
Egypt – Anis Ghorbel (Drake ’13)
Israel – Connor Smith (Ohio State ’13)
Doubles:
France (CH) Ken Skupski (LSU ’07)/Neal Skupski (LSU ’12)
Canada – Rhyne Williams (Tennessee ’11*)/Hans Hach (Abilene Christian ’13)
Israel – Connor Smith (Ohio State ’13)
Runner-Ups:
Singles:
China (CH) – Jason Jung (Michigan ’11)
Doubles:
Columbia (CH) – Roberto Quiroz (USC ’15)
France (CH) – David O’Hare (Memphis ’14)/Joe Salisbury (Memphis ’14)
Canada – Jackson Withrow (Texas A&M ’16)/Hunter Reese (Tennessee ’15)
Egypt – Alex Lawson (Notre Dame ’16)/Benjamin Lock (Florida State ’16)
Hungary – Peter Nagy (Texas A&M Corpus Christi ’15)
Israel – Nathaniel Lammons (SMU ’16)/Dane Webb (Oklahoma ’15)
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