Kevin Anderson had a tremendous two weeks at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center but unfortunately he came up short in the singles final falling to world No. 1 Rafael Nadal in three sets. The opening set stayed on serve through the first six service games, which included an Anderson hold in a six-deuce game, but Nadal would get the first break in a one-deuce game to go in front 4-3. After Nadal held from 40/15, he would break Anderson again to take the opening set 6-3 in 58 minutes.
The second set started off with five straight holds until Nadal broke Anderson from 30/40 to take a 4-2 lead. Nadal would hold serve two more times to claim the set 6-3 in 39 minutes.
Nadal started off the third set with a break and hold to go up 2-0 and it’d be all holds the rest of the way with Nadal serving out the match in a one-deuce game to win 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 in 2 hours and 27 minutes. Anderson hit 10 aces in the match and won 73% of the points on his first serve but Nadal ripped into his second serve winning 64% of the points. Anderson won just 15 of 72 points (21%) on Nadal’s serve while not having any break opportunities. Despite the loss Anderson picked up 1200 ATP points and a tidy sum of $1.83 million.
To step on Arthur Ashe with @RafaelNadal for my first Slam final was an honour. I look forward to sharing the court with you again soon ? pic.twitter.com/lojLczEeil
— Kevin Anderson (@KAndersonATP) September 11, 2017
Stanford senior Tom Fawcett and Ohio State junior Francesca Di Lorenzo won singles titles at the American Collegiate Invitational. Fawcett defeated UCLA senior Martin Redlicki in a long three setter in a match that was played on the Grandstand at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Fawcett jumped out to a 3-1 lead in the opening set and then added a second break to go up 5-2. Redlicki then ran off four straight games to go up 6-5 but Fawcett came back with a hold and then pulled out the tiebreak 7-4.
In the second set, Redlicki broke and held for 4-2 but Fawcett held, broke, and held to go back in front 5-4. Once again they’d go to a tiebreak but this time it’d be Redlicki pulling out by an 8-6 score.
The third set was pretty similar to the first set with Fawcett opening up a double break lead but this time he managed to serve it out, albeit on his second chance, to win 7-6, 6-7, 6-4.
2017 American College Invitational champs ??
Fawcett (@StanfordTennis)
Di Lorenzo (@OhioState_WTEN)https://t.co/sWkDRqOD3G #usopen pic.twitter.com/frMCCLpjzU— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 10, 2017
Di Lorenzo claimed the women’s title with an equally as long three-set win over Ingrid Neel. Neel, who announced that she will not be returning to Florida and instead will begin her pro career, took the opening set 6-4. Di Lorenzo bounced back in the second set taking it 6-4 but Neel jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the final set. Di Lorenzo rallied to win six of the next seven games to win 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 in 2 hours and 10 minutes. Di Lorenzo is going to take the fall off to play pro events and then will make a decision on whether to return to Ohio State for the spring.
Both Fawcett and Di Lorenzo are guaranteed a wild card into next year’s US Open qualifying draw plus both will get main draw wild cards into three USTA Pro Circuit events.
.@UNCATennis‘ Patten Wins Championship at Prestigious Southern Intercollegiate Championships (story) #ThePursuit https://t.co/9YaJKOGipG pic.twitter.com/jjjOsGbG2V
— Asheville Athletics (@ashevilledogs) September 11, 2017
UNC Asheville junior Henry Patten and Ole Miss sophomore Tim Sandkaulen shared the Division I singles title at the Southern Intercollegiate Championships in Athens. Patten won five matches in Athens with wins over Mercer’s Sam Philip (#2), Georgia Gwinnett’s Kevin Konfederak (NAIA #1), Stetson’s Loic Blanco (#1), FAU freshman Ignacio Garcia, and a 6-7(4), 7-6(2), 6-4 win over Georgia junior Emil Reinberg in the semifinals.
Sandkaulen received a first round bye and went 4-0 with wins over Virginia Tech’s Mitch Harper (#2), Stetson’s Angus Bradshaw (#3), Tennessee Tech’s Eduardo Mena (#1), and a 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 win in the semifinals over Georgia junior Jan Zielinski (#4).
Louisville senior Nicolas Rouanet won the D2 singles flight with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Stetson freshman Malik Bhatnagar. Rouanet, who played at #3 last season for the Cards, received a first round bye and then won all five of his matches in straight sets with the 6-4, 6-2 scoreline in the final the closest of all his matches.
Asaba wins flight at Southern Intercollegiates!https://t.co/qPU7KJYW5A
— VT Men’s Tennis (@VT_MTennis) September 11, 2017
Virginia Tech sophomore Abraham Asaba won the D3 singles flight with a 2-6, 6-2, 6-3 win over Georgia State sophomore Bailey Showers. Asaba went 5-0 with his straight set wins in his first three matches and three-set wins in the final two.
Full results and completed draws from the Southern Intercollegiates are available at this link.
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