Top U.S. prospects set for Sacramento Challenger

Collin Altamirano will play in his hometown Sacramento
Challenger next week against fifth-seeded Denis Kudla.
2013 photo by Paul Bauman

   Three of the United States' top prospects will play in next week's $100,000 Sacramento Pro Circuit Challenger.
   Collin Altamirano, 18, of Sacramento and Stefan Kozlov, 16, of Pembroke Pines, Fla., received wild cards into the main draw, which begins Monday at the Natomas Racquet Club. Jared Donaldson, 17, of Chepachet, R.I., and Irvine also is entered.
   Altamirano, who won last year's USTA Boys 18 National Championships in Kalamazoo, Mich., will meet fifth-seeded Denis Kudla of Boca Raton, Fla., in the first round.    Kozlov, the runner-up in Australian Open boys singles in January at 15, will take on 22-year-old Ryan Harrison, once considered the United States' greatest hope.
   Donaldson, who reached his first Challenger semifinal this week in Napa, will meet seventh-seeded Thiemo de Bakker, the 2006 Wimbledon boys singles champion from the Netherlands who climbed to a career-high No. 40 in 2010.
   Americans Sam Querrey and Tim Smyczek are seeded first and second, respectively, for the second straight week in Sacramento. They will meet in today's Napa final.
   In first-round singles qualifying on Saturday, hard-serving Dennis Novikov of San Jose edged Denmark's Frederik Nielsen 7-6 (3), 6-7 (1), 6-4.
   Nielsen won the Wimbledon men's doubles title two years ago with Jonathan Marray of Great Britain and reached the quarterfinals of the 2010 Sacramento Challenger.

$100,000 SACRAMENTO PRO CIRCUIT CHALLENGER

At Natomas Racquet Club

First-round singles qualifying

   Philip Bester, Canada, def. Clay Thompson, United States, 6-4, 6-2.
   Thomas Fabbiano (2), Italy, def. Wesley Koolhof, Netherlands, 6-4, 6-4.
   Eric Quigley, United States, def. Fritz Wolmarans (6), South Africa, 1-6, 7-5, 6-4.
   Dennis Novikov, United States, def. Frederik Nielsen, Denmark, 7-6 (3), 6-7 (1), 6-4.
   Liam Broady (3), Great Britain, def. Antonio Massara, Italy, 6-4, 7-5.
   Lovedeep Singh, Sacramento, def. Brett Bacharach, Newcastle, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.
   Alexander Ritschard, Switzerland, def. Tigre Hank (7), Mexico, 6-1, 7-5.
   Spencer Papa, United States, def. Harry Bourchier, Australia, 5-7, 7-5, 7-6 (5).
   Alexios Halebian, United States, def. Erik Elliott, United States, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.
   Nils Langer (4), Germany, def. Mico Santiago, United States, 6-0, 6-2.
   Marcos Giron (8), United States, def. Brandon Sutter, El Dorado Hills, 6-0, 6-2.  
   Sekou Bangoura, United States, def. Yale Goldberg, United States, 6-0, 6-1.
   Matt Reid (1), Australia, def. Salvatore Caruso, Italy, 6-3, 6-2.
   Dimitar Kutrovsky (5), Bulgaria, def. Robert Shulman, United States, 6-0, 6-1.
   Mitchell Frank, United States, def. Jose (Rubin) Statham, New Zealand, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.
   Lucas Gomez, Mexico, def. James Cluskey, Ireland, 7-6 (2), 6-1.

Today's schedule

(Starting at 10 a.m.)

Court 1

   Liam Broady (3), Great Britain, vs. Lovedeep Singh, Sacramento.
   Nils Langer (4), Germany, vs. Sekou Bangoura, United States.
   Doubles qualifying (not before 12:30 p.m.)

Court 6

   Thomas Fabbiano (2), Italy, vs. Philip Bester, Canada.
   Marcos Giron (8), United States, vs. Alexios Halebian, United States.

Court 7

   Spencer Papa, United States, vs. Alexander Ritschard, Switzerland.
   Matt Reid (1), Australia, vs. Mitchell Frank, United States.
   Doubles qualifying (not before 12:30 p.m.)

Court 9

   Dennis Novikov, United States, vs. Eric Quigley, United States.
   Dimitar Kutrovsky (5), Bulgaria, vs. Lucas Gomez, Mexico.