ORLANDO, February 18, 2017

The ITF Future Circuit has returned to the new USTA National Campus at Lake Nona in Orlando with the second of four tournaments in The Orlando Professional Tennis Series—this week as a $15,000 USTA Pro Circuit clay-court men’s event.

Top seed Michael Linzer advanced to the semi-final on Friday with a 6-1, 6-3 win over sixth favourite Makoto Ochi from Japan. The World No. 306 from Austria won 73 per cent of his first service points and even 83 per cent of his second service points to finish the encounter in one hour and 20 minutes.

Linzer, who eyes his first title on US-American soil, will next take on Christian Lindell of Sweden. The tournament’s number four fought past the last US-American standing in the singles main draw Jared Hiltzik, who graduated in 2016 from the University of Illinois, where he earned three All-American honors, maknig him one of three Illini players to ever do so.

Lindell, who had a strong start in the new season finishing runner-up at the ITF Future event in Sunrise in January, capitalized on eight of his 14 break point chances to prevail after two hours and 40 minutes.

Genaro Alberto Oliviera caused the upset of the day, knocking out the fellow Argentine and second seed Juan Ignacio Londero 6-4, 6-3. The 18-year-old Bragado native, who was ranked as high as No. 9 in the world as a junior player and reached the singles quarterfinals of the junior French Open last year, sent down three aces and broke serve five times to advance in one hour and 54 minutes. Next up for Oliviera will be with Facundo Arguello another player from Argentina. Arguello defeated Hugo Dellien from Bolivia 6-3, 6-3 in one hour and 47 minutes.

Later the day, the all-US-American top seeded tandem of Connor Smith and Rhyne Williams captured the doubles title, winning the final 3-6, 6-3, 10-8 over Boris Arias from Bolivia and Dominik Köpfer of Germany. The encounter lasted one hour and 25 minutes.