TALLAHASSEE, April 5, 2017
The USTA announced that 2016 Tallahassee Tennis Challenger finalist Frances Tiafoe of Hyattsville, Maryland will headline the competitors for the 2017 Tallahassee Tennis Challenger a $75,000 USTA Pro Circuit Challenger event hosted at the Forestmeadows Athletic Center, April 24-29.
The tournament is the fourth USTA Pro Circuit men’s Challenger event of the 2017 season. It is the second of three consecutive Challenger tournaments held on clay courts to help develop players on the surface leading up to the 2017 French Open. There are 12 USTA Pro Circuit men’s events (Futures and Challengers combined) currently scheduled to take place in the USTA Florida Section in 2017.
Currently No. 89, Tiafoe is the highest-ranked of the 22 men who received direct acceptance into the 32-player main draw. Thirty-two players will compete in the qualifying tournament April 22-24, for four other berths. The local tournament organizers and the USTA will also award wild card entries to complete the field.
Tiafoe, a singles finalist at the Tallahassee Tennis Challenger in both 2015 and 2016 reached a career-high ranking of the No. 86 in the world last month. In January, Tiafoe recorded his first career grand slam match win after defeating Mikhail Kukushkin at the Australian Open. Most recently he qualified for the Miami Open presented by Itaú and advanced to the second round where he was defeated by eventual champion Roger Federer 7-6(2), 6-3. The former world No. 2 junior holds two USTA Pro Circuit singles titles overall.
Tiafoe is one of nine Americans in the main draw, alongside former world No. 68 Tim Smyczek; 2013 champion Denis Kudla; 2015 & 2016 doubles champion Dennis Novikov; and former Wimbledon boys’ singles champion Noah Rubin.
Admission to the Tallahassee Tennis Challenger is $5 daily April 24-25, $10 daily April 26-27, $15 for the semifinals on April 28, and $20 for the finals on April 29. A weekly pass is available for $50 and are available beginning April 10 by visiting the Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare Foundation (1331 E 6th Avenue, Tallahassee, FL 32303) or online at tallahasseechallenger.com.
Full Entry List:
1 TIAFOE, Frances USA 89
2 KING, Darian BAR 114
3 LAAKSONEN, Henri SUI 116
4 KOZLOV, Stefan USA 120
5 ANDREOZZI, Guido ARG 129
6 POLANSKY, Peter CAN 131
7 KUDLA, Denis USA 136
8 MAYER, Leonardo ARG 145
9 GONZALEZ, Maximo ARG 151
10 MELZER, Jurgen AUT 156
11 SANDGREN, Tennys USA 157
12 MILLOT, Vincent FRA 167
13 SHAPOVALOV, Denis CAN 173
14 SMYCZEK, Tim USA 175
15 RUBIN, Noah USA 182
16 KRUEGER, Mitchell USA 183
17 NOVIKOV, Dennis USA 187
18 MMOH, Michael USA 190
19 GARIN, Christian CHI 192
20 SAFWAT, Mohamed EGY 202
21 MCGEE, James IRL 206
22 AREVALO, Marcelo ESA 208
