CHARLOTTESVILLE, November 5, 2015
No. 3 seed Tim Smyczek defeated fellow American Sekou Bangoura, 6-3, 7-6(6) to advance to the quarterfinals of the 2015 Charlottesville Men’s Pro Challenger benefiting Special Olympics Virginia earlier today.
Smyczek came on to the court with confidence and quickly broke Bangoura, only having to play twenty-three return points, and ultimately winning the set. Bangoura started to find his groove in the second set but after failing to convert six break points, Smyczek pulled though, winning the match 6-3, 7-6(6) in just shy of two hours.
Smyczek holds six USTA Pro Circuit Challenger titles, with two of them coming this year in Dallas and Tiburon. In 2013, Smyczek partnered with fellow American Steve Johnson to win the doubles title at the Charlottesville Men’s Pro Challenger.
Smyczek will now face Dimitar Kutrovsky in what is expected to be a highly competitive match. Lutrovsky beat wild card Ernesto Escobedo 7-5, 6-4, earlier in the day. Currently ranked No. 336 in the world, Kutrovsky will be playing in his first Challenger quarterfinal since the Lecoq Seoul Open Challenger earlier this year.
Highlighting Thursday’s order of play in one of the featured evening matches is American teenager Frances Tiafoe. Tiafoe took out No. 1 seed Malek Jaziri, 7-6(5), 6-4 in the first round late last night. Tiafoe is looking to build on an already stellar season, having reached the quarterfinals or further of four Challengers, and clenching the Har-Tru Wild Card Challenge this past May. Tiafoe recently reached a career high ranking of No. 226 just last week.
Wednesday, November 4 – RESULTS
Singles – Second Round
Henri Laaksonen, Switzerland, d. Ryan Harrison (4), United States, 7-5, 7-5,
Tim Smyczek (3), United States, d. Sekou Bangoura, United States, 6-3, 7-6(6),
Dimitar Kutrovsky, Bulgaria, d. WC-Ernesto Escobedo, United States, 7-5, 6-4,
Bjorn Fratangelo (5), United States, d. Mitchell Krueger, United States, 7-6(4), 4-6, 6-2.
Singles – First Round
Frederik Nielsen, Denmark, d. Blaz Kavcic (7), United Arab Emirates, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4.
Doubles – Quarterfinals
David O’hare, Ireland, and Joe Salisbury, Great Britian (4), d. Daniel Smethurst and Darren Walsh, Great Britain, 6-4, 6-4.
Doubles – First Round
Adrien Bossel, Switzerland, and Mitchell Krueger, United States, d. Jarryd Chaplin and James Duck-worth, Australia, 6-2, 3-6, 10-7,
Peter Polansky and Adil Shamasdin (3), Canada, d. WC-Thai-Son Kwiatkowski and Mac Styslinger,
United States, 6-4, 7-6(4),
Johan Brunstrom, Sweden, and Frederik Nielsen, Denmark (1), d. David Rice and Marcus Willis,
Great Britain, 6-4, 6-1,
Chase Buchanan and Tennys Sandgren (2), United States, d. Liam Broady and Daniel Evans, Great Britain, 6-4, 6-4.
