CHARLOTTESVILLE, November 7, 2015
In a rematch of the 2014 Wimbledon Boy’s Singles Final, Noah Rubin defeated fellow qualifier Stefan Kozlov, 6-4, 6-4, to advance to the semifinals of the 2015 Charlottesville Men’s Pro Challenger benefiting Special Olympics Virginia.
Rubin came out in full force, breaking Kozlov and winning the first five games. Kozlov however, started to find his game, but with Rubin converting three out of five break points, he was able to close out the first set after a handful of tense points.
In the second set, Rubin improved on his second serve return point percentage and was ultimately able to win the match in an epic final game that went to many deuces. Rubin is now in second place of the Australian Open Wild Card Challenge, only behind Tommy Paul due to his lower ranking.
The most notable meeting of the two young guns came at the 2014 Wimbledon Boy’s Singles Final. Like today, Rubin came out on top, taking the title after beating Kozlov, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3. Rubin became the first American boy to win Wimbledon since Donald Young in 2007 with the match-up being the first all-American final since 1977.
Henri Laaksonen (photo: Jacob Stuckey/Charlottesville Challenger)
Rubin will now face Switzerland’s Henri Laaksonen. Laaksonen defeated No. 5 seed Bjorn Fratangelo, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 earlier in the day. Laaksonen needed just one hour and forty-three minutes to close out the match after firing in an incredible fourteen aces.
In the second semifinal, 18-year old Tommy Paul will take on Dimitar Kutrovsky. Paul will be playing in his first ATP Challenger Tour semifinal after defeating Alex Kuznetsov, 6-3, 6-1. On the other hand, Kutrovsky will be playing in his first semifinal since the Challenger Banque Nationale De Drummond-ville in March.
Friday, November 6 – RESULTS
Singles – Quarterfinals
Dimitar Kutrovsky, Bulgaria, d. Tim Smyczek (3), United States, 6-4, 6-4,
Henri Laaksonen, Switzerland, d. Bjorn Fratangelo (5), United States, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3,
Q-Noah Rubin, United States, d. Q-Stefan Kozlov, United States, 6-4, 6-4,
ALT-Tommy Paul, United States, d. Alex Kuznetsov, United States, 6-3, 6-1.
Doubles – Semifinals
Chase Buchanan and Tennys Sandgren (2), United States, d. David O’hare, Ireland, and Joe Salis-bury (4), Great Britain, 6-1, 6-3.
