The second round of the Charlottesville Challenger perhaps gave fans the glimpse of the future of American tennis when Reilly Opelka (19) defeated Michael Mmoh (18) 6-4, 6-7, 6-3.
The likes of Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe perhaps claim the most media attention given their emergence as Top 100 players (Tiafoe currently ranked just outside), but the next string of American talents are hot on their heels.
The 6’11 Opelka, who is competing with Ivo Karlovic for the tallest active player, unsurprisingly lead with his serve, hitting Mmoh with eighteen aces and saving both break points that the younger man created. Having lost the first set Mmoh proved undeterred and held the way through the second set en route to edging the tie-break seven-five. Opelka moves well for a big man, and is the 2015 Wimbledon Junior Champion. He found a single break point in the final set and it was enough to secure his place in the quarter-finals, despite some late pressure.
Denis Kudla eased past Swedish wildcard Carl Soderlund 6-4, 6-1. Soderlund had surprised Sam Groth in the first round, but could not replicate that form against the fourth seed, bowing out in just over an hour.
Sixth seed Henri Laaksonen similarly emerged a comfortable winner, defeating Tennys Sandgren 6-1, 7-6. He will face second seed Jared Donaldson, who edged Liam Broady 6-4, 7-6.
These Challengers are key for many of the players involved at present. Not only do they offer the ranking points and prize money typical of every tennis event, but given that there are relatively few events between now and the end of the season, many chasing those extra points that might see them gain direct entry to the main draw of the Australian Open in January. Others at the other end of the spectrum, including the likes of youngster Opelka and Mmoh, are desperate for the points that would see them gain direct entry to the qualifying draw.
An exclusive benefit for the Americans is that, given their reciprocal deal with the Australian Tennis Federation, they can award a wildcard to an American player who otherwise would not have earned a main draw place. The situation last year saw Charlottesville winner Noah Rubin shock seventeenth seed Benoit Paire in the first round this year.
