The Claremont USTA Pro Classic will celebrate its 22^nd year, and once again will feature some of the rising stars in pro tennis.

The first of three consecutive $15,000 USTA Pro Circuit hard-court men’s events held in Southern California following the US Open, the Pro Classic is run by tournament director Barry Friedman and USTA Tour Supervisor Peter Kasavage.

Qualifying concludes on Monday, September 11, with main draw singles and doubles matches starting on Tuesday. The doubles final is scheduled for Friday, the singles semifinals Saturday and the final on Sunday, September 17.

The top-seeded player is Australian Chris O’Connell, who is ranked No. 306 in the ATP World Tour rankings. O’Connell grew up on the Northern beaches of Sydney and reached a career-high world ranking of No. 219 earlier this year. The 23-year-old has made close to $100,000 in prize money during his pro career.

Benjamin Lock of Zimbabwe will be the No. 2 seeded player. A member of the Zimbabwean Davis Cup team, Lock won his first ITF Pro Circuit singles title in Mozambique in 2015. In November 2014, Lock has won his first doubles title on ITF Men’s Circuit, playing alongside 2015 Claremont doubles champion Jean-Yves Aubone in Niceville, Florida.

Las Vegas resident Evan Song is 25-years-old and comes in as the No. 3 seed. Just ranked outside the world top 500, Song is a solid baseliner who has been active on the USTA Pro Circuit Futures stage the past several years. American Hunter Callahan comes in as the No. 6 seeded player. The Pennsylvania native played his college tennis for Ohio State. No. 7 seeded Martin Redlicki is currently a UCLA senior.

Last year at this tournament, the wild card Redlicki played a fourth consecutive three-setter, but fell in his semifinal match to the No. 4-seed and eventual champion from Germany, Sebastian Fanselow, 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (4), in one of the best matches of the tournament.

Already granted entry into the main draw of singles by way of winning the Claremont Club Wild Card Tournament are Henry Craig or Murrieta and Alberto Lim of South Pasadena.

The 2015 champion Deiton Baughman is also seeded and on the comeback trail after spending a year as an assistant coach under Peter Smith at USC.

In qualifying SoCal players Logan Smith (USC), Keegan Smith (UCLA), Henry Craig (2017 Ojai Open champ) and Austin Rapp (UCLA) are all entered.

For more information, check on the web at:www.procircuit.usta.com, www.claremontclub.com; Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/The-Claremont-Club/236147226396

Claremont Past Champions

Singles

Year    Winner                                    Runner-Up

2016    Sebastian Fanselow                Evan Zhu

2015    Deiton Baughman                   Mackie McDonald

2014    Dennis Nevolo                        Salvatore Caruso (ITA)

2013    Marcos Giron (USA)               Dennis Novikov (USA)

2012    Daniel Kosakowski (USA)      Prakash Amritraj (IND)

2011    Steve Johnson (USA)             Darian King (BAR)

2010    Gary Sacks (RSA)                 Devin Britton (USA)

2009    Matej Bocko (SVK)                 Bradley Klahn (USA)

2008    Tigran Martirosyan (ARM)      Adriano Biasella (ITA)

2007    Carsten Ball (AUS)                 Robert Yim (USA)

2006    Dudi Sela (ISR)                       Sascha Kloer (GER)

2005    Benedikt Dorsch (GER)         Tyler Cleveland (USA)

2004    Bobby Reynolds (USA)          Huntley Montgomery (USA)

2003    Glenn Weiner (USA)               Jimy Szmymanski (VEN)

2002    Dmitry Tursunov (RUS)         Raven Klaasen (RSA)

2001    Marq Foster (USA)                 Huntley Montgomery (USA)

2000    Geoff Abrams (USA)              Daniel Andersson (SWE)

1999    Ryan Wolters (USA)               Jordan Kerr (AUS)

1998    Ville Liukko (FIN)                    Michael Mather (USA)

1997    Ofer Sela (ISR)                       Daniele Bracciali (ITA)

1996    Glenn Weiner (USA)               Cecil Mamiit (PHI)

Doubles

Year     Winner

2016    Alexios Halebian (USA) – Luis Patino, Mexico

2015    Jean-Yves Aubone (USA) – Gonzales Austin (USA)

2014    Jeff Dadamo (USA) – Dennis Nevolo (USA)

2013    Carsten Ball (AUS) – Daniel Garza (MEX)

2012    Devon Britton (USA) – Reid Carleton (USA)

2011    Alexandre Lacroix (FRA) – Sanam Singh (IND)

2010    Taylor Fogleman (USA) – Chris Kearney (USA)

2009    Brett Joelson (USA) – Ashwin Kumar (USA)

2008    Marcus Fugate (USA) – Nima Roshan (AUS)

2007    Nikita Kryvonos (USA) – Michael McClune (USA)                          

2006    Ryler DeHeart (USA) – Dennis Zivkovic (USA)

2005    K.C. Corkery (USA) – James Pade (USA)

2004    Nick Rainey (USA) – Brian Wilson (USA)

2003    K.C. Corkery (USA) – James Pade (USA)

2002    Chris Magyary (USA) – Mirko Pehar (USA)

2001    Sebastien Jaeger (GER) – Alexander Waske (GER)

2000    Levar Harper-Griffith (USA) – Robert Kendrick (USA)

1999    Mark Loughrin (USA) – Ryan Wolters (USA)

1998    Simon Larose (CAN) – Jocelyn Robichaud (CAN)

1997    Lars Hjarrand (NOR) – Ross Loel (USA)

1996    Sascha Bandermann (GER) – Glenn Weiner (USA)