The Claremont USTA Pro Classic returns to Claremont for the 19th consecutive year, and once again will feature some of the rising stars in pro tennis.
 
The first of three consecutive $10,000 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. It is one of nine USTA Pro Circuit men’s events taking place in California this year.
 
Qualifying continues this weekend with main draw singles and doubles matches starting on Tuesday. The doubles final is scheduled for Friday, the singles semifinals Saturday and final a week from Sunday.
 
Notable players competing in Claremont include:
 
Dennis Nevolo, who advanced to his first career USTA Pro Circuit singles final in 2013 at the $15,000 Futures in Mansfield, Texas. In addition, Nevolo has excelled in doubles, winning two Futures titles on the USTA Pro Circuit in 2013, including Oklahoma City, both with Jean-Yves Aubone. This year, Nevolo reached the singles quarterfinals or better at four USTA Pro Circuit events. He graduated in 2012 from the University of Illinois, where he was ranked as high as No. 2 in the NCAA men’s singles rankings.
 
Jean-Yves Aubone, who won a season-high four USTA Pro Circuit Futures doubles titles in 2013 and who has also captured three doubles titles this year. Aubone also won his first USTA Pro Circuit singles title since 2008 this year at the $10,000 Futures in Pittsburgh; he won two singles titles in 2008. Aubone played collegiately for Florida State University, where he was the first player in the school’s history to earn All-America singles honors twice. As a junior player, he represented the U.S. in the 16-and-under Junior Davis Cup competition and also reached the singles semifinals of the 2004 USTA Boys’ 18s National Clay Court Championships.
 
Jeff Dadamo, who earned a wild card into the 2013 US Open Qualifying Tournament by winning the US Open National Playoffs men’s title (out of 649 men who competed). He will be returning to the US Open National Playoffs – Championships this year after winning the USTA Florida sectional qualifying tournament in June. Dadamo has won two USTA Pro Circuit doubles titles and one singles title during his career. He graduated in 2011 from Texas A&M, where he won the NCAA men’s doubles title with Austin Krajicek.
 
Las Vegas’ Evan Song, who won the first ITF-level singles title and ITF-level doubles titles of his career in Israel this year.
 
Others include 2014 NCAA men’s singles finalist Alex Sarkissian formerly of Pepperdine; Thousand Oaks’ Kyle McMorrow formerly of Washington University; former UCLA standout Haythem Abid; 2010 Claremont champion Gary Sacks of Calabasas; and former USC star Raymond Sarmiento of nearby Rancho Cucamonga.
 
For more information, check on the web at:www.procircuit.usta.com, www.claremontclub.com; Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/The-Claremont-Club/236147226396
 
Prize Money/Points – $10,000 Men
 SINGLES:                   Prize Money                Points             
Winner                         $1,440                         17
Runner-up                   $848                            9
Semifinalist                 $502                            5
Quarterfinalist              $292                            2
Round of 16                $172                            1
Round of 32                $104                            —
 
DOUBLES:                 Prize Money (per team)
Winner                         $620
Runner-up                   $360
Semifinalist                 $216
Quarterfinalist              $128
Round of 16                $0
 
Claremont Past Champions
Singles
Year    Winner                                    Runner-Up
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
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)
 
ABOUT THE USTA PRO CIRCUIT:
With approximately 90 tournaments hosted annually throughout the country and prize money ranging from $10,000 to $100,000, the USTA Pro Circuit is the pathway to the US Open and tour-level competition for aspiring tennis players and a frequent battleground for established professionals. Celebrating its 35th anniversary in 2014, the USTA Pro Circuit provides players with the opportunity to gain professional ranking points, and it has since grown to become the largest developmental tennis circuit in the world, offering nearly $3 million in prize money. Last year, more than 1,000 men and women from more than 70 countries competed in cities nationwide. Mardy Fish, Maria Sharapova, John Isner, Sloane Stephens, Sam Querrey, Victoria Azarenka and Andy Murray are among today’s top stars who began their careers on the USTA Pro Circuit.
 
For more information, contact:
Steve Pratt, Tournament Press Aide, (310) 408-4555, sprattt@aol.com