Daily Court Report – Main Draw Begins as Qualifying Wraps Up in Cary
by Walt Reese
The action picked up Monday at the Cary Tennis Classic as the final round of men’s qualifying wrapped up, the men’s main draw got underway, and the women took the court for the opening round of qualifying. Another full day at Cary Tennis Park featured strong performances from former college stars, rising young players, and experienced professionals looking to make an early statement. With temperatures climbing in the afternoon, play was briefly suspended under new ATP & WTT heat guidelines before matches resumed later in the day.
One of the day’s marquee qualifying matchups featured Wake Forest alum DK Suresh against Stanford alum and 2021 Junior Wimbledon Champion Samir Banerjee. Suresh, a two-time ITA Singles and Doubles All-American who helped lead the Demon Deacons to multiple ACC championships, continued his impressive run with a 7-6(5), 6-3 victory to earn a spot in the main draw.
Another featured qualifying battle saw Japan’s Yuta Shimizu, a former World No. 143, take on current SMU player Trevor Svajda, last year’s NCAA Singles Championship runner-up. Shimizu came through a tightly contested match, defeating Svajda 6-4, 7-6(2) to advance.
Monday also marked the start of the men’s main draw, where 18-year-old Jack Kennedy made a strong first impression. The Virginia commit and reigning US Open Boys’ Doubles Champion defeated Japan’s Kaichi Uchida, a former World No. 147, 6-4, 6-4 to earn his first ATP Challenger main draw victory.
One of the day’s most entertaining matches came on Stadium Court, where No. 3 seed Daniil Glinka of Estonia outlasted American Aidan Mayo in a three-set battle, 7-6(1), 2-6, 7-6(5). Great Britain’s Liam Broady, a former World No. 93, also opened his tournament with a convincing 6-1, 6-2 win over Japan’s Hayato Matsuoka.
The final match of the day gave the home crowd something to cheer about as Raleigh native and NC State’s William Manning closed out Monday’s schedule with a commanding 6-1, 6-2 victory over Great Britain’s Giles Hussey, a Tennessee alum.
On the women’s side, qualifying also got underway with several notable results. Top qualifying seed Mell Reasco Gonzalez, who represents Ecuador and played collegiately at the University of Georgia, advanced comfortably with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Japan’s Hiroko Kuwata. No. 3 qualifying seed Alana Smith, a former NC State player, also moved through with a 6-2, 6-3 victory over UNC’s Anna Frey, who has built a large following off the court with more than two million TikTok followers.
One of the biggest upsets of the day belonged to UNC’s Tatum Evans, who knocked off No. 5 qualifying seed Ariana Arseneault of Canada, 6-3, 6-7, 6-1, to move into the final round of qualifying.
Play continues Tuesday with the conclusion of women’s qualifying, more first-round men’s main draw action, and the beginning of the women’s main draw. With another full day of tennis ahead, it should be another exciting day at Cary Tennis Park. Due to the extreme heat, matches will begin on Tuesday, June 30, at 9:00 am. Fans are encouraged to check the tournament website frequently for any weather-related updates. For schedules, draws, and ticket information, visit https://carytennisclassic.com/ or download the Cary Tennis Classic App.
