Day 3 Court Report: Upsets Highlight Busy Tuesday at Cary Tennis Park
By: Walt Reese
Tuesday brought another full day of tennis to the Cary Tennis Classic as the men’s main draw continued, the women’s main draw got underway, and the final round of women’s qualifying wrapped up. After Monday’s heat delay, play began at 9 a.m. to help players beat the hottest part of the day, allowing another full schedule of professional tennis to be completed at Cary Tennis Park.
Wake Forest alum DK Suresh continued his impressive week with the biggest upset of the day, knocking off No. 2 seed and defending finalist Liam Draxl of Canada, 7-6(5), 6-4. Suresh, a two-time ITA Singles and Doubles All-American and former member of the nation’s No. 1-ranked doubles team, earned one of the biggest wins of his professional career to move into the second round.
Top seed and defending Cary Tennis Classic champion Rei Sakamoto was tested by NC State’s Jules Leroux, but the 19-year-old from Japan regrouped after dropping the second set to earn a 6-3, 6-7(3), 6-2 victory. Sakamoto, now ranked No. 150 in the world after capturing last year’s Cary title, kept his title defense on track.
Another entertaining match featured Michael Mmoh, the 2022 Cary Tennis Classic champion and former World No. 81, against Japan’s Yuta Shimizu, who advanced through qualifying earlier in the week. Mmoh snuck out both sets in tiebreaks to earn a hard-fought 7-6(3), 7-6(5) victory.
Japan’s Jay Friend, a current University of Arizona standout, also came away with a notable win, rallying past American wildcard J.J. Wolf, a former World No. 39 and Ohio State All-American, 5-7, 7-6(5), 6-3. North Carolina fans also had plenty to cheer about as Braden Shick, a Greensboro native, NC State alum, and 2025 ITA Doubles All-American, cruised past China’s Fajing Sun, 6-1, 6-2.
The women’s main draw opened with several impressive performances. Fourth seed YeXin Ma of China defeated UNC All-American Reese Brantmeier, 6-2, 6-4, while American Lea Ma rallied past top seed Elvina Kalieva, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1. Japan’s Mei Yamaguchi battled back to defeat No. 3 seed Whitney Osuigwe, 2-6, 7-6(3), 6-3, and No. 2 seed Lucrezia Stefanini of Italy came from a set down to beat Japan’s Yuki Naito, 6-7(7), 6-4, 6-4.
In the final round of women’s qualifying, UNC’s Tatum Evans continued her strong week by defeating fellow American Olivia Lincer, 7-5, 1-6, 6-3, to earn a spot in the main draw.
Play continues Wednesday with more first-round men’s and women’s main draw action, and the beginning of both men’s and women’s doubles. 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 Wednesday, July 1, at 9:00 a.m. to help players get on court before the hottest part of the day. 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 new Cary Tennis Classic App.
