Day 4 Court Report: Local Players Shine as Cary Tennis Classic Reaches the Round of 16
By: Walt Reese
With the tournament settling into its rhythm, Wednesday featured some of the best tennis of the week so far. The Cary Tennis Classic kept rolling as the men’s Round of 16 got underway, the women’s first round came to a close, and doubles officially joined the schedule. Temperatures once again climbed in the afternoon, forcing brief heat suspensions under ATP and ITF guidelines, but play resumed later in the evening and fans were treated to another full slate of high-level tennis.
The home crowd had plenty to cheer about as Raleigh native William Manning continued his impressive run. The NC State rising redshirt junior and wildcard battled past Michael Mmoh, the 2022 Cary Tennis Classic champion and former World No. 81, winning the opening-set tiebreak before advancing 7-6(7), 3-6, 3-3 after Mmoh was forced to retire. Manning has quickly become one of the tournament’s biggest local storylines heading into the quarterfinals.
Eighteen-year-old Jack Kennedy continued to build momentum in Cary with another impressive victory. The Virginia commit and reigning US Open Boys’ Doubles Champion rallied past former World No. 93 Liam Broady of Great Britain, 2-6, 7-5, 7-6(5), earning his second consecutive three-set win of the week. Japan’s Yosuke Watanuki, a former World No. 72, also moved on after defeating Tung-Lin Wu of Chinese Taipei, 6-3, 6-7(1), 6-1. Meanwhile, Spain’s Alex Martinez, an Oklahoma alum, opened his tournament with a convincing 6-1, 6-3 victory over Japan’s Rio Noguchi.
The final match of the night on Anthony Blackman Stadium Court produced another upset as Australian qualifier Edward Winter battled past No. 3 seed Daniil Glinka of Estonia, 6-7(7), 6-4, 6-4. The 21-year-old Australian showed plenty of resilience after dropping a tightly contested opening set, closing out one of the longest and most entertaining matches of the day to earn a spot in the quarterfinals.
On the women’s side, several seeded players advanced through the opening round. No. 5 seed Cadence Brace of Canada defeated fellow Canadian Raphaelle Lacasse 6-3, 6-4, while No. 6 seed Madison Brengle, the former World No. 35, handled American Maya Iyengar 6-1, 6-3. Great Britain’s Sofia Johnson battled past American and NC State alum Anna Rogers 6-4, 1-6, 6-2.
One of the day’s best stories belonged to UNC’s Tatum Evans, who continued her strong tournament with a 7-6, 6-1 win over fellow American Carolyn Ansari. After winning two matches in qualifying, Evans has now earned three victories this week and continues to make the most of her opportunity in front of the home crowd.
Play continues Thursday with more Round of 16 action in both singles draws, along with another full day of doubles competition. As the tournament moves closer to the quarterfinals, the level of play continues to rise, and fans can expect another exciting day of professional tennis at Cary Tennis Park. Due to the extreme heat, matches will begin on Wednesday, July 2, 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 Cary Tennis Classic App.
