Day 6 Court Report: Semifinals Set After Quarterfinal
By: Walt Reese
Friday in Cary Friday brought another exciting day of tennis to Cary Tennis Park as the Cary Tennis Classic moved one step closer to Championship Weekend. With spots in the semifinals on the line, players battled through tough opponents and another hot summer afternoon in North Carolina. High temperatures once again caused temporary heat suspensions under ATP and ITF guidelines, but once play resumed, fans were rewarded with some of the best matches of the tournament so far.
On the men’s side, Timo Legout kept his momentum rolling with a 6-4, 6-1 victory over qualifier Ozan Baris. The Frenchman and former Texas Longhorn has been one of the biggest stories of the week, following up his upset over defending champion Rei Sakamoto with another impressive performance to secure his spot in the semifinals. The local run continued for Braden Shick, as the Greensboro native and NC State alum battled past Japan’s Jay Friend 7-6(6), 6-4. Shick, a 2025 ITA Doubles All-American, has made the most of playing close to home and now finds himself just two wins away from a Cary Tennis Classic title.
Japan’s Yosuke Watanuki, a former World No. 72, also booked his place in the semifinals with a 6-1, 6-4 win over 18-year-old Jack Kennedy, the Virginia commit and 2025 US Open Boys’ Doubles Champion. Australian qualifier Edward Winter rounded out the final four, defeating Raleigh native and NC State wildcard William Manning 6-3, 6-4.
On the women’s side, No. 2 seed Lucrezia Stefanini of Italy delivered one of the day’s most dominant performances with a 6-2, 6-0 victory over No. 7 seed Kristina Liutova. Stefanini, who reached a career-high ranking of No. 99, is now one step closer to adding a Cary Tennis Classic title to her resume.
No. 4 seed YeXin Ma advanced with a 6-4, 6-2 win over NC State’s Mia Slama, ending a great week from the Wolfpack standout. Japan’s Ena Koike defeated UNC’s Tatum Evans 7-5, 6-2, bringing an incredible tournament run to a close for Evans after she advanced through qualifying and reached the quarterfinals.
American qualifier Savannah Broadus completed the women’s semifinal lineup after a hard-fought 7-6(3), 7-6(6) victory over Lea Ma, continuing her run as one of the tournament’s surprise stories.
In men’s doubles, top seeds Finn Reynolds and James Watt survived a thriller against wildcards Charlie Camus and Ainius Sabaliauskas, winning 6-3, 6-7(5), 14-12. The No. 2 seeded team of Pruchya Isaro and Niki Kaliyanda Poonacha also advanced after defeating Juan Jose Bianchi and Cleeve Harper 6-4, 6-7(6), 10-6. JiSung Nam and Patrik Niklas-Salminen knocked off fourth seeds Nate Lammons and Jackson Withrow 6-3, 6-3, while third seeds Patrick Harper and Trey Hilderbrand moved on with a 6-4, 6-1 victory over Justin Boulais and Jody Maginley.
On the women’s doubles side, the UNC duo of Reese Brantmeier and Alanis Hamilton kept their run alive in front of the home crowd, defeating Savannah Broadus and Abigail Rencheli 6-4, 6-4 to earn a spot in the semifinals. Third seeds Anna Rogers and Allura Zamarripa also advanced with a 6-4, 7-5 victory over Ariana Arseneault and Raphaelle Lacasse.
Fourth seeds Hiroko Kuwata and Ankita Raina came through a three-set battle against Olivia Lincer and Ekaterina Ovcharenko, winning 6-2, 2-6, 10-6. The No. 2 seeded team of Catherine Harrison and Dalayna Hewitt completed the semifinal field with a 7-6(8), 6-1 win over Ayana Akli and Mell Elizabeth Reasco Gonzalez.
The stage is now set for Semifinal Saturday at the Cary Tennis Classic, with singles finalists to be decided and doubles teams fighting for a spot in the championship matches. Fans can also celebrate July 4th at Cary Tennis Park with a cookout starting at 6 p.m., making it the perfect way to spend the holiday and beat the heat with great food, great weather, and world-class tennis. Due to the extreme heat, matches will begin on Saturday, July 4, no earlier than 7:00 p.m., to help players get on court after 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.
