Day 7 Court Report: Championship Matches Set After Semifinal Saturday in Cary
By: Walt Reese
Red, white, and blue filled Cary Tennis Park on Saturday as the Cary Tennis Classic celebrated Independence Day with a full night of semifinal action. Fans packed the grounds throughout the evening, enjoying world-class tennis and a Fourth of July cookout as players battled for spots in Sunday’s Championship matches. After a week filled with record high temperatures and tough conditions, the final weekend delivered plenty of excitement as the tournament’s last contenders looked to keep their title hopes alive.
On the men’s side, Timo Legout kept his incredible run going with a 7-5, 7-5 victory over Australian qualifier Edward Winter. The Frenchman and former Texas Longhorn has been one of the stories of the tournament, taking down defending champion Rei Sakamoto earlier in the week and now earning his place in the Cary Tennis Classic final.
Braden Shick advanced to the Championship match after receiving a walkover from Japan’s Yosuke Watanuki. The Greensboro native and NC State alum will have the opportunity to compete for a professional title in front of his home-state crowd after an incredible week in Cary.
On the women’s side, No. 2 seed Lucrezia Stefanini continued her dominant run through the draw with a 6-2, 6-0 win over No. 4 seed YeXin Ma. The Italian, who reached a career-high ranking of No. 99, has yet to drop a set this week and will now play for the Cary Tennis Classic title.
American qualifier Savannah Broadus punched her ticket to the final after defeating Japan’s Ena Koike 7-6(4), 6-3. After fighting her way through qualifying, Broadus has turned her stellar play into a championship run and will look to finish the week with one more victory.
In men’s doubles, top seeds Finn Reynolds and James Watt booked their spot in the final with a 6-3, 7-5 win over third seeds Patrick Harper and Trey Hilderbrand. The duo will face JiSung Nam and Patrik Niklas-Salminen, who battled past No. 2 seeds Pruchya Isaro and Niki Kaliyanda Poonacha 4-6, 7-5, 11-9 in a tight semifinal matchup.
On the women’s doubles side, fourth seeds Hiroko Kuwata and Ankita Raina ended the Cinderella run from UNC’s Reese Brantmeier and Alanis Hamilton 6-3, 1-6, 10-7 to advance to the final. They will meet No. 2 seeds Catherine Harrison and Dalayna Hewitt, who came through a three-set battle against third seeds Anna Rogers and Allura Zamarripa, winning 5-7, 6-4, 12-10 to complete the championship matchup.
After seven days of high-level tennis, the stage is officially set for Championship Sunday at the Cary Tennis Classic. Four titles will be decided as the remaining players look to close out an unforgettable week at Cary Tennis Park. Due to the extreme heat, matches will begin on Sunday, July 5, not before 7:30 pm. 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.
