Former UCLA All-American Karue Sell is the top-seeded player in the qualifying singles draw for the fourth annual Southern California Pro Futures Tournament, a $25,000 USTA Pro Circuit event that begins today on the campus of USC.
Sell, currently ranked No. 686 in the ATP World Tour rankings, is originally from Brazil and teaches tennis at First Break Academy out of the StubHub Center in Carson. Other top-seeded American players include up-and-coming 18-year-old Patrick Kypson (No. 2), UCLA senior Martin Redlicki (No. 3), University of Virginia senior Colin Altamirano (No. 5), USTA-trained 18-year-old Sam Riffice (No. 7) and USC junior Logan Smith (No. 8).
There are seven current USC players in the qualifying draw, and wild cards include local SoCal players Gage Brymer, formerly of UCLA, and current Bruin senior Austin Rapp.
The tournament is being hosted by USC and men’s tennis coach and five-time NCAA champion Peter Smith. “The qualifying draw is really solid and includes some top local young Southern California junior and college players,” Smith said. “It’s a pleasure to have this event here at USC and we are looking forward to a week of great tennis.”
The Southern California Pro Futures Tournament director Phil Siordia has announced community events, including:
Friday, Jan. 5: SoCal Community Trojan Tennis Person of the Year, Jan. 5 from 3 to 5 p.m., Fred Williams, with the doubles final beginning at 4 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 6: NJTL Tennis Cup: Closed event for all NJTL chapters with WTT format. Contact: Evan Smith at ESmith@scta.usta.com.
Sunday, Jan. 7: USPTA PTR Coaches Clinic open to players, coaches and parents, 9 to 10:30 a.m. light breakfast. Speaker USC Men’s Coach Peter Smith. Topic: Pathway to College — Raising a Jr Tennis Player.
For more information on these event, email Siordia at siordia@usc.edu.