First-time partners – and newly crowned Claremont Club Pro Classic doubles champions – Deiton Baughman and Karue Sell will meet in a singles semifinal at the $15,000 USTA Men’s Pro Circuit Futures tournament on Saturday at the Claremont Club.
On Friday, the unseeded Baughman got past former University of North Carolina All-American Ronnie Schneider of Indianapolis, 6-1, 6-4, in his quarterfinal while the former UCLA star Sell from Brazil beat fellow qualifier Laurens Verboven of Belgium, 6-2, 6-4.
From left to right, Deiton Baughman, Karue Sell, Evan Song and Benjamin Lock.
Two others from Southern California will square off in the first semifinal starting at 10 a.m. with tournament wild card Henry Craig of Murrieta facing unseeded UCLA senior Martin Redlicki, who makes a return trip to the semis having advanced to the final four last year.
Both were equally impressive in their straight-set victories with Craig downing Eduardo Dischinger of Brazil, 6-0, 6-4, and the 22-year-old Redlicki beating wild card Jenson Brooksby, 7-6 (3), 6-3.
Baughman and Sell are familiar with each other games this week having captured the doubles title on Friday.
“I’m going to have to play my game and play my strengths,” Baughman said. “He’s a great competitor and I’ll need to be consistent and sharp from start to finish.”
“I need to neutralize his serve and get myself into the points, otherwise he can dictate how the match goes,” Sell said. “I’m going to need to serve a little bit better than I did today.”
Baughman and Sell took out the No. 2-seeded team of Benjamin Lock and Evan Song in the doubles final, 6-4, 7-5.
The 25-year-old Song is from Henderson, Nev., and has competed mostly overseas this year in ITF Pro Circuit events in Turkey, Thailand, Hong Kong, Colombia, Mexico, and the Netherlands. Song holds one ITF Pro Circuit singles title, won in 2014 in Israel, as well as one doubles title in Israel that same year.
For more information, check on the web at: www.procircuit.usta.com, www.claremontclub.com; Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/The-Claremont-Club/236147226396
Friday’s Quarterfinal Singles Results
Karue Sell, Brazil (q) def. Laurens Verboven, Belgium (q), 6-2, 6-4
Martin Redlicki, U.S., def. Jenson Brooksby, U.S. (wc), 7-6 (3), 6-3
Deiton Baughman, U.S., def. Ronnie Schneider, U.S., 6-1, 6-4
Henry Craig, U.S., def. Eduardo Dischinger, Brazil, 6-0, 6-4
Friday’s Doubles Final Result
Deiton Baughman, U.S./Karue Sell, Brazil, def. Benjamin Lock, Zimbabwe/Evan Song, U.S. (2), 6-4, 7-5