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Cavaliers Compete in Foreign Futures Tournaments over Spring Break
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March 10, 2017
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Four Virginia men’s tennis players are spending Spring Break competing at two separate Futures Tournaments. Senior J.C. Aragone (Yorba Linda, Calif.) and junior Henrik Wiersholm (Kirkland, Wash.) and Alexander Ritschard (Zurich, Switzerland) are in Canada, playing at the $25,000 Sherbrooke Futures Tournament. Senior Thai-Son Kwiatkowski (Charlotte, N.C.) is in France, playing at the $15,000 Toulouse Futures.
Aragone, Wiersholm and Ritschard all advanced through qualifying to earn spots in the main draw. Kwiatkowski, the lone American playing in Toulousse, earned his spot in the main draw by virtue of his ATP ranking.
Kwiatkowski downed qualifier Louis Chaix, 6-4, 6-4, in the first round of the main draw before upsetting No. 2 seed Gregoire Jacq 7-6 (5), 6-3 to advance to the quarterfinals. Jacq is currently ranked No. 348 in the world. Kwiatkowski fell 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 to fifth-seeded Mats Moraing in the quarterfinals. Kwiatkowski is also playing doubles, partnering with Fabien Reboul. The duo are the No. 2 seed, downing Mats Moraing and Lofo Ramiaramanana 6-1, 6-4 in the opening round, Maxime Tabatruong and Tak Khunn Wang 6-2, 6-4 in the quarterfinals and fourth-seeded Danylo Kalenichenko and Hugo Voljacques 7-6 (4), 0-6, 10-3 to advance to Friday evening’s final. Kwiatkowski is vying for his third career Futures doubles titles after winning in Charlottesville and Winston-Salem last summer.
Wiersholm won three matches in the qualifying tournament, downing Jordan Sweeney (6-1, 6-3), Quinton Vega (4-6, 6-4, 6-2) and Alejandro Tabilo (6-4, 6-1). Wiersholm then picked up a win in the opening round of the main draw, downing Takanyi Garanganga, 6-2, 6-3. Wiersholm fell to former UNC player Brayden Schnur 6-7 (3), 6-2, 6-1 in the second round.
Aragone had a first-round bye in qualifying and then picked up a 6-3, 6-2 win over Nick Lagaev and a 6-2, 6-1 victory over Taha Baadi to earn a spot in the main draw. Aragone fell 6-4, 6-3 to second-seed Denis Shapovalov, ranked No. 250 in the world, in his main draw first-round match.
Ritschard also had a first-round bye in qualifying, picking up a win over Tim Kopinski (6-2, 6-7 (5), 7-5) before going up on Farris Fathi Gosea 6-2, 1-0 before Gosea retired. Ritschard battled No. 425 Maximilian Neuchrist in the first round, but was edged 7-6 (5), 5-7, 7-5.