Kwiatkowski to Compete at ACI at US Open
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Sept. 6, 2017
FLUSHING, N.Y. – Former Virginia men’s tennis player Thai-Son Kwiatkowski will be competing at the fourth annual American Collegiate Invitational at the 2017 US Open, September 7-9 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, N.Y.
Thai-Son Kwiatkowski, as the event’s defending champion, competed in a field of eight top players. Former Cavalier J.C. Aragone was also slated to play in the tournament, but withdrew from the competition.
Kwiatkowski fell to Stanford’s Tom Fawcett, 7-6 (5), 6-4 in Thursday in the opening round.
The American Collegiate Invitational, open only to American college players, began in 2014 as a way to spotlight college tennis during the US Open. Eight men and eight women play single-elimination singles tournaments Thursday to Saturday during the second week of the US Open, with the winners receiving a wild card into the 2018 US Open, main draw or qualifying, depending on their ranking next summer. This is the third-straight year at least one Virginia player has competed in the ACI.
For the second straight year, the American Collegiate Invitational will also serve as a testing ground for several innovations, including utilizing a 25-second serve clock between points and eliminating coaching violations, allowing players to communicate with coaches between points.
The fields are comprised of the top two players in the ATP/WTA rankings (as of August 7) and the top five players in the year-end Intercollegiate Tennis Association singles rankings (excluding those selected by pro ranking), including at least two graduating seniors or players who have turned pro/exhausted their collegiate eligibility.
The men’s/women’s American Collegiate Invitational champions will receive main draw wild card entries into the 2018 US Open if either is ranked No. 120 or better by the US Open entry deadline next summer. Otherwise, the winners will receive qualifying wild cards. The champions will also get wild cards into three USTA Pro Circuit events, while each runner-up will get one.
Men’s Field:
Brandon Holt (Soph., USC)
*William Bushamuka (Senior, Kentucky)
Christopher Eubanks (Jr. Georgia Tech; Atlanta)
Tom Fawcett (Jr., Stanford; Winnetka, Ill.)
*Thai-Son Kwiatkowski (Sr., Virginia; Charlotte)
Alfredo Perez (Soph., Florida; Miami)
*Mike Redlicki (Sr., Arkansas; Chicago)
**Alex Rybakov (Soph., TCU; Coral Springs, Fla.)
*Indicates player is a graduating senior and/or has turned pro/exhausted collegiate eligibility.;
** USTA Wild Card Selection