The Men’s Singles top seeds posted impressive straight-set wins on Tuesday to advance to the fourth round of the USTA National 40 Hard Court Championships at the La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club.
No. 1 seeded Henry Choi of Vancouver, Canada eliminated Michael Bucher of San Diego 6-2, 6-2, while second-seeded Wojtek Bratek of San Antonio cruised past Michael Kropko of Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., 6-2, 6-0. Third-seeded Stuart Ross Duncan of Aliso Viejo blanked David Kirsch of Bedford Hills, N.Y., 6-0, 6-0.
Fifth-seeded Jeff Greenwald (above) also advanced to the fourth round with a dominating 6-0, 6-1 victory in one hour and 16 minutes over Alexandre Kral of San Juan Capistrano. He will meet ninth-seeded Andre Cury of Henderson, Nev., on Wednesday at noon for a spot in Thursday’s quarterfinals.
The 56-year-old Greenwald won the tournament singles title in 2009, 2016, and 2017. He is among the oldest competitors in this year’s Men’s Singles draw.
Following his third-round win, Greenwald was asked what motivates him to keep playing at the USTA National 40 Hard Court Championships. “The La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club is my favorite place to be. Great people and great memories. It’s part vacation, part competition. I still enjoy running, fighting, and figuring out how to win points,” he responded.
“I always feel like I have a shot when I come here. I have good results every year. I’m still moving well. I love the challenge and it’s still fun to play,” Greenwald added. “I feel very good vibes here. It’s a really great feeling. It’s a wonderfully-run tournament, they run it so well. You really can’t replicate it elsewhere.”
Defending five-time women’s singles champion and top-seed Hiromi Sasano of San Diego received a first-round bye and will play her second-round match Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. against Quynh Le of Irvine.
To view draws for each tournament division, click here.
La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club welcomes tennis spectators to the tournament with free admission. Onsite parking is available for a nominal fee.
The USTA National Father/Son and Grandfather/Grandson Hard Court Doubles Championships will also be played at the La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club with matches beginning Friday, Dec. 2, and concluding Sunday, Dec. 4.
RadioTennis.com will air live audio coverage of the USTA National 40 Hard Court Championships during the final weekend of the tournament. Tennis broadcaster Ken Thomas will provide live commentary from Court 1 at the La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club on Saturday, Dec. 3 at 10:15 a.m. and Sunday, Dec. 4 at 11:15 a.m. Fans can tune in to the broadcast at https://radiotennis.com.
Starting times for each day of the tournament will be as follows: Wednesday, Nov. 30 through Friday, Dec. 2 — 8 a.m.; Saturday, Dec. 3 and Sunday, Dec. 4 — 9 a.m.
The USTA National 40 Hard Court Championships are part of the International Tennis Federation World Tennis Masters Tour. Formerly known as the ITF Seniors Tour, the recently rebranded Masters Tour includes individual and team singles, doubles, and mixed doubles events across various grade levels for each five-year age increment from 30+ to 90+. Approximately 27,500 players worldwide aged 30-plus to 90-plus compete in Masters Tour events each year.
Designated one of the Top 100 Tennis Resorts in the world by Tennis Resorts Online, the La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club’s reputation as a top tennis destination started in 1942, when it attracted its first major tournament, the Pacific Coast Men’s Doubles Championship. The Club will be hosting the 133rd edition of this popular tournament March 2-5, 2023, as well as both the USTA National Hard Court Championships for Women’s 50-90 age groups and the 50th Annual Men’s Senior Championships May 15-21, 2023.
