GODFREY –With the flip of a coin, Andy Simpson marked the opening of the main draw in the15 th Annual Lewis and Clark Community College United States Tennis Association (USTA) Men’s Pro Circuit Futures Tournament on Tuesday morning.

Futures players Harrison Adams, 18, of Austin, Tx., and Takanyi Garanganga, 22, of Zimbabwe, thanked Simpson for her support and gave her a hug before starting their match.

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Garanganga, the No. 3 seed, lost his singles match to Adams 6-3, 7-6(4) and later lost with doubles partner Mbonisi Ndimande, 21, of Zimbabwe, to 18-year-old twin brothers Janis and Martins Podzus, of Latvia6-3, 6-3.

The Podzus brothers will play Australians Jack Schipanski and Joey Swaysland not before 11:30 a.m. Wednesday in the doubles quarterfinals.

 
 Steve Moehn, 40, of St. Louis, a native of Alton and graduate of Marquette Catholic High School, played Tuesday with doubles partner Dave Fuhrig, 29, of St. Louis in the 15th Annual Lewis and Clark Community College Men's USTA Pro Circuit Futures Tennis Tournament. The duo won the doubles Bud
Simpson Open earlier this summer, but lost to Australians Jack Schipanski and Joey Swaysland. Photo by S. Paige Allen, Lewis and Clark Community College photographer.
 Andy Simpson (center) poses with USTA Men's Futures Tennis pros Takanyi Garanganga, of Zimbabwe, (left) and American Harrison Adams at the start of the main draw Tuesday, July 24, 2012, in the15th Annual Lewis and Clark Community College Men's USTA Pro Circuit Futures Tennis Tournament.
Photo by S. Paige Allen, Lewis and Clark Community College  photographer.

“This is my first time at the tournament here in Godfrey and all the people here are very welcoming,” said Adams. “I really feel good about making it through against such a competitive opponent.”

Adams and his partner Shane Vinsant won the doubles championship last week in the Joplin Futures 6-3 2-6 [13-11] against Yuri Bezeruk and Darian King. Now, his goal is to focus on making it through the next round of singles.

After winning last week’s Joplin Futures singles championship, No. 6 Sebastien Boltz, of France, will face American Tim Kopinski, a sophomore at the University of Illinois, Wednesday at 8 a.m.

University of Illinois alum Dennis Nevolo also will continue to the next round of singles after his win against fellow Illini Farris Gosea 6-2, 3-0 with Gosea retiring.

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Local doubles team Steve Moehn and Dave Fuhrig got a wild card into the tournament after winning the doubles championship during the Bud Simpson Open last month. The pair dropped their first set, but came within one point of winning their second set against Australians Jack Schipanski and Joey Swaysland who posted the win with 6-1, 7-5.

Moehn, 40, of St. Louis, is a native of Alton who played tennis for Marquette Catholic High School. He and Fuhrig, 29, of St. Louis, had several family and friends cheering them on Tuesday.
“We feel good about coming out and we played hard and played to win,” said Moehn. “It was within our reach to win the second set, but we just didn’t get there.”

Tuesday was a winner for No. 1 Marcelo Arevalo, of El Salvador. The former University of Tulsa player battled Kyle McMorrow, a senior at the University of Washington most of the morning.

Arevalo, who has a current ranking of 411, defeated McMorrow 2-6, 6-4, 6-4. Later Tuesday afternoon Arevalo and his doubles partner Illini alum Ryan Rowe, of Moline, posted a victory against Australian Yuri Bezeruk and his partner Darian King of Barbados 7-6(4), 6-4.

No. 2 Cesar Ramirez, of Mexico, moves on to round two after defeating Gonzalo Lama, of Chile 7-5, 6-2. He has a current ranking of 432.

The youngest player in the main draw, 14-year-old Stefan Kozlov, of Pembroke Pines, Florida, defeated 15-year old Henrik Wiersholm 0-6, 6-3, 6-3. The two later went on to win as doubles partners—defeating Gonzalo Lama and Jorge Montero of Chile, 6-4 3-6 [16-14].

Kozlov and Wiersholm will face doubles team of Michael Grant and Daniel Nguyen not before 11:30 a.m. Wednesday.

Main draw singles and doubles play continues Wednesday starting at 8a.m.

The tournament is free and open to the public with covered seating available. For more  information, call (618) 468-6252. For the latest in tournament news and to view/download photos visit the tournament website at www.lc.edu/USTA.

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