In the sunny yet brisk Las Vegas weather, young American tennis talent shone brightly at the USTA Pro Circuit W35. Seventeen-year-old Julieta Pareja and 16-year-olds Melije Clarke and Kristina Liutova all advanced to the all-USA semifinals.
Pareja, the No. 3 seed, progressed after LSU freshman Ella McDonald, the No. 8 seed, retired following a 6-1 first set win for Pareja. Next, Pareja faces unseeded Liutova, who triumphed over Texas freshman Anastasia Abbagnato of Italy 6-3, 7-5, and benefited from a retirement by top seed Vivian Wolff, with Liutova leading 7-5, 1-0.
Meanwhile, Clarke overcame fellow wild card Savannah Broadus of Pepperdine 6-4, 7-5, setting up a clash with unseeded Salma Ewing, who has showcased her skills at USC and Texas A&M.
Over at the M15 in Naples, the American presence dwindled in the quarterfinals, with Michael Antonius and qualifier Teodor Davidov bowing out. However, wild card Hunter Heck from Illinois kept the stars and stripes flying high, reaching the semifinals. At the W15 in Palm Coast, teens Carlota Moreno, playing her first pro event, and No. 6 seed Bella Payne, both made it to the semifinals, adding to the excitement.
In the WTA 125 Dow Tennis Classic in Midland, No. 2 seed Dasha Vidmanova from Georgia, representing the Czech Republic, dispatched UNC freshman Anna Frey 6-2, 6-2 to reach the semifinals. Her college rival, Mary Stoiana from Texas A&M, seeded eighth, defeated Canada's Katherine Sebov 6-3, 6-4. A potential showdown looms if both secure victories on Saturday.
The ATP 250 in Delray Beach featured a thrilling encounter as No. 4 seed Learner Tien avenged his 2023 US Open first-round loss to No. 8 seed Frances Tiafoe, winning 7-6(5), 3-6, 7-5. Tien's resilience was on full display as he navigated a rollercoaster match, breaking Tiafoe when it mattered most. Tien will face the winner of the quarterfinal between top seed Taylor Fritz and No. 5 seed Tommy Paul, a rematch of the 2015 Roland Garros and US Open boys' finals.
Sebastian Korda also made waves by defeating No. 2 seed Casper Ruud of Norway 4-6, 6-2, 6-2, setting up a semifinal clash with No. 3 seed Flavio Cobolli of Italy.
In college tennis, the Georgia Gwinnett men clinched their third consecutive NAIA Team Indoor title, defeating Tennessee Wesleyan 4-1. The Keiser women also celebrated, winning their second straight NAIA title by overcoming Lindsey Wilson 4-1.
Barry's men's team avenged last year's loss to West Florida, winning 4-0 in the D-II final in Indianapolis. The Barry women, seeded No. 1, began their quest for another title in the Division II women's Team Indoor Championships.
In Division III, the Men's Team Indoor Championships are underway in Minnesota, with Denison as the top seed. Live scoring is available on the iOnCourt site.
The Women's Team Indoor Championships are set for next weekend in Tennessee, with Washington-St. Louis leading the pack.
Unfortunately, Division I's Gardner-Webb announced the elimination of both its men's and women's tennis teams after this season, marking a significant loss for college tennis.
The Men's Division I Team Indoor All-Tournament team featured standout performances, with Sebastian Gorzny of Texas earning the Most Outstanding Player title. On the women's side, Deniz Dilek of Georgia claimed the top honor. For more detailed results, check out the ITA's full release.