Qualifying Singles Draw | Saturday Order of Play | Preview Video

URBANA, Ill. – Eight former and current Fighting Illini men's tennis players are slated to compete in the 2018 JSM Challenger qualifying singles draw. Held at Atkins Tennis Center, the Illini will kick off the tournament at 10 a.m. when play is scheduled to begin.

Six current Illinois players – Vuk Budic, Caleb Chakravarthi, Gui Gomes, Aleks Kovacevic, Keenan Mayo, and Fletcher Scott, will join former Illini Aron Hiltzik and Ruan Roelofse. Budic, Chakravarthi, Gomes, Scott, and Mayo received wild card entries into the tournament.

Ranked No. 161 in the world doubles rankings, Roelofse and Aussie partner John Patrick-Smith won the Gimcheon Challenger (Gimcheon, South Korea) in straight sets. Hiltzik returns to Champaign for his fifth appearance in the JSM Challenger.

Illini Junior Kovacevic has participated in six ITF Futures and two Challenger tournaments this year. Kovacevic and his partner, current Florida Gator, Alfredo Perez, finished as quarterfinalists at the $25,000 ITF Pro Circuit Futures event in Iowa City, Iowa.

The qualifying singles draw will run from Saturday to Monday, Nov. 10-12, with the singles main draw beginning on Monday, Nov. 12. The JSM Challenger will conclude on Saturday, Nov. 17 with the singles and doubles finals at Atkins Tennis Center.

About the USTA Pro Circuit

With more than 90 tournaments hosted annually throughout the country and prize money ranging from $15,000 to $125,000, the USTA Pro Circuit is the pathway to the US Open and tour-level competition for aspiring tennis players and a frequent battleground for established professionals. The USTA launched its Pro Circuit 39 years ago to provide players with the opportunity to gain professional ranking points, and it has since grown to become the largest developmental tennis circuit in the world, offering more than $3 million in prize money. Last year, more than 1,000 men and women from more than 70 countries competed in cities nationwide. Andy Murray, Maria Sharapova, John Isner, Sloane Stephens, Kei Nishikori, Victoria Azarenka, and Sam Querrey and are among today's top stars who began their careers on the USTA Pro Circuit. Follow the USTA Pro Circuit at #USTAProCircuit and www.procircuit.usta.com.

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