Jordan Cox, Bradenton, Fla., survived a tough test, but the boys 18s top seed said that was a good way to start the tournament. Cox defeated Christopher Cox, Myrtle Beach, S.C., 6-4, 7-5, in a second-round match after a first-round bye. “It’s a good wake-up call,” Cox said of the close contest. “I’m glad I had that kind of match today. I felt like I was serving pretty well throughout the entire match, so I didn’t have much pressure on my serve. “I felt like I didn’t execute as well as I could have. I definitely think I have to improve this week.” Cox said he was surprised when he found out he was named the top seed. “I was guessing between myself, Jack Sock and Denis Kudla,” he said. Kudla is the second seed and Sock third. “I’ve been mainly playing on the professional tour, like the futures and occasional challenger,” Cox continued. “I’ve had some decent results in the futures, and that got my ATP ranking up pretty high.” Playing his fifth and final year at Kalamazoo, “The highlight is definitely my 16s title,” Cox said, “But I think just every year is a great experience. “The first year I came here, was unbelievable because you hear so many good things about the tournament, and when you get here, it definitely meets all your expectations.” Kudla teamed up with Cox for doubles and were named the top seeds. One perk of being No. 1 was playing against pros (although both Cox and Kudla turned pro more than a year ago) Jan-Michael Gambill and Scoville Jenkins in the opening night exhibition. “It was a lot of fun,” Cox said. “I think we were laughing a little bit too much out there at the beginning. “You can see how different the level is. They hit a lot harder. They blast serves.” In singles, Kudla defeated Axel Bouillia, San Diego, 6-0, 6-2.

Source: USTA Nationals Staff