For the first time since 1994, a Michigan player has made it to the quarterfinals of boys 16s. Tyler Gardiner, Novi, who is the 16th seed, defeated Howard Weiss (27), Great Neck, N.Y., 6-4, 6-2, on Wednesday to advance to today’s quarters. The last Michigan player to do that was Michael Russell, Bloomfield Hills, who was the second seed. Russell went on to beat top-seeded Kevin Kim, Fullerton, Calif., 6-1, 6-1. “That’s my birth year,” Gardiner laughed when told of his feat. The top three seeds in 18s all advanced in straight sets in Wednesday’s round of 16. The top half of the draw plays today while the bottom half plays on Friday. Jordan Cox (1) Bradenton, Fla., defeated Jackson Withrow (21), Omaha, Neb., 6-4, 6-2; Denis Kudla (2), Arlington, Va., beat unseeded Robert Stineman, Winnetka, Ill., 6-4, 6-1; and Jack Sock (3), Lincoln, Neb., beat Dennis Novikov (11), Boca Raton, Fla., 6-2, 7-5. Sock’s match was one that was interrupted by one of two rain delays. “I was up 5-2, 15-all on his serve when they called it,” he said. “I went across the street to the air-conditioned building and changed my clothes, sat down, talked to my brother and coach, and kinda relaxed. “Had an easy, breezy time over there.” All top five seeds in 16s advanced to the quarters. Top-seeded Shane Vinsant, Keller, Texas, defeated Richard Del Nunzio (9), Forest Hills, N.Y., 6-4, 6-1; Mitchell Krueger (2), Aledo, Texas, beat unseeded Brendan Aguilar, Las Vegas, 6-2, 6-3; Nolan Paige (3), Fairfield, Conn., defeated unseeded Zachary Mueck, West Chester, Ohio, 6-3, 6-2; Michael Redlicki (4), Hawthorn Woods, Ill., won over Andrew Korinek (15), Mansfield, Texas, 6-1, 3-6, 6-2,; and Gordon Watson (5), Naples, Fla., defeated Thai Kwiatkowski (10), Charlotte, N.C., 6-3, 6-1. After pulling out a three-setter, 1-6, 6-2, 6-1, over Luca Corinteli, Alexandria, Va., in the second round, Watson hasn’t lost a set in his last three matches.(Corinteli) is another USTA kid and he just came out in the (second) round just swinging and playing out of his mind,” Watson said. In the 18s doubles quarterfinals, Matthew Kandath and Sock (6) ousted top seeds Cox and Kudla, 3-6, 7-6(7), 1-0(7) — until the semifinals, doubles matches play a 10-point tiebreak instead of a third set. Two of the three other quarters also went to the third-set tiebreak. Evan King and Raymond Sarmiento (4) defeated Casey MacMaster and Nelson Vick (12), 6-2, 5-7, 1-(5) while Bjorn Fratangelo and Alexios Halebian (9) beat unseeded Brandon Fickey and Vikram Hundal, 3-6, 7-6(5), 1-0(8). Second seeds Sekou Coker Bangoura and Nathan Pasha defeated Emmett Egger and Dennis Novikov (8), 6-4,6-2.

Source: USTA Nationals Staff