Ford McCollum played a tiebreak in his junior career, including three this week before the fourth round of Tuesday of the USTA Boys 18S National Championships. But the 17-year-old left-handed person from Los Angeles had never participated in one that came close to the 36-point Tiebreker that he played today at the Court 5 of Stowe Stadium, which resulted in a 6-4, 7-6 (17) victory at no. 16 Seed Braeden Gelletich.
McCollum won two tie treakers on Monday evening, in another three-hour two-setter, that match ended under the lights, when he defeated no. 19 Seed Nav Dayal 7-6 (4), 7-6 (3). With that match that was completed at 10 p.m., McCollum was barely fresh to start the match on Tuesday, with the wall of fatigue that shows Tiebreker late in that epic second set.
Gelletich had six set points to force a third, while McCollum had six match points before he finally forced an error.
“This week I felt good at Brekers, I served well, held,” said McCollum, the finalist of Orange Bowl 16S 2024. “I have the confidence that I play a little better than the other man, in my game believe. This is my fourth; this one was clearly the craziest.”
McCollum, who is coached by Kalamazoo 18S Doubles Champion Phillip Simmonds from 2004, all his pent -up emotions ended when the two -hour match and 58 minutes ended.
“I was almost afraid that I would cramps if I shouted,” said McCollum. “But when I won the point, the adrenaline and everything, I couldn’t control it.”
His run this year until the last 16 makes up for what he considered in Kalamazoo last year.
“I had an unhappy tournament in the 16S last year,” said McCollum, the finalist of Orange Bowl, the 2024 Orange Bowl -boys. “I lost my second game (third round). So I am super happy to be in the round of 16, play well, to compete well. I knew that I played well in the tournament, but being unseen is not easy; you never know who you are going to draw. But when I saw my draw, I saw that I had a chance.”
Next for McCollum is no. 2 seeds and 2023 Kalamazoo 16s champion Cooper Woetendick, who defeated no. 28 Seed Shaan Patel with 6-3, 6-3.
Top seeds Darwin Blanch was tested again, but passed the fourth round, where he had lost last year, with a 7-5, 6-2 victory over no. 31 Seed Tanishk Konduri. Blanch is confronted with no. 10 Seed Maxwell for a place in the quarterfinals, after Exsted defeated no. 21 Seed Gavin Goode 7-5, 7-5.
No. 3 Seed and 2024 finalist Jack Kennedy continued to roll by opponents and defeated Winston Lee 6-1, 6-4, to set up an All-Cavalier match on Wednesday. Kennedy, who has committed himself to the University of Virginia for the next fall, plays no. 14 Seed Roy Horovitz, who is an emerging second -year student in Charlottesville. Horovitz defeated no. 33 Seed James Weber 7-5, 6-4 Today, after having saved three match points in his 2-6, 7-5, 6-0 victory on 2022 Kalamazoo 16s finalist Calvin Baierl, a 33 seed, on Monday.
No. 4 Seed Benjamin Willwerth was no. 18 seed Dylan Long 4-2 at the back of the opening set, but took five straight matches and drove to a 6-4, 6-2 victory. Willwerth plays no. 11 Seed Maximus Dussault, who defeated no. 27 Seed Jacob Ollar with 7-5, 6-2.
2024 Boys 16s champion Gus Grumet was the second top 16-seed in the 18S division that falls, along with Gelletich, with the no. 12 seed beaten by no. 22 Seed Matisse Farzam 6-3, 7-5 today.
The 16S division also has a non-SEEDED player in the round of 16, with Andrej Markovic no. 8 Seed and 2025 Easter Bowl 16s finalist Tristan Stratton 6-3, 6-3 eliminates.
Markovic makes his debut in Kalamazoo, thanks to a run to the final of an L3 in Scottsdale this winter.
“Ik speelde het ITF-toernooi toen ik 13 was en ik nam een beetje een pauze van de USTA, dus toen kon ik niet in alles inkomen, zei de 16-jarige, die coach is door de voormalige University of Portland-ster Michail MICHAIL PERvolarakis. In januari lukte ik om te spelen in onze lokale L3, als laatste alternatief, als laatste alternatief, en van daarin was het afspelen van Singles-afspelen en ik won om te spelen, en ik Have playing singles and I won the playing off and I have the playing of the game.
Markovic, who has now defeated three seeds in a row, has saved match points in his first round victory than Horwitz.
“I trained for this tournament all year round, that has been the focus,” says Markovic, who has Serbian heritage and visits the country every summer. “I felt sure I was going inside, but my first game I was 4-5, 0-40 back in the third set. I managed to endure that game, and I think that has helped my self-confidence a lot.”
Markovic said his strategy against Stratton was to play aggressively from the start.
“I don’t want to give away too much, but I started very relaxed, going very big,” said Markovic. “I was actually 5-1 in both sets, but he did a great job to fight back, make it a narrow match. I have always been more aggressive, it is nicer for me. I think when I served 5-1 for it, I was a bit too passive and I hadn’t done what you did in practice.
Markovic will be confronted with no. 16 Seed Colin McPeek, who defeated no. 24 Seed Lennart Hammangren 6-3, 4-6, 6-3.
Top seeds Michael Antonius, who received a Walkover from No. 27 Seed Gadin Arun, plays no. 33 Seed Kamil Stolarczyk on Wednesday. Stolarczyk, a wildcard, defeated one of the four top 16 seeds to fall in the fourth round and un. 14 seed Joseph Lee 6-3, 6-3. No. 31 Seed Joseph Nau defeated no. 12 Seed shanaeed 4-6, 6-0, 6-2 and no. 33 Seed Nile Ung Beat No. 13 Seed Navnet Raghuram 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 in just under three hours.
Ung is confronted with no. 2 seed Andrew Johnson, who defeated Unseededed Joshua Bayete Miller 6-1, 6-3.
No. 10 seed jarrid gaines jr and no. 30 seed rowan qalbani fought 4 hours at the court and 51 minutes before Gaines placed a 6-7 (4), 7-6 (3), 6-4 victory.
All Wednesday’s most important trekkings competitions in 16s and 18s are in a stow stadium, starting at 9 a.m. with 16s singles, followed by 18s singles from noon. The 16S Doubles Fourth Round is planned to start at 4 p.m. at Stowe, with the 18S Doubles Quarterfinals in the evening, with the last game planned at 6 p.m.
In today’s fourth round, the fourth round, the top three seeds, but no. 4 seeds Ronit Karki and Maximus Dussault won no. 9 seeds Nicholas Patrick and James Weber 6-2, 5-7, 10-8. Patrick, the Kalamazoo 16S Doubles Champion 2023, and Weber will be confronted with no. 8 seeds Justin Lin and Bryan Assi, while top seeds Woenstendick and Expeded Play No. 10 Seeds Jack Kennedy and Jacob Ollar.
In the lower half, the non -seded team of Noble Renfrom and Theo Hegarty no. 3 seeds Keaton Hance and Ryan Cozad plays. No. 2 seeds Willwerth and Noah Johnston play no. 5 seeds Jack Satterfield and Arnav Bhandari. One of those eight teams wins a wildcard entry in the US Open Doubles for men.
Michigan’s western courts will close tomorrow afternoon when the fifth round of feed-in comfort matches is closed.
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