​The Cerity Partners Hall of Fame Open concluded its singles and doubles quarterfinal matchups on Friday, July 10, at the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport. In the men’s singles, Alex Michelsen, the world No. 46 and the tournament’s second seed, defeated Liam Broady 6-3, 7-6 (6) to advance to the semifinals. Michelsen is aiming for his third final appearance in four years. “I felt like [Broady] was getting better as the match went on, especially his backhand,” Michelsen remarked. “His backhand was super good today, so I had to find some solutions and push through.” Michelsen’s semifinal opponent will be Adam Walton, the No. 4 seed, who beat Arthur Gea 6-4, 6-4.
Earlier in the week, the main draw of the Cerity Partners Hall of Fame Open in Newport began on Wednesday, July 8, after two days of rain, with more than 30 ATP and WTA matches played across the grounds of the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Alexis Galarneau continued his surprise run by upsetting top seed Adrian Mannarino on Thursday and then defeating Daniel Milavsky 6-3, 6-2 to reach the semifinals, where he will face Jacob Fearnley, who defeated Darwin Blanch 6-3, 6-3.
In doubles, the top-seeded team of Fernando Romboli and John-Patrick Smith defeated Jason Jung and Mackenzie McDonald 7-6 (5), 6-4 and will meet the American duo of Nathaniel Lammons and Jackson Withrow, who overcame Hans Hach Verdugo and Luis David Martinez 6-3, 6-4. The other semifinal features the No. 2 seeds, Australians Finn Reynolds and Callum Puttergill, who beat Broady and Saketh Myeni 6-4, 7-5, and the No. 3 seeds, Pruchya Isaro and Niki Kaliyanda Poonacha, who took down JiSung Nam and Patrik Niklas-Salminen 6-3, 6-4.
In women’s singles, the No. 6 seed Mananchaya Sawangkaew defeated the No. 4 seed Mary Stoiana in a three-set match, 3-6, 6-2, 7-5, earning a spot against the No. 2 seed Tatjana Maria. Maria had previously advanced by sweeping the No. 5 seed Lucrezia Stefanini, 6-1, 6-0.
On the other half of the women’s side, third seed Katie Volynets defeated seventh seed Elizabeth Mandlik in a three-set battle. Volynets dropped the opening set 3-6 but recovered to win 6-4, 6-3 in the next two sets to reach the semifinals. “I feel very happy because this whole week I’ve had to do something out of my comfort zone,” Volynets said. “These courts bounce very low, so I have to come in more and slice more. I’m just very happy that I was able to come back.” Her semifinal opponent will be determined in due course as the remaining matches unfold.