I just got the press release from the USTA on the US Open Men's wild cards, and although I'm once again disappointed in their snub of an NCAA champion (I never expected a main draw for Somdev Devvarman, but I thought a qualifying wild card would be appropriate given his results this summer), overall there is much more to be grateful for among college tennis supporters than there was when the women's wild cards were revealed.
Jesse Levine, Sam Warburg, Amer Delic and of course, Austin Krajicek, all have collegiate ties and accomplishments. The other two Americans chosen, Scoville Jenkins and Brendan Evans, have been professionals for several years, but have had good results this summer.
Jean-Yves Aubone, Alex Clayton, Bryan Koniecko and Travis Helgeson, all current or recently graduated college players, received qualifying wild cards, as did juniors Chase Buchanan, Ryan Harrison and Ricardas Berankis. Tim Symczek and Michael McClune round out the list. Kalamazoo finalist Ryan Thacher, who hadn't decided as of last Sunday whether he would accept the qualifying wild card or not, obviously declined it.
For the complete press release from the USTA,
click here. The one Levine loss in college referred to in the release was not to John Isner, but to Alex Slovic.
