Ratzlaff, Taylor and Wagner Win at Indian Wells

Team USA was well-represented in the winner's circle at the recently completed Indian Wells Tennis Garden Wheelchair Championships, the first event on the UNIQLO Wheelchair Tennis Tour on U.S. soil in 2020.

Leading the way in Palm Springs, Calif., was David Wagner, who swept the singles and doubles titles in the quad division, and teamed up with longtime partner Nick Taylor for the first time this year to win the latter.

Overall, Americans won three titles at the ITF 3 Series event, as Casey Ratzlaff partnered Argentinian Agustin Ledesma to win the doubles even in the open division. The pair came from a set down to beat the all-Japanese pair of Satoshi Saida and Kouhei Suzuki, 6-7, 6-4, 10-4, and won a deciding tiebreak in two of their three matches at the event.

Not only did the victory earn Ratzlaff his 15th career doubles title on tour, and first of 2020, but it also ensured him of a new career-high ranking in doubles at world No. 27. 

The Wichita, Kan., native nearly pulled off a sweep in the California desert, as he also finished as the singles runner-up to another player from Japan in Daisuke Arai, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, despite winning the first set. 

Ratzlaff's run saw him defeat compatriot Conner Stroud in the first round, and a pair of Argentines—Ezequiel Casco and his doubles partner Ledesma—en route to the final, all without losing a set.

In a pair of all-American finals in the quad division, the top-seeded Wagner came from a set down to defeat second-seeded compatriot Bryan Barten, 3-6, 6-2, 6-0, to win the singles event, and he and Taylor beat Barten and Greg Hasterok in the doubles final, 6-3, 6-0.

A trio of American women also competed across open singles and doubles, with Emmy Kaiser having the best result of the group by virtue of reaching the doubles final alongside Maria Florencia Moreno of Argentina. 

The pair finished runner-up to the Japanese team of Saki Takamuro and Manami Tanaka, 4-6, 7-6, 10-7, while Kaiser, Shelby Baron and Mackenzie Soldan all reached the quarterfinal round in singles. 

(Photo: Casey Ratzlaff and Daisuke Arai shake hands at the net in the open division men's singles final at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden Wheelchair Championships. Photo courtesy of the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.)