Pro Circuit Round-up: Mmoh wins Knoxville Challenger

Michael Mmoh won the ATP Challenger 80 event in Knoxville, Tenn., and rose to the top of the USTA’s Australian Open Wild Card Challenge standings with his best performance of 2019. He joins Katerina Stewart, the wire-to-wire leader in the women’s challenge, in pole position entering the final week.

“Coming into these few weeks, it was definitely a goal,” the American said of winning the wild card. “I was playing well but didn’t get the results I wanted… If I got on a roll, [I thought] maybe it could happen.”

The win—Mmoh’s ninth on the ITF Circuit—carries added significance, not only because Knoxville was the site of the 21-year-old’s first Challenger title, in 2016. It also marks his first title of 2019, after a shoulder injury sidelined him for four months between the Australian Open and French Open. After breaking into the Top 100 for the first time last October, the injury saw Mmoh’s ranking drop to No. 294 entering the last week. The win now has him back up to No. 238 and all but ensures his place in Australian Open qualifying, should he not earn the main-draw wild card.

Unseeded in Knoxville, Mmoh defeated No. 8 Christopher O’Connell, 7-6, 6-3, in the final, using an uncharacteristic attacking display that included serve-and-volleys on set point in both sets.

“I even shocked myself,” said Mmoh, who is better known for his counter-attacking prowess. He credited his recent doubles play—including winning his first ITF doubles title, at the ATP Challenger 80 event in Cary, N.C., with Sekou Bangoura in September—for his frontcourt confidence.

He dropped just one set in six matches on the week, against No. 12 seed Darian King in Round 2. After losing to King the previous week in Charlottesville, Va., Mmoh outlasted the Barbadian, 6-3, 2-6, 6-0, on the indoor hard courts in Tennessee.

Mmoh can seal the top spot in the Australian Open Wild Card Challenge by reaching the final this week in Houston, though other results could see him clinch sooner. For more on the potential men’s and women’s scenarios entering the final week, visit our Challenge homepage.

Other notable American results on the ITF Circuit last week include:

Men:

• Tommy Paul reached the singles semifinals, while Ernesto Escobedo and Aleks Kovacevic were singles quarterfinalists at the ATP Challenger 80 event in Knoxville. Bradley Klahn reached the doubles final.
• Alex Sarkissian was a singles finalist at the ITF World Tennis Tour M25 event in Malibu, Calif., where Collin Altamirano and Felix Corwin were semifinalists. Brandon Holt and Evan Song both reached the singles quarters. In the doubles final, Junior Ore (with Colombia’s Alejandro Gomez) defeated Martin Redlicki and Austin Rapp.
• Maksim Tikhomirov reached the singles quarterfinals at the ITF World Tennis Tour M15 event in Monastir, Tunisia. 
• Dennis Uspenksy was a singles quarterfinalist at the ITF World Tennis Tour M15 event in Maputo, Mozambique.
• Nick Chappell reached the singles semis and Zane Khan reached the singles quarterfinals at the ITF World Tennis Tour M15 event in Cancun, Mexico.

Women:

• Caroline Dolehide, Alexa Glatch and Varvara Lepchenko all reached the singles quarterfinals at the USTA Pro Circuit W60 event in Las Vegas, where Sophie Chang and Alexandra Mueller were doubles finalists.
• Allie Kiick was a singles semifinalist at the ITF World Tennis Tour W60 event in Colina, Chile, where Hayley Carter was a doubles champion.
• Katie Volynets reached the singles final at the USTA Pro Circuit W25 event in Malibu, Calif., where Katrina Scott and Claire Liu both reached the singles semifinals, and Jessica Failla and Ashley Lahey were quarterfinalists. Lorraine Guillermo was a doubles finalist.
• Hurricane Tyra Black was a singles quarterfinalist at the ITF world Tennis Tour W25 event in Hua Hin, Thailand. 
• Sebastian Leon and Mara Schmidt were singles quarterfinalists at the ITF World Tennis Tour W15 event in Guatemala City, Guatemala.
• Misa Malkin and Sofia Sewing were singles quarterfinalists at the ITF World Tennis Tour W15 event in Cancun, Mexico.