Mandlik, Damm to Face Off In Boys’ 18s Easter Bowl Semis

Saturday’s Adidas Easter Bowl semifinal opponents Mark Mandlik and Martin Damm both had opening-set wins before letting down to lose the second and then coming back to win in three sets and advancing to the final four in the Boys’ ITF 18s singles division of the USTA Spring National Championships taking place at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.

The similarities in the way they won on Friday didn’t stop there for both players, as Mandlik and Damm are coached by their famous tennis parents and are both former training partners at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. The two have never faced each other in a match and both rely on big serves and heavy forehands.

The No. 14 seeded Mandlik got past unseeded Marcus McDaniel of Vacaville, Calif., 7-5, 4-6, 6-1 while the No. 3-seed Damm beat No. 10 Andrew Dale of Leesburg, Va., 6-1, 3-6, 6-3.

Mandlik’s mother Hana Mandlikova won four Grand Slams and is in the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Damm’s father Martin Damm won the US Open doubles title in 2006 and reached as high as No. 5 in the world on the ATP Tour. Both parents Mandlikova and Damm are in the Coachella Valley enjoying their second careers and roles as tennis parents and coaches.

“I had a little mental collapse there in the second set and that let him back in the match and he started playing better,” Damm said.

After relaxing in the players’ lounge watching former Easter Bowl champions Mike and Bob Bryan win their Miami Open doubles semifinal, Mandlik and Damm faced each other in the doubles semifinals later Friday with No. 1 seeds Damm and Toby Kodat beating No. 5 Mandlik and Ronan Jachuck, 7-6 (9), 6-4.

Read the full "Mandlik, Damm to Face Off In Boys’ 18s Easter Bowl Semis" article from USTA Southern California.