Nishikori and Young are into the DUBS final

We need both to lose.

Because if he gets to the top 500 before the 15th of May he'll get a direct entry into Roland Garros Juniors. That could mean Dyce or Cox missing out on one.

Another nice win for Jamie, and this looks like it is going to be a decent tournament for him with him picking up some cheap rankings points

Young vs. Baker will be an interesting match, as Young is not as bad as he is made out to be, and will be a top 100 player at some point (definately in doubles, as he is a very good doubles player), but I'd expect Jamie to win that, and maybe go onto to win the title

Great little article from the Little Rock Tournament website:

http://www.newoutlooktennis.com/

Lance Vodicka was the only unseeded qualifier to win his way into the main draw, losing a total of 6 games. He drew the #1 seed, Sam Warburg, in the main draw and played a great match. He also became a crowd favorite with many people pulling for him during his match.

The following is an email interview with Lance Vodicka to give you a players perspective from a player we hope we will get to see again. Although I had only planned to pull a few quotes for the Daily Update, Ive decided to include it in its entirety as it really helped me see our event through a players eyes.

How long have you played Pro Circuit events?

My first pro circuit event was in May of 2001 in Tampa, FL. At that time I was only going into my Sophomore year of college. I kept playing pro events through college in 2002, 2003, and 2004 as an amateur while I played NCAA Tennis for St. Louis University. In May of 2004 I graduated from college and I now can say that I have played many pro events as a professional all throughout the US and also a couple of pro events in Spain. With my recent success I am looking to play more international pro events while also continuing to play the US Pro Circuit, next week I am heading off to play the Florida clay circuit for three tournaments and after that we will see.

How does our tournament compare to other Futures level events?

This Pro Futures of Little Rock holds its own against all the Futures events. Rebsamen Tennis Center. is a unique site. It has many tennis courts and is nestled underneath many towering pine trees, creating a beautiful setting for the players. The tennis community is involved at this tournament! I met several people who came over on their work breaks or after work to watch the event. This event has an underlying foundation to it that makes it what it is; the cause of supporting cancer recovery patients through New Outlook Cancer Recovery Center. That cause really can make a difference and puts things in perspective for us players. Many of the community are interested in the success of this event and we don't always witness this much interest in some of the other cities. To me I have found that the people of this event are very caring and hospitable people and are approachable and glad to do bend over backwards for the players. We really appreciate that and I certainly would like to come back.

Comment on the size of the crowds compared to other Futures events.

The crowds seem to be relatively large for our events. I am just speaking for the qualifying and first two main draw days of the tourney, but the stands near the courts have been pretty well occupied. And the crowds are not hesitant about getting involved and rooting on the players, which is a lot of fun!

It's tough drawing the #1 seed, but you played hard and had your chances. What thoughts do you have after this match?

It was great! I had a great time and would love to do it again.I loved the scene; the facility, the crowd, the match-up, the whole process. It was a great opportunity, I came up just short today of winning the match but hopefully in the future I will improve enough to where I start winning these matches. I can take away a lot of positives from my experience this week and in my match against the #1 seed.

What advice would you have for a 12-15 year old junior who wants to play professional tennis?

Don't let anyone tell you, you can't do it. You can. The people who are telling you that you can't do this and that, learn from it, but don't necessarily believe it. Surround yourself with positive people and go after it with all your heart. The more you put in to the equation (the more buckets of serves you hit, the more sprints you run, e.g.,) the more you will get back in the long run. I wish I would have been able to comprehend the value of hard work, discipline, and faith at an earlier age. Those tools can take you a long way on your journey through tennis.

Compare the benefits of staying with a family vs. staying in a hotel.

Well, for me I love the opportunity of being able to stay with a family at these pro events. It is such an enriching part of our tennis experience. We are treated very well with the housing; great home-cooked meals, laundry availability, nice place to sleep, spacious quarters, comfortable surrounding, and great beginning of what might be life-long friendships. Even though staying in a hotel is nice, I really am thankful for my housing experiences. I would encourage any family or individual that has an interest in tennis to consider housing one of the professional players. They can really see what it is like in the life of a pro tennis player while the player really is in need of a home away from home. Housing in Little Rock seems to be more abundant for the players and more available than perhaps at several of the other events on the Circuit. It didn't take too long before I was given the chance to stay with the Orellano Family who have really done a great job in preparing me to play at my best.

Do you have any comments about or suggestions for the USTA?

Perhaps, offering housing for players in the qualifying if there are enough willing tennis individuals of the community. A lot of players barely make ends meet and have a tough time just getting one or two rounds out of the qualies and they have to pay all the great expenses of traveling. It makes it very tough and maybe housing could be offered, if not for all of the players, but maybe those who make it to a certain round or especially those who make it to the last round of the qualies. B/c you don't get any prize money for coming up just short in the professional qualies.

Anything else you'd like to say?

Pete, I had a great time at the Pro-AM with the kids and the supporters, and my experience in Little Rock is one that I would like to share with many for years to come.

Wishing you the best with your tennis career.

kid wrote:

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Quarterfinals
(WC)Donald Young (USA) d. (2)Jamie Baker (GBR) 6-2 6-2

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Thanks for the post Kid...pity about the result

Damn.