Americans March to Main Draws
Michael Mmoh (USA) d. Tim Smyczek (USA) 6-1, 2-6, 6-2
Michael Mmoh opened final qualifying round proceedings by eliminating fellow countryman Tim Smyczek. Mmoh, 20, motors to the singles first round for the first time. The Bradenton, Fla., competitor powered through the first set winning 15 first-service points and coverting each of his two break point opportunties. Smyczek rallied for a second set victory by lacing four aces, delivering on 13 of 16 first serve opportunities and earning seven second-return points. Mmoh closed out the match on the strength two third-set break points. He reached the quarterfinals in Los Cabos, Mexico where his run ended with a 2-6, 3-6 loss to world No. 24 Damir Dzumhur (Bosnia-Herzegovina).
Bradley Klahn (USA) d. Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (Spain) 7-6 (2), 7-6 (1)
World No. 116 Bradley Klahn advanced to the tournament main draw for the first time after surviving two tight sets against 35-year-old veteran and world No. 73 Guillermo Garcia-Lopez. The match was the first between the two competitors since 2014. The 27-year-old American popped eight aces during the match, including six that set a tone in the first set. He won 33 first serves in the match and won 22 second-return points. Klahn outdueled Ugo Humbert (France) for the ATP Challenger Tour Gatineau, Canada title and advanced to the Wimbledon Round of 16 before being eliminated by current world No. 16 Kyle Edmund (Great Britain).
Allie Kiick (USA) d. Natalia Vikhlyantseva (Russia) 7-5, 6-1
Twenty-three-year-old Allie Kiick locked in her first main draw tournament berth after fighting through a tight first set. She snuck through the first set relying on two break points and 12 first service wins, then solidfied her game with two aces and 14 combined service points in the second set. The world No. 174 from Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., fell to world No. 85 Saisai Zheng in last week's Washington, D.C., quarterfinals. She rolled to the July 2 Denain, France final before her run ended with a loss to Valeriya Strakhova (Ukraine).
Varvara Lepchenko (USA) d. Christina McHale (USA) 6-3, 2-6, 6-2
Vavara Lepchenko stayed on course toward her fourth career Round of 16 W&S Open appearance by taking top honors in an All-American affair. The 32-year-old Allentown, Pa., resident mustered four aces, won 39 first serves, scored 21 second-return points and saved five breaks.
Kanpei on the Comeback Trail
Kaia Kanpei (Estonia) d. Zarina Diyas 6-3, 6-3
Kaia Kanpei remained on the comeback trail from last season's plantar fasciitis injury by advancing to the tournament main draw for a third time and the first since 2010. The current world No. 48 and one-time world No. 15 generated four aces and won 21 first retrun points in the victory. She'll attempt to make her first journey past the Cincinnati Round of 64. She rolled to the Round of 16 in Moscow last month and was a quarterfinalish at Ikley, Great Britain in June.
Copil Cuts Wolf's Run Short
Marius Copil (Romania) d. J.J. Wolf 6-4, 7-6 (2)
Nineteen-year-old Cincinnatian and Ohio State Buckeye, J.J. Wolf, had hopes for extended tournament run cut short by world No. 92 Marius Copil. Copil blistered seven of his 12 match aces en route to first set win. Wolf bounced back well in the second with five aces that helped force at tiebreaker. Copil is competing in Cincinnati for the first time.