University of Tennessee Athletics
Sandgren Earns French Open Wild Card
May 07, 2017 | Men's Tennis
(Photo Credit: Jacob Stuckey - SJ/C Savannah Challenger)
SAVANNAH, Ga. -- Former Tennessee All-American Tennys Sandgren will make his Grand Slam main draw debut at the French Open after earning the U.S. Tennis Association's wild card this week en route to the title at the Savannah Challenger.
With a career-transforming performance on American green clay the last month, Sandgren earned the most points among U.S. players in the last three Challenger tournaments to secure the wild card. He won the Savannah Challenger on Sunday over Brazil's Joao Pedro Sorgi 6-3, 6-4 and reached the finals two weeks ago at the Sarasota Challenger in Florida.
Sandgren officially secured the wild card on Friday by winning his quarterfinal match in a thriller over second-seeded Henri Laaksonen 6-4, 5-7, 7-6(5). Former UCLA Bruin Dennis Novikov was Sandgren's final contender for the wild card points face but was eliminated in the quarterfinals.
Sandgren, a native of Gallatin, Tennessee, and a 2011 NCAA singles semifinalist for the Vols, was ranked No. 198 in the world rankings in February and has surged up the charts the last three months, entering this week at a career-best 134. He will climb again in the new rankings Monday.
He won the Tempe Challenger in February and made his ATP World Tour-level debut by qualifying for last month's U.S. Clay Court Championships in Houston.
Now Sandgren can set his sights on the red clay of Roland Garros. The French Open main draw begins May 28 in Paris. Former Tennessee great John-Patrick Smith is playing qualifying starting May 22.
