Bradenton’s Davidov falls in historic tennis match at Fish Futures tournament
The Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships USTA Pro Circuit ITF $15,000 World Tennis Tour event has helped launch many careers of top players such as Fish, Tommy Paul, Ben Shelton, Tim Henman and Andy Roddick.
But never before in this 30-year-old Futures event or perhaps in the history of the Open Era of tennis has there been a more unique pairing than the second-round qualifying match between 15-year-old Teodor Davidov of Bradenton and 45-year-old Ryan Haviland of Greenvale, S.C., on a sun-splashed Tuesday afternoon at Sea Oaks Beach & Tennis Club.
Ranked 1594, Davidov earned his first two (of three) ATP ranking points at a $15K Naples Futures tournament in February with wins over No. 818 John Sperle and No. 668 Karue Sell to become the youngest ranked player on the circuit. So, the youngest ranked player on Tour faced Haviland — who is ranked No. 1954 — faced the oldest ranked player on Tour.
“I would be amazed if that has ever happened before,’’ said Greg Sharko, former director of ATP media relations and information, known as the “stat guru.”
Davidov, a multiple champion on the junior circuit and ranked 11th nationally in the UTR (Universal Tennis Rating), is even more fascinating to watch with his rare ambidextrous stroking style that features two one-handed forehands from both sides as well as his ability to serve right-handed to the deuce court and left-handed to the advantage side.
Davidov, who was born in Bulgaria but has lived and trained in Bradenton with his father/coach Kalin at Inspiration Tennis Academy for years, completed his rain-delayed first-round qualifying match Tuesday morning, with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Lucca Pignaton of Brazil.
“It will be tough because he’s older and wiser with a lot more experience,’’ said Davidov before the match. “I can’t underestimate anyone and just have to play my best out there.”
Haviland, who was part of Stanford’s four consecutive NCAA championship teams run in the 1990s, often playing at the No. 1 spot, turned pro in 2001 and reached a career-high rank of 516 in 2004. He has won five Futures titles, however 11 different surgeries derailed his pro career.
Every spring he plays a few Futures events to help satisfy his competitive zeal and serve as an example for the junior players he coaches at his academy in Greenvale.
“I used to play guys half my age and now for the second time in a few weeks, I’m playing a kid a third of my age,’’ Haviland said with a smile, referring to his recent victory over 15-year-old Piotr Gradzki in an Orlando $15K Future. “Teodor is different though with those two forehands and ability to serve with either hand. I teach juniors and I can still beat them, so I want to challenge myself with the new generation of pros. I enjoy the competition.”
Haviland accomplished both in a high-quality 6-7 (2), 6-3 (10-6) victory over Davidov in a thrilling battle on Stadium Court in front of a sold-out gallery.
“That was a good one for the older generation,’’ said Haviland, who is into the 32-player main draw, which begins Wednesday afternoon.
Haviland, who often relies on an old-school serve-and-volley attack while picking his spots on the slower green clay at Sea Oaks, was serving for the first set at 6-5, but was broken when his volley went long. Davidov double-faulted at 2-1 of the tiebreak but then reeled off five consecutive points for the first set.
However, Davidov became more passive in the second set and Haviland’s first-serve percentage was off the charts as he jumped out to a 5-1 lead. Davidov, receiving some encouragement in Bulgarian from his father/coach Kalin from the upper balcony, regrouped and stormed back to 3-5. A marathon game ensued with Haviland unable to convert five set points before finally taking the set on No. 6 with a huge serve out wide that Davidov popped up for an easy overhead slam for Haviland.
“I got hot and started really attacking,’’ said Haviland, who has faced top Americans such as Paul and Frances Tiafoe. “He got mentally down. I kept ripping and missing routine shots on those set points.
“I’m on my way down and he’s on his way up. I’m just happy I survived. The tiebreak is basically a coin flip. I’ve never played a player like that. Normally, you’re fairly safe rallying to their backhand but with him both forehands are aggressive. He really pops them.”
Haviland, just two years younger than Davidov’s father, jumped out to a 6-1 and 8-3 lead in the decisive 10-point tiebreak, but again the 5-foot-7 Davidov clawed back to 6-8 before a forehand error (they’re all forehand errors!), set up the first match point that Haviland once again went with a booming serve out wide that Davidov barely sent over the net. Haviland crushed another one of his trademark overheads to wrap up the taut match.
“My energy dropped off a little bit and I lost some focus,’’ an upset Davidov said. “I just wasn’t playing my best tennis. I wasn’t stepping into the ball enough and was playing too passively. He’s really fit and has lots of endurance. I knew he was good. I just have to be in it mentally and play at a steady level.”
This tournament provides thousands of dollars to at-risk children in Indian River Country. Fish, a former Top 10 player and a Vero Beach native, began this event in 1995. Fish’s father Tom is the president of the tournament.
“The Sea Oaks Beach & Tennis Club is one of the most beautiful tennis venues in Florida and will make for a spectacular setting for our Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships USTA Pro Circuit event,” said Tom Fish, chairman emeritus for the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation. “Sea Oaks has an incredible reputation for tennis participation and for their support attending exhibition matches and our annual singles wild card event on their charming stadium court. We know this will be a unique atmosphere for a Futures level event with sold-out, standing room only crowds attending daily, which the players will certainly enjoy.”
J.J. Wolf, the former top 40 ATP-ranked player and former Ohio State University standout, leads the player entries, and will play his first match Wednesday against the second-seeded Raphael Perot of France.
Wolf, coming back from a shoulder injury after being off the ATP Tour for a year, is currently ranked No. 1029 on the ATP Tour but was ranked a career-high of No. 39 in 2023, the year he reached the fourth round of the Australian Open before losing to Shelton in five sets.
Wolf, from Cincinnati, entered the Mardy Fish singles field as a wild card entrant and will mark the fifth tournament of his comeback. In his first comeback tournament in February, he won the $15,000-level tournament in Naples without losing a set.