Troy University Athletics
Action Filled Day at USTA
10/14/2010 10:16:32 PM | General
Thursday, The USTA Tennis Classic of Troy hosted clinics for area youth, and the courts saw some interesting matches on the day as well.
The Bottom Continues A Run at the Top
Upset matches have highlighted the way at the USTA Tennis Classic of Troy, and Thursday saw the top seed fall from the tournament field keeping the trend alive.
Alexis King knocked off top-seeded Mijana Lucic in three sets on Thursday 7-6 (2), 2-6, 6-1. King has been on a tear through the tournament, and her win sets her up for a Friday match against Ahsha Rolle.
The King-Rolle match-up will feature to American athletes that are striving to earn a victory in The Classic's $50,000 field. Rolle has experienced success at high levels of competition, and since 2007 she has reached the third round of both the US Open and the Australian Open.
Another singles upset came when Irina Falconi defeated third-seeded Mariana Duque-Marino in three sets 6-2, 3-6, 6-4. Falconi has been hailed as one of the best athletes to hit a tennis court at Georgia Tech in program history. In her freshman year she recorded 30 singles victories en route to an All-American campaign. She was ranked at the top of the intercollegiate rankings this year with just two losses. In her time on the USTA Pro Circuit she has won two $10,000 events and a $50,000 event, and she has staked her name as one to watch in the The Classic.
The doubles side of the bracket remained unscathed by the upset bid on Thursday, but one veteran of The Classic did see her team fall earlier than she had hoped.
Petra Rampre and Valeria Solovenia were defeated by the duo of Alina Jidkova and Laura Siegemund on Thursday.
The action continues on Friday at the USTA Tennis Classic of Troy as competitors will try and make a push towards weekend championship play.
Admission to the tournament is free at the Lunsford Tennis Center in Troy
Tennis Great, Gullikson, Enoying Time in Troy
Tom Gullikson has experienced success at every level of tennis. As a player and as a coach Gullikson has reached the top of whatever he wished to accomplish in the game, and this week he is enjoying watching some of his players compete at The USTA Tennis Classic of Troy.
“In good tradition with southern hospitality, this has certainly been a great experience here for me in the city of Troy,” Gullikson said. “I've been out in the town and gotten to go to some really great places.”
Gullikson along with his twin brother Tim reached the top of the doubles world in their professional playing careers as they won 16 titles at the highest level of play.
"Tim and I were both coaching at the time he decided to try and play at the professional level,” Gullikson said. “He decided to start playing professionally, and within one year he managed to work his way into the top 100. I figured, If my twin brother can do it then I can too.”
Gullikson joined his brother, and he enjoyed a quick ride to the top of the pro ranks as well.
“I started playing in 1976, and by 1977 I was consistently ranked in the top 50,” Gullikson said.
The two were a dominant force on the courts together, and now Gullikson uses that championship spirit to remember his brother Tim. Time passed away in 1996 after losing a battle with brain cancer, and now the Time and Tom Gullikson Foundation exists to help families deal with the tolls of illness.
Tom is about helping people reach their goals, and he uses his winning ways as a coach now and through the foundation.
The Classic has seen many greats on the courts in the past few years, and today as one watched from the side he said he has seen great potential from the 2010 field.
“Irina Falconi is somebody to watch from this tournament,” Gullikson said. “She has moved through the rankings pretty dramatically since going pro. She played number one for Georgia Tech and had great success, and she is definitely somebody to watch.”
Gullikson's opinion carries some weight behind it too. He has coached Andy Roddick in his career as well as Jennifer Capriati, and he served as the US Davis Cup Captain for five years. In 1995 he led the team to a Davis Cup title.
Gullikson knows more about the game than most, and he is having a great time at The Classic in Troy.
