Krajicek Rolls Into Boys 18's Singles Finals at Kalamazoo
Aug 09, 2008 | Men's Tennis
August 09, 2008
KALAMAZOO, Mich.- Texas A&M sophomore All-American tennis player Austin Krajicek (pronounced CRY-check) picked up his sixth-straight victory with a 7-5, 6-1 upset of top-seeded Ryan Harrison in the semifinals of the singles main draw at the prestigious USTA Boys 18’s National Championships held Saturday at Stowe Stadium.
The 18-year-old phenom from Brandon, Fla., who played primarily at No. 2 and No. 3 singles for the Aggies last season, will move on to tomorrow’s finals to face top-ranked junior tennis player and eighth-seeded Ryan Thacher of Studio City, Calif. A wild card entry will be at stake for the winner (best three out of five sets) who will move on to the men’s U.S. Open main draw in Flushing Meadows, N.Y., in late August.
“Austin played a really smart match today,” said Texas A&M head coach Steve Denton who was ranked as high as No. 12 in the world in singles during his days on the ATP Tour. “Ryan (Harrison) has already turned pro and is ranked in the 600’s in the world, so it was a really good win for Austin. He played a good, quality match and we are very proud of his progress this summer.”
Krajicek who was the seventh-highest rated player in the Class of 2008 by the Tennis Recruiting Network, chose the college route to prepare himself for the professional ranks in the tradition of John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors who both attended college before becoming successful pros. The semifinal win over the 16-year-old New Braunfels, Texas native Harrison, who was ranked as high as No. 697 in the world and became the third youngest player since 1990 to win an ATP match, is a huge step toward Krajicek’s future aspirations on the circuit.
