This Week’s Tournaments:
Open Sud de France – Montpellier, France
Garanti Koza Sofia Open – Sofia, Bulgaria
Ecuador Open – Quito, Ecuador

Davis Cup Quarterfinals Set
It was a dramatic weekend of Davis Cup action, that lasted well into Monday.  The Argentina – Italy tie went to a decisive 5th rubber, with the final match pushed to Monday due to rain and darkness at the outdoor clay match in Buenos Aires.  Fabio Fognini defeated Guido Pella from 2 sets down, 2-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2, in a 5 set match that won the tie for Italy and knocked out defending champions Argentina.

The Quarterfinals will take place April 7-9, so stay tuned for venue announcements!
USA vs Australia (host: AUS)
Italy vs Belgium (host: BEL)
France vs Great Britain (host: FRA)
Serbia vs Spain (host: SER)

Denis Shapovalov Defaulted In Canada-Great Britain Tie
The most dramatic moment of Davis Cup weekend happened in Ottawa, during a decisive 5th rubber between Canada and Great Britain.  17-year-old Canadian, Denis Shapovalov, playing in his first Davis Cup tie, hit a ball out of the court in frustration, accidentally hitting the umpire in the face.  The incident caused Shapovalov to lose the match, and Canada to lose the tie.  Let’s hope that ALL players learn from this – there have been way too many close calls in the past.

USA Defeats Switzerland 5-0
It was Team USA all the way this weekend, with a brand new Davis Cup squad defeating Switzerland 5-0.  The Bryan Brothers announced their retirement from Davis Cup earlier this year, making room for some new players to step in.  Captain Jim Courier selected John Isner, Jack Sock, Stevie Johnson, and Sam Querrey for the tie.  Team USA will head back to Australia in April for the Quarterfinals.  We hope we’ll see more of this American flag waving celebration in the future!

Dimitrov, Thiem Headline Sofia Open
Dominic Thiem is the #1 seed at the Sofia Open in Bulgaria this week.  The tournament’s #3 seed, Grigor Dimitrov, is playing a tournament in his home country for the first time since the Juniors.  Grigor receives huge support from Bulgarian fans no matter what country he is playing in, so we know the crowd will be fully behind him!   Grigor has been having an outstanding 2017 so far, winning a title in Brisbane and reaching the Semifinals in Australia.  Let’s go Grisha!

Ryan Harrison Wins Dallas Challenger Title
American Ryan Harrison is back into the Top 70 in the rankings for the first time since 2013.  He defeated #NextGen American Taylor Fritz in the final of the RBC Tennis Championships in Dallas, 6-3, 6-3, on Saturday.  The win puts Ryan at #62.   Ryan had won a title in Dallas before – the Little Mo tournament in 2000!   Andy Roddick was also a Little Mo champ in 1992.   Ryan took a moment to pose with this amazing banner showing he and Andy’s matching trophies and bowl cuts.