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Interesting Sarasota Open First Round Matchups
No comments · Posted by Scoop Malinowski in Articles, Scoop
As always, the 2026 Elizabeth Moore Sarasota Open ATP Challenger has some fascinating early match ups.
Kei Nishikori will play fellow veteran Nicholas Kicker in the first round. 36 year old vs 33 year old from Argentina in a first time meeting. Winner gets the winner of top seed Yibing Wu vs qualifier. Nishikori played Wu back in 2018 at Shanghai Masters, prevailing 36 60 63 in the round of 32.
Teenager Darwin Blanch vs veteran Argentine Federico Agustin Gomez. Both players are heavy hitters. Gomez at 29 has eleven years on the 18 year old lefty who is ranked 253 now. Gomez is at 182. Both players have the exact same match record at the ATP World Tour level – 2-5.
Nishesh Basavareddy is ranked 193 after being dropped by his coach Gilles Cervera earlier this week. The American will play a qualifier.
Colton Smith vs Tyler Zink have played twice previously and the 164 ranked Smith, age 23, beat the 25 year old ranked 321 both times in three sets – 2025 at Washington DC 2R qualies and Dallas ITF $25,000 in 2024. This will be there first match on clay.
Qualifying draw also has several intriguing matches including…
15 year old local player Teo Davidov who uses a lefty and right forehand and uses lefty and righty serves too will meet last year’s finalist Liam Draxl, who is playing qualies despite his ranking being high enough (147) for main draw entry. Presumably the 24 year old Canadian wants matches. (Actually he entered too late for main draw and has to play qualies.) Davidov earned his first ATP ranking points in singles earlier this year and is currently ranked 1575. The wildcard trains just a few miles away at Inspiration Academy.
