May 7, 2014
THE FLATS – Former Georgia Tech All-American Kevin King won his first professional singles title Sunday when he captured the Mexico F2 Futures championship in Cordoba, Mexico.
It was his seventh pro title since he graduated from Tech, the other six have all been doubles triumphs with former Yellow Jacket doubles partner Juan Spir.
King, the fifth seed in the Cordoba Futures event, took a 6-2, 7-5 victory over the no. 8 seed, American Adam El Mihdawy, in the championship match. The Peachtree City, Ga., native had defeated the third seed, Fabiano DePaula of Brazil, in the quarter-finals and sixth-seeded Mauricio Echazu of Peru in the semi-finals.
Another former Tech star, Dean O’Brien of Johannesburg, South Africa, was the No. 7 seed in the Cordoba tournament and reached the quarterfinals before falling to unseeded Jorge Brian Panta of Peru.
King and O’Brien teamed up to play doubles and were the No. 2 seed in the same event, reaching the finals before losing, 7-6, 6-1, to top-seeded Miguel-Angel Reyes-Varela and Cesar Ramirez of Mexico.
WORTH NOTING
Current ITF World Rankings of Georgia Tech players
Kevin King: 465 singles, 139 doubles
Dean O’Brien: 605 singles, 412 doubles (Career high singles 507)
Juan Spir: 426 singles, 130 doubles
More on King: King defeated former NCAA finalist John-Patrick Smith and reached the semi-finals of singles and finals of doubles in the Queretaro, Mexico Futures event the weekend of April 25-27.
Spir continues to succeed in doubles: Former Tech All-American Juan Spir continues to establish himself as an up-and-coming star in doubles. In 2014, Spir has won three doubles challengers and one futures event, all with former Tech teammate King. King and Spir’s most recent title is San Luis Potosi Mexico Challenger in April.
O’Brien in Davis Cup: Dean O’Brien joined the South African Davis Cup team in its tie vs Lithuania in April. He had also played for South Africa in 2013.
