Klahn to face ex-Pac-10 rival in Aptos quarters

Wild card Bradley Klahn, a former Stanford star,  beat qualifier
Matt Reid of Australia 7-5, 6-4 to reach the quarterfinals of the
$100,000 Comerica Bank Challenger. Photo by Paul Bauman

   APTOS, Calif. -- It will be like old times for Bradley Klahn in the quarterfinals of the $100,000 Comerica Bank Challenger.
   The 21-year-old left-hander will face his former Pacific-10 Conference rival, Robert Farah, on Friday at the Seascape Sports Club. Klahn, the 2010 NCAA singles champion, graduated from Stanford in March and completed his eligibility in May. Farah won the 2008 NCAA doubles with Kaes Van't Hof and finished at USC in 2010.
   "It will be a fun match," Klahn, a wild card from Poway in the San Diego area, said after defeating qualifier Matt Reid of Australia 7-5, 6-4 Wednesday. "We have a rivalry that goes back to my first two years at Stanford. We played multiple times, and every one seemed to go to five or six in the third (set)."
   Well, two of them did. Farah, a 25-year-old Colombian, won both in 2010 and went 4-2 overall against Klahn in college. They have not met on the pro circuit. Farah advanced to the Comerica quarterifinals with a 7-6 (2), 6-3 victory over Amir Weintraub of Israel.
   Farah's ex-USC teammate, Steve Johnson, also moved into the quarterfinals after qualifier Dmitry Tursunov, a Sacramento-area resident from Russia, retired with a groin injury with Johnson leading 6-4, 0-0.

Qualifier Dmitry Tursunov, a Sacramento-area resident
from Russia, retired from his second-round match against
ex-USC standout Steve Johnson. Photo by Paul Bauman

   Johnson ended his collegiate career in May after helping the Trojans win their fourth consecutive NCAA team title and capturing his second straight singles crown. He will play 32-year-old South African Rik de Voest, who won the inaugural Sacramento Challenger in 2005.
   Klahn reached his first quarterfinal since turning pro last month and his second overall on the USTA Pro Circuit. He upset second-seeded Igor Andreev, ranked 95th in the world after climbing to a career-high 18th in 2008, Monday in the first round. Wednesday's match featured many spirited baseline rallies, but Reid double-faulted three times in the last game.
   "It's nice when you get those gifts in the last game," Klahn said.
   He is playing only a one-hour drive south of Stanford.
   "It's nice to get support from some of the same fans I see at Stanford," Klahn said. "I'm familiar with this tournament after playing the last two years even though I lost in the first round. I feel comfortable this week."
   Klahn was anything but comfortable as a junior at Stanford. He was plagued by a herniated disc, underwent surgery last October and sat out until February.
   Ironically, Reid took a medical timeout at 5-7, 0-1 for a lower-back problem. It could have been gamesmanship, as he seemed fine before and after.
   Klahn's back problems appear to be behind him, so to speak.
   "It's held up great," he said. 

CALENDAR

   Through Thursday -- USTA National Championships, girls 14s, Peachtree City, Ga.., www.usta.com.
   Through Friday -- USTA National Championships, boys 14s, San Antonio., www.usta.com. 
   Through Friday -- USTA National Championships, boys 12s, North Little Rock, Ark.., www.usta.com.
   Through Friday -- USTA National Championships, girls 12s, Alpharetta, Ga., www.usta.com. 
   Through Sunday -- USTA National Championships, boys 18s and 16s, Kalamazoo, Mich., www.usta.com. 
   Through Sunday -- USTA National Championships, girls 18s and 16s, San Diego., www.usta.com.
   Through Sunday -- $100,000 Comerica Bank Challenger, Seascape Sports Club, 1505 Seascape Blvd., Aptos, Calif., 95003, www.seascapesportsclub.com/challenger, (831) 688-1993.
   Aug. 27-Sept. 9 -- U.S. OPEN, Flushing Meadows, N.Y., www.usopen.org.
   Sept. 9-16 -- $25,000 USTA Oak River Rehab Challenger, Sun Oaks Tennis & Fitness, 3452 Argyle Road, Redding, Calif., 96002, www.sunoakschallenger.com, (530) 227-3498.
   Sept. 14 -- World TeamTennis, Western Conference finals, Sacramento Capitals vs. Orange County Breakers, 3:30 p.m. PDT, Charleston, S.C.
   Sept. 15 -- WTT, Eastern Conference finals, Washington Kastles vs. New York Sportimes, 3:30 p.m. PDT, Charleston, S.C.
   Sept. 16 -- WTT Finals, Western Conference champion vs. Eastern Conference champion, 12:30 p.m. PDT, Charleston, S.C.
   Sept. 29-Oct. 7 -- Natomas Men's $100,000 Challenger, Natomas Racquet Club, 2450 Natomas Park Drive, Sacramento, Calif., 95833, www.natomaschallenger.com, (916) 649-0909.
   Oct. 6-14 -- First Republic Bank Men's $100,000 Challenger, Tiburon Peninsula Club, 1600 Mar West St., Tiburon, Calif., 94920, www.tiburon challenger.com, (415) 789-7900.