McDonald, 18, achieves unprecedented feat

Mackenzie McDonald, 18, of Piedmont became the first
unranked teenager to qualify for an ATP World Tour
Masters 1000 tournament. 2012 photo by Paul Bauman

   From qualifying to main-draw singles and doubles, men with Northern California ties made a big impact in last week’s Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati.

   Mackenzie McDonald, 18, of Piedmont in the San Francisco Bay area became the first unranked teenager to qualify for an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament, the highest level for men besides the Grand Slams.

   McDonald, a wild card who will be a freshman at UCLA in the fall, stunned No. 79 Nicolas Mahut of France 3-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4 and No. 128 Steve Johnson of Orange in the Los Angeles area 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 to reach the main draw.
   Mahut, 31, won the first two ATP singles titles of his career in June and July. Johnson led USC to four NCAA titles (2009-12) and won the NCAA singles title in his last two years.
   "I didn't expect to win two rounds and qualify for this event," McDonald, who lost to qualifier David Goffin of Belgium 6-1, 6-1 in the first round of the main draw, admitted on atpworldtour.com. "I was supposed to be playing a college tournament in Indiana. I was thinking about going to Indiana instead, but I realized what this tournament is, and I decided to take advantage of it."

   Another qualifier, Dmitry Tursunov, knocked off fourth-ranked David Ferrer of Spain to reach the quarterfinals before losing to No. 7 Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina 6-4, 3-6, 6-1.   
   Tursunov, a 30-year-old Moscow native who trains in the Sacramento suburb of Granite Bay, will jump from No. 44 in the world to about No. 33 when the weekly rankings are released today. Ranked a career-high No. 20 in 2006, he plunged to No. 150 one year ago after suffering repeated injuries.
   In doubles, top-seeded Bob and Mike Bryan edged second-seeded Marcel Granollers and Marc Lopez of Spain 6-4, 4-6, 1-0 (10-4) for their fourth Cincinnati doubles title, 10th of the year and 92nd overall. The career high of the 35-year-old identical twins and 1998 NCAA champions from Stanford is 11 titles in one year (2007 and 2010).
   The Bryans, who saved a match point in the Cincinnati semifinals against Santiago Gonzalez and ex-Stanford star Scott Lipsky, improved to 28-1 since early May. They won consecutive titles in Madrid, Rome, the French Open, Queen's Club and Wimbledon.
   The Bryans will seek a calendar-year Grand Slam in the U.S. Open, which begins next Monday in Flushing Meadows, N.Y. They are the defending champions.

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At Marin Tennis Club in San Rafael

   Singles final -- Yasmin Schnack (2), Elk Grove, def. Katsiaryna Zheltova (7), Sacramento, 6-3, 6-4.

   Doubles final -- Yasmin Schnack, Elk Grove, and Katsiaryna Zheltova (1), Sacramento, def. Lejla Hodzic, Santa Clara, and Jana Juricova (2), Oakland, 6-1, 6-0.

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Aug. 6-11 at Moraga Country Club

   Men's singles final -- Kiryl Harbatsiuk (5), Sacramento, def. Jonas Merckx (9), Gijzegem, Belgium, 6-3, 6-0.
   Women's singles final -- Katsiaryna Zheltova (3), Sacramento, def. Kelly Chui (5), Milpitas, 6-3, 6-0.
   Men's doubles -- Jeffrey Hawke, Rolling Hills Estates, and Max Manthou (5), Tacoma, Wash., def. Tyler Browne, Walnut Creek, and Gregory Lee (1), El Macero, 6-2, 2-6, 6-4.
   Women's doubles -- Yasmin Schnack, Elk Grove, and Katsiaryna Zheltova (3), Sacramento, def. Alexandra Facey and Kat Facey, Cameron Park, 6-0, 6-2.
   Mixed doubles -- Tyler Browne, Walnut Creek, and Jana Juricova (1), Oakland, def. Matt Seeberger, Redwood City, and Katsiaryna Zheltova (4), Sacramento, 6-3, 6-3.