Querrey enters next week's Napa Challenger

Sam Querrey, serving at Indian Wells in March, is seeded first
in the $50,000 Napa Valley Challenger. Photo by Paul Bauman

   Sam Querrey, ranked 52nd in the world, has accepted a wild card in the $50,000 Napa Valley Challenger.
   The 26-year-old native of nearby San Francisco is seeded first in the second annual tournament at the Napa Valley Country Club. The main draw is scheduled for Monday through Sept. 28.
   Following Querrey in the seedings are, in order, Tim Smyczek, 2006 Australian Open runner-up Marcos Baghdatis, former Stanford star Bradley Klahn, Peter Polansky, Michael Russell, Denis Kudla and Frank Dancevic. 
   Querrey also is entered in the $100,000 Sacramento and Tiburon Challengers the following two weeks.
   The 6-foot-6 (1.98 meters) Querrey reached a career-high No. 17 in January 2011 but has battled injuries since then. He is coming off two singles victories in the United States' 5-0 triumph over Slovakia in the Davis Cup World Group playoffs last week in Chicago.
   Two of the three current or former Wimbledon champions in the Napa qualifying draw won their first-round matches on Saturday.
   Noah Rubin, who captured the junior boys singles title at the All England Club in July, lost to 21-year-old German Julian Lenz 6-4, 6-2.
   The 5-foot-9 (1.74-meter) Rubin, an 18-year-old product of the John McEnroe Tennis Academy in New York, recently began his freshman year at Wake Forest in Winston-Salem, N.C.
   Sixth-seeded Frederik Nielsen, a Dane who won the 2012 Wimbledon men's doubles title with Jonathan Marray of Great Britain, dismissed wild card Victor Pham of Saratoga 6-2, 6-1. Pham has verbally committed to attend Columbia beginning next year.
   Eighth-seeded Andrew Harris, who took the 2012 Wimbledon boys doubles crown with fellow Australian Nick Kyrgios, routed former UC San Diego standout Erik Elliott 6-2, 6-0. 

$50,000 NAPA VALLEY CHALLENGER

At Napa Valley Country Club in Napa, Calif.

First-round singles qualifying

   Nils Langer (1), Germany, def. Nick Chappell, United States, 6-3, 6-1.
   Kevin Kim, United States, def. Sebastian Bader, Austria, 6-4, 6-4.
   Spencer Papa, United States, def. James Cluskey, Ireland, 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-0.
   Jose (Rubin) Statham, New Zealand, def. Sekou Bangoura (5), United States, 6-4, 6-4.
   Cameron Norrie, Great Britain, def. Nicolas Meister (2), United States, 7-5, 6-2.
   Ben McLachlan, New Zealand, def. Chris Wettengel, United States, 6-4, 6-4.
   Clay Thompson, United States, def. Reilly Opelka, United States, 7-6 (8), 6-7 (8), 6-4.
   Frederik Nielsen (6), Denmark, def. Victor Pham, Saratoga, 6-2, 6-1.
   Daniel Nguyen (3), United States, def. Tommy Paul, United States, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1.
   Dane Webb, United States, def. Adam Hubble, Australia, 7-5, 6-3.
   Alexios Halebian, United States, def. Oren Motevassel, San Jose, 6-3, 6-2.
   Andrew Harris (8), Australia, def. Erik Elliott, United States, 6-2, 6-0.
   Mico Santiago, United States, def. Tigre Hank (4), Mexico, 6-0, 6-2.
   Vahid Mirzadeh, United States, def. Trey Strobel, United States, 6-4, 7-5.
   Julian Lenz, Germany, def. Noah Rubin, United States, 6-4, 6-2.
   Daniel Garza (7), Mexico, def. Wesley Koolhof, Netherlands, 7-5, 1-6, 6-3.

Today's schedule

(Starting at 10 a.m.)

Center Court

   Nils Langer (1), Germany, vs. Kevin Kim, United States.
   Julian Lenz, Germany, vs. Daniel Garza (7), Mexico.
   Doubles qualifying match (not before 1 p.m.)

Court 7

   Alexios Halebian, United States, vs. Andrew Harris (8), Australia.
   Spencer Papa, United States, vs. Jose (Rubin) Statham, New Zealand.
   Cameron Norrie, Great Britain, vs. Ben McLachlan, New Zealand.

Court 8

   Daniel Nguyen (3), United States, vs. Dane Webb, United States.
   Mico Santiago, United States, vs. Vahid Mirzadeh, United States.
   Clay Thompson, United States, vs. Frederik Nielsen (6), Denmark.