Ex-world No. 2 Haas to play in Aptos Challenger

   Former world No. 2 Tommy Haas has received a wild card to play in the main draw of the $100,000 Comerica Bank Challenger in Aptos, Calif.
   Haas, a 37-year-old German who also has U.S. citizenship, will play Russian sensation Andrey Rublev, who's 20 years younger, in the first round.
   While Rublev was climbing to the No. 1 world junior ranking at age 16 in June 2014, the right-handed Haas was undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder.
   Haas sat out for one year, and his world ranking has plunged to No. 523. Rublev is No. 196.  
   The main draw begins Monday, and the Haas-Rublev match tentatively is scheduled for Tuesday at 4:30 or 5 p.m.
   Australia's John Millman, ranked a career-high No. 84, is seeded first. Also entered is Taylor Harry Fritz, currently the world's No. 1 junior. Fritz, a 17-year-old resident of Rancho Santa Fe in the San Diego area, received a wild card.
   Among the winners in the first round of qualifying on Saturday were 36-year-old Czech Radek Stepanek, formerly ranked in the top 10 in singles and doubles, and ex-Wimbledon champions Frederik Nielsen of Denmark and Noah Rubin of New York.
   Nielsen and Jonathan Marray of Great Britain in 2012 became the only wild cards to win the Wimbledon men's doubles title, and Rubin took the boys singles crown in 2013.
    The Comerica Bank Challenger, in its 28th consecutive year, is the second-longest-running men's event on the USTA Pro Circuit behind Little Rock, Ark. (34 years).
   Scenic Aptos is located on the Pacific Ocean 80 miles (129 kilometers) south of San Francisco.   

$100,000 COMERICA BANK CHALLENGER 

At Seascape Sports Club in Aptos, Calif.

  First-round qualifying

   Eric Johnson, United States, def. Alex Bolt (6), Australia, 6-3, 6-4.
   Yasutaka Uchiyama (1), Japan, def. Takao Suzuki, Japan, 6-0, 7-6 (3).
   Radek Stepanek (8), Czech Republic, def. Evan Song, United States, 6-2, 6-1.
   Noah Rubin, United States, def. Clay Thompson, United States, 6-4, 7-5.
   Nicolas Jarry (5), Chile, def. Eric Quigley, United States, 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (3).
   Frederik Nielsen (7), Denmark, def. William Griffith, United States, 7-5, 6-3.
   Takuto Niki, Japan, def. John Lamble, United States, 6-3, 6-2.
   Ze Zhang (3), China, def. Andre Dome, United States, 6-1, 7-5.
   Daniel Evans, Great Britain, def. Kento Tanaka-Tamaki, United States, 6-4, 6-3.
   Mischa Zverev, Germany, def. Enzo Couacaud (4), France, 3-6, 6-4, 7-5.
   Ernesto Escobedo, United States, def. Nicholas S. Hu, United States, 6-1, 6-2.
   Tennys Sandgren, United States, def. Matija Pecotic, Croatia, 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-1.
   Alex Kuznetsov, United States, def. Raymond Sarmiento, United States, 7-6 (2), 6-4.
   Daniel Nguyen (2), United States, def. Jeremy Hunter Nicholas, United States, 5-7, 6-2, 6-0.
   Sekou Bangoura, United States, def. Ruan Roelofse, South Africa, 6-3, 6-4.
   Deiton Baughman, United States, def. Fritz Wolmarans, South Africa, 6-3, 7-6 (4).

Today's schedule

Center Court

(Starting at 10 a.m.)

   Yasutaka Uchiyama (1), Japan, vs. Tennys Sandgren, United States.
   Ze Zhang (3), China, vs. Alex Kuznetsov, United States.

(Not before 5 p.m.)

   Radek Stepanek (8), Czech Republic, vs. Sekou Bangoura, United States.

   Court 5

(Starting at 10 a.m.)

   Eric Johnson, United States, vs. Takuto Niki, Japan.

(Not before 11 a.m.)

   Nicolas Jarry (5), Chile, vs. Ernesto Escobedo, United States.

(Not before 5 p.m.)

   Mischa Zverev, Germany, vs. Noah Rubin, United States.

Court 6

(Starting at 10 a.m.)

   Daniel Nguyen (2), United States, vs. Daniel Evans, Great Britain.

(Not before noon)

   Frederik Nielsen (7), Denmark, vs. Deighton Baughman, United States.