2016 Chicago Platform Tennis Charities Men's Preview

October 31, 2016
Chicago, IL

Johan du Randt and Mark Parsons won the 2016 Patterson Open, and Drew Broderick and Jared Palmer won the 2016 Atlantic Classic, but they have yet to play in the same tournament this season. That is about to change. The top two teams in the country are entered to play in this season’s second Grand Prix, the Chicago Platform Tennis Charities NRT/Viking PCQ, and are the clear favorites to reach the finals.

There are a number of teams who will try to prevent a Broderick/Palmer and du Randt/Parsons final. At Patterson, the newly formed team of Max Le Pivert and George Wilkinson pushed du Randt and Parsons to the limit in the final, only to see the top seeds gut out the match in a 6-1, 4-6, 7-5 victory. Despite the loss, Le Pivert and Wilkinson showed that they have what it takes to win major tournaments.

John Hughes and Marc Powers took out Juan Arraya and Javier Ferrin-Kranewitter in the Patterson quarterfinals before losing to du Randt and Parsons in straight sets in the semifinals. Judging from Hughes and Powers’ play in that quarterfinal match, which had had spectators incredulous at their level of athleticism and court coverage, they are capable of making a deep run in the Charities draw.

Playing without his regular partner Sebastian Bredberg, Martin Bostrom is teaming with former University of Kentucky tennis star Alex Hume. Marco Grangeiro is also playing with a new partner, Mark Innes. Both these teams are looking to upset some of the more established partnerships in the draw.

At the recent Milwaukee Open, the top seeds Adam Morgan and Dane Schmidgall tore through the draw, their only tight contest a three setter in the semifinals against Alex Bancila and Graham McNerney. Both these teams will try to build on their success in Milwaukee and challenge the top teams in Chicago.

Can anyone stop Drew Broderick and Jared Palmer from repeating as the champions in Chicago? From what we have seen this season so far, there are a number of worthy opponents who will do their best to stop them.