UVA Men’s Tennis: Collin Altamirano qualifies for US Open

Former UVA men’s tennis player Collin Altamirano has earned a spot in the men’s singles main draw of the 2018 U.S. Open after picking up three victories in the qualifying tournament at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, N.Y., this week.

Altamirano, who received a wild card into the qualifying tournament, had a dominant victory in his first-round match, dispatching Tomislav Brkic in just 48 minutes, winning 6-2, 6-0. On Thursday, he topped No. 22 seed Ivo Karlovic 7-5, 6-4 in the second round. On Friday, he downed the No. 10 seed, No. 117 Lorenzo Sonego 6-4, 7-6 (3) to earn a spot in the main draw of the tournament.

Altamirano will face a fellow-qualifier, No. 139 Ugo Humbert of France, in the first round of the main draw.

This will be Altamirano’s second time playing in the men’s singles main draw at the US Open. Altamirano was the youngest player competing in men’s singles at the 2013 tournament, earning a wild card as the USTA Boys’ 18s National Champion.

Altamirano was one of three former Cavaliers who competed in the qualifying tournament. JC Aragone and Thai-Son Kwiatkowski also earned wild cards into the qualifying tournament.

Aragone opened qualifying with a 6-4, 6-7(3), 7-6(5) victory over Thiemo de Bakker. On Thursday, he defeated No. 7 seed and World No. 110 Thomas Fabbiano 7-5, 6-1 in the second round. Aragone was topped by No. 145 Lloyd Harris, 6-4, 6-2, on Friday in the final round of qualifying.

Kwiatkowski downed former world No. 31 Sergiy Stakhovsky, 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, in his opening match, before being edged 3-6, 7-6(7), 7-5 by fellow American Mitchell Krueger in the second round.

This is the second-straight year that a former Cavalier has earned a spot in the main draw by advancing through qualifying. Aragone accomplished the same feat in last year’s qualifying tournament.

Altamirano, Aragone and Kwiatkowski were teammates on three NCAA championship teams at Virginia, helping to lead UVA to the 2015, 2016 and 2017 team titles as well as the 2017 ITA National Team Indoor championship.

The 2018 US Open begins Monday, August 27 and runs through Sunday, September 9.