The United States Tennis Association (USTA) held a Pro Challenger Tournament May 3-10 at the Tunica National Golf and Tennis Club in Tunica, MS. The $50,000 Pro Challenger Tournament was played on green clay courts and hosted many of the top Pro Circuit players trying to break open their careers, including a few from the Southern Section.
Donald Young, resident of Atlanta, came into the tournament as the top seed and made it through his first round match in three sets. In the second round, Young faced Scoville Jenkins, another Southern Section player from Atlanta. Jenkins got the best of Young, winning the match in straight sets. Jenkins moved on to the semifinals, where he took eventual champion, Ivan Miranda, to three sets.
The bottom half of the draw consisted of Bobby Reynolds of Acworth, GA and John Isner of Greensboro, NC. Reynolds failed to make it out of the second round as the second seeded player in the tournament, losing in three sets. Third seeded Isner was able to make it to the quarterfinals, where he fell to the eventual runner up in a very close match that went to three tiebreakers.
The doubles side of the draw slated Reynolds and his partner, Scott Oudsema, as the top seed in the tournament and rewarded them with a first round bye. Isner played with Robbye Poole, winning their first round match in three sets. The victory set up a second round match up that had Isner and Reynolds facing off. However, Isner withdrew from the match with a back injury. Reynolds and his partner went on to lose to the eventual champions, Vladimir Obradovic and Izak Van Der Merwe, in the semifinals.