France’s Mathis Bondaz survived a thriller on Thursday, edging Italy’s Stefano D’Agostino 7–6(1), 6–7(6), 7–6(0) in a 36-game, three-tiebreak marathon. The match swung back and forth for over three hours, with neither player breaking away until Bondaz locked in for a flawless final tiebreak. He’ll now face 5th seed Great Britain’s Lui Maxted for a spot in the semifinals — and Maxted has a heavy workload ahead, playing singles in the morning before returning later for his doubles semifinal.
Fresh off a win over Jonah Braswell — Micah’s younger brother — top seed Garrett Johns now turns his attention to Micah himself, with a place in the final four on the line.
England’s James Hopper and Japan’s Shunsuke Mitsui were the only unseeded pair to take out a seeded team, knocking off the No. 4 seeds to reach the doubles semifinals. Mitsui, originally from Japan, played college tennis at the University of Tennessee, while Hopper attended Case Western Reserve and Virginia. Speaking of Hopper, here’s a closer look at his journey so far.
Dropshot Spotlight: James Hopper
It’s rare for a Division III player to turn pro — and even rarer to win a title within their first 20 matches — but James Hopper isn’t exactly a typical case. Before transferring to Virginia, Hopper built one of the greatest DIII résumés ever: two NCAA doubles titles, a 2023 team national championship, ITA National Senior of the Year honors, and eight All-American awards across singles and doubles. In Charlottesville, he added DI credentials to the mix, becoming a 2024 ITA Doubles All-American and earning All-ACC honors. His success across divisions, he says, comes from the chaos and pressure of college tennis: “You play in crowds with hundreds of people cheering against you.” That experience, both physically and mentally, has made his transition to the pro tour feel not just possible — but natural.