Reilly Opelka had to play two matches in one day, and a total of six sets, to win the Delray Beach Open, vaulting his ranking back inside the Top 40 to Number 39, just three off his career-high mark.
Sports
Palm Coast Tennis Center Hosts Futures Pro Tournament, This Time With Reilly Opelka as Sponsor
The Palm Coast Open, a $25,000 official Futures (minor-league) tournament, begins today, with a 32-man field for singles, and a 16-team field for doubles.
Flagler County Expands Opportunities for Pickleballers
The tennis court at Old Dixie Park were out of commission until the end of last month as the surface was prepared and repainted with additional markings to accommodate two regulation pickleball courts. This brings the number of Flagler County pickleball courts up to 11. “This will make the court a multiuse court – tennis […]
NCAA Looking at Florida and Other States as Athletes’ Pay Is Debated
NCAA leaders reaffirmed they won’t support a system that makes students paid employees of schools, something Florida isn’t looking to do.
Up 2 Sets, Palm Coast’s Opelka Falls in 5 After Rain Delay at Australian Open
Reilly Opelka was cruising along in his first-round Australian Open match against No. 12 seed Fabio Fognini, up two sets to none, and was a few games away from scoring the upset before rain stopped the match and changed its dynamics when it resumed the next day.
Maturing, Soaring Opelka Roars Into 2020 With Top American Ranking in His Sights
In an exclusive interview with FlaglerLive, Opelka reveals himself as young man who thinks before he speaks, is comfortable in his own skin, and understands that as his fame grows, his responsibility of handling that fame increases.
Save the Minor Leagues
These teams have provided a way for folks in rural and underserved areas to see baseball and future major leaguers for a fraction of the price of traveling to an MLB city. And they’re a way to boost the communities they play in.
Daytona Tortugas Respond to Major League Baseball’s Plan to Eliminate The Team
The owners and staff of the Daytona Tortugas minor league team in Daytona Beach respond to Major League Baseball’s plan to eliminate 42 minor league teams, including the Tortugas.
DeSantis Backs Letting College Athletes Cash In on Endorsements as Bills Are Filed to Scrap Prohibitions
Four bills have been filed for the 2020 session, two by Republicans and two by Democrats that seek to allow college athletes to be compensated through endorsement deals that use their names, images and likenesses.
China Plays the NBA
The obvious prioritization of commercial ties with a government that’s attacking demonstrators in Hong Kong and putting millions of ethnic Uyghurs in concentration camps is a damning statement about what the league — and the economic system it operates in — truly values.
Opelka Injures His Back and Falls In 2nd Round at U.S. Open
Reilly Opelka injured his back-during his second-round U.S. Open match and wasn’t ever able to get into a groove, falling in straight sets to Dominik Koepfer.
Palm Coast’s Rising Opelka Scores 1st U.S. Open Win, Upsetting World’s 11th Best Player
Reilly Opelka, the former Indian Trails Middle School student who is rocketing to tennis stardom more every day, scored the biggest upset of the first day of the U.S. Open Monday.
Soccer and Lacrosse Tournaments May Quit Indian Trails Complex as 2 Fields Are Converted for Palm Coast Little League’s Uses
The Indian Trails Sports Complex’s 10 multi-purpose fields, often used for soccer or lacrosse, would be reduced to eight, with two fields being converted to baseball and softball use to accommodate Palm Coast Little League.
Reilly Opelka’s Wimbledon Run Ends in 3rd-Round Loss
Reilly Opelka saw his terrific Wimbledon run come to an abrupt end Friday in London, as he crashed out of the tournament in a straight-sets loss to No. 15 seed Milos Raonic, 7-6 (1), 6-2, 6-1.
Palm Coast’s Opelka Beats 4-Time Slam Champ Stan Wawrinka in Wimbledon Upset and Biggest Win Yet
Showing poise and maturity well beyond his years, the 21-year-old Opelka scored the biggest victory of his young career in the second round of Wimbledon, defeating three-time Slam champion Stan Wawrinka in five scintillating sets on Court 2.
Reilly Opelka Gets First Wimbledon Main-Draw Win and Faces Stan Wawrinka in 2nd Round
Reilly Opelka, who rose up to a career-high ranking of No. 52 earlier this year, took out German Cedrik-Marcel Stebe Monday morning at Wimbledon, winning in straight sets, 6-3, 7-6, 6-1 .
With Shout-Out to Grand Haven, Palm Coast’s Opelka Wins 1st ATP Tour Tennis Title and Vaults to 56th in the World
Reilly Opelka, the 7-footer booming serves since he was a little kid whacking balls at Grand Haven and the Palm Coast Tennis Center, won the biggest victory of his pro career Sunday at the New York Open in Uniondale, N.Y.
Palm Coast Is Concerned: Not Enough Sports Fields For Tournaments, Local Teams and Growth
Palm Coast Mayor Milissa Holland wants broader planning for additional sports fields in the city that ensure local sports organizations and residents aren’t sidelined by money-generating tournaments.
Reilly Opelka Loses In Five-Set Australian Open Thriller, But Ranking Soars
Former Palm Coast resident Reilly Opelka lost a five-set heartbreaker in the second round of the Australian Open tennis tournament Tuesday night into Wednesday morning in Melbourne.
Reilly Opelka In Stunning Upset Of World’s 9th-Ranked Isner at Australian Open
Reilly Opelka, the former Indian Trails Middle School student, now 7-feet tall, showed his maturity and improved ground game to stun Isner, who was ranked 9th in the world going into the game.
Reilly Opelka Wins 3rd Pro Tennis Title, Reaches New Career-High Ranking
Former Indian Trails Middle School student Reilly Opelka continues to slowly move up the ranks of the pro tennis tour, and Sunday notched yet another title.
Palm Coast’s Opelka Wins Pro Tennis Title in France, 2nd on Circuit
Opelka previously defeated former Top 10 player Ernests Gulbis in the semifinals, and now has a lot of momentum heading into French Open qualifying.
Betting On That Super Bowl: States Moving To Legalize Sports Gambling Ahead of Court
The Supreme Court is expected to rule on a case that may open the way for states to authorize sports betting. Bills have been filed in 20 states in anticipation of the ruling.
With First Win in US Open Qualifiers, Opelka Looks To Turn Frustrating Pro Season Around
Reilly Opelka won a three-set qualifier Tuesday but needs to win two more matches to qualify for the U.S. Open men’s main draw for the first time, which would be a huge accomplishment for the 19 year old.
Florida House Votes Against Corporate Welfare For Stadiums Like Daytona Speedway
The bill is part of an effort by House leaders to limit public assistance to private companies, reflecting a broader philosophical gulf from the Senate on business incentives.
Palm Coast’s Opelka Loses 1st-Round Five-Set Thriller at Australian Open
But the 6-foot-11 (and growing) giant nearly pulled off the biggest upset of the first round on the men’s side, battling for five sets with 11th seed David Goffin before finally falling.
Ex-Soccer Coach Sean Stern, Accused of Molesting 2 Teens, Turns Himself In, Held on $500,000 Bond
Sean Stern worked for the now-defunct Professional Sports Pathways Academy in Palm Coast, at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and in other local soccer programs.
Ex-Palm Coast Soccer Academy Coach Arrested on Molestation Charges Involving Two Boys
Sean Stern, the former program director at the recently defunct Palm Coast’s Professional Sports Pathways, a specialized soccer academy for youths, was arrested Thursday on two counts of lewd and lascivious molestation charges.
Palm Coast and Flagler County Compete on Soccer Fields Over Frank Meeker’s Memory
The late County Commissioner Frank Meeker, who died in July, had also served on the Palm Coast City Council, so both governments will have separate memorials to his memory on soccer fields at opposite ends of town.
In a First, Blind High School Student Is Matanzas-FPC Football Game’s Radio Commentator
Trent Ferguson, 18, a student at the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind in St. Augustine, will be the color commentator on WNZF Radio of the Matanzas-FPC match at 7 p.m. Friday, a unique experiment for the radio station that may not end there.
Palm Coast’s Opelka Reaches First ATP Pro Semifinal in Atlanta With Win Over Top-60 Foe
It was Opelka’s second straight win over a Top 60 opponent, after Opelka stunned world No. 28 ranked Kevin Anderson in a three-set thriller on Wednesday.
Separate But Equal: Palm Coast Sidesteps Transgender Bathroom Bind With Private Facilities
Palm Coast hopes to avoid the transgender-bathroom controversy by including private bathrooms in its $525,000 project for new facilities in Town Center and Indian Trails Sports Complex.
Flagler Schools Seeks to Be 1st in Florida To Use Concussion-Alert Football Helmets District-Wide
The helmets, which would cost $500 each, would alert coaches and trainers in real time of the severity of collisions players sustain to the head, enabling trainers to more readily take precautions against concussions.
Flagler’s Athletic Directors Concerned By Proposed Law Facilitating Student-Athletes’ Transfers
The bill, SB 684, which has drawn little attention, would ease the path for student-athletes looking to transfer, which would benefit big schools at the expense of smaller schools.
Paying for Patriotism: The Pentagon’s Crass, Misguided Stunts
The Pentagon has been buying and choreographing patriotism at NFL, baseball and NASCAR events that are made to look spontaneous and voluntary. They’re anything but.
NFL’s Dolphins Want $3 Million a Year in Taxpayer Subsidies, Daytona Speedway May Be Next
The Legislature created a new funding method for professional stadiums in 2014 in an attempt to reduce the lobbying from prior years for state money.
Home in Palm Coast, Wimbledon Champ Reilly Opelka Is Celebrated, With Craned Necks
Reilly Opelka, who won Wimbledon’s junior crown earlier this summer and starts a 20-tournament professional tour next year, accepted a congratulatory sign at the Palm Coast Tennis Center this morning.
Golf as Wrestling Match: Only in Flagler Beach as 2 of 3 Proposals for Old Course Bogey
A split Flagler Beach City Commission is leaning toward Flagler Golf Management to take over the old 9-hole course at the south end of town as obstacles remain and few alternatives exist. The next round is scheduled for Oct. 22.
Three Companies Tee Up Proposals to Run Flagler Beach’s Fallow 9-Hole Golf Course
The 34 acres of the old Ocean Palm Golf Club will be in play this evening at 5:30 p.m. as a committee hears proposals to rejuvenate the grounds profitably through a lease.
Wimbledon Champ Reilly Opelka Coming Home to Palm Coast Tennis Center Friday
The public is invited to the Palm Coast Tennis Center this Friday (Sept. 18), from 11 a.m. to noon, to welcome home 2015 Wimbledon Junior tennis champion Reilly Opelka. The Tennis Center is located at 1290 Belle Terre Pkwy.
Opelka’s Pro Career Begins as Junior Circuit Days End With Loss in 3rd Round of U.S. Open
For Opelka, the Wimbledon boys champion, it was a disappointing end to his junior tennis career, but he now starts on the pro tour full time.
Opelka Adds to 94-Degree Heat With Scorching Serves as He Moves to 3rd Round at U.S. Open
Opelka fired a 141-mph serve, second-fastest recorded by anyone at the Open this year, as he decisively beat Japan’s Yosuke Watanuki, 6-4, 6-1 today.
Palm Coast’s Opelka Loses 1st-Round Doubles Match at U.S. Open, Heads for Juniors
Former Palm Coast resident Reilly Opelka got his first taste of the U.S. Open men’s doubles action on Thursday, as he and partner Taylor Fritz fell in a close three-setter to Marcus Daniell and Jonathan Marray, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3.
The New World of Wimbledon Junior Champ Reilly Opelka: Autographs, Pressure and a Rising Ranking
Palm Coast’s Reilly Opelka turned 18 today as he prepared for the U.S. Open, where he qualified for the doubles draw and will play in the Juniors tournament next week, but fell in qualifiers for the men’s draw.
Rich Weber Replaces Bob Nocella as Matanzas High School’s Athletic Director
Weber was one of some 75 applicants for the $44,757 position, which oversees 36 athletic teams, 22 of them at the varsity level, and involves 500 students.
Reilly Opelka Is Wimbledon Boys Champion; Roger Federer Congratulates Him in Person
Reilly Opelka, raised on the courts of Flagler County, used a powerful serve and aggressive groundstrokes to realize a dream that seemed so farfetched even a few weeks ago, defeating Sweden’s Mikael Ymer, 7-6 (5), 6-4 to win his first Wimbledon championship.
Palm Coast Takes Pride as Surging Opelka Plays in Two Wimbledon Finals Sunday
Winning his doubles semifinal match Saturday at Wimbledon, Reilly Opelka will be playing in two straight finals Sunday as Palm Coast gears up congratulations and possibly a watching party.
Palm Coast’s Opelka Stuns World’s No. 1 and Advances to Wimbledon Boys Final Sunday
The 17-year-old continued his dream run at Wimbledon Friday, defeating No.1 seed Taylor Fritz, 6-3. 7-6 (13) to reach his first-ever Slam final.
Opelka Doubles Down on Wins as He Cruises Into Wimbledon Juniors Quarterfinals
After dramatic three-set wins the past two days, Opelka needed only 72 minutes to advance to his second consecutive Grand Slam quarterfinal, then on his first-round doubles match at Wimbledon.
Palm Coast’s Opelka Fires 17 Aces to Upset 3rd Seed, Advancing Again at Wimbledon
Once again swinging on drama, the 17-year-old Opelka played his best in the big points and narrowly upset No. 3 seed Corentin Denolly of France, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 to advance to the third round in his first trip to Wimbledon.