The Sentinel: 07/24/25

Quarterfinal field set for Neitzel Family Open in Champaign

Top seeds Jubb, Bicknell, and Kang headline Friday’s Neitzel Family Open quarterfinals in Champaign. Vandecasteele-Kuzuhara rematch highlights Friday's slate. Admission to the tournament is free.

Kyle Kang playing at Neitzel Family Open

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Kyle Kang attacks a weak ball during his match against Drew Fishback on Tuesday. Kang won the match in sweltering two set affair 6-1, 7-6 (6). The Stanford junior defeated Zeke Clark in two sets to advance to Friday's quarterfinals. Kang's resume includes leading Stanford to this year's ACC Championship and last year's PAC-12 conference title. He was also named ITA Northwest Rookie of the Year in 2024.

CHAMPAIGN — The 2024 Neitzel Family Open reaches a pivotal stage Friday morning as eight players remain in the singles draw, each vying for a spot in Saturday’s semifinals at the Atkins Tennis Center.

The day’s quarterfinal slate kicks off at 10 a.m. with a clash between 28-year-old American Ryan Dickerson and wildcard Matthew Forbes. Dickerson, who owns a career record of 94-66 and is currently ranked No. 185 in the ITF World Tennis Rankings, breezed through his second-round match Thursday with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Jon Gamble.

Forbes, whose ranking sits at No. 2,143, matched that scoreline in his upset over Leo Vithoontien. Despite the disparity in rankings, the two have history—Forbes outlasted Dickerson in a tight three-set match earlier this year on clay at the Palm Coast Open, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4. Friday’s contest, on hard court, offers a new dynamic.

Up next on the day’s schedule is a cross-continental showdown between Jamaican Blaise Bicknell and India’s Dhakshineswar Suresh. Bicknell, 131-86 in his professional career, advanced with a win over Keshav Chopra in the second round, his second victory over the American. Suresh battled through a pair of hard-fought matches to earn his quarterfinal berth. After a gritty three-set win Tuesday over Ryan Fishback, the Indian right-hander overcame soaring temperatures to defeat Evan Bynoe 6-3, 7-5 on Thursday.

Blaise Bicknell runs down a ball pulling him outside the duece court — Blaise Bicknell hits a cross-court winner during his first-round match against Oliver Okonkwo on Tuesday. The Jamaican defeated Okonkwo 6-3, 6-2, and followed the victory up with another win over Keshav Chopra in the second round.

The third match on deck pits top-seeded Brit Paul Jubb against No. 6 seed Kyle Kang of the United States. Jubb, who holds an ATP singles ranking of No. 398, entered the quarterfinals by knocking off Maxwell Exsted 6-3, 6-3, following his opening-round triumph over ITF No. 1 Naoki Tajima.

Kang, ranked No. 584, comes in with confidence after ousting former Illini standout and assistant coach Zeke Clark in straight sets, 6-0, 6-4. The win served as payback for Kang, who suffered a straight-sets loss to Clark in 2022 at the Edwardsville Open.

In the final quarterfinal, two rising American prospects square off: Bruno Kuzuhara and Quinn Vandecasteele. The two met in January at the Cleveland Challenger, where Vandecasteele claimed a three-set win decided by a final-set tiebreaker.

Kuzuhara returns to the quarters after a gutsy comeback win over Antoine Ghibaudo, 5-7, 6-1, 6-3. He opened the tournament with a dominant 6-3, 6-1 win over Braden Shick. Vandecasteele, meanwhile, began his run by knocking off No. 3 seed Aidan McHugh and moved on when Cooper Woestendick retired following the first set of their second-round match.

Friday’s action will also feature the tournament’s doubles semifinals. In one matchup, Illinois alum Hunter Heck and Japan’s Kenta Miyoshi will take on British pair Giles Hussey and Aidan McHugh at 10 a.m.

Later in the day, top-seeded Japanese duo Naoki Tajima and Leo Vithoontien face Americans Zachary Fuchs and Wally Thayne. That semifinal is scheduled to follow the Bicknell-Suresh singles match on North Court #5.

The Neitzel Family Open, an annual staple of the ITF World Tennis Tour, continues to deliver competitive tennis under the summer sun in Champaign-Urbana. Admission for all rounds remains free and open to the public.

2026 IHSTF All-State production brings 'Newsies' to life in January celebration at ISU

Disney’s Newsies headlines the 2026 Illinois High School Theatre Festival at Illinois State University this January. Over 518 students auditioned for roles in this year's production.

Photo: Eduardo Pastor/Unsplash

IHSTF remains the largest and oldest non-competitive high school theatre festival in the country. This year's festival will be held on the Illinois State University campus.

CHICAGO - The 2026 Illinois High School Theatre Festival (IHSTF) is set to showcase its All-State production with Disney's Newsies, a spirited tribute to the power of youth and the fight against injustice. Held at Braden Auditorium, Illinois State University, from January 8-10, 2026, this closed event celebrates talented high school actors, technicians, and musicians from across Illinois.

Inspired by the historic Newsboy Strike of 1899, Disney’s Newsies captivates with a blend of new melodies by Alan Menken and Jack Feldman, alongside beloved classics like “Seize the Day” and “King of New York.” Directed by Anna McSweeney of Addison Trail High School, the production connects to this year’s Festival theme: *Honoring our Past; Celebrating our Future.*

Over 518 students auditioned for Newsies, with 123 ultimately selected for the final production company. Rehearsals will span multiple weekends throughout fall 2025, with final preparations taking place just days before the January debut. While the performance itself is closed to the public, the All-State show remains one of the most anticipated highlights of the Festival for participants.

Celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2026, IHSTF remains the largest and oldest non-competitive high school theatre festival in the country. Each year, the Festival brings together over 4,000 high school students, teachers, university reps, volunteers, and professionals for three packed days of workshops, productions, auditions, and collaboration. The event rotates annually between the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Illinois State University, and this year’s host is Illinois State.

Led by IHSTF Executive Director Allan Kimball (Southeastern Illinois College, retired), the Festival opens with a high-profile Opening Performance. In past years, Broadway artists like Seth Rudetsky and Wilson Heredia, as well as Chicago’s Second City and The Neo-Futurists, have taken part.

Throughout the Festival, attendees can choose from over 120 workshops covering acting, directing, musical theatre, tech theatre, stage management, lighting, special effects, costuming, and more. Alongside the workshops, more than 20 high school showcase productions—both full-length and one-act—will be staged across campus venues.

For juniors and seniors pursuing theatre in college, the Festival also offers invaluable audition and interview opportunities with more than 35 college and university theatre programs. The IHSTF is produced by the Illinois Theatre Association and is supported in part by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council and additional donations from corporate sponsors.

“The Festival and this production of Newsies honor the legacy of student voices,” said McSweeney. “I hope every student walks away knowing their courage can lead to change.”

For more information about the Illinois Theatre Association or how to support the Festival, visit www.illinoistheatre.org.

Jubb overcomes heat and top-ranked Tajima in Neitzel Family Open thriller

With a stunning final shot, Paul Jubb topped Naoki Tajima in opening-round play at the Neitzel Family Open in Illinois.

#1 seed Paul Jubb playing at the Neitzel Family Open tennis tournament

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Sweat sprays from #1 seed Paul Jubb as he returns a shot over the net during a rally against Noaki Tajima in their first-round match at Atkins Tennis Center. It took Jubb three grueling sets to dispatch Tajima at the Neitzel Family Open on Wednesday.

CHAMPAIGN - Paul Jubb withstood sweltering heat and a surging opponent to punch his ticket to the quarterfinals at the Neitzel Family Open, outlasting ITF world No. 1 Naoki Tajima in three physically demanding sets Wednesday at the Atkins Tennis Center.

With on-court temperatures topping 100 degrees, Jubb, the top seed and ATP world No. 398, opened strong and closed even stronger. The 24-year-old Brit prevailed 6-1, 3-6, 6-2 in a match that tested not only tennis skills but endurance and resilience.

A former NCAA singles champion for South Carolina, Jubb came into the $25,000 ITF World Tour event looking to regain the form that once saw him ranked as high as No. 180 in the ATP last October. He wasted no time asserting control, using aggressive court positioning and clean hitting to dismantle Tajima in the opening set.

Naoki Tajima volleys the ball at the Neitzel Family Open — Noaki Tajima comes to the net for a point in the second set against Paul Jubb. Tajima took the set, grinding out a 6-3 victory.

Tajima, a 23-year-old from Kumamoto, Japan, entered the tournament atop the ITF world rankings with a solid 20-12 record on hardcourts despite preferring clay. After a rough opening set, he adjusted quickly in the second, jumping out to a 3-0 lead. Jubb responded with three games of his own, but Tajima closed the set by winning the next three, forcing a deciding frame.

But the cumulative toll of the match — and the oppressive humidity — began to weigh on Tajima. After leveling the final set at 2-2, his legs and energy began to fade. Jubb stayed composed, rattling off the next four games to secure the win.

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

LEFT: Jubb comes to the net for a volley in the third set. RIGHT: Jubb tosses the ball on a serve in the second set. The former NCAA champion was broke twice in the set, losing 6-3.

He sealed the match with a shot worthy of the highlight reel. After Tajima charged the net and hit back-to-back volleys, Jubb sprinted from behind the service line on the ad side to retrieve a ball that landed just inside the service box near the deuce sideline. Stretching his 5-foot-11 frame, he slid into position and whipped a down-the-line passing shot that left onlookers, and Tajima, in awe, closing out the match.

The win advances Jubb to a quarterfinal matchup against American wildcard Maxwell Exsted.

The Neitzel Family Open, formerly known as the Fighting Illini Open, is a USTA Pro Circuit and ITF World Tour men’s tournament first held in 2019. All matches are free and open to the public and are played on the east outdoor courts at the University of Illinois campus unless weather forces a move indoors.