Tennis Action at the Citi Open (photos)

Tennis enthusiasts enjoyed near perfect weather as the Citi Open got underway with qualifying matches July 26, followed with first-round action the following Monday at the FitzGerald Tennis Center in Rock Creek Park. The Citi Open, formerly the Legg Mason Tennis Classic, has been a Washington tradition since 1969. A strong men’s field featured top seed Tomas Berdych (Czech Republic), currently ranked number 5 in the world. Joining him on the card were No. 7 Milos Raonic (Canada) and Kei Nishikori of Japan. The field boasted seven players in the top 25. The No. 1 ranked doubles duo, Bob and Mike Bryan, are also making an appearance at this year’s event. Local favorite Riverdale Park native Francis Tiafoe made his first ATP main draw in the day one feature match. The 16-year-old has been as high as No.2 in the world in the ITF Junior rankings and earned a wild card draw for the Citi Open. In 2002, the event incorporated a WTA International Level tournament, featuring top woman professionals from around the world.

The Citi Open concludes with Men’s and Women’s finals matches on Sunday, Aug. 3.

View our courtside photos of early tournament action by clicking on the photo icons below. (All photos by Jeff Malet).