ROCKWALL, TX – James Ignatowich arrived on the men’s singles court in the Lone Star State to face off against the No. 2 seeded, Federico Staksrud. Ignatowich is seeded at No. 47, but it is purely because he doesn’t frequent the event. 

Given that he’s currently ranked 3 in mixed doubles, Ignatowich’s singles seed is not reflective of his incredible skill on the court. 

So far, Ignatowich has worked his way up the bracket, knocking out Gabe Tardio, Rafa Hewett, but was soon halted by Federico Staksrud. 

However, it was a battle. Staksrud was down 0-8 in the first game. 

The final score was 11-9, 14-12, with the No. 2 seed moving ahead.

“James is a great player. He has a really big serve and he started really well,” said Staksrud. 

With rain delays, thunderstorms outside, and a shift to covered courts, the conditions for play were less than optimal. 

“The rain was so loud I couldn’t hear the ball – it was so strange. I’ve never played in those conditions and it was one of the toughest playing conditions,” shared Staksrud. 

“We just have to adjust to the conditions and try our best. But these conditions make it fun to see who can adjust better,” continued Staksrud. 

Conditions like that certainly mark a strong player. 

Staksrud will advance to play Marshall Brown in the quarter-finals.