Movers and Shakers: Michael McClune, Hacker's Guide to Texas 76ers Pro Event

Hello, friend. Glad you can join me again. In our last visit, I told you that David Kuczer of Southern Methodist University won a spot in the upcoming Texas 76ers Pro Event.

Today I will tell you about the movers and shakers, the players to watch in this $15,000 United States Tennis Association Futures tournament. The Futures is a kind of developmental league in pro tennis where players get ready for the big time.

Hopefully, this would be the first in a series of conversations before the start of the tournament: qualifying round this weekend Saturday through Monday, October 13-15, at the Walnut Creek Country Club in Mansfield, Texas.

Michael McClune, at 18 years, is backed by the behemoth IMG: IMG is the Nike of sports management -- can you say Tiger Woods, Maria Sharapova? IMG is so big, it owns the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy. He is 6-foot-2, bangs a one-handed backhand and likes to pressure. He made some noise in the juniors and won the annual championship in Kalamazoo, Michigan. He got a wildcard entry in this year's U.S. Open, losing to 20th-ranked Juan Ignacio Chela of Argentina.

He is playing as we speak in the Swanston Challenger in Sacramento, California; scheduled to play Chris Lam October 9.

So far he has won one Futures championship and is hungry for another. Michael McClune, write it down.

I will talk to you soon about more movers and shakers.