# Rain Delays, Indoor Shifts, and Title Stakes: Inside the Edwardsville Futures Doubles Drama

**By Amelie Fontaine**  \nPublished August 2, 2026  \nUpdated September 9, 2026

> Rain-driven indoor shifts at Principia College could not halt the drama at the $30,000 Edwardsville Futures, where Jack Anthrop and Noah Zamora survived a fierce second-set collapse to reach the doubles final.

When overnight and early-morning rain forced the 15th edition of the Edwardsville Futures off the outdoor asphalt and into the Hexberg Indoor Tennis Center on the campus of Principia College in Elsah, the tournament's rhythm transformed overnight. As the only professional tennis tournament held in the St. Louis area, presented by The EGHM Foundation, the $30,000 event suddenly traded outdoor wind and sun for the contained, pressurized acoustics of indoor courts. For the remaining contenders, surface adjustments were just the opening hurdle in a frantic Saturday slate.

Jack Anthrop and Noah Zamora learned that lesson firsthand during a tumultuous doubles semifinal against top-seeded Ethan Cook and Leo Vithoontien. Having cruised through the opening set 6-2, Anthrop and Zamora appeared headed for a stress-free afternoon when they seized a commanding 5-2 lead in the second. But Cook and Vithoontien mounted an aggressive counter-offensive, sweeping three consecutive games to level at 5-5 before snatching the tiebreak 7-4 to force a decisive 10-point match tiebreak.

Neither pair budged in the frantic extra frame, locked point-for-point until a dead-even 8-8 scoreline. Experience in tight moments ultimately tipped the scales for Anthrop and Zamora. We knew we had been there before, Zamora said (Matt Kamp, The Edwardsville Intelligencer). That carried over from the past couple of matches we’ve played, so we were confident in those big points. At 8-all, we came up with a great return, and then Jack came up with a clutch play right away. That was big.

Consecutive points secured a 6-2, 6-7 (4-7), 10-8 victory, sending the unseeded duo into the championship match. It marked a significant milestone for a partnership playing in only its second Futures tournament together, following a semifinal run at the M15 Rancho Santa Fe event in July. We were still trying to figure out the right plays for us and how to best use our different attributes, Zamora noted (Matt Kamp, The Edwardsville Intelligencer). I think we’ve figured that out more during this tournament. Anthrop echoed that sentiment, emphasizing a simplified tactical approach: We’re not trying to do anything crazy. We’re just doing what we do best, and it seems to be working.

## The Exsted-Woestendick Blueprint

While Anthrop and Zamora battled through a three-set thriller, third-seeded Maxwell Exsted and Cooper Woestendick engineered a much cleaner path to the final. The American duo dispatched Nikita Filin and Brandon Carpico in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3, sealing the opener with a crucial break in the 10th game and repeating the pressure by building an early 4-1 lead in the second.

Exsted and Woestendick brought considerable pedigree to the indoor courts. Beyond their individual Futures titles—Exsted boasting five crowns and Woestendick two—the pair captured the 2024 Australian Open boys doubles championship together. That pre-existing chemistry paid immediate dividends under the Principia College roof, though a grueling turnaround awaited them: because of the weather delays pushing the schedule, the championship match against Anthrop and Zamora was squeezed into later Saturday afternoon, where Exsted and Woestendick ultimately captured the crown 6-1, 6-1.

## Weather, Fatigue, and the Singles Landscape

The indoor migration also impacted the singles draws, which unfolded alongside the doubles scramble. Fifth-seeded Ozan Baris carried heavy momentum into the weekend following a harrowing second-round comeback against Oliver Bonding, where Baris erased a 5-0 third-set deficit, fought off two match points, and overcame leg cramps during a three-hour, 39-minute marathon. Baris kept his stamina intact to eliminate top-seeded Johannus Monday 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the semifinals.

On the other side of the singles bracket, unseeded Vignesh Gogineni advanced when Bruno Kuzuhawa was forced to retire due to injury after Gogineni claimed the first set 6-2 and built a 4-1 lead in the second. That set up a Sunday morning title clash between Baris and Gogineni back at the EHS Tennis Center.

**Tournament Context at a Glance**

- **Event:** 15th Annual Edwardsville Futures ($30,000 purse)

- **Venue Shift:** Moved from EHS Tennis Center to Hexberg Indoor Tennis Center at Principia College due to morning rain.

- **Doubles Champions:** Maxwell Exsted and Cooper Woestendick (def. Jack Anthrop and Noah Zamora 6-1, 6-1).

- **Singles Finalists:** Ozan Baris vs. Vignesh Gogineni.

For Anthrop, Zamora, Exsted, and Woestendick, the Edwardsville fortnight highlighted the razor-thin margins of professional developmental tennis. Whether navigating a rain delay, breaking serve under pressure, or sustaining physical output through deep third-set tiebreaks, survival on the Futures circuit requires both tactical clarity and mental resilience.

## Sources

- [Matt Kamp](https://www.theintelligencer.com/sports/article/edwardsville-il-futures-doubles-final-22369696.php) — original
- [Colin Feeney, Contributing Sports Writer](https://www.riverbender.com/news/details/exsted-and-woestendick-capture-edwardsville-futures-doubles-crown-95588.cfm) — original
- [Matt Kamp](https://www.thetelegraph.com/sports/article/edwardsville-il-futures-comeback-22367047.php) — original
- [europesays.com](https://www.europesays.com/tennis/45525/) — original
- [Dan Brannan](https://metroeaststar.com/2026/07/30/top-seeds-advance-smoothly-at-edwardsville-futures-tournament/) — original