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EDWARDSVILLE – The final for the $25,000 USTA Pro Circuit Edwardsville Futures tennis tournament presented by the EGHM Foundation has been set – and it has an 
international flavor to it.
Israel's Or Ram-Harel and Sweden's Gustav Hansson will play each other at 11 a.m. today for the singles championship on Court 2 of the Edwardsville High School Tennis Center; Ram-Harel reached the final by defeating American Hunter Callahan 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 in Saturday morning's first semifinal match, while Hansson moved into the final with a 6-1, 6-1 win over Genaro Alberto Olivieri of Argentina in the second semifinal.
Ram-Harel jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the opening set of his match with Callahan before going on to win the opening set before Callahan ran out to a quick lead in the second set and going on to draw the match even before Ram-Harel went on to take the deciding set.
“He's a tough player,” Callahan said of Ram-Harel, who played collegiately at Tulsa. “He just out-toughed me today; it was one of those things where he got the better of me.”
“Every day's the same,” Ram-Harel said. “He has a great serve and he had a great tournament; I came ready. In the second set, he got a big lead on me, so I decided to rest and come out stronger in the third set. It's not always a great strategy sometimes, but it worked for me today.
“It's my first final (today) and I'm excited; I'll do my best.”
Callahan, an Ohio State alumni, was pleased with his week in Edwardsville overall, winning the doubles championship with Hansson Friday evening and reaching the semifinals in singles. “Overall, it was a great tournament, winning the doubles and the first semifinals of a $25,000 tournament; I can't be too disappointed,” Callahan said. “It's a little heartbreaking the way it ended, double-faulting two times at 3-4.”
Callahan's experience in Edwardsville was a very pleasant one. “Edwardsville's nice,” Callahan said. “I had housing the whole time I was here; they're great people and a lot of people coming out – it was great to play in front of a crowd. It was one of those things where you feel more professional playing in front of a crowd. I'm looking forward to coming back here; it's a great tournament.”
Ram-Harel thanked everyone involved with the tournament. “Thank you to everybody in the tournament,” Ram-Harel said. “Great kids – the (ball kids) – and everyone who came out to watch; it's very nice.”
Hansson, who plays college tennis at Mississippi, ran out to a big lead early against Olivieri from the start and never looked back, making his way to the final without much trouble. “I played incredibly good,” Hansson said. “I felt confident and was very confident out there, just playing my game and it went well today.
“It's going to be exciting (playing Ram-Harel).”
“It was very, very tough,” Oliviari said. “(Hansson) played very, very well, so I had nothing to lose; I have to say congratulations. I had some little opportunities in the match; that sometimes happens.
“It was a great week and a very good place here in the high school.”
The latest information on the tournament can be found at www.edwardsvillefutures.com, with real-time scoring found at http://itfprocircuit.tennis-live-scores.com/scoreboard.aspx
Dan Brannan also contributed to this story.
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