(February 15, 2013) RANCHO SANTA FE, Calif. – On Friday at the Fresh Start Women’s Open at the Morgan Run the tournament is still on track for an all-American singles final after No. 6 seed Madison Brengle and No. 2 seed Nicole Gibbs advanced to the semifinals with straight sets wins.
In the first match of the day, Brengle used her steady baseline game to rattle Tara Moore of Great Britain, reeling off the final eight games to advance 6-3, 6-0. She will play Elitsa Kostova of Bulgaria in the semifinals.
“I think I’ve been getting better every match this week,” said Brengle. “I’ve been working really hard on my fitness and feel like I can run down almost any ball now.”
Brengle, currently ranked No. 237 on the WTA Tour, has yet to drop a set this week. She won the $25,000 USTA Pro Circuit event last March in Fort Walton Beach, Flor., but struggled with health issues in the second half of the year. After having surgery in the off-season, Brengle said she is now playing without pain for the first time in months.
“It was definitely affecting my game for a lot of last year,” said Brengle. “It’s never fun to play when you’re in pain, so I’m just glad to be out there and healthy.”
No. 2 seed Nicole Gibbs faced her biggest test of the tournament in former world No. 1 junior Irina Khromacheva of Russia, the tournament’s No. 7 seed, but stormed through the first eight games of the match on her way to a 6-0, 6-2 victory. The reigning NCAA champion has also not dropped a set in her three matches so far. She will play qualifier Tetyana Arefyeva of Ukraine in the other semifinal on Saturday.
Both semifinal singles and the doubles final will take place during Saturday’s schedule of play. The first match will see an all-American doubles final pitting Anamika Bhargava and Macall Harkins against Asia Muhammed and Allie Will, followed by Nicole Gibbs squaring off against Tetyana Arefyeva and Madison Brengle against Elitsa Kostova.
Fresh Start Women’s Open
A USTA Pro Circuit Event
Friday, February 15
Morgan Run Club
Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.
Purse: $25,000
Surface: Hard-Outdoor
Friday, February 15 – RESULTS
Main Draw Singles – Quarterfinals
Nicole Gibbs, United States (2), def. Irina Khromacheva, Russia (7), 6-0, 6-2
Madison Brengle, United States (6), def. Tara Moore, Great Britain, 6-3, 6-0
Elitsa Kostova, Bulgaria, def. Sanaz Marand, United States (Q), 4-6, 6-0, 6-0
Tetyana Arefyeva, Ukraine (Q), def. Katerina Vankova, Czech Republic (Q), 6-1, 6-1
Main Draw Doubles – Semifinals
Anamika Bhargava and Macall Harkins, United States, def. Miki Miyamura, Japan, and Yi-Fan Xu, China (2), 6-0 2-6, 10-8
Asia Muhammed and Allie Will, United States, def. Tara Moore and Melanie South, Great Britain, 6-3, 6-3.
Saturday’s February 16 – SCHEDULE
Court 1 – starting at 10:00 a.m.
Anamika Bhargava and Macall Harkins vs. Asia Muhammed and Allie Will, followed by Nicole Gibbs vs. Tetyana Arefyeva, followed by Madison Brengle vs. Elitsa Kostova,
