2013/06/20

Uncle Sam at the Down Under Slam – Day 1 Edition

Venus Williams photo © Enrique Fernandez for Tennis Panorama

Venus Williams photo © Enrique Fernandez for Tennis Panorama

(January 14, 2013) Looking at how American tennis players fared on day one of the 2013 Australian Open.

American tennis players went  6-3 on the first day of the Australian Open with Venus Williams leading the way with a 6-1, 6-0 victory against Galina Voskoboeva.

“Obviously it’s nice to spend less time on the court, and not be in long sets,” Williams said after the match. She  had a first-serve percentage of 70 percent and converted on 6 of 11 break point chances.

“I don’t think my opponent quite got the hang of – you know, it’s hard to play the first match in a major, first thing of the year, and that can be a lot of pressure.” Williams said of her opponent “I did my best to just close it out.”

Sam Querrey, who is the highest ranking American man, due to the withdrawal of 13rh ranked John Isner, came back from a set down to defeat Daniel Munoz-De La Nava of Spain 6-7 (2-7), 6-4, 6-2, 6-4.

Querrey will take on another American in the second round, Brian Baker, who defeated American turned Russian Alex Bogomolov Jr. 7-6 (4), 6-3, 6-7 (0), 3-6, 6-2.

Ryan Harrison came back from a set down to advance, defeating Santiago Giraldo of Colombia 2-6, 6-4, 7-5, 6-4.  Bad news for Harrison – he’ll face top seed Novak Djokovic in the second round.

Spain’s Nicolas Almagro, the 1th0 men’s seed outlasted American qualifier Steve Johnson in a first round five-set marathon 7-5, 6-7 (4), 6-2, 6-7 (6), 6-2. Johnson was the first reigning NCAA champion to qualify for the Australian Open.

Tim Smyczek came into the tournament as lucky loser, and thanks to housemate John Isner’s withdrawal  due to a right knee injury, made it into the main draw. Smyczek was a winner on Monday with a 6-4, 7-6, 7-5 victory over Ivo Karlovic.

Veteran Michael Russell fell to No. 5 Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic 6-3, 7-5, 6-3.

Touted as “one to watch” seventeen year-old Madison Keys won her first match in Melbourne on Monday with a 6-4, 7-6 (0) victory against Casey Dellacqua of Australia.

Sorana Cirstea had no problems beating American Coco Vandeweghe  6-4 6-2 in first round action.

Americans scheduled for Tuesday play in Melbourne include No. 3 Serena Williams, 29 seed Sloane Stephens, Vania King, Jamie Hampton, Melanie Oudin, Vavara Lepchencko, Lauren Davis, Rajeev Ram, and Rhyne Williams.

Karen Pestaina for Tennis Panorama News

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Hampton Upsets Jankovic at the BNP Paribas Open

By Curt Janka

INDIAN WELLS, California (March 9, 2012) – American wildcard Jamie Hampton treated Center Court to a surprise upset over Jelena Jankovic, winning 6-4, 6-3 in the second round of the BNP Paribas Open. The 99th ranked Hampton said this was the biggest win of her career and the best she has played in a high-pressure match. She thinks she can still play better, though, and hopes to do so to reach her new goal of making it inside the top 70 of the WTA rankings.

“It was a bad day of tennis for me,” said Jankovic. “My legs felt so heavy on the court. Maybe I’m still recovering from jet lag.” Jankovic did however give credit to her young opponent saying “she took her opportunities and she executed her shots. Hampton played solid.”

Asked how she staged the upset, Hampton said “I was pretty nervous before the match, actually,” and she joked that she though she might vomit. “I think the fact that I got a match under my belt here helped me a lot. Earlier this year in Australia I didn’t have that opportunity against Maria and she wiped the court with me.”

This is the first time Hampton has won back-to-back matches at a WTA event. She thumped Polona Hercog in the first round, 6-0, 6-1. Asked if she felt her game has improved she credited the USTA saying, “last year at the end of the year I went to Boca Raton and spent a couple weeks with the USTA. They helped me and my coach put together a game plan and some objectives that I need to keep in mind no matter who I’m playing.”

With the improvement in her game and her results so far here, Hampton says she is altering her goal from breaking into the 100 to cracking the top 70.

On the topic of goals, Jankovic would like to one day win the Fed Cup title and hopes Ana Ivanovic will join the team.  “It would be great if she could play. We have a really huge chance if she plays. It would be nice to add that trophy to my collection. It’s a different feeling to be playing for your country.”

In the meantime, Jankovic just hopes to get her tennis to the level she expects of herself.  “Today, I was a shadow of myself.”

Curt Janka is covering the BNP Paribas Open this week for Tennis Panorama News. Follow his updates on twitter at @TennisNewsTPN. Follow his personal twitter @CurtJanka.

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Dushevina beats Qualifier Hampton, Hampton teams up with Oudin for Doubles Win in Memphis

Vera Dushevina beats Qualifier Jamie Hampton.  Hampton later teams with Melanie Oudin for a Doubles Win in Memphis

By Brad Hunter

MEMPHIS, Tennessee (February 21, 2012) – Twenty-two year old American qualifier Jamie Hampton, who defeated defending 2011 Memphis champion Magdalena Rybarikova in the first round Sunday evening, lost her second round match on Tuesday on the Grandstand court at The Regions Morgan Keegan Championships.

Hampton, ranked 104, started strongly against 25-year old Russian Vera Dushevina by hitting powerful, aggressive groundstrokes and building herself a 4-2 first set lead.  At this point in the match Dushevina, ranked 89, used her defense and higher percentage topspin shots to force the Hampton power game to start missing.  Many rallies saw Hampton gain the court positioning advantage and then miss her put-away shots.

When Hampton started missing she became audibly and visibly agitated and Dushevina’s ability to prolong points ultimately proved too much for Hampton.  She was able to push back against Vera when she was down 1-5 in the second set, but Dushevina closed the win out at 6-4, 6-3.  The last point of the match saw a Dushevina passing shot angle bounce near the line – surely a call Hampton would’ve asked for a shot spot on had that been available.  Hampton angry, laughed and let out an exasperated plea to the chair, to no avail, as the chair was already saying “Game, Set, Match, Dushevina”.  Even with the loss, Hampton showed a powerful and aggressive baseline game which should carry her far in the WTA .

Dushevina showed impressive mental fortitude, getting agitated herself many times during the match but reeling it back in, and looks to be a strong threat for a title in Memphis (she’s also in the doubles draw with Olga Govortsova).  Later in the afternoon, Hampton teamed with Melanie Oudin (who lost today to spectacled Stephanie Foretz Gacon) for a 6-1, 6-0 doubles win against the team of Stefanie Mikesz and Mariya Slupska.

Brad Hunter is covering the Regions Morgan Keegan Championships and the Memphis International as media for Tennis Panorama News this week. Follow his reports here and live on our twitter account @TennisNewsTPN. Follow his personal twitter account @BradHunter.

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Fields for USTA Australian Open Wild Card Playoffs Announced

 

USTA Player Development has named the eight men and eight women who will be participating in the Australian Open Wild Card Playoffs. They include in the Women’s draw – Melanie Oudin, Coco Vandeweghe, Madison Keys, Jamie Hampton, Gail Brodsky, Alison Riske, Grace Min and Taylor Townsend.

 

The men’s field consists of Robby Ginepri, Jack Sock, Bobby Reynolds, Denis Kudla, Steve Johnson, Daniel Kosakowski, Rhyne Williams and Jesse Levine.

 

The playoffs will be held at the Racquet Club of the South in Atlanta, one of the USTA Certified Regional Training Centers  from December 16-18.  The winners will receive main draw singles wild cards into the men’s and women’s draws at the 2012 Australian Open through a reciprocal agreement with Tennis Australia.

 

Seeding for the playoffs will be based on the ATP World Tour and WTA Rankings.

 

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Craybas, Davis, Stephens and Rezai are Among the US Open Women’s Wildcards

 

Americans Jill Craybas, USTA Girls’ 18s Champion Lauren Davis, Jamie Hampton, Alison Riske, and teenager Sloane Stephens, along with Australia’s Casey Dellacqua and France’s Aravane Rezai have been granted main draw wildcards into the 2011 US Open Tennis Championships:   The 2011 US Open will be played August 29 – September 11 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, N.Y.

One more main draw wildcard will be awarded to the winner of the 2011 US Open Wild Card Playoff held by USTA Player Development at the Junior Tennis Champions Center, one of the USTA Certified Regional Training Centers, in College Park, Md., this week.

 

The US Open qualifying wild cards are: 2011 Wimbledon girls’ singles champion Ashleigh Barty (15, Ipswich, Australia); 2008 Orange Bowl champion Julia Boserup (19, Newport Beach, Calif.); 2010 US Open girls’ singles champion Daria Gavrilova (17, Moscow, Russia); two-time USTA Girls’ 18s finalist Nicole Gibbs (18, Santa Monica, Calif.), a rising sophomore at Stanford; 2010 Easter Bowl champion Krista Hardebeck (16, Santa Ana, Calif.); Madison Keys (16, Boca Raton, Fla.), who won her first professional title on the USTA Pro Circuit in June, 2010; Jessica Pegula (17, Boca Raton, Fla.),  and Taylor Townsend (15, Stockbridge. Ga.), who reached the semifinals at last week’s USTA Girls’ 18s National Championships.

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Sony Ericsson Open – The Excitement Starts Here and Now

By Craig Hickman

Tours, draw ceremonies, and qualifying matches filled up most of the day at the 2011 Sony Ericsson Open.

At 10:00 am, I toured the 34-acre site guided by tournament director Adam Barrett and Media and Public Relations Director Sam Henderson. Tracking down minor facilities issues (“Why is the Head Tent Closed?”) while walking a small group of media around the exquisitely designed and built set of facilities, it was clear that the Sony Ericsson Open has its eye on a bigger future. Adding another television court, hardwiring expanded workrooms for faster connectivity, and including a high-end VIP restaurant which will feature four celebrity chefs over the next week, the event will remain the premiere event outside of the Grand Slams.

At approximately 11:45, the women’s draw was unveiled. Samantha Stosur chose the chips with the 32 seeded players whose names were taped on a giant draw board threatening to blow off the easel. “Right now, it’s all just a bunch of names,” she said of her place in the 128-line draw. The No. 4 seed and Roland Garros finalist will face the winner of Zheng Jie and Xperia Hot Shot Sorana Cirstea in the second round.

 

The men’s draw followed with Jurgen Melzer doing the choosing. “The first thing I look at is where is Juan Martín del Potro in the draw,” said the No. 10 seed. “He’s in Robin Soderling‘s section so that’s going to be a nice little section. I think everybody says you play one match at a time, but we’re human so sometimes we do look ahead. If you’re confident you don’t care who you play, but if you’re not, you want to know what’s coming.” What’s coming for Melzer is his doubles partner Philipp Petzschner of Germany or Florent Serra of France.

Next, I jumped around and the grounds and darted in and out of several qualifying matches.


American wildcard and birthday girl Sloane Stephens had to rally from a set down to advance to the second round of qualifying. She beat the No. 4 seed Evgeniya Rodina of Russia 3-6, 6-4, 6-3. For a place in the main draw she’ll face Aussie Sophie Ferguson who upset No. 13 Alberta Brianti of Italy 6-4, 3-6, 6-2.


The No. 4 seed in the men’s qualifying draw fared no better. Milwaukee native Tim Smyczek picked about Israel’s Dudi Sela 6-1, 6-4. “I didn’t know what I was doing,” he said after the match. Had me fooled. Though only 5′ 9″, the 23-year-old hits a big serve, has no weakness on either wing, and plays the net with aplomb. Perhaps his best asset on the court is his positive attitude. He played every point as though it were the last and never let an error cost more than one point. Smyczek will have a tough match against Olivier Rochus of Belgium who beat Flavio Cipola of Italy 6-3, 6-2.

 

American Ryan Sweeting also advanced in straight sets. Even though he yelled out to his box that his backhand was the worst it’s ever been, you wouldn’t have known it. Not the way he dismantled Juan Sebastian Cabal 7-6(4), 6-2. The Colombian became so frustrated he double faulted twice to lose the match. Sweeting will play Lukas Rosol of the Czech Republic for a spot in the main draw.

Coming off the biggest win of his career with an upset of Andy Murray at the BNP Paribas Open, Donald Young was back to the business of qualifying for another major event. Against the wily veteran in Arnaud Clement, Young was out of sorts out the gate, dropping the first 10 points of the match with a listless performance and cantankerous disposition. But the young American who has seemed burdened by big expectations shook off a lopsided first set and turned the match around. “I didn’t play my game in the first set. I started to keep more balls in play and kept fighting,” said Young. He took pace off his shots, forcing Clement to create his own pace, and that change in tactics forced the Frenchman to make more errors. “If I keep playing my game, the way I played in the last two sets, I can get through.” He’ll have to fight past Frank Dancevic of Canada who can produce good tennis on North American hardcourts.

 

Americans Lauren Davis, Irina Falconi, Jamie Hampton, Christina McHale, Robert Kendrick, Michael Russell also advanced.

Tomorrow, matches from the women’s main draw begin on the Grandstand, Court 1 and Court 2. Find the full schedule here.

Craig Hickman is founder and editor of Craig Hickman’s Tennis Blog. Follow him on twitter @CraigHickman.  Find his Sony Ericsson Open tweets on @GVTennisNews.


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Tatishvili Ousts Top Seed Lepchenko at Dow Corning Tennis Classic

Anna Tatishvili (Courtesy of Bob Spears)

MIDLAND, Mich., February 8, 2011 – The numbers were stacked against Anna Tatishvili as she opened play at the 2011 Dow Corning Tennis Classic on Stadium Court. An unheralded, unseeded player from the Republic of Georgia, Tatishvili was up against top-seeded American Varvara Lepchenko, who finished 2010 by winning 15 straight matches on the USTA Pro Circuit.

Tatishvili gave up five inches, 25 pounds and 54 spots on the WTA Tour rankings to the lefty Lepchenko. Playing on a slick indoor surface that is supposed to favor stronger players, Lepchenko entered Tuesday’s match with a 2-0 lifetime record against Tatishvili.

But matches aren’t played on paper; they’re played between the lines. Flattening her groundstrokes much deeper than her 5-foot-6 frame suggested she could, Tatishvili knocked off the No. 1 seed 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-4.

“I had to play very focused, especially on the returns,” said Tatishvili, who resides and trains in Boca Raton, Fla. “She’s a lefty and her slice serve you can’t really hit back flat. I had to really look at the ball and make her play every point.”

After moving her opponent side to side with punishing returns, the Georgian broke for a 5-4 first-set lead when Lepchenko double-faulted.

But Tatishvili doubled twice in the subsequent game to concede the break back to Lepchenko, who will become an American citizen in August after migrating to the U.S. a decade ago.

“On my kick serves, I got a little tight so the ball flew on me,” said Tatishvili, who finished with seven double faults. “I need to just think about the routine I do every single day: make 2,000 serves.”

Moments after she served for a one-set lead, Tatishvili misfired long on consecutive points in the tiebreak to concede the first set to Lepchenko.

“It’s tennis and it happens,” said Tatishvili, 21. “That’s why it’s two-out-of-three. I refocused and I tried to make less errors. On the important points, I wanted to be steady.”

Lepchenko, 24, could not maintain her momentum in the second set as Tatishvili broke serve in each of the American’s first three service games. Despite service troubles of her own, Tatishvili forced a final set by holding at love.

The 129th-ranked Tatishvili opened up a 3-0 third-set lead, and then earned two match points at 5-3 after hitting the shot of the match. Lepchenko kicked a spin serve into the far corner of the Ad-court, pushing Tatishvili into the side curtains. The Georgian, however, responded with an acute angle of her own: carving a cross-court backhand return winner that crashed into the opposite curtains.

Lepchenko managed to save both match points and hold serve, forcing Tatishvili to clinch the win on her own racquet. When Tatishvili hit a second-serve about three feet long to open the 10th game, a service break appeared likely.

But Lepchenko’s comeback was not to be as Tatishvili recomposed herself, earning a third match point with a crosscourt forehand winner. She secured her first-ever win over the 75th-ranked Lepchenko when the lefty let loose on a backhand long.

“On the match points at 5-3 she played well,” said Tatishvili. “It’s not like I played bad or I choked or anything. There was nothing I could do. But in the last game of the third set, I just said, ‘You have to really focus on your serve.’”

Lepchenko’s loss marked the start of a difficult day for Americans at the Dow Corning Tennis Classic. Shelby Rogers, Christina McHale and Jamie Hampton each fell in the first round. Two-time singles finalist Lucie Hradecka of the Czech Republic handed Hampton a 7-5, 6-4 loss in Tuesday’s feature singles match.

Good news for the red, white and blue came in the form of USTA.com blogger Irina Falconi. The former Georgia Tech standout ensured herself two more days of writing (and competing) by breaking Katie O’Brien seven straight times in a 7-5, 6-2 singles victory. Falconi, 20, also teamed with countrywoman Alison Riske to defeat Brittany Augustine and Alexandra Mueller in doubles.

While four Americans fell in the main draw on Tuesday, four former U.S. Fed Cup team members swept the qualifying. Ahsha Rolle and Alexa Glatch joined 1998 Midland champion Alexandra Stevenson and 34-year-old Mashona Washington as the qualifying quartet.

Washington, who was born in nearby Flint, Mich., first played the Midland qualifying event in 1993. Back then, the tournament was only in its fifth year on the USTA Pro Circuit and it featured just a quarter of its present-day purse of $100,000.

Now in the Dow Corning Tennis Classic main draw for the 10th time, Washington will be wishing for a repeat performance of 2002, when she reached the singles final before falling to Australian Open runner-up Na Li.

After her mother, father and sister watched her advance through the qualifying draw, Washington was rewarded with a first-round match against a player young enough to be her daughter: 15-year-old wild card Victoria Duval.

“I’ve probably played this tournament more than anybody,” said Washington, who defeated Mueller 7-6(4), 6-3 in the final round of qualifying. “I’m very happy because this lets me know that I didn’t need a wild card. At the same time, I could have saved myself three matches and probably 100 miles on my legs (laughs).”

The first round resumes on Wednesday with 11 singles matches, highlighted by the fast-rising Riske taking on No. 7 seed Ksenia Pervak of Russia in the feature singles match at 7 p.m. on Stadium Court. Pervak won the 2009 Australian Open junior title, but should be tested against Riske, who captured three consecutive ITF titles in Europe last fall.

Following that contest, Hampton and Tatishvili will team up to take on Canadians Rebecca Marino and Marie-Eve Pelletier in the feature doubles match.

Marino will also play her first-round singles match on Wednesday against Glatch. With Lepchenko’s loss, the 20-year-old from Vancouver has emerged as a tournament favorite.

At 6-feet-tall, the second-seeded Marino is quickly becoming one of the biggest hitters in women’s tennis, smoking serves and forehands without inhibition. She arrives in Midland after a second-round appearance at the Australian Open, where she pushed French Open champion Francesca Schiavone before falling 9-7 in the third set.

Marino is one of six seeded singles players in action during Wednesday’s day session, including No. 5 seed Sorana Cirstea of Romania. Still only 20 years old, Cirstea has posted wins over current Top 10 players Caroline Wozniacki, Jelena Jankovic, Agnieszka Radwanska and Schiavone.

Cirstea will meet wild card Jessica Pegula in the fourth match on Court 5.

Admission to the Dow Corning Tennis Classic is free until the 7 p.m. feature session. General admission tickets to see Riske vs. Pervak and Hampton/Tatishvili vs. Marino/Pelletier cost $12 for adults and $8 for children.

Article by Joshua Rey

Dow Corning Tennis Classic

Midland Community Tennis Center

Midland, Mich.

Purse: $100,000

Surface: Hard-Indoor

Tuesday, February 8 – RESULTS


Singles – First round

Anna Tatishvili (Georgia) def. [1] Varvara Lepchenko (United States)  6-7(4), 6-3, 6-4

Lucie Hradecka (Czech Republic) def. Jamie Hampton (United States) 7-5, 6-4

Sabine Lisicki (Germany) def. [WC] Shelby Rogers (United States) 6-1, 6-3

Anastasia Pivovarova (Russia) def. Christina McHale (United States) 3-6, 6-2, 6-3

Irina Falconi (United States) def. Katie O’Brien (Great Britain) 7-5, 6-2

Doubles – First round

Gabriela Dabrowski (Canada) and Whitney Jones (United States) def. [WC] Kelli Close (United States) and Daniella Patton (Dominican Republic) 6-0, 6-2

Irina Falconi and Alison Riske (United States) def. Brittany Augustine and Alexandra Mueller (United States) 6-1, 3-6, [10-3]

[3] Ksenia Pervak (Russia) and Ipek Senoglu (Turkey) def. Christina Fusano and Sanaz Marand (United States) 4-6, 6-4, [10-7]

[2] Sarah Borwell (Great Britain) and Courtney Nagle (United States) def. Elizabeth Lumpkin and Story Tweedie-Yates (United States) 7-5, 6-4

Qualifying Singles – Final round

[6] Mashona Washington (United States) def. Alexandra Mueller (United States) 7-6(4), 6-3

[2] Ahsha Rolle (United States) def. [7] Lena Litvak (United States) 6-4, 6-2

[5] Alexandra Stevenson (United States) def. [3] Marina Erakovic (New Zealand) 6-2, 6-4

[4] Alexa Glatch (United States) def. [8] Amanda Fink (United States) 6-2, 6-2

Wednesday, February 9 – SCHEDULE

Stadium Court – starting at 10 a.m.

[WC] Brittany Augustine (United States) vs. [4] Anne Keothavong (Great Britain)

[3] Evgeniya Rodina (Russia) vs. [Q] Ahsha Rolle (United States)

[Q] Mashona Washington (United States) vs. [WC] Victoria Duval (United States)

[1] Marina Erakovic (New Zealand) and Lucie Hradecka (Czech Republic) vs. Beatrice Capra and CoCo Vandeweghe (United States)

Stadium Court – starting at 7 p.m.

Alison Riske (United States) vs. [7] Ksenia Pervak (Russia)

Jamie Hampton (United States) and Anna Tatishvili (Georgia) vs. Rebecca Marino and Marie-Eve Pelletier (Canada)

Court 5 – starting at 10 a.m.

Michelle Larcher de Brito (Portugal) vs. Julie Coin (France)

Aleksandra Wozniak (Canada) vs. [6] Magdalena Rybarikova (Slovakia)

[Q] Alexa Glatch (United States) vs. [2] Rebecca Marino (Canada)

[5] Sorana Cirstea (Romania) vs. [WC] Jessica Pegula (United States)

Court 3 – starting at 10 a.m.

Stephanie Foretz-Gacon (France) vs. Heather Watson (Great Britain)

[8] CoCo Vandeweghe (United States) vs. [Q] Alexandra Stevenson (United States)

Madison Brengle (United States) vs. Olga Savchuk (Ukraine)

ABOUT THE USTA PRO CIRCUIT:

With more than 90 tournaments throughout the country and prize money ranging from $10,000 to $100,000, the USTA Pro Circuit is the pathway to the US Open and tour-level competition for aspiring tennis players and a frequent battleground for established professionals. The USTA launched its Pro Circuit 32 years ago to provide players with the opportunity to gain professional ranking points, and it has since grown to become the largest developmental tennis circuit in the world, offering more than $3 million in prize money. Last year, more than 1,000 men and women from more than 70 countries competed in cities nationwide. Among those who have played at the Dow Corning Tennis Classic are seven-time Grand Slam winner Justine Henin, former world No. 1 Maria Sharapova, reigning French Open champion Francesca Schiavone and 2011 Australian Open runner-up Na Li.

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Lisicki, Falconi and Vandeweghe Talk Dow Corning Tennis Classic

Coco Vandeweghe interviewed by ESPN's Brad Golder             (Photo by Bob Spears)

MIDLAND, Mich., February 7, 2011 – The longest-running women’s tournament on the USTA Pro Circuit returns to the tennis scene on Tuesday with a field of fast-rising stars seeking their share of $100,000 in prize money.

Of the 40 women’s events on the American circuit, only the Dow Corning Tennis Classic awards its singles champion a check for $15,200 and 140 ranking points on the WTA Tour.

Now hosting the event for a 23rd time, the 2009 ‘Best Tennis Town’ of Midland is welcoming three former Top 25 players, 11 Americans and 18 players under the age of 22 this week.

Two-time singles finalist Lucie Hradecka, 2009 Wimbledon quarterfinalist Sabine Lisicki and up-and-coming Americans Irina Falconi and CoCo Vandeweghe kicked off the 2011 event by meeting with media at the Midland Community Tennis Center on Monday. They were joined by Tom Gullikson, the USTA’s lead national coach for women’s tennis.

Hradecka’s fast-and-flat playing style suits her well on the quick indoor courts of Midland. After winning the 2009 Dow Corning Tennis Classic singles title, the Czech captured the tournament’s doubles title with Laura Granville in 2010 and fell in last year’s singles final to Elena Baltacha.

With titanic serves and two-handed groundstrokes, Hradecka has already won 16 ITF singles, 29 ITF doubles and nine WTA doubles titles. Though she’s earned her fair share of trophies elsewhere, the 25-year-old Hradecka holds a special place in her heart for Midland.

“I love this tournament,” said Hradecka. “I love the people here and I stay here with a great family. Everybody here is so friendly and the tournament does its best for the players.”

If there’s one player in Midland who may be able to match Hradecka’s power, it’s Lisicki. She owns the women’s world record for the fastest serve at just over 130 miles-per-hour.

But after reaching the Wimbledon quarterfinals and breaking into the Top 25 in 2009, Lisicki suffered a string of injuries. She twisted her left ankle 11 months ago in Indian Wells, Calif., leaving her in crutches for six weeks and off the tour for more than four months.

“I basically lost all the muscles in my left leg,” said the 21-year-old Lisicki. “To have the whole body working the way you want it to work is quite a big deal. It takes time. It’s not about who can play the best tennis anymore because you have to be fit, you have to be strong and you have to be fast.”

Like many of her peers in Midland this week, Lisicki’s next stop on the tennis tour is tentatively the WTA event in Memphis, where qualifying play begins on Friday. That overlaps with the Dow Corning Tennis Classic quarterfinals, making a tennis player’s life anything but easy to predict.

“A year ago, I did not have problems making my schedule because when you’re in the Top 30, you’re getting in everywhere and you can pick and choose,” said Lisicki, now ranked No. 186.

“It’s tough when you’re ranked between 100 and 200 because you don’t know where you’re going to get in. I’m in the main draw here and the qualies in Memphis so if I get far here, I cannot play there. That makes it tough for us to book our flights, which makes it more expensive. It’s like a big circle.”

Standing six inches shorter than Lisicki, the 5’4” Falconi may not appear to be the ideal indoor-court player. But with a steady mix of speed, slice and spin, she is quickly making a name for herself in women’s tennis.

As a varsity tennis player at Georgia Tech, Falconi finished the 2010 collegiate season ranked No. 1 in the nation before joining the WTA Tour last July.

“The biggest difference is that out here, you’re trying to get each other’s lunch money,” said Falconi. “In college, you knew the next day that there was another match or another practice, and your scholarship was still going to be there.”

In just seven months as a pro, Falconi has qualified at the US Open and the Australian Open and risen to No. 156 in the world. With no ranking points to defend through Wimbledon, the only direction she’ll be going anytime soon is up.

“I’ve been pleasantly surprised, for sure,” said Falconi. “At the end of the year, I had to get my ranking up to guarantee a spot in Australia. It was really exciting for my coach and I to go through the steps of planning a trip like that. Being able to qualify in Australia was unbelievable. I like to think that it’s just going up from here.”

Vandeweghe is the latest athletic apple to fall from her family tree. She is following in the footsteps of her mother Tauna, a two-time Olympian, and her uncle Kiki, a former NBA All Star and the current General Manager of the Denver Nuggets.

But while few know what it’s like to live up to that kind of pressure, the 103rd-ranked Vandeweghe is happy to have company in a class of promising young American players. She is joined in Midland by three other Americans just outside the Top 100: No. 108 Christina McHale, No. 115 Alison Riske and No. 133 Jamie Hampton.

“American tennis is always going to be in the tennis world,” said Vandeweghe. “For me to be a part of the next group of Americans in the top tier is a great honor.”

Gullikson, who coaches Vandeweghe, is excited to be in town for what he believes will be an entertaining event. While the snow falls outside the tennis center, Gullikson foresees fast-paced ball-bashing inside.

“On quick courts like these, you’re going to see some big serving, some finishing at the net and girls playing defense,” said Gullikson, “because if the ball is sitting up, there girls can all rock it pretty good. I think you’re going to see an exciting brand of all-court, all-around tennis.”

Main draw play begins on Tuesday with four doubles and five singles matches, highlighted by Hradecka taking on Hampton in the feature match at 7 p.m. on Stadium Court. Following that contest, three ex-college players will take center stage when Elizabeth Lumpkin (UCLA) and Story Tweedie-Yates (Stanford) face Oregon alum Courtney Nagle and Sarah Borwell of Great Britain.

The day session is highlighted by the Midland singles debuts of Lisicki, Falconi and McHale. No. 1 seed Varvara Lepchenko will also be in action.

Dow High teammates Daniella Patton and Kelli Close are back in the doubles draw for the second straight year. They open their 2011 campaign against Gabriela Dabrowski and Whitney Jones on Stadium Court at about 4 p.m.

Before the main draw commences, the qualifying competition with conclude on Tuesday at 10 a.m. as four women try to win their way into the Dow Corning Tennis Classic. Among those in contention are 1998 Midland champion Alexandra Stevenson and U.S. Fed Cup veterans Mashona Washington, Ahsha Rolle and Alexa Glatch.

Admission to the Dow Corning Tennis Classic is free until the 7 p.m. feature session. General admission tickets to see Hradecka vs. Hampton and Lumpkin/Tweedie-Yates vs. Nagle/Borwell cost $12 for adults and $8 for children.

By Joshua Rey

Dow Corning Tennis Classic

Midland Community Tennis Center

Midland, Mich.

Purse: $100,000

Surface: Hard-Indoor

Monday, February 7 – RESULTS


Qualifying Singles – Second round

Alexandra Mueller (United States) def. [1] Beatrice Capra (United States) 7-6(3), 6-3

[6] Mashona Washington (United States) def. [WC] Diana Ospina (United States) 0-6, 6-3, 6-4

[2] Ahsha Rolle (United States) def. Story Tweedie-Yates (United States) 6-2, 6-1

[7] Lena Litvak (United States) def. Anna Livadaru (Germany) 4-6, 6-0, 6-2

[3] Marina Erakovic (New Zealand) def. Whitney Jones (United States) 6-0, 6-0

[5] Alexandra Stevenson (United States) def. Robin Anderson (United States) 6-3, 6-2

[4] Alexa Glatch (United States) def. Katie Ruckert (United States) 7-6(3), 6-0

[8] Amanda Fink (United States) def. Jan Abaza (United States) 6-2, 6-2

Tuesday, February 8 – SCHEDULE

Stadium Court – starting at 10 a.m.

Qualifying – Alexandra Mueller (United States) vs. [6] Mashona Washington (United States)

[1] Varvara Lepchenko (United States) vs. Anna Tatishvili (Georgia)

[WC] Shelby Rogers (United States) vs. Sabine Lisicki (Germany)

Stadium Court – not before 4 p.m.

[WC] Kelli Close (United States) and Daniella Patton (Dominican Republic) vs. Gabriela Dabrowski (Canada) and Whitney Jones (United States)

Stadium Court – starting at 7 p.m.

Lucie Hradecka (Czech Republic) vs. Jamie Hampton (United States)

Elizabeth Lumpkin and Story Tweedie-Yates (United States) vs. [2] Sarah Borwell (Great Britain) and Courtney Nagle (United States)

Court 5 – starting at 10 a.m.

Qualifying – [2] Ahsha Rolle (United States) vs. [7] Lena Litvak (United States)

Irina Falconi (United States) vs. Katie O’Brien (Great Britain)

Christina McHale (United States) vs. Anastasia Pivovarova (Russia)

Court 3 – starting at 10 a.m.

Qualifying – [4] Alexa Glatch (United States) vs. [8] Amanda Fink (United States)

Qualifying – [3] Marina Erakovic (New Zealand) vs. [5] Alexandra Stevenson (United States)

Christina Fusano and Sanaz Marand (United States) vs. [3] Ksenia Pervak (Russia) and Ipek Senoglu (Turkey)

Brittany Augustine and Alexandra Mueller (United States) vs. Irina Falconi and Alison Riske (United States)

ABOUT THE USTA PRO CIRCUIT:

With more than 90 tournaments throughout the country and prize money ranging from $10,000 to $100,000, the USTA Pro Circuit is the pathway to the US Open and tour-level competition for aspiring tennis players and a frequent battleground for established professionals. The USTA launched its Pro Circuit 32 years ago to provide players with the opportunity to gain professional ranking points, and it has since grown to become the largest developmental tennis circuit in the world, offering more than $3 million in prize money. Last year, more than 1,000 men and women from more than 70 countries competed in cities nationwide. Among those who have played at the Dow Corning Tennis Classic are seven-time Grand Slam winner Justine Henin, former world No. 1 Maria Sharapova, reigning French Open champion Francesca Schiavone and 2011 Australian Open runner-up Na Li.

USTA Pro Circuit Press Release

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Dow Corning Tennis Classic – Sunday Results

Dow Corning Tennis Classic
Midland Community Tennis Center
Midland, Mich.
Purse: $100,000
Surface: Hard-Indoor

Sunday, February 6 – RESULTS

Qualifying Singles – First round
[1] Beatrice Capra (United States) def. Sanaz Marand (United States) 6-7(4), 6-4, 7-6(8)
Alexandra Mueller (United States) def. Dominika Dieskova (Slovakia) 6-1, 6-1
[WC] Diana Ospina (United States) def. Federica Grazioso (Italy) 6-2, 6-4
[6] Mashona Washington (United States) def. Ester Goldfeld (United States) 4-6, 6-3, 6-4
[2] Ahsha Rolle (United States) def. Nicole Robinson (United States) 6-1, 6-3
Story Tweedie-Yates (United States) def. Nika Kukharchuk (Russia) 6-3, 5-7, 6-1
Anna Livadaru (Germany) def. Brittany Lashway (United States) 6-2, 6-0
[7] Lena Litvak (United States) def. Brooke Austin (United States) 6-1, 6-2
[3] Marina Erakovic (New Zealand) def. Lauren Herring (United States) 6-1, 6-2
Whitney Jones (United States) def. [WC] Ekaterina Zhukoven (Russia) 6-2, 6-0
Robin Anderson (United States) def. Elizabeth Lumpkin (United States) 6-4, 6-0
[5] Alexandra Stevenson (United States) def. Caitlin Whoriskey (United States) 7-6(0), 6-0
[4] Alexa Glatch (United States) def. Gabriela Dabrowski (Canada) 6-4, 6-4
Katie Ruckert (United States) def. Kyle McPhillips (United States) 4-6, 6-2, 6-3
Jan Abaza (United States) def. [WC] Daniella Patton (Dominican Republic) 6-7(3), 6-3, 6-1
[8] Amanda Fink (United States) def. Anastasia Kharchenko (Ukraine) 6-2, 6-0

Monday, February 7 – SCHEDULE

Court 5 – starting at 10 a.m.
[4] Alexa Glatch (United States) vs. Katie Ruckert (United States)
Robin Anderson (United States) vs. [5] Alexandra Stevenson (United States)
[2] Ahsha Rolle (United States) vs. Story Tweedie-Yates (United States)

Court 3 – starting at 10 a.m.
Jan Abaza (United States) vs. [8] Amanda Fink (United States)
[1] Beatrice Capra (United States) vs. Alexandra Mueller (United States)
Anna Livadaru (Germany) vs. [7] Lena Litvak (United States)

Court 1 – starting at 10 a.m.
[3] Marina Erakovic (New Zealand) vs. Whitney Jones (United States)

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Dow Corning Tennis Classic to Feature a Wealth of Promising Women’s Tennis Talent

The 2011 Dow Corning Tennis Classic begins today with qualifying play running February 6-7 and main draw matches being held February 8-13. This year marks the 23rd installment of the event in Midland, Mich. It is the oldest of the 40 women’s tournaments on the USTA Pro Circuit, and the only one that boasts $100,000 in prize money.

The Dow Corning Tennis Classic will feature a field of the WTA’s brightest up-and-coming players. Rising Americans Christina McHale, Alison Riske, Coco Vandeweghe, Irina Falconi and Jamie Hampton highlight the entry list. They are joined by three members of the Canadian Fed Cup team competing in Serbia this weekend: Aleksandra Wozniak, Rebecca Marino and Stephanie Dubois. Wozniak is one of three former Top-25 players in the draw, along with Sorana Cirstea and Sabine Lisicki. Anne Keothavong, Heather Watson and Katie O’Brien will be seeking a second straight Dow Corning title for Great Britain.

At the moment, 17 of the 28 players entered in the main draw are 21 years old or younger, with four qualifiers yet to be determined.

For more information on the tournament: http://www.dowcorningtennisclassic.com


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