MEN’S AND WOMEN’S SINGLES CHAMPIONS CROWNED ON FINAL DAY
AT USTA NATIONAL OPEN HARD COURT SINGLES CHAMPIONSHIPS Fans Treated to Three-Set Men’s & Women’s Singles Finals at Balboa Tennis Club
SAN DIEGO – (June 2, 2019) – For Oleksiy Arovin of Redmond, Wash., and Maya Pitts of Los Angeles, the final day of the USTA National Open Hard Court Championships will be a day to remember as both players won hard-fought matches to win singles titles on a cool, cloudy day at the Balboa Tennis Club.
The third-seeded Arovin, a 25-year-old touring tennis professional, overcame ninth-seeded Bradley Frye of Overland Park, Kan., 6-2, 2-6, 6-2 in two-hours and 10 minutes to win the men’s championship.
After splitting the first two sets, Arovin broke Frye’s serve in the fourth game of third set and then easily held serve at love in the next game for a 4-1 lead. With a 5-2 advantage later in the set, Arovin secured the title when he broke serve again in the eighth game to close out the match.
“It’s really enjoyable. I couldn’t even imagine that I could win the (USTA) gold ball here,” Arovin said. “I started pretty strong, attacking him, but at the end of the first set, the pace started getting slower and it threw me off. The points started to get longer and I started to miss. I started the third set with my serve and new balls. At that point, I felt I was in control again.”
In the women’s singles final, Pitts, the No. 2 seed, and fifth-seeded Britt Pursell of Oceanside, Calif., played perhaps the most entertaining match of the tournament as they staged a hard-hitting baseline battle that lasted nearly three hours before Pitts pulled out a thrilling 3-6, 6-4, 7-5 victory over the 17-year-old Pursell.
Late in the third set, with the score knotted at 5-5, the 16-year-old Pitts scored a critical service break to take a 6-5 lead. Pitts served for the championship in the next game and needed to fight off two break points before Pursell swatted a crosscourt forehand wide on the first match point to end the match in two-hours and 52 minutes.
In the men’s doubles final, the second-seeded team of Diego Nava and Ed Nava of Woodland Hills, Calif., took home the title with a 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 victory over the No. 4 seeds Tyler Browne of Walnut Creek, Calif., and Nicholas Brunner of San Francisco.
Top seeds Jessica Anzo of Temecula, Calif., and Nnena Nadozie of Moreno Valley, Calif., defeated Avery Aude of Woodland Hills, Calif., and Lindsay Hung of San Clemente, Calif., 6-1, 6-0 to capture the women’s doubles championship.
To view final tournament draws for each division, click here.
The USTA National Open Hard Court Championships was voted “Tournament of the Year” in 2011 by the San Diego District Tennis Association. The event has had several distinguished past champions and participants. U.S. Davis Cup star Jack Sock, who reached a career-high No. 8 in the ATP Tour singles rankings in 2017, won the Men’s Singles Championship in 2010. Coco Vandeweghe, a semifinalist at the 2017 Australian Open and US Open, earned a USTA bronze ball at the 2007 Hard Court Championships. Former WTA touring professionals Gretchen Rush and Ros Nideffer won the Women’s Open Doubles title seven times, while Allison Bradshaw captured the Women’s Open Singles title in 2007.
The 2019 USTA National Open Hard Court Championships are sponsored by United States Tennis Association, San Diego District Tennis Association, CH Court Tech, Collins Company, San Diego Aviators, Kashi, Cameo Janitorial, Martinis Above Fourth | Table + Stage, Wilson and Graphic Interfaces.
About The Balboa Tennis Club In addition to the USTA National Open Hard Court Championships, the Balboa Tennis Club is the site for many prestigious tournaments throughout the year, such as the Maureen Connolly Balboa Open, the San Diego District Championships, the San Diego Metropolitan Tournament. The club, which is also the home of the San Diego Tennis Hall of Fame, boasts over 1,400 members, and is visited by approximately 6,000 day pass visitors each year. As a nonprofit organization, Balboa Tennis Club is dedicated to offering the finest facilities at an affordable price to help foster and develop the great game of tennis in San Diego.
The history of the Balboa Tennis Club dates back to 1922 when a small group of tennis enthusiasts raised $5,000 among themselves, and with the cooperation from the City Recreation Department, constructed six tennis courts adjacent to the present War Memorial Building.
On April 24, 1924, the San Diego Tennis Association received a lease to operate the courts for the public. The following year, a small clubhouse with locker rooms was built, but it was not until June 1939 that Articles of Incorporation were drawn up, and the Balboa Tennis Club actually was formed as a public, nonprofit corporation to foster and develop the game of tennis in San Diego….and to encourage competitive play with other clubs of this and other communities.
The club flourished many years at its original location and aided many young players in developing their games. In June 1966, the club moved to its present location and in July, 1983, assumed all the operational responsibilities of the Morley Field Tennis Complex. In 1989 Balboa Tennis Club was rated as America’s Best Public Tennis Facility by the USTA. In 2000, the San Diego District Tennis Association named BTC as Club of the Year. In 2003, it received the Outstanding Tennis Facility award from the USTA for large facilities in the United States.
USTA National Open Hard Court Championships Balboa Tennis Club San Diego, Calif. Sunday’s Results
Third Place
Emmanuel Mensah (5), Chula Vista, def. Siem Woldeab (2), La Mesa, walkover (injury)
Men’s Doubles Championship
Diego Nava and Ed Nava (2), Woodland Hills, Calif., def. Tyler Browne, Walnut Creek, Calif., and Nicholas Brunner (4), San Francisco, 6-2, 3-6 6-3
