SPAIN’S FRANCISCO CLAVET CROWNED USTA NATIONAL 40 HARD
COURT MEN’S SINGLES CHAMPION AT LA JOLLA BEACH & TENNIS CLUB
San Diego’s Hiromi Sasano Captures Fourth Straight Women’s Singles Title
LA JOLLA, Calif. – (December 8, 2019) – Former ATP Tour professional Francisco Clavet of Spain capped a memorable week at the La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club as he overwhelmed fifth-seeded Samuel Schroerlucke of Memphis, Tenn., 6-2, 6-2 in exactly one hour to win the men’s singles title at the USTA National 40 Hard Court Championships.
Clavet, a 51-year-old left-hander from Madrid, used a steady baseline game and delicate tough volleys to win the title. Schroerlucke tried playing an aggressive serve and volley game against Clavet, but the Spaniard responded with pinpoint passing shots.
“I didn’t know him (Schroerlucke) before the match, so I didn’t know what to expect. From the beginning, he wanted to shorten the points. There wasn’t a lot of rhythm in the match, but I played steady. I tried to play from the baseline and move him from one side to the other,” Clavet said.
“It was my first time coming to San Diego and La Jolla. I’m very happy. It’s been an amazing week. Everything here is unbelievable. All the people here make the tournament so special,” added Clavet, a former Spanish Davis Cup player who achieved a career-high No. 18 in the ATP singles ranking in 1992.
Earlier in the day, Clavet and Schroerlucke advanced to the singles championship after winning their respective semifinal singles matches which had been postponed on Saturday due to rain.
Schroerlucke defeated fourth-seeded Brett Masi of Long Beach, Calif., 6-4, 6-2. Meanwhile, Clavet was nearly ousted in his semifinal match, but recovered to get past second-seeded and former three-time tournament champion Jeff Greenwald of San Anselmo, Calif., 6-7 (3), 6-1, 6-2.
In the women’s singles final, top-seed and three-time defending women’s singles champion Hiromi Sasano captured her fourth-straight tournament title as she swept past second seeded Amanda Parson Siegel of Santa Ana, Calif., 6-3, 6-0 in 69 minutes.
After Sasano broke serve twice early in the first set to take a 3-0 lead, Parson Siegel fought back and won three of the next four games, but at 4-3, Sasano held serve and then broke Parson again to wrap up the opening set.
The 44-year-old Sasano dominated the second set and confidently built a 5-0 lead. As Parson Siegel served to stay in the match, Sasano hit a perfectly executed backhand cross court passing shot to reach her first championship point. On the next point, Parson Siegel’s cross court forehand sailed long to end the match.
“It’s feels pretty good. It was a relief to win that last point. People expected me to win. I did have some pressure after winning three years in a row,” Sasano said after receiving her USTA gold ball. “This give me motivation to come back and play next year.”
For final tournament draws for each division, click here.
Designated one of the Top 100 Tennis Resorts in the world by Tennis Resorts Online, the La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club’s reputation as a top tennis destination started in 1942, when it attracted its first major tournament, the Pacific Coast Men’s Doubles Championship. The Club will be hosting the 131th edition of this popular tournament March 5-8, 2020, as well as both the USTA National Hard Court Championships for Womens’ 50-90 age groups and the 47th Annual Men’s Senior Championships May 11-17, 2020.
About the La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club, Inc. – The La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club is a fourth-generation, family-owned and operated company dedicated to the operation of a 14-acre beachside resort. The resort includes three properties, including the exclusive La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club, the 128-room La Jolla Shores Hotel and The Marine Room restaurant. Resort amenities include 14 championship tennis courts, a nine-hole par-3 golf course, two swimming pools, two additional oceanfront restaurants and cocktail lounges, and one of Southern California’s only private beaches. For more information, visit www.LJBTC.com.
USTA National 40 Hard Court Championships
La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club
La Jolla, Calif.
Sunday’s Results
Men’s Singles
Championship
Francisco Clavet (5), Madrid, Spain, def. Samuel Schroerlucke (5), Memphis, Tenn., 6-2, 6-2
Semifinals
Samuel Schroerlucke (5), Memphis, Tenn., def. Brett Masi (4), Long Beach, Calif., 6-4, 6-2
Francisco Clavet (5), Madrid, Spain, def. Jeff Greenwald (2), San Anselmo, Calif., 6-7 (3), 6-1, 6-2
Women’s Singles
Championship
Hiromi Sasano (1), San Diego, def. Amanda Parson Siegel (2), Santa Ana, Calif., 6-3, 6-0
Third Place
Dina McBride (3), Valencia, Calif., def. Mariko Atoji, San Diego, 6-2, 6-3
Women’s Doubles
Championship
Tracie Currie, Ventura, Calif., and Debbie Spence-Nasim (1), Oceanside, Calif., def. Darice Carnaje and Monica Sweet, San Diego, 6-1, 6-1
For complete scores and results, click here.
