Saturday’s Summary and Results – USTA National Open Hard Court Championships

Written by: Staff on 10th June 2012

Saturday’s Summary and Results – USTA National Open Hard Court Championships |

McCray and DeSimone Capture Semifinal Victories to Advance

to Singles Final at USTA National Open Hard Court Championships

Women’s Championship Scheduled for Sunday at 9 a.m. (PDT) at Balboa Tennis Club

San Diego, Calif. – (June 9, 2012) – After winning a bronze ball in last year’s USTA National Open Hard Court Championships, second-seeded Megan McCray is going for the gold this year.

The 16-year-old McCray from Oceanside, Calif. overcame a strong challenge from 13-year-old Parris Todd of Irvine, Calif. before pulling out a tough 6-2, 7-6 (3) semifinal victory at the Balboa Tennis Club.

McCray, who is currently ranked number one in the Girls 16s in Southern California, advances to Sunday’s final, where she will meet top-seeded Gabriella DeSimone of Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. at 9 a.m. (PDT).

DeSimone, who plays intercollegiate tennis for the University of Southern California, defeated San Diego’s Anna Yang, 6-1, 6-4, to reach the final.

McCray got off to a slow start in her semifinal win over Todd as she lost her serve in the opening game of the match. In the very next game, she got back on serve, but only after surviving a 28-point game that went to deuce 10 times.

“That was a pretty important game,” said McCray, who picked up the level of her game and won five of the next six games to win the first set in 65 minutes. “I kept getting the ball back and everything got better.”

There were a combined eight service breaks in the second set, which was eventually decided in a tiebreaker. McCray jumped to a 3-0 lead before winning the tiebreak 7-3 to end the match that took two hours and 20 minutes.

In the men’s singles semifinals, second-seeded Clarke Spinosa, a member of the University of San Diego men’s tennis team, defeated fourth-seeded Jonathan Pearlman of New York, N.Y., 1-6, 6-2, 6-3.

Spinosa will meet seventh-seeded Campbell Johnson of Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., a 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 winner over fifth-seeded Quinn Borchard of Camarillo, Calif. The men’s singles final will begin at 11 a.m. on Sunday.

The winners of each division will be awarded a USTA gold ball, while the runner-up will be awarded a USTA silver ball. There will also be a 3^rd/4^th place playoff for the USTA bronze ball.

For the current schedule and the latest scores and results, go to:

http://tennislink.usta.com/TOURNAMENTS/TournamentHome_New/Tournament.aspx?T=118307

Admission for spectators to the week-long tournament is free and open to the public. On-site parking is free. Lunch can be purchased at Babycakes Balboa Park, a California casual café located at the Balboa Tennis Club.

Former tournament champions include current American stars Jack Sock and CoCo Vandeweghe and former touring tennis professionals Gretchen Magers, Rosalyn Nideffer and Allison Bradshaw.

The USTA National Open Hard Court Championships was voted, “2011 Tournament of the Year” by the San Diego District Tennis Association.

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.

Topics: Gabriella DeSimone, Megan McCray, USTA National Open Hard Court Tennis Championships