USTA National 40 Hard Court Championships — La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club

Written by: Staff on 28th November 2012

USTA National 40 Hard Court Championships -- La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club |

La Jolla, Calif. – (November 28, 2012) – Defending champion and top-seed Oren Motevassel of Rancho Mirage, Calif., continued his strong run at the USTA National 40 Hard Court Championships at the La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club, as he defeated ninth-seeded James Dao of Santa Ana, Calif., 6-1, 6-2, to advance to the men’s singles quarterfinals.

Joining Motevassel in Thursday’s quarterfinals was third-seeded Jeff Greenwald of San Anselmo, Calif., who won his fourth-round match in impressive fashion as he swept past ninth-seeded Nelson Alapi of La Jolla, Calif., 6-0, 6-0.

The 46-year-old Greenwald, a former competitor on the ATP World Tour, won the men’s singles title at the USTA National 40 Hard Court Championships in 2009. He was ranked number one in the world by the International Tennis Federation in the Men’s 35 and over division in 2002.

After receiving a first-round bye this week, Greenwald, a sports psychology consultant and licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, has dominated the competition in losing only three games in three matches.

“I feel really good this year, fit and not injured,” Greenwald said. “I’m enjoying the matches. I feel like I’m serving well and I feel very grooved right now. I’m looking forward to the upcoming matches.”

Greenwald, the author of Fearless Tennis and The Best Tennis of Your Life, has fond memories of winning the title here in 2009 and enjoys the relaxed tournament atmosphere of the La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club.

“My fondest memory, are my kids running out on the court at the end of the match in the finals and sharing that with them,” he said. “I look forward to this tournament every year. There is nothing you can really compare it to. The beach, the atmosphere and the people and the way they run the tournament is phenomenal.”

In women’s quarterfinal singles action, top-seeded Dina McBride of Woodland Hills, Calif., defeated San Diego’s Christina Kaus of San Diego, 6-2, 6-0 and second-seeded Ros Nideffer of San Diego (Rancho Bernardo) eliminated sixth-seeded Marlo Carruth of Studio City, Calif., 6-2, 6-2.

In Thursday’s singles semifinals, McBride will face third-seeded Deborah Higa of Solana Beach,

Calif., while Nideffer will play seventh-seeded Carolyn Nichols of Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. Both matches will begin at 9:30 a.m. (PST).