USTA NATIONAL OPEN HARD COURT CHAMPIONSHIPS — BALBOA TENNIS CLUB, SAN DIEGO, CALIF. COME WATCH THE FINALS FREE TO THE PUBLIC

Written by: Staff on 4th June 2014

USTA NATIONAL OPEN HARD COURT CHAMPIONSHIPS -- BALBOA TENNIS CLUB, SAN DIEGO, CALIF. COME WATCH THE FINALS FREE TO THE PUBLIC |

MEN’S AND WOMEN’S SINGLES CHAMPIONSHIPS TO CONCLUDE THRILLING

WEEK OF TENNIS AT USTA NATIONAL OPEN HARD COURT CHAMPIONSHIPS

Women’s Final Set for Sunday at 9 a.m., Followed by Men’s Final at 11 a.m. (PDT)

A thrilling week of tennis at the USTA National Open Hard Court Championships will conclude on Sunday at the Balboa Tennis Club with the Women’s Singles final at 9 a.m. (PDT), followed by the Men’s Singles championship at 11 a.m. (PDT).

The Women’s Singles final will pit fifth-seeded Monica Robinson of Valley Center, Calif., against 17-year-old Alexandra Valenstein of Laguna Hills, Calif. Robinson recently completed her freshmen year at the University of Notre Dame, where she posted a singles record of 24-10 for the women’s tennis team.

Monica Robinson.

The unseeded Valenstein, who is completing her junior year at Laguna Hills High School, defeated fifth-seeded Jana McCord of San Diego, 6-0, 6-2, in her semifinal match, while Robinson eased past fourth-seeded Felicity Maltby of Sunnyvale, Calif., 6-1, 6-3, in the other women’s semifinal.

The Men’s Singles championship will feature second seeded Deiton Baughman of Carson, Calif., versus unseeded Logan Smith of Carlsbad, Calif. In the men’s semifinals, Baughman need three sets before dispatching third-seeded Emmanuel Mensah of Imperial Beach, 6-0, 3-6, 6-2. Smith eliminated fourth-seeded Robbie Bellamy of Pacific Palisades, Calif., 6-1, 7-5.

Logan Smith.

Smith, a 17-year-old who competes in USTA and International Tennis Federation junior events, played in this week’s tournament to get some match play before traveling to England, where he is scheduled to play in the Wimbledon Boys’ Junior competition later this month.

“It’s a great feeling. It’s pretty exciting. I played a great first set. The second set got a little bit close, but I was able to pull through,” Smith said after his semifinal win. “I’ve trained hard and I’m playing pretty well now.”

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 3rd/4th place playoff for the USTA bronze ball.

Admission for spectators is free and open to the public. On-site parking at the Balboa Tennis Club is free. For draws of all divisions and complete scores and results, please go to: http://tennislink.usta.com/Tournaments/TournamentHome/Tournament.aspx?T=138230

The USTA National Open Hard Court Championships was voted, “2011 Tournament of the Year” by the San Diego District Tennis Association. Past tournament champions include current American stars Jack Sock and Coco Vandeweghe and former touring tennis professionals Gretchen Magers, Rosalyn Nideffer and Allison Bradshaw.

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: Balboa Tennis Club, Tennis, Tennis News, USTA National Open