Nicole Vaidisova. Photo by Jordan Butler.
At times it probably felt like victory enough just to be back on the court for several players taking part in the Red Rock Pro Open on Wednesday.
Former WTA world-ranked No. 29 Kateryna Bonderanko of Ukraine – a 28-year-old mother of an infant child – upset top-seeded Tereza Smitkova of the Czech Republic in the first round of the USTA Women’s $50,000 Pro Circuit event taking place at the Red Rock Country Club.
At the 2012 US Open, Bonderanko lost in the first round to Jelena Jankovic, winning just three games. After the match, Bonderanko mentioned to her husband that she just didn’t feel right during the match. That something was off. She found out a month later back in her homeland that she was two months pregnant.
After 20 months off the tour, Bonderanko made her return in the spring of this year and has used her protected world ranking of No. 137 to get into some WTA events in Europe, and even played the French Open qualifying.
A quarterfinalist at the 2009 US Open, Bonderanko decided not to use her protected ranking in Las Vegas and won three qualifying matches. On Wednesday, she survived two set points down 6-4 in the first-set tiebreaker to record the 7-6 (6), 6-4 win over the 19-year-old Smitkova.
Bonderanko has career wins over Venus Williams, Ana Ivanovic, Elena Dementieva and Li Na and has won more than $2 million in prize money during her career.
Two players also making their return to tennis after an extended absence actually met in a first-round match as wild card and former world-ranked No. 7 Nicole Vaidisova outlasted former 2011 Las Vegas finalist Alexa Glatch, 2-6, 6-2, 6-4.
Vaidisova is on the comeback trail after a four-and-a-half year layoff. “I struggled a little bit, and it was tough for a first match,” Vaidisova said. “It’s too early (to measure the progress). It’s just too early to assess. After four years, it’s just so tough to get the hang of it and get back into it mentally.
“It’s been a long journey of surgery after surgery. But I was happy just to be back on the court. I never expected to be out for as long as I was.”
Glatch, who had to win three qualifying matches as well, was playing her first main draw match since losing in the first round to Christina McHale at Wimbledon in 2013. She said after the match that wrist and hip surgery sidelined her for more than a year. “I didn’t think I’d ever play again,” Glatch said. “I’m just so happy to be back out there.”
Glatch will be “back out there” on Thursday as she and partner Julia Boserup took advantage of a doubles wild card and won their first-round match, beating Denise Muresan and Caitlin Whoriskey, 6-4, 7-5. The pair will face No. 2-seeded Veronica Cepede Royg and Maria Irigoyen in the second round.
And still another former top 35 player in the world Sesil Karatantcheva of Kazakhstan posted a first-round win on Wednesday as the 25-year-old beat the No. 5-seeded Jovana Jaksic of Serbia, 7-5, 3-6, 6-0.
In a key second-round match on Thursday, No. 3-seeded Anna Tatishvili faces off against unseeded American Irina Falconi in a rematch of last week’s Albuquerque, N.M. $75,000 Challenger final.
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All of Thursday’s Stadium Court matches are being live streamed and can be viewed here:
http://www.usta.com/Pro-Tennis/Pro-Circuit/2014_pro_circuit_womens_live_streaming/
The following are Wednesday’s results and Thursday’s full schedule.
WEDNESDAY’S RESULTS
q: qualifier; wc: wild card
First-Round Main Draw Singles
Melanie Oudin (USA) [6] def. Naomi Broady (GBR), 6-3, 6-2
Timea Babos (HUN) [2] def. Nastja Kolar (SLO), 6-1, 6-2
Ema Burgic (BIH) def. Giola Barbieri (ITA), 6-4, 6-0
Madison Brengle (USA) [4] def. Julia Boserup (USA), 6-4, 6-4
Sesil Karatantcheva (KAZ) def. Jovana Jaksic (SRB) [5], 7-5, 3-6, 6-0
Kateryna Bonderanko (UKR) [q] def. Tereza Smitkova (CZE) [1], 7-6 (6), 6-4
Nicole Vaidisova (CZE) [wc] def. Alexa Glatch (USA) [q], 2-6, 6-2, 6-4
Samantha Crawford (USA) [q] def. Sanaz Marand (USA), 6-4, 6-2
Irina Falconi (USA) def. Maria Irigoyen (ARG), 6-2, 6-3
Anna Tatishvili (USA) [3] def. Heidi El Tabakh (CAN), 6-4, 6-3
First-Round Main Draw Doubles
Asia Muhammad (USA) / Maria Sanchez (USA) [1] def. Giola Barbieri (ITA) / Amandine Hesse (FRA), 6-3, 6-1
Nicole Melichar (USA) / Allie Will (USA) [4] def. Jacqueline Cako (USA) / Cristina-Madalina Stancu (ROU), 6-3, 6-7 (2), 10-6
Julia Boserup (USA) / Alexa Glatch (USA) [wc] def. Denise Muresan (USA) / Caitlin Whoriskey (USA), 6-4, 7-5
Nicola Slater (GBR) / Karolina Wlodarczak (AUS) def. Jennifer Brady (USA) / Lauren Embree (USA) [wc], 7-6 (4), 6-3
THURSDAY’S SCHEDULE
Starting at 9:30 a.m. on Stadium Court
Nicole Vaidisova (CZE) vs. Veronica Cepede Royg (PAR) [7]
Followed by Kateryna Bonderanko (UKR) [q] vs. Caitlin Whoriskey (USA)
Followed by Paula Kania (POL) vs. Timea Babos (HUN) [2]
Nicole Melichar (USA) / Allie Will (USA) vs. Tatjana Maria (GER) / Melanie Oudin (USA)
Starting at 9:30 a.m. on Court 5
Madison Brengle (USA) [4] vs. Samantha Crawford (USA)
Followed by Irina Falconi (USA) vs. Anna Tatishvili (USA) [3]
Followed by Montserrat Gonzalez (PAR) vs. Sesil Karatantcheva (KAZ)
Followed by
Asia Muhammad (USA) / Maria Sanchez (USA) vs. Naomi Broady (GBR) /
Irina Falconi (USA)
Starting at 9:30 a.m. on Court 6
Michelle Larcher De Brito (POR) [8] vs. Ema Burgic (BIH)
Followed by Melanie Oudin (USA) [6] vs. Jennifer Brady (USA)
Followed by Nicola Slater (GBR) / Karolina Wlodarczak (AUS) vs. Louisa Chirico (USA) / Sanaz Marand (USA)
Followed by Julia Boserup (USA) / Alexa Glatch (USA) [wc] vs. Veronica Cepede Royg (PAR) [2] / Maria Irigoyen (ARG)
PRINTABLE DRAWS
Singles – click here
Doubles – click here
Thursday and Friday is High School Day at the Red Rock Pro Open. Any parent or student of Palo Verde High who wears that school’s apparel on Thursday will earn free admission into the tournament. On Friday, anyone wearing Meadows High apparel will be allowed in free.
Premier sponsors include: Lotus Broadcasting, Cox Communications, Adidas, WG Communications Group, Storage One, USTA Nevada, Agent Atleta, LLC., Samoa Artesian Water, Marquis Aurbach Coffing, Equilibrium-Vaga, Las Vegas Golf & Leisure, Darren Cahill.
The tennis website 10sBalls.com was the official host and sponsor of the Red Rock Pro Open Player party. Everyone had a great time. The Red Rock put on a great event. We all had a great time. Ryan Broccolo from Asics tennis was there. He Gave It two thumbs up. First rate. Fun.
Support sponsors include: Marty Hennessy Foundation, Approach Tennis, Marcy Saxe Realty One, Farmers Insurance agent Richard Sacca, Guild Mortgage Company, Rachel’s Kitchen, Allstate Insurance agent Dwain Frazier, Ryan Wolfington, Raymond James agent Dan Jackson, Northern Trust, The Massage Advantage, Dr. Steve Kozmary.
The Red Rock Pro Open is a USTA women’s $50,000 Pro Circuit Challenger tournament encompassing a 32-player field in singles and 16 doubles teams.
The tournament’s official website is www.RedRockProOpen.com. Follow along on Twitter @RedRockTennis and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/redrockproopen.
About the USTA …….
About Red Rock Country Club
Red Rock Country Club is nestled beneath a towering red mountain, caressed by cool mountain breezes and offering luxurious amenities in a private haven. The club provides the perfect escape in one of the most breathtaking natural settings in Las Vegas. There are two Arnold Palmer Signature Golf Courses, and another sister course called Siena, designed by master architects Brian Curley and Lee Schmidt. The main clubhouse is the social hub of the club, a 44,000-square-foot area that features the Oasis Grille with an outdoor terrace and spectacular views of the Arnold Palmer courses. The majestic Red Rock Mountains and the lights of the Las Vegas Strip are visible, as well. Private rooms are available for social events, weddings and banquets as well as a stately Board Room with private garden patio for entertaining and private meetings. The tennis complex consists of nine lighted, hard surface tennis courts including an impressive stadium court for competition. The Red Rock Spa offers an array of services designed to make you feel pampered. Members can relax and unwind with a full menu of treatments including massages, facials, body wraps and scrubs, waxing and, our ever popular manicure and pedicure services. Red Rock also offers an athletic center, three swimming pools and spa services.
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