AUSTRALIAN OPEN WILD CARD CHALLENGE FINAL STOP: AMERICAN TEEN TENNIS STARS HEADLINE WOMEN’S PRO CLASSIC WEDNESDAY

Written by: Staff on 4th November 2014

CAPTIVA-50K-QUALIFYING-FINAL-DOUBLES-DAY-3-11-3-2014-MAURICIO-PAIZ-44302 I (Cici Bellis)

AUSTRALIAN OPEN WILD CARD CHALLENGE FINAL STOP: AMERICAN TEEN TENNIS STARS HEADLINE WOMEN'S PRO CLASSIC WEDNESDAY |

Now underway at the South Seas Island Resort in Captiva is the 2014 Women’s Pro Classic $50,000 USTA Pro Circuit Event and the last stop on the 2015 Australian Open Wild Card Challenge Series.

Tomorrow, American teen tennis stars will be in action for their first round of Singles including:

- Grace Min (#1) – not before 10:30 a.m.

- Irina Falconi (#6) – not before 10:30 a.m.

- Cici Bellis (Wild Card recipient & US Open teen phenom) – not before 12:00 p.m.

- Anna Tatishvili (#3) – not before 12:00 p.m.

YOUNG AMERICAN TENNIS STARS HEADLINE FIRST ROUND OF PLAY AT

THE SOUTH SEAS ISLAND RESORT WOMEN’S PRO CLASSIC WEDNESDAY

Women’s Pro Classic the Final Stop of the 2015 Australian Open Wild Card Challenge

CAPTIVA, FLORIDA – On Wednesday, the first round of singles tennis action will swing into action at the South Seas Island Resort Women’s Pro Classic $50,000 USTA Pro Circuit Event (http://ssirproclassic.com/) with young American tennis stars headlining the matches. Getting underway at not before 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday is top seed from the U.S. Grace Min who will play fellow American Maria Sanchez in the first round. In addition to this, American Irina Falconi (seeded #6) will also play at 10:30 a.m. against Mayo Hibi of Japan in her opening round of play.

Catherine “Cici” Bellis

At not before 12:00 p.m., American Anna Tatishvili (seeded #3) will take on Petra Martic of Croatia along with American teen tennis sensation Catherine “Cici” Bellis (a Singles Main Draw wild card recipient) who will take on Tatjana Maria of Germany who won her final round of qualifying on Tuesday in Captiva.

“Tomorrow’s first round of Main Draw Singles will showcase some highly entertaining tennis from this year’s players including some of the best young Americans and future stars of the WTA Tour,” said Nick Blackwood, Tournament Director of the Women’s Pro Classic.

This year’s Women’s Pro Classic will be the last stop on the 2014 USTA Pro Circuit Women’s Calendar and the finale of the 2015 Australian Open Wild Card Challenge showcasing highly competitive tennis from the game’s emerging and future tennis stars on the WTA Tour. A new series being put on this year by the USTA Pro Circuit, the Australian Open Wildcard Challenge is designed to award the best performing player during the last three $50,000 USTA Pro Circuit Events in 2014 with a spot in the Singles Main Draw of the 2015 Australian Open.

With the latest WTA Tour rankings being released this week, Grace Min is now ranked No. 103 in the world with Irina Falconi ranked No. 114 which means that both are approaching the cut-off for direct entry into the Australian Open and that the American player who does the best at the Women’s Pro Classic (and is a part of the Australian Open Wild Card Challenge series) will likely be awarded with the 2015 Australian Open Singles Main Draw Wild Card.

In today’s final round of Singles Qualifying, top seed Kateryna Bondarenko defeated American Jan Abaza 6-2, 6-0 to earn a spot in the Singles Main Draw at the Women’s pro classic along with Tatjana Maria who topped Katerina Stewart of the U.S. 7-6 (12), 6-2. Jasmine Poalini and Mayo Hibi were also winners in the Singles Qualifying on Tuesday to advance to the Main Draw with the first round of Main Draw Doubles also getting underway at the Women’s Pro Classic.

This year’s Title Sponsor for the Women’s Pro Classic is the South Seas Island Resort with Co-Presenting Sponsors Doc Ford’s Rum Bar and Grille and Sofibella Life Style (www.sofibellawear.com/) who will return as sponsors of the Women’s Pro Classic for the second year in a row. Additional sponsors include Mor-Sports (www.morsportsgroup.com/), a worldwide company involved in the creation, maintenance and refurbishment of tennis court surfaces, SOLINCO (solincosports.com) which specializes in the development and production of the highest quality and technologically advanced performance tennis equipment including strings, racquets, grips, apparel and accessories and CTN-10/WRXY (www.ctn10.com) – Southwest Florida’s Christian and Television network. Newly announced local sponsors for this year’s event include Bailey’s (www.baileys-sanibel.com), Sam’s Club (www.samsclub.com) and Approach Tennis.

Additional sponsorship opportunities are still available providing partners of the Women’s Pro Classic the opportunity to enhance the goodwill of the local community while receiving global recognition through the event’s live web streaming worldwide and expansive media coverage. This year’s Women’s Pro Classic Singles Qualifying Draw started on Sunday, November 2nd, with the Singles Main Draw and Doubles beginning Tuesday, November 4th. The Main Draw Doubles Final will be held Saturday, November 8th, and the Singles Final will take place on Sunday, November 9th.

The South Seas Island Resort’s tennis facility includes 11 recently resurfaced hard courts (four lighted courts for nighttime play) and is home to the Blackwood Tennis Academy that provides premier training opportunities for both junior and professional players as well as programming for adults of all levels. The finest tennis facility on Sanibel and Captiva, the South Seas Island Resort has been recognized by Trip Advisor as one of the industry’s most outstanding resorts.

For more information on the South Seas Island Resort Women’s Pro Classic, or additional details on sponsorship opportunities, visit www.ssirproclassic.com or call 239-472-5111 ext. 4151

ALL RESULTS:

Women’s Singles Qualifying – Final Round:

Kateryna BONDARENKO (WSQ UKR) [1] def. Jan ABAZA (USA) 6-2 6-0

Tatjana MARIA (GER) [2] def. Katerina STEWART (USA) 7-6(12) 6-2

Jasmine PAOLINI (ITA) [8] def. Lisa-Maria MOSER (AUT) 4-6 5-4 Ret.

Mayo HIBI (JPN) [4] Beatriz def. HADDAD MAIA (BRA) [7] 6-4 6-1

Women’s Singles Main Draw – First Round

Louisa CHIRICO (USA) Chieh-Yu HSU (TPE) 7-5 6-1

Edina GALLOVITS-HALL (ROU) def. Michelle LARCHER DE BRITO (POR) [5] 6-4 6-3

Women’s Doubles Main Draw – First Round

Gabriela DABROWSKI (CAN) / Anna TATISHVILI (USA) [1] def. Jennifer BRADY (USA) / Bernarda PERA (USA6)-0 6-4

Irina FALCONI (USA) [3] / Petra MARTIC (CRO) def. Catherine BELLIS (USA) / Despina PAPAMICH6A-2IL6(-G4RE)

Mathilde JOHANSSON (FRA) / Tatjana MARIA (GER) def. Francoise ABANDA (CAN) / Carol ZHAO (CAN7)-6(7) 7-5

Kateryna BONDARENKO (UKR) / Diana MARCINKEVICA def. Anne-Liz JEUKENG (USA) / Sara Catherine PA6R-2KE6R-1(USA)

Samantha CRAWFORD (USA) / Sachia VICKERY (USA) def. Beatriz HADDAD MAIA (BRA) / Renata ZARAZ2U-6A6(-M1E[X1)0-5]

Louisa CHIRICO (USA) / Sanaz MARAND (USA) def. Danielle MILLS (USA) / Trelsie SADLER (USA6)-0

Maria-Fernanda ALVES (BRA) / Chieh-Yu HSU (TPE) def. Julia GLUSHKO (ISR) / Jovana JAKSIC (SRB)6-2 6-0

SCHEDULE:

Wednesday, November 5th

Singles Main Draw Round of 32: 9:00 a.m. Start Time

Doubles Main Draw Round of 16: Not Before 1:30 p.m. Start Time

About Blackwood Tennis Academy

The Blackwood Tennis Academy provides premier opportunities for both junior and professional players as well as programming for adults of all abilities, including beginners. With a combination of physical training, mental development and an emphasis on education for junior players, the Academy creates an environment where each hard-working player is a winner.

About South Seas Island Resort

Seemingly set adrift off the Florida Gulf Coast, South Seas Island Resort is an unspoiled haven, encompassing a wildlife preserve and two-and-half miles of shell-strewn beaches, lapped by turquoise tides. Recently recognized by MSNBC as a “Top 10 Best Place in the World to Experience Local Wildlife,” South Seas Island Resort is set on 330 unspoiled acres with a rich variety of wildlife and boundless opportunity for adventure and relaxation. The resort boasts a “Family, Nature, Comfort.” approach to hospitality, which is why generations of families have made the resort village the destination of choice for sharing treasured moments and making lasting memories. The resort offers a variety of accommodations including villas, condominiums, cottages and homes. Guests enjoy world-class shelling along the beach golf on a 9-hole executive course, the H2Whoa! Water Park, an engaging ScoutAbout exploration program for families and a list of family-oriented water sports, activities and interactive educational programs through the Sanibel Sea School. Ideal for events, this resort features a variety of venues and over 31,000 square feet of flexible function space. www.southseas.com

Topics: Australian Open, CiCi Bellis, Tennis News, Usta, wild card challenge, Wta

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10sBalls_com says:

November 4, 2014 at 7:45 pm

#AUSTRALIANOPEN #WILDCARD CHALLENGE FINAL STOP: AMERICAN TEEN #TENNIS STARS HEADLINE WOMEN’S PRO CLASSIC WEDNESDAY- http://t.co/UDKMt0pDM6
SSIR50k says:

November 5, 2014 at 8:29 am

To read a full summary of today’s tennis action at the Women’s Pro Classic, here’s our latest article w/@10sBalls_com:http://t.co/laweLV5ZQR