AUSTRALIAN OPEN WILD CARD CHALLENGE FINAL STOP: TOP AMERICAN SEEDS ADVANCE @ WOMEN’S PRO CLASSIC

Written by: Staff on 5th November 2014

CAPTIVA-50K-QUALIFYING-DAY-2-11-3-2014-MAURICIO-PAIZ-43841

AUSTRALIAN OPEN WILD CARD CHALLENGE FINAL STOP: TOP AMERICAN SEEDS ADVANCE @ WOMEN'S PRO CLASSIC |

Editors Note : Solinco sports is a sponsor of this beautiful CAPTIVA event. If you haven’t tried the Solinco strings you must on your next re- string. It’s got GREAT feel as well as power and durability. If you’ve never been to CAPTIVA add that to your list to. A very special and wonderful place. Now to the beautiful Photo shot from above. That’s thanks to the Cessna 172 & the brilliant young tennis photographer Mauricio Paiz. & Great Job Natalie.

Last mention. I saved the best for the bottom line.

We think the USTA should send the top ten players all to Australia to play in the real qualies. Give them free AIRPLANE tickets for the players plus one ( a guest , coach , parent , friend ) and cover their hotels and costs and offer them REAL opportunities.

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, top Americans will be back in action on THURSDAY for their Round of 16 Singles and Quarterfinal Doubles matches including:

- Grace Min (#1) –9:30 a.m. EST

- Irina Falconi (#6) –9:30 a.m. EST

TOP AMERICAN SEEDS ADVANCE IN THE OPENING 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

On Wednesday, the Singles Main Draw swung into action at the South Seas Island Resort Women’s Pro Classic $50,000 USTA Pro Circuit Event (http://ssirproclassic.com/) with all of the young American tennis stars hitting the courts for their first round matches. Advancing in their opening round of play were top American seeds Grace Min who defeated fellow American Maria Sanchez 6-2, 6-3 along with American Irina Falconi (seeded #6) who beat qualifier Mayo Hibi of Japan 6-4, 6-2.

Also playing their first round matches on Wednesday in Captiva were Americans Anna Tatishvili (seeded #3) and American teen tennis sensation Catherine “Cici” Bellis who both lost close matches to their opponents. The big upset of the day though was Canadian Francoise Abanda beating #2 seed Jovana Jaksic of Serbia 6-3, 1-6, 6-2 in the last match on stadium court.

“Today’s first round matches were incredibly tough and showcased some extremely high quality and competitive tennis from the players in the Women’s Pro Classic,” said Nick Blackwood, Tournament Director of the Women’s Pro Classic. “It’s great to have so many Americans left in the draw for the Round of 16 on Thursday with some very entertaining matches to watch.”

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 tomorrow’s line-up of matches, top seed Grace Min will take on fellow American Louisa Chirico at 9:30 a.m. along with Irina Falconi who will face Jennifer Brady in another all-American showdown. Young American Sachia Vickery will also be back in action after winning her first round match against a wild card recipient and will take on Mariana Duque-Marino (seeded #8) of Colombia at not before 11:00 a.m.

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.

ALL RESULTS:

Women’s Singles Main Draw – Round of 32

Jennifer BRADY (USA) def. Mathilde WS JOHANSSON (FRA) 6-1 6-4

Mariana DUQUE-MARINO (COL) [8] def. Sanaz MARAND (USA) 6-1 6-3

Veronica CEPEDE ROYG (PAR) [7] def. Bernarda PERA (USA) 6-1 6-7(3) 7-6(6)

Gabriela DABROWSKI (CAN) def. Olivia ROGOWSKA (AUS) [4] 6-3 6-3

Grace MIN (USA) [1] def. Maria SANCHEZ (USA) 6-2 6-3

Irina FALCONI (USA) [6] def. Mayo HIBI (JPN) 6-4 6-2

Julia BOSERUP (USA) def. Jasmine PAOLINI (ITA) 6-0 6-2

Samantha CRAWFORD (USA) def. Asia MUHAMMAD (USA) 6-3 6-2

Tatjana MARIA (GER) def. Catherine BELLIS (USA) 7-6(3) 6-4

Beatriz HADDAD MAIA (BRA) def. Diana MARCINKEVICA (LAT) 6-3 5-7 6-3

Petra MARTIC (CRO) def. Anna TATISHVILI (USA) [3] 6-3 4-6 6-3

Julia GLUSHKO (ISR) def. Kateryna BONDARENKO (UKR) 6-3 1-6 6-0

Sachia VICKERY (USA) def. Anne-Liz JEUKENG (USA) 6-1 4-6 7-5

Francoise ABANDA (CAN) def. Jovana JAKSIC (SRB) [2] 6-3 1-6 6-2

Women’s Doubles Main Draw Round of 16 –

Asia MUHAMMAD (USA) [2] / Maria SANCHEZ (USA) def.

Erin CLARK (USA) / Katerina STEWART (USA6)-1 7-6(3)

SCHEDULE:

Thursday, November 6th

Singles Main Draw Round of 16: 9:30 a.m. Start Time

Doubles Main Draw Quarterfinals: Not Before 11:00 a.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, Tennis News, Usta, wild card challenge, Wta

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November 5, 2014 at 8:21 pm

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