TOP SEED AND DEFENDING MEN’S CHAMPION EMMANUEL MENSAH TO PLAY
FIRST MATCH AT 2016 USTA NATIONAL OPEN HARD COURTS ON TUESDAY
Women’s Singles Matches Scheduled to Begin on Wednesday, June 1
After receiving first-round byes at the USTA National Open Hard Court Championships, all 16 seeded players in the men’s singles draw will be in action in the second round on Tuesday at the historic Balboa Tennis Club.
Top-seed and defending men’s singles champion Emmanuel Mensah of San Diego will begin his title defense at 9 a.m. (PDT) against fellow San Diegan Luis Argote, who advanced with a hard-fought 6-1, 4-6, 6-1 first-round victory over Ryan Lee of La Canada Flintridge, Calif., on Monday morning following a 90-minute rain delay.
The 27-year-old Mensah, a local tennis teaching professional, played Davis Cup for Ghana from 2006 to 2013, representing his native country in 25 ties. In last year’s USTA National Open Hard Court singles final, Mensah defeated Jacob Brumm of Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., 6-1, 7-5 to win the title.
Sixth-seeded Brian Battistone of Las Vegas will also play his opening match on Tuesday. He will face unseeded Christopher Dalton of Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif. In 2010, the 36-year-old Battistone achieved a career-high No. 88 in the ATP World Tour doubles rankings.
In other first-round action on Monday, Alan Pleat of Roslyn, N.Y., defeated San Diego’s Maxwell Weishan, 7-6, 6-1 to move into the second round, where he will meet second-seeded Nicholas Kamisar of Sammamish, Wash. The 24-year-old Kamisar played collegiate tennis for the University of Washington.
Women’s first-round matches are scheduled to begin on Wednesday. Jessica Failla of Ramona, Calif., the women’s top seed, received a first-round bye and will play her second-round match on Thursday at 9 a.m. (PDT). Failla captured the San Diego Section CIF singles title in 2013 and recently completed her freshman year at the University of Southern California. The 18-year-old posted a 23-13 record in singles and finished at 20-5 in doubles for the Trojans.
For a complete list of seeded players and updated men’s and women’s singles draws, go to: http://tennislink.usta.com/Tournaments/TournamentHome/Tournament.aspx?T=162217
Matches will begin each day at 9 a.m. (PDT) from Tuesday, May 31 through Saturday, June 4. The men’s and women’s singles finals are slated for noon on Sunday, June 5. Admission for spectators is free and open to the public. On-site parking is free. All draws will have consolation events.
The winners of each division of the USTA National Open Hard Court Championships 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. Prize money will be distributed to both finalists as well as third and fourth place finishers in each division.
The men’s singles champion will receive a wild card into the qualifying draw for this year’s USTA Men’s $10K Pro Futures tournament in Laguna Niguel, Calif., while the women’s singles champion will earn a qualifying wild card for next year’s $25,000 Morgan Run Women’s Open at Morgan Run Club & Resort in Rancho Santa Fe.
The USTA National Open Hard Court Championships, which was voted, “2011 Tournament of the Year” by the San Diego District Tennis Association, has had several distinguished participants in past events.
Current American men’s tennis star Jack Sock, who is currently No. 25 in the ATP World Tour singles rankings (as of 5/23/16), won the tournament singles title in 2010. Coco Vandeweghe, a quarterfinalist at Wimbledon last year, earned a USTA bronze ball at the 2007 Hard Court Championships. Former WTA touring professionals Gretchen Rush and Ros Nideffer won the Women’s Open Doubles title seven times and Alison Bradshaw won the singles title in 2007.
The 2016 USTA National Open Hard Court Championships are sponsored by Wilson, San Diego District Tennis Association, United States Tennis Association, Graphic Interfaces, Kashi, LGBT Chiropractic, Minuteman Press of Mission Valley, CH Court Tech, Echo Sports & Third World Sports, Inc., Bauer Insurance, the San Diego Aviators & Martinis Above Fourth | Table + Stage.
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 and 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.
USTA National Open Hard Court Championships
Balboa Tennis Club
San Diego, Calif.
Monday’s Results
Men’s Singles
First Round
Alan Pleat, Roslyn, N.Y., def. Maxwell Weishan, San Diego, 7-6, 6-1
Krishna Samperio, Chula Vista, def. Rico Gore, Washington, D.C., 6-7, 7-5, 6-4
Luis Argote, San Diego, def. Ryan Lee, La Canada Flintridge, Calif., 6-1, 4-6, 6-1
Manuel Ortiz, La Jolla, def. Juan Cobas, Charlotte, N.C., 6-0, 6-0
Dimitri Doan, Corona, Calif., def. Yousef Benhamida, San Diego, Walkover (ill)
Christopher Dalton, Rancho Palos Verde, Calif., def. Wesley Tahara, Ladera Ranch, Calif., Walkover (ill)
Topics: 10sballs, Tennis News, USTA National Open Hard Court Championships
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