Women’s Semifinal and Men’s Quarterfinal Parings Set For USTA National 40 Hard Court Tennis Championships At La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club

Written by: Staff on 4th December 2013

Photo by J.Fred Sidhu |

Defending Singles Champions Oren Motevassel and Dina McBride Advance With Straight Set Victories

La Jolla, Calif. – (December 4, 2013) – The women’s semifinal and men’s quarterfinal match-ups are set at the United States Tennis Association (USTA) National 40 Hard Court Championships after a day filled with entertaining tennis matches came to a close at the La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club.

Third-seeded Jennifer Dawson of Carlsbad, Calif., the tournament champion in 2011, overcame a slow start and defeated Deborah Higa of Solana Beach, Calif., 7-5, 6-1 to advance to the semifinals where she will meet top-seeded Sophie Woorons-Johnson of Anderson, S.C.

Woorons-Johnson dominated fifth-seeded Fanny Gamble of San Rafael, Calif., 6-0, 6-1, on Court No. 1 in her quarterfinal match and has dropped only two games in reaching the semifinals.

“I’m a little rusty, but it’s a great tournament and it’s fun to play here,” Dawson said after her quarterfinal victory. “I only play one or two tournaments a year. I don’t play all year. I’m just going to try my best.”

The other women’s semifinal will feature a rematch of last year’s women’s final as second-seeded Dina McBride of Valencia, Calif. faces fourth-seeded Ros Nideffer of San Diego. McBride, a former college standout at the University of San Diego in the mid-1990s, defeated Nideffer 7-5, 6-2, to win the championship in 2012.

In Wednesday’s quarterfinals, McBride ousted fifth-seeded Quynh Le of Irvine, Calif., 6-4, 6-1. The fourth-seeded Nideffer, a former two-time Wimbledon singles quarterfinalist, struggled against fifth-seeded Marlo Carruth of Studio City, but advanced with a 6-7 (2), 6-2, 6-1 victory.

The women’s semifinals will be played at 10 a.m. (PST) on Thursday.

Men’s top seed and two-time defending champion Oren Motevassel of San Jose, Calif., breezed past ninth-seeded Sergio Rico of La Jolla, Calif., 6-1, 6-0 to advance to a quarterfinal meeting with ninth-seeded Bill Behrens of Murrieta, Calif.

Also advancing to the quarterfinals was sixth-seeded Todd Nelson of Valley Center, Calif., a 6-1, 6-0, third-round winner over ninth-seeded Jailton De Matos of Newport Coast, Calif. The 52-year-old Nelson, a former touring professional, is a two-time former tournament champion, winning the title in 2001 and 2002. He reached a career-high ranking of 58 in the world in 1986.

Nelson is scheduled to play fourth-seeded Tony Bujan of Palm Desert, Calif., in a quarterfinal match on Thursday at 9 a.m. (PST). Bujan eliminated ninth-seeded Esteban Altuna of Norco, Calif., 6-1, 6-2.

Matches will begin at 8 a.m. (PST) Thursday, Dec. 5 through Friday, Dec. 6. The weekend’s schedule on Saturday, Dec. 7 and Sunday, Dec. 8 will begin at 9 a.m. (PST). The women’s singles final will be played on Saturday, while the men’s singles final will take place on Sunday.

The tournament, which includes former touring professionals and the nation’s strongest players in the 40 and over age group, also features men’s and women’s doubles and mixed doubles for players 40 and over.

Also on the agenda of the seven-day event is the USTA National Father and Son and Grandfather and Grandson Hard Court Doubles Championships beginning Friday, Dec. 6, with matches concluding on Sunday, Dec. 8.

The Father and Son championship has been held continuously at the La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club since 1959, and attracts the top father and son tennis teams in the nation. The Grandfather/Grandson event is a relatively new competitive division that started at the La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club just a few years ago.

The La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club welcomes tennis spectators to view the tournament with free admission. On-site parking is available for a nominal fee.

Recently designated one of the Top 100 Tennis Resorts in the world by Tennis Resorts Online, the La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club’s reputation as a top tennis destination started in 1942 when it attracted its first major tournament, the Pacific Coast Men’s Doubles Championship. The Club will be hosting the 125th edition of The Pacific Coast Mens’ Doubles Championships in February 2014, and the USTA National Hard Court Championships for Womens’ 50-90 age groups in May 2014.

In honor of the USTA National Hard Court Championship, the La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club and its sister property, the La Jolla Shores Hotel, will be offering special room rates to the general public starting at $199 per night.*

To make reservations or for more information, please call 877.346.8842.

For complete tournament draws, which includes Thursday’s schedule, please go to: http://tennislink.usta.com/Tournaments/TournamentHome/Tournament.aspx?T=125262

Topics: 10sballs, Dina McBride, Jennifer Dawson, Sports, Tennis, Tennis News, Usta, Wimbledon