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from the Baseline Rosanna de los Rios could give a clinic on ground stroking but would be equally insightful about parenting. Her cute young daughter Ana attended most of mom's matches. Ana was given enough of a leash to be a kid but when mom was on the court Ana was seen, but never heard. Marissa Irvin correctly realizes that a key to defeating top seed Rosanna de los Rios is to come to net whenever possible. Unfortunately her volley game deserts her at crucial moments and she looses 6-4 in the third. Miroslava Vavrinec and Adriana Barna stave off emotional meltdowns with Miroslava prevailing 6-4, 5-7, 6-3. Fans give a deserved standing ovation at the match's conclusion. Hila Rosen of Israel looses to Dawn Buth in a tight 6-3, 2-6, 6-2 match but entertains fans with an exhibition of shot-making and an all court game - plus a touch of humor. I'm a Hila fan! In a run up to a second set tie breaker, Nadine Schlotterer utters something in German after blowing a shot. The apparently bi-lingual chair umpire promptly assesses a 1 point penalty. Nadine discusses a nuance in translation with the umpire but fails to prevail. Hard hitting 15-year-old Ashley Harkleroad won three consecutive matches in the qualifying tournament to reach the main draw where she lost a tight first round match to Olga Blahotova, 7-5, 6-3. The gents in the crowd also noted that Ashley offers a strong challenge to Anna Kornikova in the WTA glamor ratings. Are Challenger Circuit players under more pressure to perform than WTA and ATP touring pros? Miroslava Vavrinec leaves the court following a close quarter final match sobbing, in the arms of her coach, and she won the match! 6th seed Yvette Basting challenges unseeded Lenka Nemeckova to a tense baseline slug fest. Yvette blinks first, 7-6 (7), 7-5. Tattoos appear on a WTA player. Is this the end of tennis as we know it? Olga Blahotova gives a fist in the air power salute when she manages to win her first (and only) game against first seed Rosanna de Los Rios. It might be an over generalization, but American players come off as stone-faced ball machines while the European's exude emotion and passion. Sense and Sensibility on the tennis court. Who would you rather watch? You know that closing fore hand volley you always miss? These women miss it a lot too! Janet Lee tries to think her way through a tough quarter final match with Rosanna de Los Rios. But nothing she tries can neutralize the power and accuracy of Rosanna's ground strokes. It's bleak and raining outside but it's even a more dismal day for the Barna sisters from Germany. They both loose second round singles matches and then are defeated by the top seeded doubles team of Nana Miyagi and Nirupama Vaidyanathan, 6-4, 6-2. ...The Webmaster |
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Chicago Native's Will Sparks Her to Tennis Championship Monday, November 13, 2000 Sandra Cacic can blister a ground stroke, all right. She can fire a serve down the middle of a tennis court that takes the fuzz off the ball, too. But that's not nearly enough to win a professional tournament, not when thousands of women have grown up smacking two-handed backhands and honing a baseline game. "Today, it was all about heart," said Cacic. Cacic Upsets Top-Seeded de los Rios In PNC Women's Challenger of Pittsburgh Final By Tom Benic Unseeded Sandra Cacic of Bradenton, Fla. took another step forward on her comeback trail with a 7-5, 1-6, 6-2 win over the first seed, Rosanna de los Rios of Paraguay, to win the inaugural $50,000 PNC Women's Challenger of Pittsburgh at the Oxford Athletic Club East in Monroeville. It was the fourth championship this year for Cacic, 26, on the USTA Prudential Securities Circuit. Once ranked 35th in the world, Cacic slipped badly last year and dropped to the mid 200s, but apparently has found her groove again. The Chicago native was ranked 158th entering the tournament. In the PNC Challenger tournament Cacic only lost two sets in five matches, but her 2-hour-and-7-minute struggle with de los Rios in the final was in doubt almost to the end. In the first set she battled back from a 2-5 deficit to win 7-5, but then lost the second set 6-1. Tied at 2 games each in the third set, she held serve and won the next three games to close out the match. The first place prize was worth $7,700, an automatic qualification for the Gold Coast Championships WTA tour event in Australia in January, and valuable WTA world ranking points. Second prize was worth $4,200. De los Rios, who entered the tournament ranked 76th in the world, was troubled by a strained stomach muscle for much of the tournament and even pulled out of the doubles earlier in the week. With her midsection taped for support, she put on a gritty performance in both the semifinals and finals. She defeated rising American star Marissa Irvin in three sets on Saturday. De los Rios, 25, now considered to be one of the best Paraguayan women players ever, returned to the pro circuit only last year after taking five years off to marry and start a family. She qualified for both Wimbledon and the U.S. Open this year and won three rounds at the French Open. De los Rios has lived in the United States for a number of years and now trains in the Miami area. In the doubles final today, the No. 1-seeded team of Nana Miyagi of Japan and Nirupama Vaidyanathan of India dropped the first set but then proved too strong for the No. 2 seeded team of Kirstin Freye of Germany and Seda Noorlander of The Netherlands, winning 5-7, 6-4, 6-0. Miyagi and Vaidyanathan hadn't lost a set in the tournament before the finals while Freye and Noorlander were coming off a grueling 1-6, 7-6, 7-6 win in the semifinals yesterday over Marion Maruska of Austria and Lenka Nemeckova of the Czech Republic. The winning doubles team of Miyago and Vaidyanathan receive $2,800 first place money while the second place prize was worth $1,500. Singles Finals Sandra Cacic, Bradenton, Fla., def. Rosanna de los Rios, Paraguay, (1) 7-5, 1-6, 6-2. Doubles Finals Nana Miyagi, Japan and Nirupama Vaidyanathan, India (1) def. Kirstin Freye, Germany and Seda Noorlander, Netherlands (2), 5-7, 6-4, 6-0. Chicago Native in Final at PNC Paraguayan also advances in tennis event Sunday, November 12, 2000 Sandra Cacic has learned to love her profession, after all these years. "Now I can honestly say I love playing tennis; I'm just happy to be on a tennis court," she said. Currently ranked about 150th in the world, Cacic advanced to the PNC Women's Challenger tournament final with a 6-2, 6-3 upset of second seed Miroslava Vavrinec of Switzerland yesterday. De los Rios, Cacic to meet in PNC finals By Chris Scarnati FOR THE TRIBUNE-REVIEW Even when top-seeded Rossana De Los Rios dropped the first set in her semifinal match against Marissa Irvin, it wasn't time to panic by any means. In fact, getting off to a slow start usually benefits the Paraguay native. "When I'm down in a match, my level of play is usually up," De Los Rios said. "I usually start out cold but get better as the match wears on." Losing the first set only proved to be a warm-up for De Los Rios, who eventually heated up and won the next two sets, 6-3, 6-4. While Irvin's power kept her opponent pinned to the basline, De Los Rios's persistence and consistency proved too much. Top-Seeded de los Rios Meets Unseeded Cacic In PNC USTA Women's Challenger Finals By Tom Benic Rosanna de los Rios of Paraguay came back from a first set loss to defeat Marissa Irvin, the top-seeded American, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, in today's semifinals of the $50,000 PNC USTA Women's Challenger of Pittsburgh at the Oxford Athletic Club East in Monroeville. De los Rios, who could improve on her WTA pro ranking of 76th in the world with a win tomorrow, will face unseeded Sandra Cacic of Bradenton, Fla. at 1 p.m. Cacic breezed past No. 2 seed Miroslava Vavrinec of Switzerland, 6-2, 6-3. In doubles play, the No. 1-seeded doubles team of Nana Miyagi of Japan and Nirupama Vaidyanathan of India defeated Kristi Blumberg, Ft. Walton Beach, Fla. and Courteney Chapman, Jackson, Miss., 6-3, 6-4, to reach the finals. They will play the No. 2 seeded team of Kirstin Freye of Germany and Seda Noorlander of The Netherlands, who defeated Marion Maruska of Austria and Lenka Nemeckova of the Czech Republic in a marathon match, 1-6, 7-6, 7-6. In addition to the $7,500 first prize, the singles winner of the PNC USTA Challenger of Pittsburgh will earn valuable WTA ranking points and a main draw position in the Gold Coast WTA tournament in Australia in January, 2001, preceding the Australian Open. The tournament is part of the USTA Prudential Securities Circuit. Tomorrow's singles match-up pits de los Rios, one of the fastest rising stars on the women's pro circuit, against Cacic, who broke into the top 100 ranked players in the world seven years ago and has been ranked as high as 35th. De los Rios, 25, returned to the pro circuit last year after taking five years off to marry and start a family. Her performance on the Prudential Securities Circuit and WTA tour events has been most impressive and her rise in the world rankings nothing short of meteoric. Preferring clay courts, she won three rounds of the French Open this year, losing in the quarterfinals. She also qualified for Wimbledon and the U.S. Open this year, but lost in the first round. Cacic, 26, has been close to joining the ranks of elite women players since 1993 when she qualified for the U.S. Open as a 19-year-old wildcard and reached the second round. She finished the year ranked 81 in the world and followed that by reaching the second round at the French Open, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open in 1994, soaring to as high as 35th in the world. She played well and was consistently ranked under 100 through 1998, but slipped badly last year. This year she won three Prudential Securities Circuit Events in a five-week period in June and July and is currently ranked 158. Sunday's 1 p.m. singles final will be followed by the doubles final on the stadium court at Oxford. Semifinal Round Singles Results Rosanna de Los Rios, Paraguay, (1) def. Marissa Irvin, Santa Monica, Calif., (4), 4-6, 6-4, 6-4. Sandra Cacic, Bradenton, Fla., def. Miroslava Vavrinec, Switzerland (2), 6-2, 6-3. Semifinal Round Doubles Results Nana Miyagi, Japan and Nirupama Vaidyanathan, India (1) def. Kristy Blumberg, Ft. Walton Beach, Fla. and Courtenay Chapman, Jackson, Miss., 6-3, 6-4 Kirstin Freye, Germany and Seda Noorlander, Netherlands (2), def. Marion Maruska, Austria, and Lenka Nemekov, Czech Republic, 1-6, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (0). Top-Seeded Women Pros Advance to Semifinals in PNC USTA Women's Challenger of Pittsburgh By Tom Benic The top-seeded singles and doubles players today advanced to Saturday's semifinals at the $50,000 PNC USTA Women's Challenger of Pittsburgh at the Oxford Athletic Club East in Monroeville. The first seed in singles, Rosanna de Los Rios of Paraguay, pulled out of the doubles competition Thursday with a strained stomach muscle but recovered today to easily defeat Janet Lee of Taiwan, the 5th seed, 6-3, 6-4. Miroslava Vavrinec of Switzerland, the second seed, was pushed to a third set by Lenka Nemeckova of the Czech Republic but prevailed, 6-3, 3-6, 6-2. In the semifinals Vavrinec will play unseeded Sandra Cacic of Bradenton, Fla., who defeated the eighth seed, Dawn Buth of Riverdale, N.Y., 6-2, 4-6, 6-3. That match is scheduled to start at 2 p.m. Marisa Irvin, the top-seeded American at 4th seed, won the first set easily then hung on to defeat unseeded Marie-Eve Pelletier of Canada, 6-1, 4-6, 6-2. Irvin plays de Los Rios in a featured match, expected to start around 4 p.m. In doubles play, the No. 1 doubles team of Nana Miyagi of Japan and Nirupama Vaidyanathan of India defeated Janet Lee of Taiwan and Jolene Watanabe, Glendora, Calif., 6-3, 6-2. The second-seeded team of Kirstin Freye of Germany and Seda Noorlander of The Netherlands ended an exciting week for 15-year-old Ashley Harkleroad of Westley Chapel, Fla. they defeated Harkleroad and her partner, Marina Lazarovska of Macedonia, 6-2, 6-3. Harkleroad had won three singles matches in the qualifying tournament to reach the main draw event and then on Thursday teamed up with Lazarovsha to upset de Los Rios and her partner, Jean Okada of the U.S., 6-1, 5-2, before Los Rios retired with the injury. The PNC USTA Challenger of Pittsburgh is one of 16 tournaments on the Prudential Securities Circuit, with prize money ranging from $25,000 to $75,000. The women pros not only play for cash purses but also world ranking points and direct placement into the main draws of regular WTA tour events. Winner of the PNC USTA Challenger of Pittsburgh will earn a main draw position in the Gold Coast WTA tournament in Australia in January, 2001, preceding the Australian Open. Quarterfinal Round Singles Results Rosanna de Los Rios, Paraguay, (1) def. Janet Lee, Taiwan, 6-3, 6-4. Marissa Irvin, Santa Monica, Calif., (4) def. Marie-Eve, Pelletier, Canada, 6-1, 4-6, 6-2. Sandra Cacic, Bradenton, Fla., def. Dawn Buth, Riverdale, N.Y. (8), 6-2, 4-6, 6-3. Miroslava Vavrinec, Switzerland (2) def. Lenka Nemeckova, Czech Republic, 6-3, 3-6, 6-2. Quarterfinal Round Doubles Results Nana Miyagi, Japan and Nirupama Vaidyanathan, India (1) def Janet Lee, Taiwan, and Jolene Watanabe, Glendora, Calif., 6-3, 6-2. Kristi Blumberg, Ft. Walton Beach, Fla. and Courteney Chapman, Jackson, Miss. def. Yvette Basting, Netherlands and Katalin Marosi-Aracama, Hungary (3), 3-6, 6-2, 6-4. Kirstin Freye, Germany and Seda Noorlander, Netherlands (2), def. Ashley Harkleroad, Westley Chapel, Fla. and Marina Lazarovska, Macedonia, 6-2, 6-3. Marion Maruska, Austria, and Lenka Nemekov, Czech Republic, def. Annica Cooper, Chicago, Ill. and Brandi Freudenberg, Orange, Calif., 6-1, 6-4. Top-Seed De Los Rios Pulls Out of Doubles With Injury As Quarterfinals Begin at PNC Women's Challenger By Tom Benic Top-seed Rosanna de Los Rios of Paraguay easily won her second round singles match today at the $50,000 PNC USTA Women's Challenger of Pittsburgh but later pulled out of the doubles competition with a strained stomach muscle. She's scheduled to play Janet Lee of Taiwan, the 5th seed, in the singles quarterfinals Friday afternoon at the Oxford Athletic Club East in Monroeville. De Los Rios defeated qualifier Olga Blahotova of the Czech Republic, 6-0, 6-1 in singles. Five of the eight seeded player advanced to the quarterfinals, with Lenka Nemeckova of the Czech Republic scoring the only upset today, defeating 6th seed Yvette Basting of the Netherlands, 7-6 (7), 7-5. Marissa Irvin of Santa Monica, Calif., the highest seeded American at 4th seed, easily defeated Tiffany Dabek of Bradenton, Fla., 6-3, 6-1. She faces unseeded Marie-Eve Pelletier of Canada in the featured quarterfinal match at 7 p.m. Friday. Pelletier defeated Anca Barna of Germany today, 6-4, 6-4, and knocked off the 7th seed, Katalin Marosi-Aracama of Hungary in the first round. In doubles play, 15-year-old Ashley Harkleroad of West Chapel, Fla. and her partner Marina Lazarovska of Macedonia were winning easily over de Los Rios and her partner Jean Okada of Kapalua, Hawaii when de Los Rios retired at 1-6, 2-5. Harkleroad, the youngest amateur in a tournament dominated by world-ranked pros in their mid-20s, has been a big surprise. She won three singles matches in the qualifying tournament to reach the main-draw event, losing to Blahotova of the Czech Republic on Monday 7-6, 6-3. The three top-seeded doubles teams also advanced today, including the first-seed Nana Miyagi of Japan and Nirupama Vaidyanathan of India , who defeated two German sisters, Adriana and Anca Barna, 6-4, 6-2. The Barna sisters also both lost their singles matches today while playing at the same time on adjacent courts. Adriana pushed the second-seed Miroslava Vavrinec of Switzerland to three sets before falling, 6-4, 5-7, 6-3. Anca lost 6-4, 6-4 to Pelletier of Canada. In singles, two other Americans, Dawn Buth of Riverdale, N.Y. and Sandy Cacic of Bradenton, Fla., join Irwin in the quarterfinals. Buth, the 8th seed, defeated Hila Rosen of Israel, 6-3, 2-6, 6-2, while unseeded Cacic dropped Nana Miyagi of Japan, 6-2, 6-3. Quaterfinal play in both singles and doubles begins today, starting at 1 p.m. The PNC USTA Challenger of Pittsburgh is one of 16 tournaments on the Prudential Securities Circuit, with prize money ranging from $25,000 to $75,000. The circuit was in Dallas last week and moves on to Naples, Fla. next week. The women pros not only play for cash purses but also world ranking points. Second Round Singles Results Rosanna de Los Rios, Paraguay, (1) def. Olga Blahotova, Czech Republic, 6-0, 6-1 Janet Lee, Taiwan def. Karolina Jagieniak, France, 4-6, 6-1, 6-4. Marissa Irvin, Santa Monica, Calif., (4) def. Tiffany Dabek, 6-3, 6-1. Marie-Eve, Pelletier, Canada, def. Anca Barna, Germany, 6-4, 6-4. Dawn Buth, Riverdale, N.Y. (8) def. Hila Rosen, Israel, 6-3, 2-6, 6-2 Sandra Cacic, Bradenton, Fla., def. Nana Miyagi, Japan, 6-2, 6-3. Lenka Nemeckova, Czech Republic, def. Yvette Basting, Netherlands (6), 7-6 (7), 7-5. Miroslava Vavrinec, Switzerland (2) def. Adriana Barna, Germany, 6-4, 5-7, 6-3. First Round Doubles Results Nana Miyagi, Japan and Nirupama Vaidyanathan, India (1) def. Adriana Barna and Anca Barna, Germany, 6-4, 6-2. Yvette Basting, Netherlands and Katalin Marosi-Aracama, Hungary (3) def. Briana Harris and Tumeka Harris, Canton, Ohio, 6-2, 6-2. Kirstin Freye, Germany and Seda Noorlander, Netherlands (2), def, Olga Blahotova, Czech Republic and Svetlana Kriventcheva, Bulgaria, 6-4, 7-6 (5) Ashley Harkleroad, West Chapel, Fla. and Marina Lazarovska, Macedonia, def. Rossana de los Rios, Paraguay and Jean Okada, Kapalua, Hawaii, 6-1, 5-2 Retired. De Los Rios, Irvin Cruise in Opening Round Play At PNC Women's Challenger Tennis Tournament By Tom Benic Rosanna de los Rios and Marissa Irvin, seeded No. 1 and 4 respectively, posted straight-set wins today as the PNC Women's Challenger of Pittsburgh wrapped up opening round action at the Oxford Athletic Club East. The tournament offers a total prize purse of $50,000 and is part of the USTA Prudential Securities Circuit. De los Rios, from Paraguay, had little trouble defeating qualifier Clarissa Fernandez of Argentina, 6-3, 6-1. She will face another qualifier, Olga Blahotova of the Czech Republic, in second round play tomorrow. Blahotva ended the run of 15-year-old Ashley Harkleroad of Wesley Chapel, Fla., 7-5, 6-3. Harkleroad had won three matches in the qualifier to reach the main draw. Irwin, a rookie pro from Santa Monica, Calif., defeated Jackie Carleton of Jenkintown, 6-1, 6-0. Dawn Buth of Riverside, N.Y., seeded No. 8, struggled to defeat unseeded Svetlana Kriventcheva of Bulgaria, 6-4, 1-6, 6-3. In the longest match of the day, Adriana Barna of Germany outlasted Joanne Moore of Great Britain, 4-6, 6-4, 7-6, winning the tiebreaker 12 points to 10. The match lasted 2 hours and 38 minutes. Singles and doubles play will continue Thursday, Friday and Sunday beginning at 1 p.m. The semi-finals Saturday will begin at 2 p.m. First Round Singles Results Rosanna de Los Rios, Paraguay, (1) def. Clarisa Fernandez, Argentina, 6-3, 6-0. Olga Blahotova, Czech Republic, def. Ashley Harkleroad, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 7-5, 6-3. Karolina Jagieniak, France, def. Kelly Liggan, Ireland, 6-3, 6-4. Marissa Irvin, Santa Monica, Calif., (4) def. Jackie Carleton, Jenkintown, Pa. , 6-1, 6-0. Anca Barna, Germany, def. Seda Noorlander, Germany, 6-2, 6-1. Dawn Buth, Riverdale, N.Y. (8) def. Svetlana Kriventcheva, Bulgaria, 6-4, 1-6, 6-3. Hila Rosen, Israel, def. Patty Murren, Atlanta, Ga., 6-1, 6-1. Sandra Cacic, Bradenton, Fla., def. Nirupama Vaidyanathan, India, 6-1, 6-1. Nana Miyagi, japan, def. Emmanuelle Gagliardi, Switzerland (3), 6-2, 5-2, retired. Lenka Nemkova, Czech Republic, def. Karin Miller, Bradenton, Fla., 6-3, 6-3. Adriana Barna, Germany, def. Joanne Moore, Great Britain, 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (10) First Round Doubles Results Janet Lee, Taiwan and Jolene Watanabe, Glendora, Calif., def. Emmanuelle Gagliardi and Miroslava Vavrinec, Switzerland, walkover. Annica Cooper, Chicago, Ill. and Brandi Freudenberg, Orange, Calif. def. Clarisa Fernandez, Argentina and Marie-Eve Pelletier, Canada, walkover. Kristi Blumberg, Ft. Walton Beach, Fla. and Courteney Chapman, Jackson, Miss. def. Kelly Liggan, Ireland and Karin Miller, Bradenton, Fla., 6-3, 6-1. Marion Maruska, Austria, and Lenka Nemekov, Czech Republic, def. Dawn Buth, Riverdale, N.Y. and Sandra Cacic, Bradenton, Fla. (4), 6-4, 6-7 (5), 7-5. 15-year-old Advances in Qualifying Event For PNC Women's Challenger Tennis Tournament By Tom Benic Eight players, including most of the top seeds, advanced today to the finals of the qualifying tournament of the $50,000 PNC Women's Challenger of Pittsburgh. The four winners tomorrow qualify for the 32-field main draw that begins Wednesday at the Oxford Athletic Club East in Monroeville. The tournament surprise, unseeded 15-year-old Ashley Harkleroad of Tampa, Fla., continued her winning ways Monday with a 6-0, 6-2 win over fellow American Annica Cooper. Harkleroad had upset the third seed, Elena Tatarkova of the Ukraine, 6-0, 5-7, 6-2 in Sunday's first round. She plays the 6th seed, Jean Okada of the U.S., tomorrow for the right to play in the main draw event. Olga Blahotova of the Czech Republic, the first seed in the qualifying tournament, won today in two sets, 6-2, 6-4, over Kristy Blumberg of the U.S. The second seed, Joanne Moore of Great Britain, had a much more difficult time defeating unseeded Dimana Krastevich of Bulgaria, 7-6, 6-7, 6-1. Unseeded Patty Murren of the U.S. dropped the first set but came back to defeat the 7th seed, Maret Ani of Estonia, 6-7, 6-4, 6-3. Murren plays Moore tomorrow. Blahotova plays unseeded Nadine Schlotterer of Austria, who defeated the 8th seed Marina Lazarovska of Macedonia, 6-2, 7-5. Also advancing today were: Jean Okada of the U.S., the sixth seed, 5-7, 7-6, 6-1 over Alison Nash of Canada; Kirstin Freye, the fourth seed from Germany, 6-3, 6-2 over Brandi Freudenberg of the U.S.; Clarisa Fernandez, the fifth seed from Argentina, 7-5, 6-2, over Courtenay Chapman of the U.S. Sarah Riske of McMurray, who was awarded a spot in the main draw tournament, has withdrawn because of an injury. Two Pittsburgh area entries in the qualifier, Jessica Johnson of Sewickley and Kelly Baritot of Wexford, both lost in the first round Sunday. Women's Singles Second Round Qualifying Olga Blahotova (1), Czech Republic, def. Kristy Blumberg, U.S., 6-2, 6-4. Nadine Schlotterer, Austria, def. Marina Lazarovska (8), Macedonia, 6-2, 7-5. Kirstin Freye (4), Germany, def. Brandi Freudenberg, U.S., 6-3, 6-2. Clarisa Fernandez (5), Argentina, def. Courtenay Chapman, U.S., 7-5, 6-2. Jean Okada (6), U.S., def. Alison Nash, Canada, 5-7, 7-6 (2), 6-1. Ashley Harkleroad, U.S., def. Annica Cooper, U.S., 6-0, 6-2. Patty Murren, U.S., def. Maret Ani (7), Estonia, 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-3. Joanne Moore (2), Great Britain, def. Dimana Krastevich, Bulgaria, 7-6 (6), 6-7 (0), 6-1. PNC Bank Sponsors Women's $50,000 Pro Tennis Event Now Set for November 5-12 at Oxford East in Monroeville By Tom Benic PNC Bank has signed on as title sponsor of the $50,000 women's professional tennis tournament now scheduled for Nov. 5-12 at the Oxford East Athletic Club in Monroeville. The tournament, renamed the PNC Women's Challenger of Pittsburgh, is expected to attract more than 60 world-ranked women tennis players from 15 countries. Buoyed by the support of PNC and other local sponsors, including the UPMC Center for Sports Medicine, local United States Tennis Association (USTA) officials now hope to make this first-year tournament an annual event. "We're really enthusiastic about getting such strong local support," said Tournament Director Bette Salmon, of Fox Chapel, who is a board member of both the USTA's Allegheny Mountain District and the Middle States Section. "With PNC's backing and good attendance at the tournament we could make this a very special stop on the women's circuit." This USTA Prudential Securities Circuit Event is officially sanctioned by the USTA and the International Tennis Federation. "This is going to be an extremely talented and competitive field," Salmon said. "All of these women are trying to make a name for themselves and move up in the world rankings. We're going to see some great tennis." The winner will get $7,700, with second place worth $4,200. The winning doubles team will receive $2,800 and the runners-up $1,500. Admission is free until the evening of the quarter-finals on Friday, Nov. 10. Tickets, available at the door, will sell for $15 for reserved and $10 for general admission. Friday is high school night with high school players and coaches admitted for $5. One Pittsburgh area player, Jessica Johnson, 19, of Sewickley, who was ranked 20th nationally as a junior last year, is entered in the qualifying tournament that begins at 11 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 5. In addition, Sarah Riske of McMurray, a sophomore standout at Vanderbilt University and winner of this year's National Collegiate Clay Court Championships in Mt. Lebanon, is entered in the main draw field of 32 that begins play Tuesday, Nov. 7. Weekday sessions begin at 1 p.m., with the exception of Wednesday, Nov. 8, when they begin at 11 a.m. The semifinals will be held Saturday, Nov. 11 at 2 p.m., while the finals will begin at 1 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 12. A Player's Welcome Party will be held Monday Night, Nov. 6, while local amateurs can play in a pro-am event Wednesday, Nov. 8 for a donation of $100. The top American entered in the tournament is Marissa Irvin, 20, of Santa Monica, Calif., who played No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles on Stanford's 1999 NCAA championship team. She is currently ranked 81th in the world in singles. International standouts include: Emmanuelle Gagliardi of Switzerland, ranked 80th in the world; Rossana De Los Rios, of Paraguay, ranked 82nd; Miroslava Vavrinec of Switzerland, ranked 109th; Katalin Marosi-Aracama of Hungary, ranked 110th; Yvette Basting of the Netherlands, ranked 120th; Janet Lee of Taiwan, ranked 126th; Maureen Drake of Canada, ranked 140th; and Anca Barna of Germany, ranked 153rd. Players from Austria, Belgium, Canada, the Czech Republic, India, Israel, Japan and Venezuela are also entered. The American field also includes: · Tara Snyder, 23, of Kansas City, Mo., who reached the third round of the U.S. Open and was the Silver Medalist in the Pan Am Games last year. She also was a first-round winner in both the French Open and Wimbledon in 1998 when she broke into the Top 100 world rankings and reached as high as No. 33. She is currently ranked 114. · Sandra Cacic, 24, winner of three Prudential Securities Circuit events during a four week period this summer. Cacic, originally from Joliet, Ill and now living in Bradenton, Fla, is currently ranked 154th in the world. · Dawn Buth, 24, of Riverdale, N.Y. qualified for the U.S. Open this year based on her performance in the USTA Prudential Securities Circuit. She played No. 1 doubles for the University of Florida and helped them win the NCAA team title in 1998 and 1996. Dawn and her doubles partner Stephanie Nickitas were the first-ever NCAA repeat doubles champions in 1996 and 1997, and reached the finals in 1998. · Tracy Almeda-Singian, 21, originally from New York City and now living in Lake Forest, Fla., reached the singles finals of the USTA $50,000 Challenger in Mahwah, N.J. this year, losing to Sandra Cacic in three sets. She won two qualifying matches to reach the main draw of both the Belgium Open and the Amelia Island tournaments this year, and won three qualifying matches to reach the main draw of the U.S. Open last year. · Jolene Watanebe, 32, of Glendora, Calif., who has scored a number of upsets in Grand Slam tournaments in a 10-year pro career, was a finalist this year in the USTA Prudential Securities Circuit tournament in Mount Pleasant, S.C. She upset Jennifer Capriati in the first round of the Australian Open in 1997 and also had upset wins in the first round of the Australian Open and Wimbledon in 1996, and won her first two matches in the French Open in 1995. · Karin Miller, 23, originally from Trenton, N.J. and now living in Bradenton, Fla., reached the semifinals of the NCAA women's singles championships as a freshman at Duke in 1997. She subsequently withdrew from the school to play WTA tennis fulltime. She reached the main draw at Wimbledon the next year but lost in the first round. At 5-foot-1 she is among the smallest players on the circuit. In recent years, Challenger Tournaments have proved to be a stepping stone for outstanding players such as Lindsay Davenport, Mary Pierce, Lori McNeal, and Gigi Fernandez. Proceeds from the tournament will benefit the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Tennis Association, a non-profit community tennis association that provides community tennis development through the USTA's USA Tennis Program. For information about volunteering, sponsorships, booth space, and the collateral events, call 1 800 USTA-576. Or check out the official website of USTA's Allegheny Mountain District (www.ustaamd.com). |
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Pittsburgh Women's Challenger Players in the 2001 Australian Open - How Did they Do? Those of you who attended the Pittsburgh Women's Challenger in November probably remember the impressive play of American teenager Ashley Harkleroad. Ashley recently competed in her first Australian Open. In the Girls' Singles draw she won four consecutive matches in straight sets, advancing to the finals where she was defeated by number one seed Jelena Jankovic, 6-3, 6-4. Ashley also played in Girls' Doubles and made it to the quarter finals where she and her partner Katarina Kachlikova lost to the number one seeds Petra Cetkovska and Barbora Strycova, who went on to win the Girls' Doubles Championship. Challenger winner Sandra Cacic lost in the first round of qualifying (ouch!). The other Challenger finalist, Rossana De Los Rios, faired better, winning her fist round match in the main draw before losing to Paola Suarez, 6-3, 6-0. Challenger semifinalist Marissa Irvin lost in the first round to Spanish player Magui Serna, 6-1, 6-3, while another Pittsburgh semifinalist, Miroslava Vavrinec, was defeated by Monica Seles in the second round, 6-2, 6-3. Janet Lee was competitive, but just over powered, in a first round loss to Serena Willams, 6-1, 6-4. This match was part of ESPN's extensive TV coverage. Anca Barna fought her way through three qualifying matches but lost in the first round of the main draw to 15th seed Kim Clijsters. The most successful player from the Challenger field was Switzerland's Emmanuelle Gagliardi. Gagliardi made to the third round with an impressive three set win over fifth seed Conchita Martinez. You may recall that Gagliardi lost in the first round of the Challenger to Nana Miyagi of Japan. On any given day . . .
Schedule of Events
Admission is free of charge until the quarterfinals. For quarters, semis, and finals, tickets will be available at the door for $10.00 general admission (end side seating) and $15.00 reserved (center side seating). There is a 10% discount for USTA and PTL members. On Friday night high school players and coaches will be admitted for $5. Call 1 800 USTA-576 for details. How
to Get to the Oxford Athletic Club International Players Dominate Seeding In PNC Women's Challenger Tennis Tournament By Tom Benic Six of the eight seeds in the $50,000 PNC Women's Challenger of Pittsburgh were awarded to international tennis stars, tournament officials announced today. The seedings were based entirely on current world ranking, said Bette Salmon, tournament director. Rossana De Los Rios, Paraguay's most promising woman player in recent times, won the top seed. Miroslava Vavrinec, a member of the Swiss Olympic team this year, was seeded second. The PNC Women's Challenger begins at 11 a.m. this Sunday, Nov. 5 at the Oxford East Athletic Club in Monroeville with a two-day qualifying tournament. The main draw tournament, with 32 entries, gets underway Tuesday. Also seeded in the main draw event are: Emmanuelle Gagliardi, 24, of Switzerland, ranked 80th in the world and a member of this year's Swiss Olympic Team, 3rd; Marissa Irvin, 20, of Santa Monica, Calif., one of the most promising young American stars in tennis today, 4th; Yvette Bastings of The Netherlands, 5th; Janet Lee of Taiwan, 6th; Katalin Marosi-Aracama of Hungary 7th; and Dawn Buth, an outstanding NCAA doubles player at the University of Florida, 8th. De Los Rios, 25, of Paraguay, who has had a meteoric rise in the world rankings (now 82nd) since returning unranked to professional tennis only last year. She had left the game for five years to marry and start a family. This summer she became the first Paraguayan to play in a Grand Slam tennis tournament in the open era when she qualified for the French Open and then lasted until the round of 16. She also represented Paraguay in the Olympics. Miroslava Vavrinec, 22, who was born in the Slovak Republic but is now a Swiss resident, was a member of this year's Swiss Olympic team. She upset third-seed Maria-Antonia Sanchez-Lorenzo of Spain in the first round of the Australian Open this year and lasted until the quarterfinals when she lost to Amanda Hopmans of the Netherlands. The other seeded players are: · Emmanuelle Gagliardi, who qualified for all four Grand Slam tennis tournaments this year, making the second round in both the Australian Open and the French Open. She lost to Monica Seles at the French Open and to Jennifer Capriati in the U.S. Open. · Marissa Irvin, who just turned pro this year following the NCAA championships last spring where she placed second in the singles finals to Stanford teammate Laura Granville and second in the doubles finals with partner Teryn Ashley.
· Katalin Marosi-Aracama, a member of the Hungarian Olympic team and quarterfinalist in doubles at the Sydney games. She married this year, qualified for Wimbledon for the first time and turns 21 on Nov. 12. · Yvette Basting, 23, of The Netherlands won three matches to qualify for Wimbledon this year only to meet eventual semifinalist Serena Williams in the first round and lost, 6-1, 6-0. She is currently ranked 120th in the world. · Janet Lee, 24, a member of the Chinese Taipei Olympic Team, played in the Australian Open and the U.S. Open this year. She was born in Lafayette, Ind. and lives in Ranch Palos Verdes, Calif. · Dawn Buth, 24, of Riverdale, N.Y., played in the U.S. Open this year in singles and was a member of one of the best doubles teams ever in NCAA history at the University of Florida. Dawn and her partner Stephanie Nickitas were NCAA champs in 1996 and 1997, and lost in the finals in 1998. The PNC Women's Challenger of Pittsburgh is a USTA Prudential Securities Circuit Event and is officially sanctioned by the USTA and the International Tennis Federation. The winner will get $7,700, with second place worth $4,200. The winning doubles team will receive $2,800 and the runners-up $1,500. Two Pittsburgh area players, Jessica Johnson, 19, of Sewickley, and Kelly Baritot, 16, of Wexford are entered in the qualifying tournament that begins Sunday. Johnson was ranked 20th nationally as a junior last year. Baritot was the best high school player in Pennsylvania last year at North Allegheny but decided to concentrate on the USTA circuit this year. In addition, Jacqueline Cariton, an outstanding local player from Jenkintown is entered in the main draw field of 32 that begins play Tuesday. Sarah Riske of McMurray, a sophomore standout at Vanderbilt University and winner of this year's National Collegiate Clay Court Championships in Mt. Lebanon, was scheduled to enter the main draw field but she had to withdraw because of an injury. Weekday sessions begin at 1 p.m., with the exception of Wednesday, Nov. 8, when they begin at 11 a.m. The semifinals will be held Saturday, Nov. 11 at 2 p.m., while the finals will begin at 1 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 12. Admission is free until the evening of the quarter-finals on Friday, Nov. 10. Tickets, available at the door, will sell for $15 for reserved and $10 for general admission. Friday is high school night with high school players and coaches admitted for $5. What's a Challenger Tournament? Future events feature players ranked 200 in the world and higher on the pro Tour. Challenger tournaments showcase players with rankings from 50 to 200 in the world. Lindsay Davenport and Mary Pierce are two of the top players on tour who got their start in the Challengers. Because of the new point system on the pro tour, points are more valuable than ever, and it is very alluring for American players to stay in the U.S. and play the Challenger and Future circuit rather than risk coming up empty overseas. Playing in the U.S. not only cuts costs for players but allows them to play more tournaments and earn more points. Points are what the professionals are after. The points players accumulate at each tournament determine their rankings. The more points they accumulate, the higher the ranking. The ATP recently did away with bonus points for wins over players ranked in the top 100. Thus, making the points gained by athletes in the Futures and Challengers more valuable. As a result of the new point system, more top players are beginning to play the Futures and Challengers. They feel they can earn more points by going further in a Challenger, than losing, in the second round of an tour event. Tournaments are classified as follows in order of importance (The maximum tournament points earned for winning the whole tournament is in brackets) Grand Slams (770) Mercedes Super 9 Tournaments (380) Championship Series Tournaments (300) World Series Tournaments (240) Challengers (100) Each round a player progresses, they earn more points, from one point for a first round loss to 770 for winning a Grand Slam. |
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