Tennis Atlantic

USA Rocks @PartyRock Open Wednesday; Thursday’s Order of Play

Local Asia Muhammad Beats Taylor Townsend; Six Other U.S. Women Win First-Round Matches, Including Sanchez,

Oudin, Rogers, Brengle, Kiick and Vandeweghe

LAS VEGAS (Sept. 25, 2013) – One year ago Allie Kiick would have loved to have made her Party Rock Open debut as a 17-year-old qualifier, but instead was stuck in Albuquerque, N.M., unable to travel due to a serious infection in her lungs that caused severe dehydration.

Kiick, the daughter of former Miami Dolphins fullback Jim Kiick, is making the most out of her first appearance in Las Vegas this week as the qualifier from Plantation, Fla., won her fourth match in as many days. On Wednesday at the Darling Tennis Center, Kiick beat Sacha Jones of Australia, 6-2. 6-2.

“They said my white blood cell level was too high and they wouldn’t let me fly,” said Kiick, who next faces Alexandra Stevenson in the Round of 16 on Thursday. “I remember being so bummed. I had met Redfoo at the US Open and really wanted to play the Party Rock Open last year.”

Later in the day, Kiick teamed with Madison Brengle to upset the top-seeded team in doubles, Asia Muhammad and Allie Will, 3-6, 6-4, 10-5.

Last year’s finalist Shelby Rogers, the No. 8-seeded player, had a similar score line as Kiick, beating wild card Allie Will 6-2, 6-3.

“It was a special memory getting to the finals last year,” said Rogers, who battled 25 mph gusts of wind. “I definitely didn’t play well by any means today. I was just keeping the ball in the middle of the court and being smart and playing high percentage shots; not doing anything too risky. It was definitely more mental than anything and not getting frustrated.”

Rogers, coming off a big title run at the Albuquerque $75,000 Challenger last week, will play frequent practice partner, good friend and fellow Southerner Melanie Oudin in the second round on Thursday.

Local Las Vegas qualifier Asia Muhammad also won her fourth match in four days as she beat former world No. 1 junior Taylor Townsend, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4.

The Party Rock Open is Las Vegas’ only professional tennis tournament, and is named for LMFAO’s Redfoo and his Party Rock franchise’s title sponsorship. The Party Rock Open is Presented by ProtectYourBubble.com, an award-winning gadget insurance company.

The event is a USTA $50,000 Pro Circuit women’s tournament with a 32-player field in singles and 16 doubles teams.

First-round main draw singles

Asia Muhammad (US) [q] def. Taylor Townsend (US) 6-4, 4-6, 6-4

Maria Sanchez (US) [4] def. Chieh-Yu Hus (US) 6-0, 5-7, 6-2

Melanie Oudin (US) def. Petra Rampre (SLO) 6-0, 6-2

Shelby Rogers (US) [8] def. Allie Will (US) [wc] 6-2, 6-3

CoCo Vandeweghe (US) [6] def. Eleni Danilidou (GRE) 6-3, 7-6 (2)

Alja Tomljanovic (CRO) [1] def. Jacqueline Cako (US) [q] 7-5, 6-1

Madison Brengle (US) def. Sachia Vickery (US) 6-1, 6-3

Anna Tatishvili (GEO) def. Samantha Crawford (US) 7-5, 6-1

Allie Kiick (US) [q] def. Sacha Jones (AUS) 6-2, 6-2

Tereza Mrdeza (CRO) def. Sanaz Marand (US) [q] 3-6, 7-6 (6), 7-5

First-round main draw doubles

Tamira Paszek (AUT) / CoCo Vandeweghe (US) [2] def. Lauren Embree (US) / Mary Weatherholt (US) [wc] 6-1, 6-1

Denise Mursean (US) / Caitlin Whoriskey (US) def. Chieh-Yu Hsu (US) / Nicole Melichar (US) [4] 6-3, 6-3

Stephanie Bengson (AUS) / Sacha Jones (AUS) def. Emily Harman (US) / Elizabeth Lumpkin (US) 1-6, 6-4, 10-8

Madison Brengle (US)-Allie Kiick def. Asia Muhammad (US)-Allie Will (US) [1] 3-6, 6-4, 10-5

Thursday’s Matches

Stadium Court, starting at Noon

Melanie Oudin (US) vs. Shelby Rogers (US) [8]
Followed by Anna Tatishvili (GEO) vs. Maria Sanchez (US) [4]
Followed by Melanie Oudin (US) / Taylor Townsend (US) vs. Tamira Paszek (AUT) /CoCo Vandeweghe (US) [2]
Not before 6 p.m. Asia Muhammad (US) [q] vs. Mayo Hibi (JPN)
Denise Mursean (US) / Caitlin Whoriskey (US) vs. Macall Harkins (US) / Sanaz Marand (US)

Court 11, starting at Noon

CoCo Vandeweghe (US) [6] vs. Tamira Paszek (AUT)
Followed by Ajla Tomljanovic (CRO) [1] vs. Amra Sadikovic (SUI)
Followed by Chanel Simmonds (RSA) vs. Tereza Mrdeza (CRO)
Followed by Samantha Crawford (US) / Sachia Vickery (US) [wc] vs. Anna Tatishvili (GEO) / Ajla Tomljanovic (CRO)

Court 10, starting at Noon

Alexandra Stevenson (US) vs. Allie Kiick (US)
Followed by Madison Brengle (US) vs. Michelle Larcher de Brito (POR) [2]
After suitable rest Madison Brengle (US) / Allie Kiick (US) vs. Stephanie Bengson (AUS) / Sacha Jones (AUS)

The tournament’s official website is http://www.partyrockopen.com. Follow along on Twitter @partyrockopen and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/partyrockopen.com.