Charlottesville ITF

Top Seeds Advance at Boar’s Head Women’s Open
Steve Fogleman, Tennis Atlantic

Caty McNally, 2019 Boar's Head Women's Open

Louisa Chirico, 2019 Boar's Head Women's Open

Asia Muhammad, 2019 Boar's Head Women's Open

Lucie Hradecka, 2019 Boar's Head Women's Open

Charlottesville is free tennis. So I couldn’t say “free tennis!” today when all four of the opening matches of the day went the distance to three sets. Caty McNally messed with Francesca DiLorenzo’s mind today. The French and US Open junior doubles champion showed major league poise after a strong first set and getting bageled in the second. In a 15 minute game to open the third ser, Di Lorenzo held serve and I was certain that she would win the match. That’s why I don’t bet on tennis. McNally held serve and waited for DiLorenzo to make the errors. McNally is on to the next round to face Sesil Karatantcheva.

Caty McNally, 2019 Boar's Head Women's Open (Photo Credit: Christopher Levy)

Caty McNally (Photo Credit: Christopher Levy)

Louisa Chirico posted a serious comeback win today: Down 2-5 and a set, she forced a second set tiebreak before cruising through, 3-6, 7-6(3), 6-3 over wild card Natasha Subhash, who hadn’t played a match on clay in nearly seven months. Next up for Chirico is a date with 2018 finalist Anhelina Kalinina, a 6-2, 6-4 victor over Erin Routliffe.

Taylor Townsend was the late wild card and top seed and she delivered, besting Sanaz Marand 7-5, 6-1. Townsend and Caroline Dolehide will face off in a second round show of American firepower tomorrow.

Lucie Hradecka, with her protected ranking, didn’t look like much on paper coming into this event. After today’s 6-0, 6-1 drubbing of Australia’s Kim Birrell, she looks like a favorite to win this whole thing. But like I said, I don’t bet on tennis, so don’t blame me.

Qualifiers Set and Main Draw Underway @Cville_USTA Charlottesville
Steve Fogleman, Tennis Atlantic

Whitney Osuigwe, 2019 Boar's Head Women's Tennis Open

Main draw play at The Boar’s Head Women’s Tennis Open got underway today in Charlottesville, Virginia under warm and sunny conditions. Gone is Boyd Tinsley, the Dave Matthews Band violinist and local patron of the sport. Gone is the most interesting little trophy in tennis. A year after Tinsley ran into a little bit of trouble, his name’s been wiped clean from the resort.

Tennis moves on. Today featured a large crowd for an ITF event, undoubtedly brought out by the weather. April in Virginia is tricky by nature, and today’s dry conditions will be replaced by soggier times on Friday. If you like the heat and you like it fast, today was the today to notch a quick victory.

Whitney Osuigwe breezed past Kayla Day, 6-0, 6-4, to become the first main draw match winner in Charlottesville. Australian Zoe Hives, who’d lost four matches in a row, got back into the win column with a 6-4, 7-6(3) victory over American Cori Gauff. Hives was ecstatic after the match, yelling, quite seriously, “I won a match! Finally!” Those two will face off in the round of 16 on Thursday.

Zoe Hives, 2019 Boar's Head Women's Tennis Open Sesil Karatantcheva, 2019 Boar's Head Women's Tennis Open

The match of the day had blowout written all over it in the first set as Madison Brengle took the opener from Lizette Cabrera 6-1 in 23 minutes. Yet, it was not going to be an easy day for the 2017 tournament champion. Cabrera grabbed the second, 6-3 and things started to look like they might be headed to a third set breaker and they surely did. Brengle dominated the breaker for a 3^rd set victory, 7-6(3) and a date against Asia Muhammad or Ellen Perez in the next round. Sesil Karatantcheva easily defeated Urszula Radwanska, 6-2, 6-2, and she’ll meet either Francesca DiLorenzo or Caty McNally.

Qualifiers today included Sanaz Marand and Abbie Myers in straight sets and Ingrid Neel and Emily Fanning in third set superbreakers.

Tomorrow’s order of play will showcase Americans Taylor Townsend, Caroline Dolehide, Louisa Chirico and 2018 finalist Anhelina Kalinina.