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A-Listers @AshBar96, @SabalenkaA, Anastasija Sevastova Added to All-Star Field @VolvoCarOpen

Posted by Admin on February 20, 2019
Posted in: Charleston, Volvo Car Open, WTA. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment
Aryna Sabalenka, 2018 Connecticut Open, (Photo: Mike Renz for Tennis Atlantic)

Aryna Sabalenka, 2018 Connecticut Open, (Photo: Mike Renz for Tennis Atlantic)

CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Volvo Car Open has added three top 15 players to its 2019 field – Aryna Sabalenka, Anastasija Sevastova and Ashleigh Barty. They join a strong international player field featuring Sloane Stephens, Caroline Wozniacki, Kiki Bertens, Madison Keys, Julia Goerges, Elise Mertens, Danielle Collins and Jelena Ostapenko. The 2019 tournament is scheduled for March 30 – April 7 on Daniel Island in Charleston, South Carolina.

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“We are ecstatic to announce that Aryna, Anastasija and Ash have entered the Volvo Car Open,” said Eleanor Adams, Volvo Car Open Tournament Manager. “Ash is one of the most well-rounded players on the tour, Anastasija is a returning VCO semifinalist and Aryna is making her Charleston debut!”

World No. 9 Sabalenka will compete in the Volvo Car Open for the first time in 2019. The 20-year-old has had a strong start to her season, winning the title in Shenzhen and reaching the semifinals in St. Petersburg. The Belarusian also won two titles in 2018, in Wuhan and New Haven, reached the finals in Eastbourne and Lugano and the semifinals in Cincinnati.

Ranked World No. 11, Sevastova recently made the fourth round of the Australian Open and the quarterfinals in Brisbane. She won the title in Bucharest last season and reached the finals in Beijing and Mallorca. She was a semifinalist at the 2018 US Open, as well as in Moscow, Charleston and Brisbane. The 2019 Volvo Car Open will be the Latvian’s sixth time competing in Charleston, where she also reached the quarterfinals in 2017.

Barty is ranked World No. 12 in singles and World No. 6 in doubles. Already in 2019 she made a splash in her home country of Australia, when she reached the finals in Sydney and the quarterfinals in Melbourne at the Australian Open. Last season she won the title in Zhuhai and Nottingham and reached the semifinals in Wuhan, Montreal and Strasbourg as well as the final in Sydney.

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Earlier this month, all three players helped their respective countries win the Fed Cup World Group first round to reach the semifinals.

The nine day Volvo Car Open is the largest women’s-only tennis tournament in North America and attracts an average of 90,000 attendees and more than 100 of the top singles and doubles tennis players.

—A. Alpino, VCO

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Super Sascha Zverev Seeks to Defend @CitiOpen Title in 2018

Posted by Admin on June 19, 2018
Posted in: ATP, Citi Open, Washington. Tagged: , , , , , , , . Leave a comment
Sascha Zverev. 2017 Citi Open (Photo: TennisAtlantic.com)

Sascha Zverev. 2017 Citi Open (Photo: TennisAtlantic.com)

 

WASHINGTON (June 19, 2018) — Reigning Citi Open® champions, ATP World No. 3 Alexander Zverev and WTA Star Ekaterina Makarova have committed to the 50th edition of the Washington tournament, along with a stacked list of former champions and next generation players. The tournament will be held July 28 – August 5, 2018, at the Rock Creek Park Tennis Center.

Along with Zverev on the men’s side, Aussie Nick Kyrgios and 2010 Wimbledon finalist Tomas Berdych return to the Citi Open, as well as 2015 and 2016 Citi Open semifinalist Steve Johnson. Last year’s breakout star, Yuki Bhambri, along with 2012 Citi Open champion Alexandr Dolgopolov also join a thrilling men’s field, which includes former World No. 1 and three-time Grand Slam Champion Andy Murray; three-time Citi Open finalist John Isner; 2015 Citi Open Champion Kei Nishikori; 2017 Citi Open and U.S. Open finalist Kevin Anderson; World No. 9 David Goffin; 2018 Australian Open semifinalist and 2017 Next Gen ATP Finals champion Hyeon Chung; youngest player in the Top 30 of the ATP rankings Canadian Denis Shapovalov; Washington-area native, Frances Tiafoe; and Bob and Mike Bryan, who claimed their 116th title in Monte Carlo.

Makarova (Photo: @NickMcCarvel)

Ekaterina Makarova

Joining Makarova on the women’s side, 2014 Citi Open champion and two-time Grand Slam champion Svetlana Kuznetsova will also return to the tournament. They join World No. 2 and 2018 Australian Open Champion Caroline Wozniacki; 2017 U.S. Open Champion and 2015 Citi Open Champion Sloane Stephens; and 2018 Indian Wells Champion Naomi Osaka.

“This field delivers on a longstanding legacy of tennis greats competing in Washington,” said Keely O’Brien, Tournament Director. “With six of our Past Champions, six Top 10 Players, Grand Slam Champions, Former World No. 1’s, and notable rising stars, we are in for a thrilling week.”

Along with the incredible field on this momentous year, the tournament is hosting its 50th Celebration to commemorate five decades of professional tennis in Washington at the Tournament Site on Friday, July 27, from 7:30 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. Former World No. 1, eight-time Grand Slam champion, and three-time tournament champion Jimmy Connors, as well as many other special guests to be announced, will attend. Tickets are available now at www.citiopentennis.com.

New Top Tenner @JuliaGoerges Booked for 2018 @VolvoCarOpen

Posted by Admin on February 6, 2018
Posted in: Charleston, Volvo Car Open, WTA. Tagged: , , , , , , , . Leave a comment
Julia Goerges, New Haven

Your Newest Top Tenner, Julia Goerges

New Top Tenner @JuliaGoerges Booked for 2018 @VolvoCarOpen

DANIEL ISLAND, S.C. – Germany’s Julia Goerges has committed to play the 2018 Volvo Car Open, just days after breaking into the WTA’s top 10 and reaching the semifinals in the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy. Goerges already won the ASB Classic earlier this year, where she defeated now World No. 1 and Australian Open champion Caroline Wozniacki in the final.

She joins Caroline Garcia, Johanna Konta, Sloane Stephens, Petra Kvitová, Madison Keys, Daria Kasatkina, Shelby Rogers and CiCi Bellis in the Charleston, South Carolina field. The Volvo Car Open will take place March 31 – April 8, 2018 at the Family Circle Tennis Center.

The 29-year-old’s 2017 season was highlighted with wins at the WTA Elite Trophy in Zhuhai and the Kremlin Cup in Moscow, where she beat current Volvo Car Open champion Kasatkina for the title. She also reached the finals in Washington, D.C., Bucharest and Mallorca and semifinals in Budapest and Auckland last year.

“Breaking into the top 10 has been a great accomplishment for me, and I feel that I’ve been playing some of the strongest tennis of my career recently,” said Goerges. “I’m really looking forward to returning to Charleston. It’s always a fun atmosphere there, and the level of competition is great.”

Julia Goerges

The 2018 Volvo Car Open will be the fifth time Goerges has competed in Charleston, but the first since 2014. She reached the quarterfinals of the tournament in 2011.

“The addition of Julia to our strong player field is very exciting for our tournament,” said Eleanor Adams, Volvo Car Open Tournament Manager. “Her dominance on the court lately makes for the tennis matches we all love to watch. An elegant but fierce competitor, I know our fans have missed watching Julia and we are excited to welcome her back”.

The nine-day Volvo Car Open is the largest women’s-only tennis tournament in North America, attracting an average of 90,000 attendees and more than 100 of the top singles and doubles tennis players.

Tickets for the 2018 Volvo Car Open are available now. Patrons can choose from individual tickets, ticket packages and travel packages. Ticket prices range from $25 for an individual session to $525 for the all-inclusive weeklong package. The Volvo Car Open is providing six special packages in 2018, each offering more tennis at a greater value. In addition, the PowerShares Series returns to the Volvo Car Stadium on April 7th. The men’s legends event features Andy Roddick, Mark Philippoussis, Tommy Haas and one additional player to be announced at a later date.

The Volvo Car Open is bringing back its popular Ace Club from 2017, an exciting membership program for box and ticket package holders. The Ace Club provides unparalleled amenities and benefits during the tournament. In addition, members have the option to receive access into the Ace Lounge, an exclusive hospitality marquee providing first-class accommodations including, live entertainment, air-conditioning, elevated food options and more.

—A. Alpino, VCO

Chung Out, 2018 AO Boys’ Champ Korda In @NewYorkOpen

Posted by Admin on February 2, 2018
Posted in: ATP, New York, New York Open. Tagged: , , , , , , . Leave a comment

 

Sebastian Korda, 2018 AO Boy's Champion

Sebastian Korda, 2018 AO Boy’s Champion

Chung Out, 2018 AO Boys’ Champ Korda In @NewYorkOpen

LONG ISLAND (Feb. 2, 2018) – The world’s No. 1 tennis player on the International Tennis Federation (ITF) junior rankings and 2018 Australian Open boys’ singles champion, Sebastian “Sebi” Korda, has been awarded a wildcard into the main draw of the New York Open ATP World Tour tennis tournament taking place Feb. 11-18 at NYCB LIVE, home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

The 17-year-old Korda is the fifth American to win the Australian Open boys’ singles title and the third in the last 50 years (Donald Young, 2005; Andy Roddick, 2000; Butch Bucholz, 1959; Gerry Moss, 1955). His victory marked 20 years since his father, Petr Korda, won the 1998 Australian Open title. Sebi Korda’s commitment to the New York Open, his first ATP World Tour main draw event, also brings his family’s tennis legacy back to Long Island. Petr won the 1992 Waldbaum’s Hamlet Cup in Commack, NY, where he defeated legend Ivan Lendl 6-2, 6-2 in the final.

“I’m eager to get to New York and continue to follow in my dad’s footsteps,” said Korda. “This will be my biggest tournament to date on the ATP World Tour, and I’m looking forward to playing alongside a lot of great players.”

Hyeon Chung (Photo: TennisAtlantic.com)

Hyeon Chung, South Korea’s No. 1 player and Next Gen ATP Finals champion has withdrawn from the New York Open. Chung developed a blister injury on the bottom of his foot, which had forced him to retire during his semifinal match against world No. 2 Roger Federer at the 2018 Australian Open.

“Unfortunately I have to announce that I can’t play in New York next week,” Chung said. “I had been really looking forward to playing in front of the fans there as it’s one of my favorite cities. I was especially looking forward to seeing many Korean fans there. My feet have still not recovered from the events in Melbourne so I need more time. I am sorry not to be there, but I am wishing everyone a great week.”

“Naturally, we are disappointed that Hyeon had to withdraw, but clearly his foot injuries, as many of us have seen digitally and socially, validate the physician’s instruction not to play,” said Tournament Director Josh Ripple. “In the same breath, we are proud to present the world’s No. 1 junior and Australian Open Junior Champion, Sebi Korda, to the New York market as one of our main draw wildcard entries.  There’s no bigger stage to debut your skills than New York, and we are certain the community will love watching him compete.”

—New York Open

.@SAMQUERREY, @RYANHARRISON92 COMMIT TO PLAY INAUGURAL @NEWYORKOPEN

Posted by Admin on December 12, 2017
Posted in: ATP, New York Open. Tagged: , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

Sam Querrey, Ryan Harrison Commit to Play Inaugural New York Open

Sam Querrey, Newport (Photo: S. Fogleman)
LONG ISLAND (December 12, 2017) – The world’s No. 13-ranked ATP World Tour player and 2017 US Open quarterfinalist, Sam Querrey, and 2017 French Open doubles champion, Ryan Harrison, have committed to play the inaugural New York Open at NYCB LIVE, home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

Querrey holds 10 career titles and most recently won the Abierto Mexicano Telcel ATP 500 tournament with consecutive wins over five top 50-ranked players, including Kyle Edmund, David Goffin, Dominic Thiem, Nick Kyrgios, and world No. 1 Rafael Nadal. Querrey won the Memphis Open in 2010, which moved to Long Island this year, becoming the New York Open.

Harrison won the 2017 Memphis Open where he defeated Querrey and Donald Young. He also reached the singles final of the BB&T Atlanta Open, where he lost to current No. 17-ranked John Isner, who is a New York Open early commitment, in the final. On the doubles court this year, Harrison won his first Grand Slam, the French Open, and the Millennium Estoril Open in Portugal. He also reached the finals of the ATP World Tour Finals in London last month. Harrison previously won the doubles titles at the 2012 BB&T Atlanta Open and 2011 Hall of Fame Open in Newport, R.I. Last year, Harrison reached the third round of the US Open singles main draw, which included a victory over then No. 6-ranked Milos Raonic.

Ryan Harrison, 2012 ATP Newport

Querrey and Harrison join John Isner, the Bryan Brothers, Kei Nishikori, Hyeon Chung, and Noah Rubin in the player field.

“The Memphis Open was a great tournament, and I want to thank those who came out to support each year,” said Querrey. “I’m excited for new beginnings in New York and look forward to playing at the Coliseum in February.”

“I’m excited to play the New York Open and bring professional tennis back to Long Island,” said Harrison. “I’ll always remember Memphis as my first ATP World Tour singles title, and I’m looking forward to defending that at the Coliseum.”

“We are extremely pleased to receive Sam and Ryan’s early commitment to the New York Open especially since both players are coming off their best year on the ATP World Tour,” said Josh Ripple, Tournament Director. “We can certainly see Sam in the top 10 between now and February, and Ryan has his sights on another Grand Slam title in Australia, so that’s big time tennis for the New York fans.”

The 2018 New York Open will mark the return of the ATP World Tour to the New York metropolitan area and Long Island since 2005. GF Sports, a live events and sports media entertainment company, acquired the former Memphis Open in 2015 and partnered with Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment to move the tournament to Long Island. The event is one of the longest-running American tournaments on the ATP World Tour and the only indoor championship contested in the United States.

Washington’s @CitiOpen Offers Strong Field With Zverev, Bouchard, Thiem, Monfils, Del Potro

Posted by Admin on June 13, 2017
Posted in: ATP, Washington, WTA. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment
CITI OPEN® TENNIS TOURNAMENT COMPETITION HEATS UP WITH WORLD NO. 10 ALEXANDER ZVEREV & CANADIAN STAR GENIE BOUCHARD
Zverev vs. Jaziri 2016 Citi Open
American fan favorite Steve Johnson also committed to play; Joins dynamic field including Monfils, del Potro, Isner, Puig, and the Bryan Brothers

WASHINGTON (June 13, 2017) — D.C.’s summer just got hotter as 20-year-old phenom Alexander Zverev and Canadian starlet Eugenie Bouchard join this year’s Citi Open® Tennis Tournament player field.

Genie Bouchard (Photo: S. Fogleman)

In addition, American fan favorite Steve Johnson has also committed to compete in the 49th edition of the Washington tournament.

Bouchard, Zverev, and Johnson join previously announced players, including defending Citi Open champion Gael Monfils, three-time Citi Open champ Juan Martin del Potro, World No. 8 Dominic Thiem, 2015 finalist John Isner, and Olympic gold medalist Monica Puig. The Citi Open® also welcomes back the world’s winningest doubles team, Bob and Mike Bryan.. The tournament will be held July 29 – August 6 at the Rock Creek Park Tennis Center and benefits underserved and low-income kids in the D.C. community through the Washington Tennis & Education Foundation.

So far this year, the last few months have been a highlight of Zverev, Bouchard, and Johnson’s seasons. Zverev became the youngest ATP Masters 1000 champion since 19-year-old Novak Djokovic in 2007, when he captured the title in Rome. In the meantime, Bouchard defeated former World No. 1 Maria Sharapova in the second round of the Madrid Open — a three-set thriller that has already been touted as one of the best matches of the year. Johnson, a two-time Citi Open semifinalist, captured the second title of his career in Houston.

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“Zverev is one of those players that you watch and quickly find yourself cheering him on to take out one of the giants. He is an unbelievable player and has such a bright future ahead of him,” said Tournament Director Keely O’Brien. “As for Bouchard, you always want the ‘it’ girl at your event and she certainly is that. Genie has been playing with a little extra motivation this season, so I hope she goes the distance here in DC. And Stevie, a Citi Open fan favorite, is playing 100% with his heart and that can make him unstoppable.”

Single session tickets, weeklong packages and other ticket plans are on sale now at www.citiopentennis.com or by calling the hotline 202.721.9500.

Each ticket provides fans access to the action on all six courts, with both men’s and women’s matches, for as many as 24 matches per session. Tickets to gain admission to the tournament’s signature events will be announced soon.

The Citi Open Tennis Tournament is one of only 13 elite ATP World Tour 500-level events worldwide and the only one held in the United States. The tournament represents a WTA International event and having both ATP and WTA players provides fans the opportunity to watch simultaneous competitions of both world-class men’s and women’s tennis throughout the nine-day event. It is one of only five U.S. tournaments that include both men’s and women’s fields. Main draw matches of the tournament will be broadcast starting Monday, July 31, on Tennis Channel.

–S. Pegarido, Citi Open

Player Field for 2016 @ConnecticutOpen Comprised Entirely of Olympians

Posted by Admin on July 13, 2016
Posted in: Connecticut Open, New Haven Open, WTA. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Player Field for 2016 Connecticut Open Comprised Entirely of Olympians

Wozniacki

Wozniacki Receives Wild Card; Ranking Cutoff Is Strongest Since 2003;
Main Draw Features 20 Of The Top 31 WTA Players In The World

NEW HAVEN, Conn., July 13, 2016 – The player field for the 2016 Connecticut Open presented by United Technologies Corp., is comprised entirely of players who will compete in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, it was announced today by Tournament Director Anne Worcester. The WTA event, which is part of the Emirates Airline US Open Series, will be held August 19-27 at the Connecticut Tennis Center at Yale.

The main draw currently features 21 players – 20 direct acceptance and one wild card – all of whom will represent their country at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. The first of four wild cards was given to four-time Connecticut Open Champion Caroline Wozniacki, who will be the flag bearer for Denmark for the opening ceremony.

The direct entry cutoff (31) is the lowest since 2003 which means that 20 of the Top 31 players in the world have committed to play in New Haven. The draw will feature Grand Slam Champions Svetlana Kuznetsova (2009 Roland Garros, 2004 US Open) and Petra Kvitova (2012, 2014 Wimbledon), former World No. 1 players Jelena Jankovic and Wozniacki, and numerous players who have won titles this year – World No. 8 Roberta Vinci, World No. 11 Madison Keys, World No. 12 Dominika Cibulkova, World No. 16 Karolina Pliskova, World No. 17 Timea Bacsinszky, World No. 20 Elina Svitolina, World No. 21 Sara Errani, World No. 23 Sloane Stephens (three titles), and World No. 26 Kiki Bertens.

Petra Kvitova

Photo: Christopher Levy for TennisNow.com

In addition a trio of up and coming players to watch this year in New Haven are World No. 15 Belinda Bencic, the Swiss star won two tournaments last year and reached the final of St. Petersburg in 2016; World No. 18 Johanna Konta, the British player advanced to this year’s Australian Open semifinals, and World No. 29 Daria Kasatkina, the Russian who was a quarterfinalist at Indian Wells and Charleston in 2016.

Rounding out the field are 2016 Wimbledon semifinalist Elena Vesnina as well as, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Barbora Strycova, Ekaterina Makarova, and Irina-Camelia Begu.

“From a rankings perspective, all of these players would be seeded at a Grand Slam, which shows how deep and talented the player field is for the 2016 Connecticut Open,” said Worcester. “From Grand Slam Champions to talented Americans to more than 20 Olympians – the field will be dynamic, international in flavor and extremely competitive. We will aim to add more top players to the field in the next month with our three additional wild cards.”

In addition to adding three more players with wild cards, six players will advance through the 48 player qualifying draw to complete the field. The top two seeds at the tournament will receive a bye.

–M. Van Tuinen, CT Open

 

DC-AREA NATIVE FRANCES TIAFOE (@FTIAFOE) NABS WILD CARD TO @CITIOPEN MAIN DRAW

Posted by Admin on June 21, 2016
Posted in: ATP. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

DC-AREA NATIVE FRANCES TIAFOE (@FTIAFOE) NABS WILD CARD TO @CITIOPEN MAIN DRAW
DC’s Capital Tennis Tradition Begins July 16 at Rock Creek Park Tennis Center

Frances Tiafoe

Frances Tiafoe

WASHINGTON (June 21, 2016) — Frances Tiafoe, one of the most promising young American players and a native of Prince George’s County, Md., will receive a wild card entry into the main draw of the Citi Open® Tennis Tournament. The Nation’s Capital Tennis Tradition will be held July 16-24 at the Rock Creek Park Tennis Center.

“I’m looking forward to the Citi Open this year more than any other tournament,” Tiafoe said. “I am thankful for the chance to play in front of my family and friends and will make the most of the opportunity.”

Francis Tiafoe (Photo: Cynthia Lum/USTA)

Francis Tiafoe (Photo: Cynthia Lum/USTA)

Tiafoe, 18, was the youngest player in the Top 200 of the ATP World Tour Rankings last year. In 2014, at 16 years old, Tiafoe made his ATP World Tour debut at the Citi Open with a wild card entry, in front of a cheering home crowd. In 2015, he secured his first ATP singles win at Winston-Salem, and competed in the main draws of both the French Open and U.S. Open. This year, he was named as one of 14 ATP “Next Generation” — young players who are rising to prominence in the sport.

“We’re excited to offer Frances home-court advantage in this year’s tournament,” said Jeff Newman, tournament director. “Washington fans have a chance to come out and support our homegrown talent — I know we can expect great things from him in the coming years.”

Tiafoe joins an exciting field of players at the tournament, which includes current top seed World No. 9 Tomas Berdych; three-time tournament champion and former US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro; 2015 tournament finalist John Isner; dynamic players Gael Monfils and Nick Kyrgios; Americans Jack Sock, Sam Querrey, Denis Kudla, Steve Johnson, and Taylor Fritz; and top international stars Grigor Dimitrov, Kevin Anderson, Marcos Baghdatis, and Borna Coric.

Wozniacki

In the exciting women’s field, the tournament boasts former world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki; defending champion Sloane Stephens; former U.S. Open champion and current No. 1 seed Samantha Stosur; Grand Slam finalists Eugenie Bouchard and Sabine Lisicki; and American Shelby Rogers, who had an incredible run to this year’s French Open quarterfinals.

The full doubles field is expected about two weeks before the tournament, headlined by the world’s most successful doubles team of all time, Bob and Mike Bryan. Players are subject to change due to injury or other unforeseen circumstances.

—S. Pegarido, Citi Open

Field Set @RedRockTennis @USTAProCircuit Las Vegas

Posted by Admin on September 23, 2015
Posted in: USTA, WTA. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Red Rock Pro Open Player Field Announced
Talented Group Includes Former World-Ranked No. 11 Peer,
U.S. Open Main Draw Players, and Former NCAA Singles and Doubles Winner Gibbs

Shelby Rogers (Photo: Craig Glover)

Shelby Rogers (Photo: Craig Glover)

SUMMERLIN (Sept. 22, 2015) – When Shelby Rogers squared off against fellow American Sachia Vickery in the first round of the U.S. Open, it was a match pitting two popular former and current Red Rock Pro Open players.

The 22-year-old South Carolina native Rogers, who won five consecutive matches at the year’s final Grand Slam, including three wins to qualify, beat the wild card Vickery, 6-2, 6-2, and won another round before falling to No. 2-seeded Simona Halep in the third round.

Telling reporters she was “loving every minute of her U.S. Open experience, Rogers said her third-round appearance was, “why we play the sport. That’s why we try to win each match, to get to the further rounds and play the bigger players.”

Las Vegas tennis fans will remember that Rogers made the final here in 2012, losing to Lauren Davis in three sets.

This year’s Red Rock Pro Open, a USTA Women’s $50,000 Pro Circuit tournament with WTA players ranging in the world rankings from No. 100 to No. 275, will include 64 singles players (32 qualifying and 32 main draw), and a 16-team doubles draw.

Former two-time NCAA singles champion Nicole Gibbs is expected to be one of the top seeded players, as will Shahar Peer. The 28-year-old from Israel has been ranked as high as No. 11 in the world, and has been a quarterfinalist at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open in her successful career.

As a sophomore in 2012, Gibbs pulled off a historic sweep of the year’s NCAA singles and doubles titles and became only the third player in NCAA history to capture both NCAA titles in the same season. Gibbs then repeated as NCAA singles champion the following year, before turning pro before her senior year.

“Las Vegas has always hosted a very competitive tournament and this year’s main draw talent showcases a few former Top 50 players including 2011 Las Vegas champ Romina Oprandi and former No. 11 Shahar Peer,” said tournament director Mike Copenhaver. “Nearly half of the main draw competitors this year are young, notable Americans, a site that we all love to see!”

Former Red Rock Pro Open player Anna Tatishvili is also entered in the main draw after a good run at the U.S. Open where she won three rounds in qualifying before shocking No. 8-seeded Karolina Pliskova in the first round, and then lost to 2014 Las Vegas winner Madison Brengle in the second round. Tatishvili reached a career-high ranking of No. 50 in 2012, the same year she reached the fourth round at the U.S. Open

The USTA-trained Louisa Chirico is another one to watch out for. Chirico has risen to the cusp of a top-100 ranking as a teenager. This summer, she defeated Top 25 player Alize Cornet to reach the quarterfinals at the Washington D.C. WTA event.

The 2011 Red Rock Pro Open champion Romina Oprandi was Switzerland is entered, as is the player she beat in the final, American Alexa Glatch. Glatch left Vegas with a first and a second having captured the doubles title with Mashona Washington.

Notable American in qualifying and past Red Rock Pro Open players include: former UCLA star Jennifer Brady, Julie Bosserup and Samantha Crawford, who won the 2012 U.S. Open Junior Girls’ singles title.

Premier sponsors include: Gaudin Jaguar of Las Vegas, Storage One, Sunrise Hospital, Lotus Broadcasting, Cox Communications, WG Communications Group, Rachel’s Kitchen, USTA Nevada, Marquis Aurbach Coffing, Marty Hennessy Foundation, and FedEx.

Support sponsors included: Darren Cahill, Marcy Saxe Realty One, Guild Mortgage Company, Allstate Insurance agent Dwain Frazier, Raymond James agent Dan Jackson, The Massage Advantage, Adidas, Wolf Rifkin, Agent Atleta, and Babolat.

In last year’s singles final, Brengle captured the singles title which launched her into the Top 100 and stirred her confidence to the point where she won her first WTA title to start 2015, and made the fourth round of the Australian Open. Brengle led the Mylan World TeamTennis Washington Kastles to a fifth consecutive summer title back in July, and now finds herself ranked inside the top 40.

It’s not uncommon for past Las Vegas players to go on and have success on the WTA Tour. Last year’s singles winner Madison Brengle is currently ranked No. 42 in the world. Other regulars on the Tour fulltime include Lauren Davis, Sorana Cirstea, Melanie Oudin, Varvara Lepchenko and Coco Vandeweghe.

A free Kid’s Day will take place once again on Sunday, Sept. 27 and will be sponsored by Sunrise Children’s Hospital with a special guest appearance by Brando Christo, the author and creator of the children’s tennis book “Buddy The Ball.”

A sponsor Pro-Am will be held on Monday, and the always popular Players’ Party is Tuesday night.

For ball kid information or to volunteer, go to: redrockproopen.com/volunteer; to sponsor the tournament, go to: redrockproopen.com/sponsors or contact Copenhaver at: mcopenhaver@redrockcc.com. For a complete schedule of events, go to: redrockproopen.com/schedule.

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

—Steve Pratt

Kvitova, Bouchard, Halep Headliners @ConnecticutOpen

Posted by Admin on July 8, 2014
Posted in: New Haven Open, US Open, WTA. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , .

2014 WIMBLEDON CHAMPION AND WORLD NO. 4 PETRA KVITOVA, 2014 WIMBLEDON FINALIST AND WORLD NO. 7 GENIE BOUCHARD, AND DEFENDING CHAMPION AND WORLD NO. 3 SIMONA HALEP HEADLINE CONNECTICUT OPEN PLAYER FIELD

Simona Halep

Simona Halep

NEW HAVEN, Conn., July 8, 2014 – 2014 Wimbledon Champion and World No. 4 Petra Kvitova, 2014 Wimbledon Finalist and World No. 7 Genie Bouchard, and Defending Champion and World No. 3 Simona Halep headline the field, which has collectively won 14 Grand Slam and 188 WTA singles and doubles titles, for the 2014 Connecticut Open presented by United Technologies, it was announced today by Tournament Director Anne Worcester. The WTA event, which is part of the Emirates Airline US Open Series, will be held August 15-23, 2014 at the Connecticut Tennis Center at Yale.

Petra Kvitova, 2013 New Haven

Kvitova, the 2012 Connecticut Open Champion, marched through the Wimbledon fortnight the past two weeks to grab her second career Grand Slam title in four years, becoming just the third two-time winner in women’s singles since 1996. The Czech star defeated Bouchard in the final, the first Grand Slam final of the young star’s career. The 20-year-old has rapidly ascended the rankings to become the highest-ranked Canadian player in history, thanks to semifinals appearances at both the Australian and French Opens, along with capturing her first WTA title at Nurnberg. This will be her first appearance at the Connecticut Open.

Halep is having a fantastic season highlighted by a finals appearance at the French Open, reaching the semifinals of Wimbledon, and winning the title in Doha, all of which have catapulted her to a career-high ranking of No. 3 in the world. She returns to defend her 2013 Connecticut Open title, where she defeated Kvitova to win the trophy.

Wozniacki, New Haven 2013

Aside from Halep, Kvitova and Bouchard, five other players in this year’s Connecticut Open field are ranked in the WTA top 20 including No. 15 and four-time Connecticut Open Champion Caroline Wozniacki, who will be chasing a record fifth title in New Haven (currently tied with Venus Williams with four Connecticut Open titles). In addition to Wozniacki, No. 13 Flavia Pennetta, who won in Indian Wells earlier this year; No. 14 and 2012 French Open finalist Sara Errani; No. 16 Carla Suarez-Navarro, who will be making her fourth Connecticut Open appearance; and No. 19 Ekaterina Makarova, a Grand Slam doubles champion, who advanced to the quarterfinals at New Haven last year, will compete for the title.

CoCo Vandeweghe (Photo: Craig Glover)

CoCo Vandeweghe (Photo: Craig Glover)

Joining the top-20 stars in this year’s field are American Coco Vandeweghe, a former US Open Junior Champion who also triumphed at s’-Hertogenbosh to capture her first WTA title; Garbine Muguruza, who advanced to this year’s French Open quarterfinals and defeated World No. 1 Serena Williams along the way; Roberta Vinci, who teamed with Errani to complete the doubles Grand Slam at this year’s Wimbledon; Shuai Zhang, who advanced to the semifinals at Birmingham, Kuala Lumpur and Acapulco this year; Barbora Zahlavova-Strycova, who advanced to the Wimbledon quarterfinals and made a finals appearance in Birmingham, England; Klara Koukalova, a victor in Florianopolis and finals attendee in Rio de Janeiro and Hobart; Elina Svitolina, who advanced to the semifinals in Nurnberg; and Casey Dellacqua, a Birmingham semifinalist.

Magda Rybarikova

Magda Rybarikova

Rounding out the field are Magdalena Rybarikova, a four-time WTA tournament winner and semifinalist at s’-Hertogenbosch; Kurumi Nara, winner in Rio de Janeiro; Camila Giorgi, who advanced to the finals in Katowice; and Bojana Jovanovski.

“The 2014 Connecticut Open presented by United Technologies player field is loaded with talent – Wimbledon Champion Petra Kvitova and Wimbledon Finalist Genie Bouchard; Defending Connecticut Open Champion Simona Halep and four-time Connecticut Open Champion Caroline Wozniacki; and rising stars such as Spaniard Garbine Muguruza and American Coco Vandeweghe,” said Worcester. “All told, we have three of the top 10 players in the world, eight of the top 20, and with the men’s event featuring James Blake, Andy Roddick and Jim Courier, the tournament promises to be exceptionally entertaining this year.”

On Wednesday, August 20, Fairfield native James Blake, a two-time Connecticut Open Champion and former top-five ranked player, will matchup against Jim Courier, a four-time Grand Slam Champion and former World No. 1. On Thursday, August 21, Blake will face-off against Andy Roddick, another former World No. 1 and Grand Slam Champion. Both matches will be played following the 7:00 p.m. WTA feature match on their respective nights, and they will be best of three sets, with a super tie-break played for the third set. In addition, fans interested in participating in a Pro-Am with these American stars before the matches, or who want to capitalize on a party complete with dinner and a “meet and greet,” should visit http://www.ctopen.org for more information.

The field will be completed in the coming weeks with the addition of four wildcards, which the tournament will award, and the addition of six players who will advance through the 48 player qualifying draw. The first two seeds at the tournament will receive a bye.

—M. Van Tuinen, CT Open