FORT WORTH, Texas (August 7, 2016) – The 2016 Fort Worth Pro Tennis Classic $25K Women’s Pro Circuit Event came to an end on Sunday with qualifier and Tennessee graduate Caitlin Whoriskey of the United States upsetting No. 189 Tara Moore of Great Britain, 6-0, 6-4 in the singles championship at the Bayard H. Friedman Tennis Center on the campus of TCU.
This was the eighth straight victory for Whoriskey, who was the No. 1 seed in the qualifying draw, as she upset the top two seeds in the main draw to win her second Pro Circuit singles title of her career. This marks the second straight year that a qualifier has gone on to win the singles crown, with Whoriskey walking away from the tournament with the 50 WTA Tour ranking points and $3,919 in prize money.
The opening set was all Whoriskey has she was nearly unstoppable on her way to a 6-0 first set win. The second set was more evenly matched as Moore and Whoriskey both opened with a hold. Moore looked to gain some momentum by breaking Whoriskey to go up 2-1, but Whoriskey broke right back to put the set back on serve. The pair continued to hold until Whoriskey went up 5-4 and then broke Moore to win the set, 6-4, and get her fifth straight set victory of the tournament.
Whoriskey becomes the first former collegiate student-athlete to win the Fort Worth Pro Tennis Classic since Florida alumni Lauren Embree took the crown in 2013. The singles title is her first this year and second in her career after taking the crown at the $10K Pro Circuit event in Hilton Head Island, S.C., in 2014.
Today’s championship match concludes the 2016 Fort Worth Pro Tennis Classic $25K USTA Pro Circuit event. Qualifier and No. 475 Whoriskey claimed the singles championship, while Chieh-Yu Hsu of Taiwan and Chanel Simmonds of South Africa partnered to win the doubles title of Saturday.
About the USTA Pro Circuit
With approximately 90 tournaments hosted annually throughout the country and prize money ranging from $10,000 to $100,000, the USTA Pro Circuit is the pathway to the US Open and tour-level competition for aspiring tennis players and a frequent battleground for established professionals. The USTA launched its Pro Circuit in 1979 to provide players with the opportunity to gain professional ranking points, and it has since grown to become the largest developmental tennis circuit in the world, offering nearly $3 million in prize money. Last year, more than 1,000 men and women from more than 70 countries competed in cities nationwide. Victoria Azarenka, Eugenie Bouchard, John Isner, Madison Keys, Andy Murray, Kei Nishikori, Sam Querrey and Caroline Wozniacki are among today’s top stars who began their careers on the USTA Pro Circuit.
By Abby Norman
Tournament Press Aid
Sunday, August 7 – RESULTS
Singles – Main Draw Final
Caitlin Whoriskey, United States d. Tara Moore, Great Britain (2), 6-0, 6-4