FORT WORTH, Texas (July 31, 2017) – Day two of qualifying in singles action continued at the 2017 Fort Worth Pro Tennis Classic $25K Women’s Pro Circuit Event on Monday at the Bayard H. Friedman Tennis Center on the campus of TCU.
Five of the eight seeded players remained in the qualifying draw and will play for a spot in the main draw tomorrow morning. The highest seeded player to fall was No. 3 seed and No. 841 Miriana Tona of Italy who dropped a 6-1, 6-2 decision to former world No. 158 Katerina Stewart of the United States. Stewart has breezed through the first two rounds and only dropped six games throughout her two matches.
The top seeded player, No. 817 Andie K. Daniell of the United States, easily handled her opponent in Anastasiya Shestakova of Russia in her opening match, 6-1, 6-1, while No. 2 seed Alexa Graham of the United States didn’t drop a game with a 6-0, 6-0 win over Alexandra Yeager. The other three seeded players left in the qualifying draw also had no issues moving on as they took their matches in straight sets.
Twenty current or incoming collegiate athletes along with former collegiate athletes competed on Monday from 15 different colleges. Local wildcard and TCU rising senior Donika Bashota of Sweden had the longest match of the day at 3 hours and 40 minutes as she captured the three-set win over Michigan sophomore Chiara Lommer, 6-4, 4-6, 6-1.
Eleven of the 16 remaining players hail from the United States, with the other players hailing from Georgia, Mexico, Sweden, Peru and Poland. The final round of qualifying will begin at 9 a.m., on the Bernard J. ‘Tut’ Bartzen Varsity Courts, with the eight winners along with one lucky loser moving into the main draw bracket.
The two qualifying matches in doubles action also took place on Monday with the local wildcards Chelsea Kung and Janice Shin taking the 6-4, 6-0 victory over the United States pair of Sophie Abrams and Kathleen Derienzo. The teenage pair of Victoria Flores and Jada Robinson from the United States snagged the final spot in the main draw with a 7-6(4), 7-5 win over the pair of Alice Garcia of Brazil and Lauren Proctor of the United States.
The Fort Worth Pro Tennis Classic $25K USTA Pro Circuit event will be held at the Bayard H. Friedman Tennis Center on the campus of TCU from July 30-Aug. 6. The main draw portion of the tournament will begin in the afternoon on Aug. 1. Professional athletes from around the world will be competing for $25,000 in prize money, as well as valuable WTA Tour Ranking points.
About the USTA Pro Circuit
With approximately 90 tournaments hosted annually throughout the country and prize money ranging from $15,000 to $125,000, 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 38 years ago 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 more than $3 million in prize money. Last year, more than 1,000 men and women from more than 70 countries competed in cities nationwide. Andy Murray, Maria Sharapova, John Isner, Sloane Stephens, Kei Nishikori, Victoria Azarenka, and Sam Querrey and are among today’s top stars who began their careers on the USTA Pro Circuit.
By Abby Norman
Tournament Press Aid
Monday July 31 – RESULTS
Singles – Qualifying Second Round
Alexa Graham, United States (2) d. Alexandra Yeager, United States, 6-0, 6-0
Alexis Thoma, United States d. Mackenzie Worsnop, United States, 6-1, 6-1
Katerina Stewart, United States d. Miriana Tona, Italy (3), 6-1, 6-2
Magdalena Ekert, Poland (8) d. Kathleen Derienzo, United States, 6-2, 6-0
Andie K. Daniell, United States (1) d. Anastasiya Shestakova, Russia, 6-1, 6-1
Jada Robinson, United States d. Amy Zhu, United States (6), 6-3, 6-1
Maria Jose Portillo Ramirez, Mexico d. Kat Facey, United States, 6-4, 6-2
Dominique Schaefer, Peru d. Olivia Hauger, United States, 6-4, 6-2
Jessica Failla, United States (7) d. Madison Westby, United States, 6-3, 6-2
Victoria Emma, United States d. Kamilla Galieva, Russia, 6-2, 4-6, 6-2
Victoria Flores, United States d. Lilian Poling, United States, 6-1, 6-4
Maria Smith, United States d. Jaeda Daniel, United States (4), 6-1, 4-6, 6-3
Lauren Proctor, United States d. Alice Garcia, Brazil, 6-2, 6-3
Donika Bashota, Sweden d. Chiara Lommer, United States, 6-4, 4-6, 6-1
Karina Traxler, United States d. Rhiann Newborn, United States, 6-1, 6-3
Salome Devidze, Georgia d. Alexis Keberle, United States, 6-3, 6-1
Doubles – Qualifying
Chelsea Kung/Janice Shin, United States d. Sophie Abrams/Kathleen Derienzo, United States, 6-4, 6-0
Victoria Flores/Jada Robinson, United States d. Alice Garcia, Brazil/Lauren Proctor, United States, 7-6(4), 7-5