FORT WORTH, Texas (July 29, 2018) – The 2018 Fort Worth Pro Tennis Classic $25K Women’s Pro Circuit Event kicked-off on Sunday with the opening round of the qualifying draw at the Bayard H. Friedman Tennis Center on the campus of TCU.
Nine of the 10 seeded players in the qualifying draw that saw action on the first day of competition were able to move into the second round. Rising junior and No. 2 seed Alexa Ryngler of the United States cruised into the next round with a 6-1, 6-1 win over Maria Smith of the United States, while No. 3 seed Salome Devidze of Georgia had to battle it out in a three-set match to get the win over Olivia Hauger of the United States, 6-3, 2-6, 6-0. No. 4 seed, Alexa Graham of the United States, only allowed her opponent to score in one service game with a 6-0, 6-1 win over Brooke Biddle of the United States. Jessica Failla of the United States wrapped up the top five seeds with a 7-6 (0), 6-2 win over Janice Shin of the United States.
Thirty-nine of the athletes that competed in today’s competition were either current or incoming collegiate players, along with recent collegiate graduates representing 33 different colleges. Twenty-one of the 31 players who claimed a victory today were former NCAA student-athletes with six of the seeded players having recently wrapped up a college season in May.
Some of the top junior players in the state of Texas battled it out on the first day of action as well with four of them claiming a victory. Gianna Pielet, the No. 2 ranked junior in the state for the class of 2021, enters the event fresh off a doubles title at the 2018 Women’s Hospital Classic $15K Women’s Pro Circuit Event in Evansville, Ind. Pielet was able to down the No. 3 ranked player in the class of 2020, Hadley Doyle, 7-5, 6-2. Two other top players in the state of Texas for the class of 2021 also claimed a win with Kailey Evans getting the easy 6-0, 6-0 win over Maia Sosa of the United States while Jeanette Mireles upset the only seeded player of the day, Joelle Kissell of the United States, 6-2, 6-3.
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 29-Aug. 5. Competition will continue starting at 9 a.m., on Monday with qualifying rounds being played until the morning of July 31 and the main draw starting in the afternoon on July 31. 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 39 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
Sunday July 29 – RESULTS
Singles – Qualifying First Round
Aleksa Cveticanin, Australia d. Amanda Vos, United States, 6-4, 6-1
Chelsea Kung, United States d. Iris Verqeij, Netherlands, 6-4, 6-1
Gianna Pielet, United States d. Hadley Doyle, United States, 7-5, 6-2
Salome Devidze, Georgia (3) d. Olivia Hauger, United States, 6-3, 3-6, 6-0
Jessica Hinojosa Gomez, Mexico d. Shannon Hudson, United States 7-5, 6-0
Kelly Chen, United States (9) d. Rosalyn Small, United States, 6-0, 6-0
Addison Guevara, United States d. Taylor Gruber, United States, 6-2, 6-1
Kelley Anderson, United States d. Ana Maria Andreea Ileana, Canada, 6-2, 6-4
Kailey Evans, United States d. Maia Sosa, United States, 6-0, 6-0
Liga Dekmeijere, Latvia d. Federica Denti, Italy, 6-4, 6-1
Alexa Ryngler, United States (2) d. Maria Smith, United States, 6-1, 6-1
Jessica Failla, United States (5) d. Janice Shin, United States, 7-6 (0), 6-2
Andie K. Daniell, United States d. Daria Tomashevskaya, Canada, 6-0, 6-0
Ceijenia Cornelius, United States d. Charity Johns, United States, 6-2, 6-1
Alexandra Osborne, Australia d. Jacqueline Payne, United States, 6-2, 6-4
Nina Khmelnitckaia, Russia d. Niluka Madurawe, United States, 3-3, ret.
Alexa Graham, United States (4) d. Brooke Biddle, United States, 6-0, 6-1
Rhiann Newborn, United States d. Sumvruta Iyengar, United States, 6-1, 6-2
Madison Westby, United States d. Fatima Bizhukova, Russia, 6-1, ret.
Amy Zhu, United States (7) d. Alaina Miller, United States, 6-4, 6-4
Lina Padegimaite, Lithuania d. Aarohi Parikh, United States, 6-0, 6-0
Elise Van Heuvelen, Great Britain d. Malissa Vos, United States, 6-0, 6-0
Caitlin Bernard, United States d. Rita Colyer, Canada, 6-4, 4-1, ret.
Lauren Proctor, United States (8) d. Ruby Alyssa Trevino, United States, 6-2, 6-0
Safiya Carrington, United States (6) d. Alexis Thoma, United States, 6-1, 4-6, 6-2
Alexandra Mikhailuk, Canada d. Betija Dusele, Latvia, 6-0, 6-0
Sophia Whittle, United States d. Tamar Kutubidze, Georgia, 6-0, 7-5
Rachel Janssen, United States d. Payton Andrews, United States, 6-3, 6-3
Alexandra Sanford, United States d. Jessica Anzo, United States, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4
Jeanette Mireles, United States d. Joelle Kissell, United States (11), 6-2, 6-3
McCartney Kessler, United States (10) d. Eugenie Christine Ngo Gwodog, Cameroon, 6-1, 6-0