FORT WORTH, Texas (August 1, 2018) – Main draw action got underway on Wednesday at the 2018 Fort Worth Pro Tennis Classic $25K Women’s Pro Circuit Event at the Bayard H. Friedman Tennis Center on the campus of TCU.
Eleven of the 12 singles matches finished in straight sets as the seeded players were able to easily move into the next round. Top seed and No. 294 Usue Arconada of the United States was able to take out the No. 6 ranked junior in the 2019 class, Lea Ma, 6-4, 7-5. No. 2 seed and No. 317 Abbie Myers of the United States used early breaks to get the 6-4, 6-4 win over Tori Kinard of the United States, while former UCLA All-American and No. 3 seed Robin Anderson of the United States quickly put down current Stanford student-athlete Michaela Gordon, 6-0, 6-2.
All eight qualifiers saw their first action in the main draw in singles on Wednesday with five of them coming out victorious and into the next round. All five are current or former NCAA collegiate student-athletes with North Carolina rising junior Alexa Graham getting off the court first with a 6-0, 6-4 win over No. 646 Akiko Omae of Japan. No. 1 qualifier, Paige Hourigan of New Zealand and former Georgia Tech All-American, continued her dominance with a 6-1, 6-3 win over Alexandra Riley of the United States. Current Duke sophomore Kelly Chen of the United States was the only singles player to go the distance as she battled back from a first-set loss to Lauren Proctor of the United States to get the 2-6, 6-1, 6-1 win.
In doubles action, there was only one upset on the day with American teens Hurricane Tyra Black and Ma upending the No. 4 seeded pair of Maria Mateas of the United States and Maria Jose Portillo Ramirez of Mexico, 7-5, 1-6, 12-10. The final seeded pair to see action in the main draw was the No. 3 seeded duo of Nagi Hanatani and Omae of Japan with a 7-6 (5), 6-0 victory over the Cal teammates of Olivia Hauger and Maria Smith 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 29-Aug. 5. The main draw portion of the tournament will continue on Thursday with matches beginning at 10 a.m. 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
Wednesday, August 1 – RESULTS
Singles – Main Draw First Round
Marcela Zacarias, Mexico (5) d. Alexa Ryngler, United States, 4-3, retired
Alexa Graham, United States d. Akiko Omae, Japan, 6-0, 6-4
Robin Anderson, United States (3) d. Michaela Gordon, United States, 6-0, 6-2
McCartney Kessler, United States d. Shelby Talcott, United States, 7-5, 6-1
Usue Maltane Arconada, United States (1) d. Lea Ma, United States, 6-4, 7-5
Olivia Tjandramulia, Australia (7) d. Ellie Douglas, United States, 6-1, 6-2
Nastja Kolar, Slovakia (6) d. Savannah Broadus, United States, 6-3, 6-4
Paige Hourigan, New Zealand d. Alexandra Riley, United States, 6-1, 6-3
Whitney Osuigwe, United States (8) d. Nina Khmelnitckaia, Russia, 6-3, 6-2
Rhiann Newborn, United States d. Hanna Chang, United States, 6-0, 7-5
Abbie Myers, Australia (2) d. Tori Kinard, United States, 6-4, 6-4
Kelly Chen, United States d. Lauren Proctor, United States, 2-6, 6-1, 6-1
Doubles – Main Draw First Round
Andie K. Daniell/Shelby Talcott, United States d. Kailey Evans/Addison Guevara, United States, 6-2, 6-3
Robin Anderson/Lorraine M. Guillermo, United States d. Aleksa Cveticanin, Australia/Marie Norris, United States, 6-1, 6-2
Nagi Hanatani/Akiko Omae, Japan (3) d. Olivia Hauger/Maria Smith, United States, 7-6 (5), 6-0
Hurricane Tyra Black/Lea Ma, United States d. Maria Mateas, United States/Maria Jose Portillo Ramirez, Mexico (4), 7-5, 1-6, 12-10