By Steve Pratt
(September 29, 2015) Summerlin, Nev. – American players won four first-round singles matches out of five played on the first day of main-draw action on Tuesday at the Red Rock Pro Open, a USTA $50,000 Pro Circuit women’s event.
2012 Las Vegas singles finalist Shelby Rogers, former U.S. Open Girls’ Junior champ Samantha Crawford, and USTA wild card Lauren Albanese each won straight-set matches. In the day’s singles finale, former UCLA star Jennifer Brady held off USTA wild card and fellow American Alexandra Stevenson, 7-6 (5), 3-6, 6-3.
In the only other singles match that did not involve a player from the United States, 2011 Las Vegas singles champion Romina Oprandi, the No. 3-seeded player from Switzerland, took out France’s Stephanie Foretz, 6-3, 6-3.
After completing her sophomore year at UCLA, Brady turned professional at the start of the summer. This past season, Brady was part of the UCLA team that reached the final of the NCAA team championships. During her freshman season (2013-14), she was a member of the 2014 NCAA championship-winning team. Also last year, Brady won her first USTA Pro Circuit singles title, at the $25,000 event in Redding, Calif.; she also won the doubles title in Redding.
Stevenson should get points for sticking around this long. The 34-year-old who drew international attention in 1999 by becoming the first female qualifier in Wimbledon history to reach the event’s semifinals, wasn’t intimidated by the youngster Brady taking the match to the limit. Stevenson ranked in the year-end Top 100 each year from 1999 to 2003, peaking at No. 18 in 2002.
Final round of qualify was completed Tuesday morning on a 98-degree warm but picturesque day at the Red Rock Country Club. The only American to qualify, recent UCLA graduate Robin Anderson, won her third consecutive match to qualify for the main draw. The Matawan, N.J., resident beat Canada’s Sharon Fichman, 6-2, 7-5.
In the match of the day, top-seeded qualifier Reix Sherazad of France took out 18-year-old American Ellie Halbauer in a 3 hour, 21 minute marathon, 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-4, in a final qualifying match. On Sunday, Sherazad was involved in an almost four-hour first-round qualifying win.
In another qualifying final involving a U.S. player, Josie Kuhlman, a sophomore at the University of Florida, fell in straight sets to Amra Sadikovic of Switzerland. Kuhlman just last month was one of eight collegiate women’s players to compete in the U.S. Open American Collegiate Invitational won by Anderson.
In an intriguing matchup in the first round on Wednesday, Michaella Krajicek of the Netherlands will play her countrywoman Arantxa Rus. Krajicek, whose half-brother Richard won Wimbledon in 1996, is coming off a great run last week winning the Albuquerque, N.M., $75,000 tournament after qualifying. Krajicek said she is coming off two knee surgeries and received a special exemption into the main draw after winning Albuquerque. Krajicek is traveling with her new husband, former German doubles player Martin Emmrich. The couple were married in July.
Tuesday’s Final-Round Qualifying Results
Reix Sherazad, France, [1] def. Ellie Halbauer, U.S., [7], 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-4
Antonia Lottner, Germany [2] def. Anna Zaja, Germany, 6-4, 6-4
Robin Anderson, U.S., [5] def. Sharon Fichman, Canada, [3], 6-2, 7-5
Amra Sadikovic, Switzerland, [4] def. Josie Kuhlman, U.S., 6-3, 6-4
Tuesday’s Main Draw Singles Results
Romina Oprandi, Switzerland [3] def. Stephanie Foretz, France, 6-3, 6-3
Shelby Rogers, U.S., [7] def. Lisa Whybourn, Great Britain, 6-1, 6-2
Samantha Crawford, U.S., def. Lesley Kerkhove, Netherlands, 6-3, 6-3
Lauren Albanese, U.S. [wc], def. vs.Pemra Ozgen, Turkey, 6-3, 6-2
Jennifer Brady, U.S., def. Alexandra Stevenson, U.S. [wc], 7-6 (5), 3-6, 6-3
Tuesday’s Main Draw Doubles Results
Tamira Paszek, Austria / Anna Tatishvili, U.S., def. Jovana Jaksic, Serbia / Taylor Townsend, U.S., 3-6, 7-6 (4), 10-8
Alexandra Facey, U.S. / Kat Facey, U.S., [wc] def. Michelle Sammons, South Africa / Laura Schaeder, Germany, 6-1, 6-4
Julia Boserup, U.S. / Nicole Gibbs, U.S., [wc] def. Varatchaya Wongteanchai, Thailand / Ai Wen Zhu, China, 6-4, 6-3
Mandy Minella, Luxembourg / Amra Sadikovic, Switzerland, def. Stephanie Foretz, France [2] /
Ana Vrljic, Croatia, 4-6, 6-3, 10-8
Paula Cristina Goncalves, Brazil / Sanaz Marad, U.S., [1] def. Lesley Kerkhove, Netherlands / Arantxa Rus, Netherlands, 6-7 (5), 6-3, 10-5
Antonia Lottner, Germany, [3] / Pemra Ozgen, Turkey, def. An-Sophie Mestach, Belgium / Jessica Pegula, U.S., 6-4, 7-5
Wednesday’s Schedule
wild card [wc]; qualifying: [q]
Stadium Court, starting at 9:30 a.m.
Zi Yang, China, [wc] vs. Anna Tatishvili, U.S. [2]
Followed by Melanie Oudin, U.S., [wc] vs. Sanaz Marand, U.S.
Followed by An-Sophie Mestach, Belgium, [1] vs. Mandy Minella, Luxembourg
Followed by Jan Abaza, U.S. / Justyna Jegiolka, Poland, [4] vs. Robin Anderson, U.S. / Jen Brady, U.S.
Court 5, starting at 9:30 a.m.
Jessica Pegula, U.S., [8] vs. Tamira Paszek, Austria
Followed by Robin Anderson, U.S., vs. Alexa Glatch, U.S., [5]
Followed by Ana Vrljic, Croatia, vs. Varatchaya Wongteanchai, Thailand
Court 6, starting at 9:30 a.m.
Jovana Jaksic, Serbia, vs. Taylor Townsend, U.S.
Followed by Michaella Krajicek, Netherlands, vs. Arantxa Rus, Netherlands
Followed by Amra Sadikovic, Switzerland, vs. Julia Bosserup, U.S.
Court 8, starting at 9:30 a.m.
Sachia Vickery, U.S., [4] vs. Antonia Lottner, Germany
Followed by Sherazad Reix, France, vs. Nicole Gibbs, U.S., [6]
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.
The tournament’s official website is www.RedRockProOpen.com. Follow along on Twitter @RedRockTennis and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/redrockproopen.