SUMMERLIN (Oct. 2, 2016) – Top-seeded Alison Van Uytvanck of Belgium won her second USTA Pro Circuit $50,000 Women’s Challenger singles title over the past 10 weeks as the 22-year-old defeated 17-year-old USTA wild card Sonya Kenin on Sunday in the final of the Red Rock Pro Open, 3-6, 7-6 (4), 6-2.
Van Uytvanck, who opened the week by beating another 17-year-old American, Kayla Day, in three sets in the first round, said after the match she had battled a cold and sore throat all week. Both players fought through tough windy conditions all day at the Summerlin Red Rock Country Club.
“I wasn’t feeling well and still have a little cold and it was so windy out there,” said Van Uytvanck, who had surgery on her right ankle in March. “It feels good to be back and out here battling again.”
Van Uytvanck was ranked No. 103 in the WTA singles ranking before the tournament and will likely get back into the top 100 once the new rankings are released on Monday. She reached a career-high of No. 41 last October. She won $7,600 for the victory.
Kenin received $4,053, but cannot cash her check (only can claim expenses) because she is still an amateur and hasn’t decided if she will turn pro, or play college tennis. “I have not decided yet, but hopefully I will play pro someday,” she told the crowd after the match.
After opening the final set with a break and a 2-0 lead, Kenin slowed and called for a trainer down 3-2 in the third set to receive treatment on her upper left thigh.
“I just got really tight, but obviously she played really well in the third set,” said Kenin. “I played a lot this week and a lot of tough matches. It was hard to keep it up and play well when it started hurting.”
In the doubles final played before the singles final, the team of Michaella Krajicek of the Netherlands and former USC All-American Maria Sanchez beat American Jamie Loeb and Chanel Simmonds of South Africa, 7-5, 6-1. It was the eighth consecutive win for the pair as they captured the Albuquerque $75,000 USTA Challenger last week.
Krajicek-Sanchez will split $2,786 for the win while Loeb-Simmonds split the $1,393 runner-up prize money.
Krajicek won the singles title in Las Vegas last year, but fell in the second round of singles this year to Sachia Vickery after being up a set and 4-1. “I was not happy after losing in singles and that was a tough one to swallow,” Krajicek said. “I really thought today our opponents were actually better than us in the first set. But we just hung in there and pulled it out.”
The pair would like to keep playing together and will play a few more tournaments together before deciding to play the Australian Open with each other.
The win was especially sweet for the Red Rock Pro Open veteran Sanchez, who won her first Las Vegas doubles title after making the final two times previously. She thanked a very supportive crowd, which included her agent and former tournament director Jordan Butler.
“It’s always nice to come back to the West Coast and play in front of so many people I’ve known from coming here all these years,” said Sanchez. “We have really good chemistry on the court and we’re both aggressive so I think we make a pretty good team.”
Sunday’s Final Singles Score
Alison Van Uytvanck (Belgium) [1] def. Sonya Kenin (U.S.) [wc], 3-6, 7-6 (4), 6-2
Sunday’s Final Doubles Score
Michaella Krajicek (Netherlands) / Maria Sanchez (U.S.) def. Jamie Loeb (U.S.) / Chanel Simmonds (South Africa), 7-5, 6-1