Troy University Athletics
USTA Qualifying Action Heats Up
10/11/2010 7:55:41 PM | General
Tuesday Order of Play
Agate Qualifying Singles
Main Draw Singles Main Draw Doubles
Tuesday will feature four matches for the final four qualifying positions at the USTA Tennis Classic of Troy. Action at the tournament will begin at 10:00 am with the final four qualifying matches, and following this will begin the main draw. Doubles action is also set to take place on Tuesday afternoon as the tournament cranks into high gear.
Bill Emmerson, a Troy native, was recognized at the annual Pro-Am on Monday night. Emmerson has been highly involved in the tennis scene in Troy, and also served his country as a war veteran. Emmerson's efforts to increase th love for tennis in the Troy area didn't go unnoticed as Troy Mayor Jimmy Lunsford gave a proclamation in his honor, and he was also given an award from Troy City Schools Superintendent Dr. Linda Felton-Smith.
"We had a great night at the Pro-Am, and the community really enjoys this event each year," tournament director Eric Hayes said. "It was also great to see the city honor our friend Bill. He is such a giver, and we're glad to have people like him in our city. The PRo-Am is a great event at our tournament every year that gives the locals a chance to play with some of the world's best, and we all have a blast."
Meanwhile int he professional ranks, eight players were preparing themselves for pivotal qualifying matches on Tuesday. The battle for the final four spots includes four seeded qualifiers, and four others looking to knock them off for the upset.
"We down to the final four spots in the qualifying rounds, and the competition is really heating up," Hayes said. "These Tuesday matches will be a great showcase of what the tournament is all about. None of them want to get knocked off tomorrow. They want to make it into the main draw. That's only the beginning of some pretty solid matches to come too. It's exciting, and it will be great to watch."
Chloe Jones and Chichi Scholl will face off as the only match with unseeded players on the court. Jones has had recent success reaching the quarterfinals round at three different $10,000 events, but the competition will be tougher for her at the $50,000 event in Troy.
Second-seeded Valeria Solovenia and sixth-seeded Jorgelina Cravero will face as the only match featuring two seeded players against each other in the qualifying session. This looks to be one of the highlight matches of the day as both won easily in their Monday matches.
Third-seeded Macall Harkins will face Grace Min featuring an up and coming in 15-year-old Min looking to stake her name into the competition at The Classic. Min helped lead the US to the 2008 World Junior Tennis title in 2008, and has experienced a plethora of success overall at the junior level. Min has the upset mentality headed into the final round of qualifying, and looks to be a tough opponent for Harkins on Tuesday.
The final qualifying match features fifth-seeded Alexandra Mueller facing Alexis King. Mueller has almost worked her way into a top 400 ranking worldwide, and has steadily climbed the ladder of success in her young professional career. The 22-year old reached the quarterfinals round of four separate $50,000 events in 2009, and she is looking to add Troy as another success story to her resume.
Tuesday will also feature five first-round matches of the main draw followed by four matches from the doubles bracket of the tournament.
There are also more notable community events coming up for The Classic as it will host a tennis clinic for the Boys & Girls Club on Wednesday. Thursday will feature a clinic for the Troy Housing Authority followed by a Local Children Clinic in the afternoon.
Admission to The USTA Tennis Classic of Troy is free, and all are invited to attend.
