STANFORD, Calif. (www.BankOfTheWestClassic.com) – The Bank of the West Classic qualifying singles field was cut down to eight on Sunday with four of the top seeds advancing at the Taube Family Tennis Stadium on the campus of Stanford University.
However, the day kicked off with an upset match as Julie Coin knocked out the sixth-seeded Julie Ditty in straight sets, 6-2, 6-2 on Stadium Court. Coin won all of her first serve points and served up eight aces to advance in qualifying action.
Meanwhile, Melinda Czink scored an upset of her own, 6-4, 7-6, as she battled the second-seeded Monica Niculescu on Court 11. Despite have been broken in the fifth game of the first set, Czink ran off four straight games to take a 1-0 lead.
In the second set, Czink continued her momentum taking a commanding 5-1 lead. As Czink served for the match, Niculescu found her form to break the Hungarian and take four of the last five games to force a tie-break session. Czink quickly ran off the first five points of the tie-breaker and held on to clinch the match with her third ace, 7-1.
Fifteen-year-old Michelle Larcher De Brito continued her impressive performance recording a hard-fought straight set, 7-5, 6-2 victory over Natalie Grandin. Earlier in first-round qualifying action, Grandin defeated Stanford All-American and 2008 National Rookie of the Year Hilary Barte in a three-setter, 6-7, 6-4, 6-2.
The final upset of the day featured Georgia Stoop capitalizing on 26 double faults to eliminate eighth-seeded Olga Puchkova in three sets, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3. Puchkova jumped out to an early 1-0 lead taking the opening set 6-4, despite 11 double faults. However, the service errors would prove too much as Stoop took the final two sets.
The top seeds advancing are third-seededed Anne Keothavong, fourth-seeded Aleksandra Wozniak, fifth-seeded and Olympian Samantha Stosur and seventh-seeded Meng Yuan.
The winners of the four final qualifying matches will advance to the main singles draw which begins on Monday, July 13, 2008.
Tickets for the tournament’s opening rounds start at just $23. For more information, or to purchase tickets, call the box office at 866-WTA-TIXS (866-982-8497) or log on to www.BankoftheWestClassic.com.
The Bank of the West Classic, a Sony Ericsson WTA Tour event, will be played July 14-20 at the Taube Family Tennis Stadium at Stanford University and features a 28-player singles draw as well as a 16-team doubles draw. The event is owned and operated by IMG and serves as the opening women’s event of the Olympus US Open Series.
ABOUT THE BANK OF THE WEST CLASSIC: The Bank of the West Classic is the longest-running women-only professional tennis tournament in the world and is the first stop of the US Open Series. A Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Tier II event, the Bank of the West Classic features a 28-player singles draw and a 16-team doubles draw with total prize money of $600,000. Held on Stanford University’s campus at the Taube Family Tennis Stadium since 1997, former champions include: Billie Jean King, Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Andrea Jaeger, Monica Seles, Martina Hingis, Lindsay Davenport and Venus Williams. The Bank of the West Classic is owned and operated by IMG.
ABOUT BANK OF THE WEST: Founded in 1874 and headquartered in San Francisco, $62 billion-asset Bank of the West is the second-largest commercial bank based in California. Bank of the West offers a full range of business, trust, international and personal banking services. The bank currently operates more than 700 commercial and retail banking locations in 19 Western and Midwestern states. In 2008, Bank of the West ranked “Highest in Customer Satisfaction among Retail Banks in the West” by J.D. Power and Associates. Bank of the West's holding company, BancWest Corporation, is owned by BNP Paribas, a leading global financial services institution ranked by Standard & Poor's as one of the world's four strongest banks. More information is available at www.bankofthewest.com.
QUALIFYING AGATE (7/13/08)
Singles Qualifying – First Round
Natalie Grandin (RSA) d. Hilary Barte (USA) 6-7 (4), 6-4, 6-2
Singles Qualifying – Quarterfinals
Michelle Larcher De Brito (POR) vs. Natalie Grandin (USA) 7-5, 6-2
Georgie Stoop (GBR) d. Olga Puchkova (RUS) 4-6, 6-2, 6-2
Melinda Czink (HUN) d. Monica Niculescu (ROU) 6-4, 7-6 (1)
Meng Yuan (CHN) d. Alexandra Stevenson (USA) 6-4, 6-2
Anne Keothavong (GBR) d. Tatiana Poutchek (BLR) 6-3, 6-3
Julie Coin (FRA) d. Julie Ditty (USA) 6-2, 6-2
Aleksandra Wozniak (CAN) d. Ayumi Morita (JPN) 6-3, 7-5
Samantha Stosur (AUS) d. Abigail Spears (USA) 7-6, 7-6