Kai-Chen Chang Leads Charge as Four Seeded Qualifiers Advance to Monday
Top-seeded Kai-Chen Chang survived a scare for the second straight day while second-seeded Bethanie Mattek-Sands was not as lucky in a straight-set loss, highlighting the second day of singles qualifying competition at the 2010 Bank of the West Classic.
Chang was one of four seeded qualifiers to advance on Sunday afternoon, outlasting Michelle Larcher De Brito 4-6, 7-5, 6-2. It marked the second day in a row that Chang was forced to rally after losing the first set, as she rebounded for a 3-6, 7-6 (3), 7-5 win over Jelena Pandzic on Saturday in an opening-round contest.
Bethanie Mattek-Sands, the draw’s No. 2 seed, did not share the same success. Jamie Hampton topped Mattek-Sands 6-4, 6-3 on Sunday after winning her first round match Saturday by the same score.
Seeded players advancing on Sunday included the following: No. 4 Michaella Krajicek defeating Natalie Grandin 6-4, 7-6 (3); No. 5 Mirjana Lucic coasting past Tamaryn Hendler 6-2, 6-4 and No. 8 Olga Savchuk downing Nicole Gibbs 6-4, 6-3. Gibbs, a Stanford incoming freshman, had reached the second round after upsetting Beatrice Capra 6-4, 6-4 in yesterday’s action.
Christina McHale, Ajla Tomljanovic and Mashona Washington all recorded straight-set victories on Sunday to round out the winning qualifiers.
Tickets for the 2010 Bank of the West Classic can be purchased by calling the box office at 866-WTA-TIXS (866-982-8497) or by logging on to www.BankoftheWestClassic.com. Single-session tickets for the tournament's opening round start at just $26.
In addition to individual session tickets, full-week packages start at just $575 and include tickets to all 13 sessions, a pass to the exclusive Grand Marnier Plaza Club and an invitation to the Meet the Players Party. Those who purchase a pair of seats will also receive a weeklong VIP parking pass and a Bank of the West Classic Tournament program.
The Bank of the West Classic is also offering several weekend packages starting at $240.
Entering its 40th year the Bank of the West Classic is the longest running women-only professional tennis tournament in the world. The list of past champions of the event reads like a “Who's Who” of women's tennis including Lindsay Davenport, Billie Jean King, Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Andrea Jaeger, Monica Seles, Martina Hingis, Venus Williams and Kim Clijsters.
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 Olympus US Open Series. A Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Premier event, the Bank of the West Classic features a 30-player singles draw and a 16-team doubles draw with total prize money of $700,000. 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: Based in San Francisco, $61 billion-asset Bank of the West (www.bankofthewest.com) offers a full range of business, corporate, personal, trust and international banking services. For the third year in a row, Bank of the West has been ranked "highest in customer satisfaction in retail banking" in California by J.D. Power and Associates. The Bank operates more than 700 branch locations and commercial banking offices in 19 Western and Midwestern states. Bank of the West's holding company, BancWest Corporation, is a subsidiary of BNP Paribas, among the six strongest banks in the world, according to Standard & Poor's.
