Mercer Tennis Classic: Top Seed Sharma, Vandeweghe Advance

MACON, Ga. - A busy Wednesday at the 2019 Mercer Tennis Classic as 16 first round singles matches were contested.

Among those in action was No. 1 seed, Astra Sharma of Australia. Sharma, who has made her way into the top-100 this year took on a top junior player in Alexandra Yepifanova of the United States. Sharma had too much for the youngster, cruising to a 6-1, 6-0 win in just under an hour.

Sharma used her serve and all-court game to keep Yepifanova off balance and baffled.

"A lot of respect for her as she has had some good results, explained Sharma. "It was a tricky match in a lot of ways. It was a lot closer than the score."

It's Sharma's first time in Macon and playing the fall slate of USTA Pro Circuit events here in the U.S.

"I love Macon," added Sharma, who played college tennis at Vanderbilt. "I'm staying with (housing) and they are showing me around the town and getting a feel. I love the (Mercer) campus, so I feel very at home here."

The Court 1 matchup between WTA veterans, Coco Vandeweghe and Macon defending champ, Varvara Lepchenko has the makings of a classic. And it was a classic for 36 minutes as Lepchenko was forced to retire with an injury. Both players were playing high level and entertaining tennis until the match prematurely was forced to end with Lepchenko leading 4-3. Vandeweghe advances to round 2.

WTA Tour vet and former Georgia Tech standout, Irina Falconi took the court with a smile on her face. And she walked off the court with another smile on her face and a 6-2, 6-3 win over her Greek opponent.

Falconi has been on the sidelines for most of the year and faced some doubt when it came to continuing her career.

"I faced a lot of doubt. I was going through the motions and I realized there was a little bit left in me that I wanted to give to the pro tennis world. My sister shook me a little and said what are you doing. Go out there and give it another shot."

All second round matches on Thursday.

Wednesday's Results:
Astra SHARMA (AUS) [1] Alexandra YEPIFANOVA (USA) 6-1 6-0
Grace MIN (USA) Sophia WHITTLE (USA) 7-5 6-3
Marina MELNIKOVA (RUS) Ellen PEREZ (AUS) 7-5 6-4
Stefanie VOEGELE (SUI) [3] Gabriela TALABA (ROU) 4-6 6-3 6-0
Coco VANDEWEGHE (USA) Varvara LEPCHENKO (USA) [4] 3-4 Ret.
Whitney OSUIGWE (USA) [2] Andrea Renee VILLARREAL (MEX) 6-3 6-1
Katerina STEWART (USA) Hanna CHANG (USA) 0-6 7-6(1) 6-2
Elysia BOLTON (USA) Alycia PARKS (USA) 7-5 6-1
Usue Maitane ARCONADA (USA) [5] Jaimee FOURLIS (AUS) 6-2 6-2
Caroline DOLEHIDE (USA) [7] Estela PEREZ-SOMARRIBA (ESP) 7-5 6-4
Giuliana OLMOS (MEX) Mandy MINELLA (LUX) [8] 6-1 6-2
Shelby ROGERS (USA) Gabriella PRICE (USA) 6-4 6-1
Irina FALCONI (USA) Valentini GRAMMATIKOPOULOU (GRE) 6-2 6-3
Danielle LAO (USA) Johanna LARSSON (SWE) 6-0 6-4
Ann LI (USA) [6] Anhzelika ISAEVA (RUS) 6-3 6-1
Sanaz MARAND (USA) Ingrid NEEL (USA) 6-3 6-3

The top seeded doubles team for the week is Johanna Larsson and Mandy Minella.

Eric Hayes, Mercer Men's and Women's Head Tennis Coach and Tournament Director commented on some of the early round matches.

"Many of these matches are matchups you would find in the first round of Grand Slam tournaments."

On Wednesday, the Mercer Tennis Classic host a Net Generation Kid's Day attended by up to 100 junior tennis players.

Mark your calendars for a week of events.

Thursday October 24 - Second round matches
Friday October 25 - Quarterfinal matches
Saturday October 26 - Semifinal matches
Sunday October 27 - Finals at times TBD

For 2019, the Tennis Channel will once again be in Macon. This year they will cover the first rounds on its online platform, and the semifinals and finals will be live on Tennis Channel

"It's a testament to how much our event has grown and the quality of field we get each year that the Tennis Channel would want to come to Macon and show live coverage. This is unprecedented coverage and exposure for not only Mercer, but for the city of Macon and Middle Georgia."

Now in its seventh year and third year as an 80K event, the Mercer Tennis Classic will once again feature a weeklong 32 player singles draw and 16 doubles teams in Macon. It's seven days of fan friendly tennis and now the second biggest professional tournament in the state of Georgia in terms of prize money (ATP World Tour 250 event - BB&T Atlanta Open in July, is the largest). It is also the longest running professional women's tennis tournament in the state of Georgia.

The Mercer Tennis Classic has featured players with major titles. 2014 Macon singles champ, Kateryna Bondarenko, of Ukraine, and her sister, Alona, teamed with to win the 2008 Australian Open Doubles title. The Bondarenko Sisters have played doubles in Macon. In 2017, 2010 French Open singles champ, Francesca Schiavone of Italy was the top seed.

Players come to Macon to play for $80,000 in prize money, valuable WTA ranking points and in the past, a spot in the first major of 2020, the Australian Open in Melbourne. A women's wild card will be awarded to the American with the highest cumulative total of WTA singles ranking points earned from upcoming events. Only Americans who do not earn direct entry into the Australian Open are eligible. In the event of a tie, the player with the best WTA singles ranking, will be awarded the wildcard.

Highlights of the week include the Tuesday Pro Am and Player/Sponsor party, and an annual event with free lessons, food and more. Also the players will make visits to area schools to promote tennis as a lifetime sport and the professional event, along with surprises during the week!

Tournament volunteers are needed and any help is always appreciated. Call Mercer tennis coach and tournament director Eric Hayes at (478) 301-2269.

Tournament Facts:
Mercer Tennis Classic
A USTA Pro Circuit Event
Oct. 21-27, 2019
Leroy Peddy Tennis Center
Macon, Ga.
Purse: $80,000
Surface: Hard-Outdoor
Tournament Director: Eric Hayes

About the Leroy Peddy Tennis Center
The LeRoy Peddy Tennis Center is the home for Mercer University men's and women's tennis. The facility is located just inside the South campus entrance, nestled among its pine tree lined western perimeter and adjacent to MU's softball stadium and practice fields. The Center features a total of eight courts, aligned in a picturesque bi-level configuration (four courts each on the upper and lower tiers). With a digital scoreboard featuring real-time scoring of matches, the lighted venue also has ample parking and seating for fans on either level and a park-like walkway for access between the two sections.

About the USTA Pro Circuit
With approximately 90 tournaments hosted annually throughout the country and prize money ranging from $10,000 to $100,000, the USTA Pro Circuit is the pathway to the US Open and tour-level competition for aspiring tennis players and a frequent battleground for established professionals. The USTA launched its Pro Circuit in 1979 to provide players with the opportunity to gain professional ranking points, and it has since grown to become the largest developmental tennis circuit in the world, offering nearly $3 million in prize money. Last year, more than 1,000 men and women from more than 70 countries competed in cities nationwide. Victoria Azarenka, Eugenie Bouchard, John Isner, Madison Keys, Andy Murray, Kei Nishikori, Sam Querrey and Caroline Wozniacki are among today's top stars who began their careers on the USTA Pro Circuit.

Middle Georgia Tennis Foundation
The mission of the Middle Georgia Tennis Foundation is to raise funds to support tennis programs, especially youth programs in Middle Georgia.

For more information:
On-site PR contact: Rick Limpert (209) 920-7425 or email: Rick.Limpert@gmail.com
Website: www.ustamaconclassic.com
Twitter: @USTAMacon80K
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MaconTennisClassic/
Instagram: wl_amos_tennis

Mercer Tennis Classic: Top Seed Sharma, Vandeweghe Advance

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