Day 1 Complete At Mercer Tennis Classic
10/16/2023 8:02:00 PM | Men's Tennis, Women's Tennis
MACON - Professional women's tennis is back in Macon this week with the Mercer Tennis Classic at the John Drew Smith Tennis Center in Macon.
Singles qualifying began on Monday as fall weather greeted players from more than 20 countries that will be competing for $80,000 and valuable ranking points. The main draws of singles and doubles were released Monday. The top seed in singles is Atlanta-resident Taylor Townsend, who is currently ranked No. 77 in singles and No. 8 in the world in doubles coming off a quarterfinal result at the US Open and reaching the finals of the 2023 French Open.
Kayla Day, the Macon champ in 2016 is seeded second. The Santa Barbara, Calf., native is having the best year of her career winning almost $400K in prize money, a career-high ranking and an appearance in the third round of the French Open.
Tuesday will feature the first night match of the week with No. 3 seed, Katie Volynets taking on Allie Kiick. Volynets is a 21-year-old Californian, who is having a breakout year earning almost $500K and breaking into the top-100 of the WTA rankings.
Singles qualifying is taking place on Monday and Tuesday before the main draws start. Players must win two matches to earn a spot in the singles main draw.
Mercer senior Teodora Ristic of Serbia took on Jenna DeFalco, a former LSU signee, in a batch of baseliners on Monday. After both players had easy holds to start the match, Ristic found herself on the short end of a few baseline rallies. DeFalco, possessing a little more experience and coming into the match with a world ranking of No. 480, was able to use her flat backhand to force errors from the Mercer player. Ristic fought back after being down 5-1 to make it 5-3, but a backhand winner closed out the opener for DeFalco.
It was more of the same in set No. 2 as DeFalco was able to outlast Ristic on long points. It was, again, more of the sale to close out the second set, 6-2, for DeFalco.
Former Georgia Tech standout Rasheeda McAdoo earned a hard-fought three-set victory in qualifying round one over Mia Yamakita.
Notes:
About the John Drew Smith Tennis Center
The John Drew Smith Tennis Center (JDSTC) is regarded as one of the top 25 public municipal facilities in the nation by Tennis Magazine and the United States Tennis Association. It has 22 tennis courts, 6 pickleball courts, a beautiful observation deck and pro shop. The facility is a haven for programming for juniors, adults, and everyone in the community. Historic John Drew Smith Tennis Center is renowned for hosting local, state, and national tennis events. Tennis players not only from the state of Georgia but all over the country, are familiar with JDS. Almost every competitive junior player from the state of Georgia in the last 40 years has played at this renowned facility. The activity is so extensive and the atmosphere is so conducive to tennis that, in 2005, Racquet Sports Industry (RSI) named John Drew Smith Tennis Center the Municipal Facility of the Year.
About the USTA Pro Circuit
With approximately 90 tournaments hosted annually throughout the country and prize money ranging from $15,000 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.
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: mercertennisclassic
Singles qualifying began on Monday as fall weather greeted players from more than 20 countries that will be competing for $80,000 and valuable ranking points. The main draws of singles and doubles were released Monday. The top seed in singles is Atlanta-resident Taylor Townsend, who is currently ranked No. 77 in singles and No. 8 in the world in doubles coming off a quarterfinal result at the US Open and reaching the finals of the 2023 French Open.
Kayla Day, the Macon champ in 2016 is seeded second. The Santa Barbara, Calf., native is having the best year of her career winning almost $400K in prize money, a career-high ranking and an appearance in the third round of the French Open.
Tuesday will feature the first night match of the week with No. 3 seed, Katie Volynets taking on Allie Kiick. Volynets is a 21-year-old Californian, who is having a breakout year earning almost $500K and breaking into the top-100 of the WTA rankings.
Singles qualifying is taking place on Monday and Tuesday before the main draws start. Players must win two matches to earn a spot in the singles main draw.
Mercer senior Teodora Ristic of Serbia took on Jenna DeFalco, a former LSU signee, in a batch of baseliners on Monday. After both players had easy holds to start the match, Ristic found herself on the short end of a few baseline rallies. DeFalco, possessing a little more experience and coming into the match with a world ranking of No. 480, was able to use her flat backhand to force errors from the Mercer player. Ristic fought back after being down 5-1 to make it 5-3, but a backhand winner closed out the opener for DeFalco.
It was more of the same in set No. 2 as DeFalco was able to outlast Ristic on long points. It was, again, more of the sale to close out the second set, 6-2, for DeFalco.
Former Georgia Tech standout Rasheeda McAdoo earned a hard-fought three-set victory in qualifying round one over Mia Yamakita.
Notes:
- One former Macon champion is in the main draw field - Kayla Day (2016)
- Again for 2023 are three evenings of night matches during the week.
- 10th Anniversary. The Mercer Tennis Classic will once again feature many of the best women tennis players in the world. It is the second biggest professional tournament in the state of Georgia in terms of prize money (ATP World Tour 250 event - Atlanta Open in July, is the largest). It is also the longest running professional women's tennis tournament in the state of Georgia. The event has been showcased on USTA.com and the Tennis Channel.
- Tickets are available at www.ustamaconclassic.com
- The Mercer Tennis Classic has featured players with major titles, including 2014 Macon singles champ, Kateryna Bondarenko, of Ukraine, and her sister, Alona, who she teamed with to win the 2008 Australian Open Doubles title, and 2010 French Open singles champion Francesca Schiavone, of Italy, who was the tournament's top seed in 2018.
- Live streaming is available on USTA.com
- Tournament volunteers are needed and any help is always appreciated. Call Mercer tennis head coach and tournament director Eric Hayes at (478) 301-2269.
About the John Drew Smith Tennis Center
The John Drew Smith Tennis Center (JDSTC) is regarded as one of the top 25 public municipal facilities in the nation by Tennis Magazine and the United States Tennis Association. It has 22 tennis courts, 6 pickleball courts, a beautiful observation deck and pro shop. The facility is a haven for programming for juniors, adults, and everyone in the community. Historic John Drew Smith Tennis Center is renowned for hosting local, state, and national tennis events. Tennis players not only from the state of Georgia but all over the country, are familiar with JDS. Almost every competitive junior player from the state of Georgia in the last 40 years has played at this renowned facility. The activity is so extensive and the atmosphere is so conducive to tennis that, in 2005, Racquet Sports Industry (RSI) named John Drew Smith Tennis Center the Municipal Facility of the Year.
About the USTA Pro Circuit
With approximately 90 tournaments hosted annually throughout the country and prize money ranging from $15,000 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.
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: mercertennisclassic
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Tennis
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