Mercer Tennis Classic: Main Draw Singles, Doubles Begin
10/17/2023 10:24:00 PM | Men's Tennis, Women's Tennis
MACON - The main draws started in Macon on Tuesday at the Mercer Tennis Classic at the John Drew Smith Tennis Center in Macon. Players from more than 20 countries are competing for $80,000 and valuable ranking points.
The draw is headed by Atlanta resident Taylor Townsend, currently ranked No. 77 in singles and No. 8 in the world in doubles, who is coming off of a quarterfinal result at the US Open and an appearance in the finals of the 2023 French Open. She will be in action on Wednesday afternoon.
Tuesday showcased the first night match of the week with No. 3 seed Katie Volynets taking on a lucky loser in Anna Rogers. Rogers was a late sub for Allie Kiick and, even though she had played a match earlier in the day, she came out swinging. Serve holds were the rule until 5-5 when Volynets started picking up her return of serve. A break gave her a quick lead, but Rogers wasn't done yet. The first set was decided in a tiebreaker with the No. 3 seed Volynets taking the set.
It was a similar pattern in the second set with no breaks until Volynets came through at the end with some spectacular passing shots to take the second 6-3.
University of Georgia sophomore Alexandra Vecic earned a spot in the main draw with a three-set victory over Chelsea Fontenel of Switzerland. Vecic is from Germany and is quickly rising the WTA rankings, now up to No. 405 in the world. The 21-year-old recently reached the semifinals at ITF events in Spain and Switzerland. Vecic will play the second match on Court 9 on Wednesday.
Former Georgia Tech standout Rasheeda McAdoo earned another hard fought three-set victory in the final qualifying round over American, Whitney Osiguwe.
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
The draw is headed by Atlanta resident Taylor Townsend, currently ranked No. 77 in singles and No. 8 in the world in doubles, who is coming off of a quarterfinal result at the US Open and an appearance in the finals of the 2023 French Open. She will be in action on Wednesday afternoon.
Tuesday showcased the first night match of the week with No. 3 seed Katie Volynets taking on a lucky loser in Anna Rogers. Rogers was a late sub for Allie Kiick and, even though she had played a match earlier in the day, she came out swinging. Serve holds were the rule until 5-5 when Volynets started picking up her return of serve. A break gave her a quick lead, but Rogers wasn't done yet. The first set was decided in a tiebreaker with the No. 3 seed Volynets taking the set.
It was a similar pattern in the second set with no breaks until Volynets came through at the end with some spectacular passing shots to take the second 6-3.
University of Georgia sophomore Alexandra Vecic earned a spot in the main draw with a three-set victory over Chelsea Fontenel of Switzerland. Vecic is from Germany and is quickly rising the WTA rankings, now up to No. 405 in the world. The 21-year-old recently reached the semifinals at ITF events in Spain and Switzerland. Vecic will play the second match on Court 9 on Wednesday.
Former Georgia Tech standout Rasheeda McAdoo earned another hard fought three-set victory in the final qualifying round over American, Whitney Osiguwe.
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
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