After a thrilling day of high-level tennis competition, the men’s quarterfinal and women’s semifinal pairings are set for the USTA National 40 Hard Court Championships at the La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club.
Two-time defending women’s singles champion and top seed Mariko Fritz-Krockow prevailed over unseeded Carolyn Kramer of St. Louis 6-1, 6-4 in a quarterfinal match on Court No. 2. The 41-year-old Fritz-Krockow will meet former WTA touring professional Ros Nideffer (above) of San Tan Valley, Ariz., in the semifinals (after press time).
Nideffer, a two-time Wimbledon singles quarterfinalist who reached a career-high No. 12 in the WTA singles rankings in 1986, used her experience and a strong serve-and-volley game to eliminate fourth-seeded Jennifer Rens of La Jolla, 6-1, 6-4 on Court No. 8.
Following her straight-set victory, the 64-year-old Nideffer, who is seeded No. 2 with Fritz-Krockow in the women’s doubles draw, spoke about playing in this week’s USTA National 40 Hard Court Championships.
“Mariko asked me to play doubles. I couldn’t turn that down. It’s a huge honor for her to ask me. I started thinking about it and since I’m going to be here, I might as well play some singles. I’m just happy to be out on the court, trying to find my game,” Nideffer said. “I’m the weak link of the team. There is a little bit of pressure on me. I enjoy playing doubles, it’s fun to be out here.”
When asked what inspires her to continue playing competitive tennis, Nideffer, a two-time French Open doubles champion, responded, “I enjoy the competition and challenging myself. I’m not going to be the player that I was, I’m just trying to stay in shape and enjoy hitting the ball. I expect to get some match play and get some points in to help my doubles.”
In the lower half of the women’s singles draw, third-seeded Anna Anikanova of Ramona eased past unseeded Dianne Lee of Austin, Texas, 6-1, 6-0, while Sanem Ahearn of Carlsbad defeated San Diego’s Christine Anzai 6-0, 6-2. Anikanova will play Ahearn in the semifinals (after press time).
The top seeds in the men’s singles draw cruised into the quarterfinals with impressive straight-set victories. Top-seeded Henry Choi of Vancouver, Canada, dispatched San Diego’s Eric Leroux 6-1, 6-0 in a late afternoon match. Choi is slated to play fifth-seeded Brian Murphy of Mercer Island, Wash., on Thursday (after press time).
Second-seeded Daniel Plasa of Atlanta overcame unseeded Christopher Arns of Encinitas, 6-0, 6-1. Plasa will take on fifth-seeded Andrew Cheney of Scottsdale, Ariz., in the quarterfinals (after press time).
Starting times for each day of the tournament will be Friday, Dec. 6 – 8 a.m.; Saturday, Dec. 7 and Sunday, Dec. 8 – 9 a.m.
La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club welcomes tennis spectators to the tournament with free admission. Onsite parking is available for a nominal fee.
Also on the agenda is the USTA National Father/Son and Grandfather/Grandson Hard Court Doubles Championships beginning Friday, Dec. 6, with matches concluding Sunday, Dec. 8. The Father/Son championship has been held continuously at the La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club since 1959, and attracts the top father and son tennis teams in the nation.
USTA Gold, Silver, and Bronze balls will be awarded to the first, second, and third-place finishers in all events.
The USTA National 40 Hard Court Championships is part of the International Tennis Federation World Tennis Masters Tour. Formerly known as the ITF Seniors Tour, the recently rebranded Masters Tour includes individual and team singles, doubles, and mixed doubles events across various grade levels for each five-year age increment from 30-plus to 90-plus.
Designated one of the Top 100 Tennis Resorts in the world by Tennis Resorts Online, the La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club’s reputation as a top tennis destination started in 1942, when it attracted its first major tournament, the Pacific Coast Men’s Doubles Championship.
