By Richard Osborn
San Diego, CA–Americans Kayla Day and Ann Li made a strong case for main-draw inclusion as the Cymbiotika San Diego Open qualifying rounds got underway on Saturday at Barnes Tennis Center.
Day, who hails from Santa Barbara, smacked seven aces and won 74 percent of her first-serve points in a 6-3, 6-3 win over countrywoman and former USC standout Madison Sieg. Day was playing on familiar turf, having captured the USTA Girls’ 18s National Championships at Barnes Tennis Center in 2016.
“It’s crazy to think that was eight years ago,” said Day, who reached a career-high No. 86 in the WTA rankings last year, boosted by a third-round showing at Roland Garros. “I have great memories playing here. It’s good to be back. I feel like I have a home-court advantage.”
Li withstood a two-hour-long challenge from local wildcard Alyssa Ahn, winning 7-5, 7-5. Ahn, a Torrey Pines High School product, captured the 2022 USTA Girls’ 16s National Championships on these same courts. Despite surrendering set points in each set, she says she will take positives away from the match.
“Just how I competed, how I fought through the whole match, my level overall,” said Ahn, 18. “I learned that I am able to compete with the top-level players. For the future, that will motivate me to train harder.”
Fellow San Diegan Haley Giavara, a Serra High School grad who went on to earn All-American accolades at Pac-12 power Cal, also came up short, falling to Frenchwoman Elsa Jacquemot, 6-3, 6-2.
Top seed Jodie Burrage of Great Britain suffered a 6-1, 7-6 (2) defeat at the hands of Marina Melnikova, while Billie Jean King Cup hero Marina Stakusic, who last year led Canada to its first-ever title in the global competition, advanced when No. 3 seed Maria Timofeeva retired trailing, 6-2, 3-0.
Also among the winners on Rady Children’s Kids Day was Slovak Rebecca Sramkova, who topped Ekaterina Makarova, 6-3, 6-2, in one hour and 15 minutes.
Main Draw Sessions: Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday at 1 p.m., Thursday at 11:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., Friday (Quarterfinals) at 11:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., Saturday (Semifinals) at 1 p.m.
Doubles championship – Sunday, March 3 at 1:30 p.m. Singles championship – Sunday, March 3 at 4 p.m.
Tickets for the 2024 Cymbiotika San Diego Open are on sale. Ticket information is available on the official tournament website at wtasdopen.com.
Results – Saturday, Feb 24
Q1 – M. Melnikova d. [1] J. Burrage (GBR) 61 76(2)
Q1 – [8] R. Sramkova (SVK) d. E. Makarova 63 62
Q1 – [2] K. Day (USA) d. [WC] M. Sieg (USA) 63 63
Q1 – [12] A. Li (USA) d. [WC] A. Ahn (USA) 75 75
Q1 – [WC] M. Stakusic (CAN) d. [3] M. Timofeeva 62 30 RET
Q1 – [11] E. Jacquemot (FRA) d. [WC] H. Giavara (USA) 63 62
Q1 – [4] C. Liu (USA) d. S. Fung (CAN) 63 64
Q1 – [7] J. Niemeier (GER) d. N. Stevanovic (SRB) 76(5) 36 64
Q1 – [5] M. Hontama (JPN) d. D. Papamichail (GRE) 63 64
Q1 – [9] D. Galfi (HUN) d. L. Pattinama Kerkhove (NED) 63 75
Q1 – [6] L. Fruhvirtova (CZE) d. J. Kolodynska 62 60
Q1 – [10] D. Saville (AUS) d. H. Chang (USA) 62 62
