By SDCN Staff
La Jolla, CA–The top singles seeds scored impressive straight-set wins in their respective divisions to advance at the USTA National 40 Hard Court Championships on a cool, partly cloudy day at La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club.
Top-seeded Matthew Hane of Johns Island, S.C., moved into Thursday’s men’s singles quarterfinals after scoring a hard-fought 6-4, 6-3 third-round victory over ninth-seeded Andrew Cheney of Scottsdale, AZ, on Court No. 1.
In the first set, Hane, who won the men’s singles title in 2023, was even with Cheney at 4-4, but then won eight of the next ten points, breaking serve in the ninth game and serving out the set in the tenth game.
Cheney, a veteran senior tennis competitor who is the grandson of the late tennis legend Dorothy “Dodo” Cheney, took a 3-2 lead in the second set. However, after fending off three break points, Hane held serve in the sixth game to even the set at 3-3.
Hane then took control of the second set, scoring two service breaks in sweeping the final three games to close out the match in exactly two hours.
“Today was tough. It was straight sets, but it was not an easy one. I have to work on a little better match shape. The points today were a little longer and more physical. Later in the tournament, players get better, so I’ll have to get better each time,” said Hane, who will play fifth-seeded Brian Murphy of Mercer Island, WA, on Thursday at 10:30 a.m.
In the lower half of the men’s singles draw, second-seeded Henry Choi of Vancouver, Canada, eliminated ninth-seeded Shibu Lal of Greenbrae, CA, 6-2, 6-2 to set up a quarterfinal match against ninth-seeded Colin Foster of Wichita, KS, on Thursday at 12:30 p.m.
Top-seed and three-time defending women’s singles champion Mariko Fritz-Krakow of San Rafael, CA, eased past San Diego’s Carolyn Kramer 6-1, 6-2 to advance to Thursday’s semifinals, where she will meet third-seeded Joanna Stewart of Bellevue, WA, at 10:30 a.m.
Second-seed and former five-time women’s singles champion Hiromi Sasano of San Diego played flawless tennis in her quarterfinal match as she blanked unseeded Amy Thompson of Redondo Beach, 6-0, 6-0. Sasano will take on unseeded Adrien Jenkins of Draper, UT, on Thursday at 10:30 a.m.
La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club welcomes tennis spectators to the tournament with free admission. On-site parking is available for a nominal fee.
Also on the agenda is the USTA National Father/Son and Grandfather/Grandson Hard Court Doubles Championships, concluding Sunday, December 7.
The Father/Son Championship has been held continuously at the La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club since 1959 and attracts the top father-and-son tennis teams in the nation. The Grandfather/Grandson Championship started at the Beach Club in 2003.
USTA Gold, Silver and Bronze balls will be awarded to first, second and third place finishers in all events. In addition, winners of the main draws will have their names inscribed on perpetual trophies.
The USTA National 40 Hard Court Championships are part of the International Tennis Federation’s World Tennis Masters Tour. The Masters Tour includes individual and team singles, doubles and mixed doubles events for five-year age increments from 30 to 90. Approximately 27,500 players worldwide, aged 30 to 90, compete in Masters Tour events each year.
