|
Tennis fans have many reasons to get excited about the upcoming State Farm USTA Women's $50,000 Challenger professional tennis tournament.
Top local performers from Stanford University will share the court with internationally ranked athletes at the fourth annual tournament at the Los Gatos Swim and Racquet Club through July 6. And as if fans didn't have enough reasons to check out the action, admission will be free.
Thirty-two singles players and 16 doubles teams will take to the court to open the tourney, but the field will narrow to two singles players and two doubles teams for the finals on July 6. And there are plenty of U.S. women who could bring one home for the States.
Southern Californians Marissa Irvin and Meilen Tu will each be gunning for a second State Farm title. Irvin won the crown in 2001 and Tu was a winner in 2000.
At 23, Irvin is already proving she can hang with the big girls at a young age. The ex-Stanford star is currently ranked No. 81 in the world, following her third-round showing at the French Open. Tu will enter with a ranking of No. 111.
Other top U.S. performers include Ansley Cargill, 21, from Atlanta, Ga., and Tara Snyder, 26, from Houston, Texas. Cargill finished as a runner-up in the 2001 match against Irvin. She enters the competition with a world ranking of No. 90, while Snyder holds the No. 143 ranking.
Fans will also be treated to the flashy game of up-and-coming teen star Amber Liu of La Mesa, Calif. Liu was awarded the tournament's wildcard and will be looking to provide an encore after winning the NCAA singles title as a freshman at Stanford.
|