First round matches for boys and girls will be played primarily on Monday with 11 of 16 in the Girls Draw and 10 of 16 on the Boys side. The remaining first round matches will be played Tuesday morning with first round doubles action commencing on Tuesday afternoon. Both Main Draws are loaded with talent. The Boys cutoff for position 23 on the draw has been 165 and the first 10 places are world top 100. In the Girls Draw the cutoff at position 24 has been 191 and the draw features 10 players in the top 120. This means top matchups from day 1.
The girls started first on Monday morning with 10 matches, and one to go in night play as the local Valentina OBREGON takes on second seed Margaret SOHNS of USA. Most first round matches so far have been highly entertaining with top quality tennis. Five of the 10 girls matches went to 3 sets and there was only 1 lopsided score where number 1 seed Welles NEWMAN of USA dispatched Hanne ESTRADA of Mexico by 6-2, 6-1. The other Mexican player Marianne ANGEL did well against the Czech Sara OLIVERIUSOVA winning 6-3, 6-2. A very entertaining match took place on court 4 where Janae PRESTON of USA beat back the tough Canadian Clemence MERCIER who plays an unusual serve and volley game, going to net often. It is beautiful classic tennis that is not often seen at this level. But PRESTON prevailed 6-2, 4-6, 6-1. Two seeded players went down as Czech Lucie SLAMENIKOVA ousted Yael SAFFAR of USA seeded 6th by 6-4, 6-4, and another Czech Katerina ZAJICKOVA bested American Thara GOWDA seeded 5 by 6-4, 6-4 as well.
On the Boys side, top seed Alvaro FRUTOS ALONSO of Paraguay beat back Wild Card Victor PIGNATON of Brazil by a 7-5, 6-0 score. Of the 9 matches played during the afternoon 6 went down in straight sets and 3 went to 3 sets. The toughest match of the day was played out on Court 8 between William MOXON of GBR ranked 114 and Zavier AUGUSTIN of USA ranked 150. The American pulled it out 2-6, 6-4, 7-5 in a thriller. In another 3 setter William MCEWAN of USA, coming out of the Qualy and ranked 316, was able to subdue Czech Jan PSOTA ranked 147 by 4-6, 6-0, 6-4 in what is probably the upset of the day. Another top match was between Slovak Marko BEKENI ranked 110 against Lenny PETIT of Monaco, ranked 87. The player from Slovakia prevailed 5-7, 6-1, 6-3. Tennis fans here lament to see such talented players go out in the first round, but such is the life of a tennis player.
