Queens Native Jennifer Elie Earns Wild Card Into U.S. Open Qualifiers

August 25, 2015 | By Long Island Tennis Magazine Staff
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The USTA has announced that 28-year-old Jennifer Elie of Queens, N.Y. and 32-year-old Jesse Witten of Naples, Fla. won the 2015 U.S. Open National Playoffs–Women’s and Men’s Singles Championships to earn wild cards into the U.S. Open Qualifying Tournament. The Playoffs were held Aug. 21-24, in New Haven, Conn., in conjunction with the Connecticut Open, presented by United Technologies, the final Emirates Airline U.S. Open Series women’s event of the summer.

The 2015 U.S. Open Qualifying Tournament will be held at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, N.Y., the home of the U.S. Open.

Elie defeated University of Virginia standout Julia Elbaba of Oyster Bay, N.Y., in a three-and-a-half-hour match, 6-4, 4-6, 7-5. Elie won the U.S. Open National Playoffs USTA Middle States sectional qualifier in New Jersey this year to advance to New Haven and also won the Middle States title last year. She has been a consistent player on the USTA Pro Circuit and in ITF-level events, winning two ITF singles titles in 2012 in Caracas, Venezuela, and five USTA Pro Circuit/ITF-level doubles titles, including one title this year in Australia. Elie has a career win over Sloane Stephens, at the $50,000 USTA Pro Circuit event in Lexington, Ky., in 2011, and has ranked in the Top 300 in both singles and doubles. She is currently ranked 654th in the world and has never competed in the U.S. Open. 

Witten defeated top seed Matija Pecotic of Croatia, 7-6(4), 7-6(3) in the men’s final. This year, Witten won both the U.S. Open National Playoffs USTA Southern Men’s Singles and Men’s Doubles Titles to advance to New Haven. In 2014, he won the USONP USTA New England singles title, and in 2013, he won the USONP USTA Florida mixed-doubles title with his sister, Sarah. Witten peaked at 163rd in the world in early 2010 and has played on the USTA Pro Circuit periodically over the past few years, winning his first title in four years in June 2013 at the $10,000 Futures in Indian Harbour Beach, Fla. He posted the best Grand Slam result of his career at the 2009 U.S. Open, qualifying and knocking off two Top 100 players before falling to Novak Djokovic in four sets in the third round. Witten also played in the 2006 U.S. Open. He is a former University of Kentucky standout, reaching the NCAA singles final in 2002, and is ranked 868th in the world.

There were 1,154 players (762 men and 392 women) who competed in the sixth year of the U.S. Open National Playoffs in singles, playing in one of 14 Sectional Qualifying Tournaments held throughout the U.S. The U.S. Open National Playoffs are designed to bring the spirit of the U.S. Open to cities and sections across the country, making the U.S. Open eligible to anyone and everyone 14 and over with the passion to compete, regardless of playing ability or nationality.

The 2015 U.S. Open National Playoffs–Men’s and Women’s Doubles Championship will take place in New Haven, Aug. 25-28, with 15 men’s teams and 16 women’s teams competing. This was the first year that men’s and women’s doubles was a part of the U.S. Open National Playoffs. The winning teams will receive a main draw wild card into the 2015 U.S. Open Men’s and Women’s Doubles Tournament, beginning Sept. 1 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

The 2015 US Open National Playoffs–Mixed Doubles Championship will take place in New Haven, Aug. 26-29, with 16 teams competing. The winning team will receive a main draw wild card into the 2015 U.S. Open Mixed-Doubles Tournament, which begin on Sept. 2.

The U.S. Open National Playoffs–Men’s Doubles Championship field includes (player, age, hometown and sectional qualifying tournament):

The U.S. Open National Playoffs–Women’s Doubles Championship field includes (player, age, hometown and sectional qualifying tournament):

The U.S. Open National Playoffs–Mixed-Doubles Championship field includes (player, age, hometown and sectional qualifying tournament):


Long Island Tennis Magazine Staff
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