Eleven U.S. Qualifiers Advance to the Second Round in France
May 23, 2012 | By Jessica Stiles
As the world of professional tennis awaits the start of the 2012 French Open, the qualifying tournament takes place in the day’s preceding. Players whose ranking fall just outside the top tier will compete for a chance to play in the main draw beginning Sunday, May 27. The qualifying tournament provides an opportunity for American young up and comers and well as tour veterans to make their mark.
A total of 18 American men and women competed at the start of this week’s qualifying events, with 11 of the 18 moving on to the second round. On the men’s side, 19 year-old up and comer Denis Kudla won his first round match against James Ward of Great Britain in three sets. As a former world number three junior player, Denis has shown great promise for American tennis. After suffering from an elbow injury, Robby Ginepri has tried to make his way back up the ranks in the ATP Tour. The former world number 15 will not be moving on to the next round, having been defeated by Martin Fischer of Austria. The remaining American men to move on to the next round are veteran Michael Russell, Bobby Reynolds, Jesse Levine and Alex Kuznetsov.
The women’s qualifying draw is filled with young American prospects. Apart from Jill Craybas who has 16 years of experience on WTA Tour, the rest of the eight American women are no older than 23 years of age. The youngest being 18-year-old Lauren Davis, who won her first round match against Valeria Savinykh, the 16th seeded Russian. Twenty-year-old Coco Vandeweghe also won her first round match, defeating Karin Knapp, the number three seed, from Italy. Craybas was able to use her experience on tour to defeat fellow American Gail Brodsky, so she as well will be moving on to the second round. The remaining American women to move on are Madison Brengle, Alexa Glatch and Julia Cohen.
Jessica Stiles
Intern, New York Tennis Magazine
Jessica Stiles is an intern for New York Tennis Magazine and is a player for the University of Kentucky Women's Tennis Team.
