Bellis beats Glatch in Houston after 19-month layoff

CiCi Bellis, a 20-year-old San Francisco Bay Area product, defeated Alexa Glatch
6-4, 6-3 today to reach the main draw of the Oracle Challenger Series in Houston.
Bellis returned to competition after undergoing four operations during a 19-month
layoff. 2017 photo by Mal Taam

  In her first match in 19 months, CiCi Bellis defeated fellow California native Alexa Glatch 6-4, 6-3 today to advance to the main draw of the $162,480 Oracle Challenger Series on hardcourts in Houston.
   Bellis, a right-hander, underwent three operations on her right wrist and one on her right elbow during her layoff.
   The 20-year-old San Francisco native, who grew up in nearby Atherton, told reporters after today's match that nerves and rust "are going to be here for the next few tournaments. Today was pretty ugly tennis, but I'm glad I got through it. Everything is going to go up from here."
   Glatch has had an even more star-crossed career than Bellis. The 30-year-old Newport Beach native, who climbed as high as No. 102 in 2009, has had four hip operations, two knee surgeries and one wrist procedure.
   Bellis, who reached a career-high No. 35 in 2017, is scheduled to play Ellen Perez of Australia for the first time on Monday at 8 a.m. PST. Live streaming is available.
  Perez, a 24-year-old left-hander, is ranked No. 241 in singles and No. 65 in doubles. She won the biggest singles title of her career in a $60,000 tournament in Ashland, Ky., in July. But the highest-ranked player she beat was No. 200 Zoe Hives of Australia in the final, and that was by retirement.
   Perez also won her first WTA doubles title in May, teaming with Daria Gavrilova of Australia in Strasbourg, and reached the doubles round of 16 at the U.S. Open in September with Danielle Collins of St. Petersburg, Fla.
   Collins, 25, is seeded first in singles in Houston at No. 31 in the world.
   ITA National Fall Championships in Newport Beach –  Top-seeded Yuya Ito of the University of Texas beat unseeded Damon Kesaris of Saint Mary's 7-5, 3-6, 6-3 in the men's final.
   Ito won the clinching match over Petros Chrysochos in the Longhorns' 4-1 victory over Wake Forest in the NCAA final in Orlando, Fla., last May. Both Chrysochos and the Demon Deacons were defending champions. It was Texas' first NCAA team title in men's tennis.