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Jamie Loeb, 19, routed second-seeded An-Sophie
Mestach of Belgium 6-1, 6-2 to reach the quarter-
finals of the Gold River Women's Challenger.
Photo by Paul Bauman |
GOLD RIVER, Calif. -- Jamie Loeb might be one-and-done.
Louisa Chirico took it one step further, turning professional two months ago out of high school.
Both New York-area residents ousted high seeds today to reach the
quarterfinals of the $50,000 FSP Gold River Women's Challenger.
Loeb, 19, of Ossining, N.Y., whipped second-seeded An-Sophie Mestach of
Belgium 6-1, 6-2 in a match that actually lasted 1 hour, 32 minutes at the Gold River Racquet Club in the Sacramento
area.
Chirico, an 18-year-old resident of Harrison, N.Y.,
topped fourth-seeded Nicole Gibbs, a former Stanford star from Marina
del Rey in the Los Angeles area, 7-6 (2), 4-6, 6-1 on a 92-degree (33.3 Celsius) day.
Also today, 5-foot-3
(1.61-meter) Danielle Lao, a 23-year-old former USC All-American, routed
6-foot-2 (1.88-meter) Samantha Crawford, 19, of Tamarac, Fla., 6-4,
6-1. Crawford won the 2012 U.S. Open girls title and reached the
semifinals of the inaugural Gold River Challenger earlier that year.
Loeb, who has trained at the Manhattan-based John McEnroe Tennis Academy
for the past four years, led North Carolina to a runner-up finish in
the NCAA Championships in May as a freshman. Ranked No. 1 in singles,
Loeb reached the NCAA quarterfinals before losing to eventual runner-up
Lynn Chi of Cal.
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Louisa Chirico, 18, defeated fourth-seeded Nicole
Gibbs, a former Stanford star, 7-6 (2), 4-6, 6-1. |
The 5-foot-6 (1.68-meter) Loeb, a girls
singles quarterfinalist at Wimbledon last year, said she'll decide
whether to return to North Carolina based on her results in pro
tournaments this summer. For the Tar Heels, today's victory was not
encouraging.
Loeb, who played Mestach for the first time,
attributed her lopsided win to a scouting report by USTA coaches at the
tournament.
The keys, Loeb said, were to "attack the forehand
and hit body serves to jam her. She either missed the return or I got an
easy ball. I also tried to use my variety and step up when I had the
chance and drive the ball."
Mestach, ranked No. 167 in the
world at 20 years old, has a huge windup on her forehand and can pound
the ball -- if it's in her strike zone.
"Her forehand is a weapon," Loeb conceded, "but any high forehands or backhands were weaknesses."
Mestach, who lists grass as her favorite surface, said her 2-hour,
52-minute marathon against American Allie Will less than 24 hours
earlier had no effect on today's outcome.
"I'm just not playing well at the moment," she lamented before rushing off for a two-hour practice.
Loeb is coached by Felix Alvarado from McEnroe's academy but said she
has hit with the 55-year-old legend "quite a bit" and played five or six
practice sets against him.
"I haven't won yet," Loeb noted.
McEnroe apparently is as fiery as ever. In an observation that rivals the
sun rising in the east and setting in the west for news value, Loeb said
McEnroe "doesn't like to lose. He gets upset if he loses a point."
Chirico, a girls singles semifinalist at the French Open and Wimbledon
last year, had little trouble deciding to turn pro rather than attend
Stanford or Duke.
"It was always something I wanted to do,"
said Chirico, wearing a small Wimbledon necklace. "My parents wanted me
to wait until I finished my junior year to decide. It was in my heart,
and it has all worked out."
Chirico already has risen to No.
250. In her last two tournaments before the Gold River Challenger, she
won the title in Padova, Italy, and reached the final in Lenzerheide,
Switzerland, in back-to-back $25,000 Challengers last month on red clay,
her favorite surface.
Chirico, 5-foot-9 (1.75 meters),
displayed power and athleticism against Gibbs, only 5-foot-6 (1.68
meters) and 130 pounds (59 kilograms).
"I stayed really solid
when I needed to," Chirico said. "I needed to cut down on errors and
make more first serves. That's what I did, and I think that was the
difference."
Although Gibbs is ranked a career-high No. 145,
she fell apart in the third set and was beside herself with frustration.
Gibbs struggled with her serve, getting broken all four times, and
hardly could hit a ball in the court. By the last game, she could only
laugh at her ineptitude.
"We both had a lot of trouble
serving," said Gibbs, who turned pro last summer after winning her
second straight NCAA singles title as a junior. "It was a back-and-forth
match. Early in the third set, I felt my strings were going to break,
that the tension was off. I switched rackets and then switched back and
couldn't get any rhythm. I was hitting everything out."
Gibbs said her goal is to crack the top 100 but admitted that "it will take a much better effort than today."
$50,000 FSP GOLD RIVER WOMEN'S CHALLENGER
At Gold River Racquet Club
In Gold River, Calif.
Second-round singles
Julia Boserup (7), United States, def. Jennifer Elie, United States, 7-5, 6-2.
Danielle Lao, United States, def. Samantha Crawford, United States, 6-4, 6-1.
Nao Hibino (8), Japan, def. Laura Pigossi, Brazil, 6-1, 6-2.
Madison Brengle (3), United States, def. Storm Sanders, Australia, 7-5, 6-1.
Sachia Vickery (6), United States, def. Chiara Scholl, United States, 6-1, 6-0.
Louisa Chirico, United States, def. Nicole Gibbs (4), United States, 7-6 (2), 4-6, 6-1.
Jamie Loeb, United States, def. An-Sophie Mestach (2), Belgium, 6-1, 6-2.
Olivia Rogowska (1), Australia, def. Peggy Porter, United States, 7-6 (5), 6-3.
Doubles quarterfinals
Jacqueline Cako and Danielle Lao (3), United States, def. Jessica
Lawrence, United States, and Alina Soltanici, Moldova, 6-2, 6-3.
Daria Gavrilova, Russia, and Storm Sanders, Australia, def. Samantha Crawford and Sachia Vickery, United States, 6-3, 6-3.
Thursday's schedule
(Starting at 1 p.m.)
Stadium
Olivia Rogowska (1), Australia, vs. Sachia Vickery (6), United States.
Nao Hibino (8), Japan, vs. Jamie Loeb, United States.
Julia Boserup (7), United States, vs. Louisa Chirico, United States (6:30 p.m.).
Jamie Loeb and Allie Will, United States, vs. Maria Sanchez and Zoe Scandalis, United States.
Court 3
Madison Brengle (3), United States, vs. Danielle Lao, United States.
Macall Harkins and Peggy Porter, United States, vs. Natalie Pluskota and Keri Wong (2), United States.
