Ahn beats Volynets, 17, in San Jose qualies

Kristie Ahn, a 27-year-old Stanford grad-
uate, slugs a backhand in the semifinals
of the $60,000 Berkeley Tennis Club Chal-
lenge last Saturday. Photo by Paul Bauman

   Fifth-seeded Kristie Ahn, a 27-year-old Stanford graduate from Englewood Cliffs, N.J., beat Katie Volynets, a 17-year-old wild card from Walnut Creek in the San Francisco Bay Area, 7-5, 6-0 today in the first round of qualifying for the Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic at San Jose State.
   Ahn, a semifinalist in last week's $60,000 Berkeley Tennis Club Challenge, will face former Pacific-12 Conference rival Danielle Lao, a 28-year-old resident of Arcadia in the Los Angeles area, on Sunday at about 2 p.m. for a berth in the main draw.
   Lao, a 5-foot-2 1/2 (1.59-meter), 115-pound (52.2-kilogram) former USC All-American, topped Mai Hontama of Japan 3-6, 6-4, 6-3.
   Mayo Hibi, who plays for her native Japan but has lived in California since she was 2, drubbed Jovana Jaksic, a Serb living in Sacramento, 6-1, 6-0 in 69 minutes.
   Hibi, the Berkeley runner-up, will face second-seeded Xiyu Wang of China. Wang dominated Ashley Kratzer, the runner-up in the 2017 Stockton (Calif.) Challenger, 6-3, 6-1.
   Phenom beats ex-Cal standout – Top-seeded Cori Gauff, a 15-year-old sensation from Delray Beach, Fla., returned to action with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Maegan Manasse, a former Cal All-American from Redondo Beach in the Los Angeles region, in the first round of qualifying for the Citi Open in Washington, D.C.
   Gauff competed for the first time since becoming the youngest player to reach the round of 16 at Wimbledon since Jennifer Capriati in 1991.
   Bryan brothers reach final – Top-seeded Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan outclassed fourth-seeded Radu Albot of Moldova and Artem Sitak, a Russia native who plays for New Zealand, 7-5, 6-3 in the semifinals of the BB&T Atlanta Open.
   The 41-year-old Bryan twins (Stanford, 1997-98), two-time Atlanta champions, will play second-seeded Dominic Inglot of Great Britain and Austin Krajicek of Bryan, Texas, on Sunday.
   Krajicek reached the singles final in the 2015 Aptos (Calif.) Challenger, losing to John Millman of Australia.
   Cal player falls in pro doubles final – Unseeded Sanaz Marand and Caitlin Whoriskey of the United States defeated wild cards Vladica Babic, a former Oklahoma State All-American from Montenegro, and Julia Rosenqvist, a Cal junior from Sweden, 7-6 (4), 6-4 to win the Braidy Industries $60,000 Women's Tennis Classic in Ashland, Ky.

Harris thrives, Brengle survives in windy Stockton finals

Fourth-seeded Lloyd Harris, right, of South Africa beat eighth-seeded
Marc Polmans of Australia 6-2, 6-2 today to win the $100,000 Stockton
(Calif.) Pro Open. Photo by Paul Bauman

   Note to readers: If you enjoy my coverage of Northern California tennis, please donate on my homepage. Even $5 or $10 will help. Here's why I need your support. Thank you.
   STOCKTON, Calif. — Lloyd Harris didn't just beat Marc Polmans today.
   Harris also defeated Mother Nature, quite a feat considering all the damage she is doing around the world with increasing frequency.
   The 6-foot-5 (1.96-meter) South African continued his remarkable rise this year with a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Australia's Polmans in a matchup of 21-year-old friends to win the $100,000 Stockton Pro Open.
   Despite wind gusts that plagued the final for the second consecutive year at the University of the Pacific's Eve Zimmerman Tennis Center, Harris held serve throughout the match.
   "Before the match, I knew it was going to be tricky, so I just got myself in a positive mindset to expect anything and very difficult points," the fourth-seeded Harris said. "I was just mentally ready for it to be very difficult out there. I found my game somehow in the wind, and that was just amazing for me."

   Top-seeded Madison Brengle of Dover, Del., won the women's $60,000 tournament, topping unseeded Danielle Lao of Arcadia in the Los Angeles area 7-5, 7-6 (10). Lao, only 5-foot-2 1/2 (1.59 meters) and 115 pounds (52.2 kilograms), had one set point in the first set and four in the second-set tiebreaker.

Lloyd Harris held his serve throughout the final, saving
three break points against him. Photo by Paul Bauman

   Harris defeated Polmans for the first time in three career matches and pocketed $14,400 for the second and biggest Challenger title of his career. He won a $75,000 tournament in Lexington, Ky., in August and reached the final of the $100,000 Aptos (Calif.) Challenger the following week.
   Two weeks after Aptos, Harris qualified for a Grand Slam tournament in only his third attempt, losing in the first round of the U.S. Open to veteran Gilles Simon in straight sets.
   Harris last week qualified for a tournament on the ATP World Tour, the major leagues of men's tennis, for the third time and shocked Gael Monfils in the opening round in Chengdu, China, for his first ATP victory. Harris then lost to eventual champion Bernard Tomic in a third-set tiebreaker.
   Both Simon and Monfils are Frenchmen who have been ranked as high as No. 6.
   With the Stockton title, Harris rose eight places to a career-high No. 113, up from No. 340 on Feb. 26. Polmans, who collected $8,480, almost has mirrored Harris' year. Ranked No. 323 at the beginning of 2018, he improved 14 spots to a career-high No. 147 by reaching the Stockton final.
   The eighth-seeded Polmans lost his serve in the opening game of each set, the first time when Harris returned a second delivery with an explosive passing shot and the second time on a double fault.
   "Those first games in the first and second set were pretty crucial to try to get in front on the scoreboard and maybe put a bit more pressure on him," admitted Polmans, who moved from his native South Africa to Australia when he was 10. "I think that was a very important key to the match. Hopefully next time I can come out with a better start, and that's something I've got to improve on."

Top-seeded Madison Brengle topped unseeded
Danielle Lao 7-5, 7-6 (10) in an all-American
final. Photo by Paul Bauman

   Harris also broke for 5-2 in the first set when Polmans netted a backhand and for 4-1 in the second set on another big return of a second serve.
   "I definitely played the important points very well, and I think I served a lot better than him in the wind," said Harris, who lost his serve only once in his five matches during the week. "Those were some of the keys to my success today."
   Harris won 71 percent of the points on his second serve (17 of 24) to only 37 percent (7 of 19) for the 6-foot-2 (1.88-meter) Polmans and saved all three break points against him.
   "Lloyd had a really good day today," conceded Polmans, who reached the doubles semifinals in the 2017 Australian Open with Aussie Andrew Whittington and won a preposterous 24 consecutive singles matches (mostly at the lower Futures level) in Australia early this year. "He was returning well and wasn't giving me too many cheap points. It just came down to a few points, and Lloyd was able to play a lot better on the big points. It was still a great week, so I'm not too disappointed."
   Of today's four singles finalists, Harris was the only one who didn't struggle in the wind. The women's final featured 15 service breaks, including six straight entering the second-set tiebreaker.
   The 5-foot-6 (1.68-meter) Brengle converted her second match point when Lao, who had taken a medical timeout for a lower back problem early in the second set, sliced a backhand long.

Danielle Lao wore down after a tough
trip to the final. Photo by Paul Bauman

 Brengle, 28, was much fresher than Lao, 27, for the final.
   After beating Ulrikke Eikeri of Norway 6-4, 7-5 in the first round, Brengle averaged only 68 minutes on the court in her three matches before the final.
   Lao, meanwhile, spent 4 hours, 42 minutes on the court on Thursday alone in two victories after  her first-round match, scheduled for Wednesday, had been postponed by rain.
   Lao then routed 16-year-old phenom Whitney Osuigwe 6-2, 6-0 in 1 hour, 30 minutes on Friday and ousted second-seeded Jessica Pegula 1-6, 6-2, 6-2 in 1 hour, 57 minutes on Saturday.
   "I'm a little banged up right now," Lao, a former USC All-American nicknamed the "Little Giant," admitted after the final. "I think the first day with two matches started to add up, and yesterday night after the tough Pegula match, my back was stiffening up. Thankfully, it loosened up during warmup, but playing in the wind, you reach for a lot of shots, and it stiffened up midway through. Playing someone like Madison, I don't think you can have anything like that limit you, especially when you have to move and adjust a lot in these tough conditions. It's unfortunate, but it's part of the sport."
   Brengle, who improved to 2-1 against Lao, refused to talk to a reporter who had asked about her lawsuit against the WTA and International Tennis Federation on Wednesday. After initially declining to discuss the matter with the reporter, she cooperated and then complained to the tournament supervisor.

Madison Brengle won her third ITF singles title this year and
the 13th of her career. Photo by Paul Bauman

   Brengle, ranked a career-high No. 35 in 2015, rose seven notches to No. 88. She earned $9,119 for her third ITF singles title this year and the 13th of her career.
   Lao, who has qualified for the last two U.S. Opens, improved 24 places to No. 194, one spot below her career high last year. She received $4,863 after appearing in her first final above a $25,000 tournament.
   "New territory," Lao said. "Hopefully I can do a little better next time."
   In the women's doubles final, Hayley Carter of Hilton Head, S.C., and Ena Shibahara of Rancho Palos Verdes in the Los Angeles region edged Quinn Gleason of Mendon, N.Y., and Luisa Stefani of Brazil 7-5, 5-7 [10-7]. Both teams were unseeded.
   Here are the completed Stockton men's singles and doubles draws and women's singles and doubles draws.
   Here are the singles qualifying and main draws, doubles draw and Monday's schedule in the $100,000 Northbay Healthcare Men's Pro Championship at Solano Community College in Fairfield, Calif. The tournament is being streamed live.

Stockton finals to feature childhood friends, little Lao

No. 4 seed Lloyd Harris of South Africa beat No. 1 seed
Jordan Thompson of Australia in the semifinals of the
Stockton (Calif.) Pro Open. Photo by Paul Bauman

   Note to readers: If you enjoy my coverage of Northern California tennis, please donate on my homepage. Even $5 or $10 will help. Here's why I need your support. Thank you.
   STOCKTON, Calif. — Even though Lloyd Harris is from South Africa and Marc Polmans plays for Australia, the 21-year-olds became friends as kids.
   Polmans was born in South Africa and lived there until moving to Australia at age 10.
   "We grew up playing together," Polmans said today. "We played all through the under-8s and under-10s. We were always the two who took tennis the most seriously, so we were always practicing together and going to tournaments together. Our parents know each other very well. He's a very close family friend."
   Harris, seeded fourth, and Polmans, seeded eighth, will meet for the singles title on Sunday at 11 a.m. in the $100,000 Stockton Pro Open at the University of the Pacific's Eve Zimmerman Tennis Center.
   In the singles final of the Stockton Women's $60K, top-seeded Madison Brengle will play tiny fellow American Danielle Lao, who's unseeded, after the 10:30 a.m. doubles final.
   Harris and Polmans have more in common than their age. Both overcame deficits in the semifinals and have soared in the rankings this year with impressive feats, including their first Challenger singles title. The primary difference between them is size and power. At 6-foot-5 (1.96 meters), Harris is three inches (7.6 centimeters) taller than Polmans.
   Harris beat top-seeded Jordan Thompson of Australia 7-6 (6), 6-2 on a windy day, gaining confidence after rallying from two mini-breaks down at 2-5 in the tiebreaker and saving two set points in the set.
  "I felt like I really stepped up in the second set," said Harris, who took a medical timeout after the first set after tearing skin on his left foot by running through his shoe. "I started playing a lot more aggressive, going for bigger forehands and serving a lot bigger, a lot better. I think that really pulled me over."

No. 8 seed Marc Polmans of Australia
eliminated unseeded Maxime Janvier of
France. Photo by Paul Bauman

   Harris hammered 15 aces to two for the 6-foot (1.83-meter) Thompson, won 81 percent of the points on his first serve (39 of 48) and saved all five break points against him.
   "I served really big, and I hit some really big shots off the ground, and maybe that was the key," said Harris, whose serve has been clocked at more than 136 mph (220 kph).
   Thompson has dropped from a career-high No. 63 in February 2017 to No. 106 after having his tonsils removed last last year. He stunned top-ranked Andy Murray in the first round of a Wimbledon tune-up tournament in June last year.
   Polmans eliminated unseeded Maxime Janvier of France 6-1, 6-4, coming back from 0-3 (one service break) in the second set.
   "I don't think I was doing too much wrong," Polmans said of the deficit. "He came out smoking a few winners off my serve, and I think he came out with a slightly different game plan for the second set. He started ripping as much as he could and coming forward, and it took me a bit by surprise. I tried to adjust and was able to get the break back in the second."

   Janvier, a 6-foot-4 (1.93-meter) right-hander, took a medical timeout after holding serve for 4-3 in the second set to have his right forearm treated. He also took one for a left-foot problem during his quarterfinal victory over 2017 runner-up Darian King of Barbados on Friday. Janvier, 21, did not appear hindered by either issue against Polmans.
   Janvier survived 32 aces by second-seeded Reilly Opelka, a 6-foot-11 (2.11-meter) American, in the first round and four match points against King.
   Polmans is 2-0 against Harris with victories in the final of two hardcourt Futures tournaments in Africa in 2016.
   Harris has skyrocketed from No. 340 in the world on Feb. 26 to No. 121. In three consecutive Challengers over the summer, he won the title in $75,000 Lexington (Ky.), reached the final in $100,000 Aptos (Calif.) and advanced to the quarterfinals in $100,000 Vancouver (British Columbia).
   Harris then qualified for a Grand Slam tournament in only his third attempt, losing in the first round of the U.S. Open. Harris last week shocked Gael Monfils, ranked No. 38 after reaching a career-high No. 6 in 2016, in the first round as a qualifier in Chengdu, China, for his first main-draw victory on the ATP World Tour, the major leagues of men's tennis. Harris then lost to eventual champion Bernard Tomic in a third-set tiebreaker.

   "I'm just working hard regardless on a match day or not, just putting in some extra hours on and off the court," Harris said of his rise. "If it's fitness or mobility or taking better care of my body, I feel like I'm just doing everything a little bit better this year, working on my game and really trying to make some improvements all the time, and that's paid off."

Tiny Danielle Lao rallied to beat fellow American
Jessica Pegula, seeded No. 2. Photo by Paul Bauman

   When he's not playing in a tournament, Harris said he practices for five hours, then does fitness work for 60 to 90 minutes and lifts weights for 30 to 40 minutes.
   Polmans said he moved to Australia with his family — his father, Gavin, is a financial planner, and mother, Nicola, stays at home — for "many reasons. The lifestyle was obviously a lot better in Australia. It's much safer, and the economy is a lot better. Also, the tennis system is a lot wealthier. They have a Grand Slam, so it's a very wealthy country for tennis. When I was young, it was better for schooling as well."
   Polmans reached the Australian Open doubles semifinals last year with Aussie Andrew Whittington and won a preposterous 24 consecutive singles matches in Australia early this year. He claimed the title in the $75,000 Launceston Challenger and three Futures tournaments and advanced to the final of another Futures tourney.
   The streak has helped Polmans cut his singles ranking almost exactly in half, from No. 323 to No. 161, in 2018.
   When asked what his biggest strength is, Polmans replied: "Just compete for every point and make points tough because I don't have the biggest weapons out there. I have to work my opponent from side to side. I have to rely on making points physical. In the future, I hope to play a bigger game style because I think that will be more successful at the next level."
   Polmans is immediately recognizable by his legionnaire's cap, popularized by Ivan Lendl during his International Tennis Hall of Fame career.
   "I've worn it ever since I was 8 years old," Polmans said. "It feels very normal, and I cannot play without it because I don't like the feeling of the sun on my neck. In Australia, the sun is very dangerous. ... It's cool to bring the tradition back."
   Lao, only 5-foot-2 1/2 (1.59 meters) and 115 pounds (52.2 kilograms), beat second seed and countrywoman Jessica Pegula, whose parents own the Buffalo Bills of the NFL and Buffalo Sabres of the NHL, 1-6, 6-2, 6-2.
   "She was playing some of the best tennis I've ever seen in the first set," said Lao, 27, of Arcadia in the Los Angeles area. "She kind of knew where my shots were going to go, and when I pressed her, she came up with a winner.

No. 1 seed Madison Brengle of Dover, Del.,
crushed No. 3 seed Sofya Zhuk, an 18-year-
old Russian, 6-1, 6-1. Photo by Paul Bauman 

   "I took a bathroom break to walk it out a little bit. I think my energy level picked up a bit in the second set, and maybe I found a little opening on her. She had a couple more errors than she did in the first — she played nearly perfect tennis in the first set — and I just capitalized, and maybe she brought her game down a little bit. That's all it takes out here."
   Lao's first-round match, scheduled for Wednesday, was postponed by rain. She played twice on Thursday, edging U.S. veteran Sanaz Marand 6-0, 2-6, 7-6 (4) in 3 hours, 1 minute and upsetting fourth-seeded Marie Bouzkova of the Czech Republic 6-3, 6-3 in 1 hour, 41 minutes.
   Lao, a former USC All-American who has qualified for the last two U.S. Opens, relies on intelligence, mental toughness and quickness.
   "I think it's just accepting that I will not hit harder than (bigger players), so I need to find other ways to play a point that I want," said the 218th-ranked Lao, nicknamed "The Little Giant." "Maybe it's a little change in pace, maybe it's with accuracy, and sometimes it's with my foot speed. It just depends on the player and the day. Altogether, it's a mind game. It's about me extracting a strategy that I want to implement and just executing it."
   Brengle, 28, of Dover, Del., crushed third-seeded Sofya Zhuk, an 18-year-old Russian, 6-1, 6-1 in 66 minutes. Zhuk won the Wimbledon girls singles title three years ago.
   Brengle has tumbled from a career-high No. 35 in 2015 to No. 95. The 5-foot-6 (1.68-meter) right-hander is suing the WTA and International Tennis Federation for requiring an anti-doping blood test in 2016 that she says continues to cause severe pain in her right forearm and hand.
   Brengle, who reached the fourth round of the 2015 Australian Open and beat Serena Williams in 2017, and Lao have split two career matches. In their last meeting, Brengle won 6-4, 6-7 (9), 6-3 in the quarterfinals of the $50,000 Sacramento Challenger in 2014.
   "She really knows how to play the game," Lao said. "She's seen a lot of tennis, and she's super-accurate. She reads matches and players really well. She's a really smart player. She's open to making adjustments and the right adjustments. I think that's what makes her the toughest. She can play a lot of different ways. She's going to compete hard, too."

   In today's men's doubles final, unseeded Darian King of Barbados and Noah Rubin of Long Island, N.Y., beat top-seeded Sanchai Ratiwatana of Thailand and Christopher Rungkat of Indonesia 6-3, 6-4. King and Rubin split $6,200, and Ratiwatana and Rungkat shared $3,600.

   Sunday's ticket prices are $25 for courtside/VIP, $20 for general admission and $10 for children 5-12.

   Here are the Stockton men's singles and doubles draws and Sunday's schedule, plus the women's singles and doubles draws and Sunday's schedule. The men's singles final will be streamed live.

   Here are the singles qualifying and main draws and Sunday's schedule in the $100,000 Northbay Healthcare Men's Pro Championship at Solano Community College in Fairfield, Calif.

Date-Krumm, 44, gains Stockton Challenger semis

Kimiko Date-Krumm, 44, overcame a slow start
to rout wild card Danielle Lao in the quarterfinals.
Photo by Paul Bauman

   STOCKTON, Calif. -- Talk about a turnaround ...
   Danielle Lao won the first three games, breaking serve twice and winning nine straight points, against 44-year-old Kimiko Date-Krumm on Friday in the quarterfinals of the $50,000 USTA Pro Circuit Challenger.
   But Date-Krumm took the next nine games and 12 of the last 14 in a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Lao, a wild card, at the University of the Pacific.
   "She's probably been on the tour longer than I've been alive," said Lao, a 24-year-old former USC All-American from Pasadena. "Her experience probably got me today. ...
   "I've known of Kimiko for a long time and never for a second underestimated her. A 3-0 lead is not much out here. She stopped missing. She got a little more patient. She definitely found her range and was dictating play. She played quite well and saw the ball early, better than I did. Out here, that can be huge."
   In today's semifinals beginning at 11 a.m., Date-Krumm will face top-seeded An-Sophie Mestach of Belgium, and fifth-seeded Nao Hibino of Japan will play unseeded American Sanaz Marand.
   Lao, known as the "Little Giant" at 5-foot-3 (1.61 meters) and 120 pounds (54 kilograms), was coming off the title in the Baton Rouge Challenger in late June.
   Date-Krumm, a native of Japan who's married to a German race car driver Michael Krumm, is about the same size at 5-foot-4 (1.63 meters) and 117 pounds (53 kilograms).
   "My coach told me she's a little bit tricky and has no big weapons but a good slice and can take the pace (off the ball)," said Date-Krumm, a three-time Grand Slam semifinalist who reached No. 4 in the world 20 years ago but retired at 26 for 12 years. "If the opponent is not hitting very hard to me, it's very difficult for me to control the ball because always I'm using the other player's power. It's difficult to make the power from myself.
   "In the beginning (of the match), I tried to slice back but doesn't work. She has a small confidence. After three games, I tried to hit harder. I needed to use my legs more and don't push the ball, just hit it. I needed to adjust very much."

Melanie Oudin, a sentimental favorite like Date-Krumm, was out-
classed by fellow American Sanaz Marand. Photo by Paul Bauman

   During Date-Krumm's streak, Lao came within a fraction of an inch of breaking serve in the last game of the first set. On break point for Lao, Date-Krumm ripped a backhand down the line that smacked the tape and plopped over the net. Date-Krumm went on to hold serve for the set.
   "To be honest, I thought all the net cords were quite huge," Lao said. "She had quite a few. Every time it hit the net, it seemed to dribble over.
   "I'm not going to get mad at her. She didn't mean it, and I didn't want it to happen, either, so it's bad luck."
   Melanie Oudin, a sentimental favorite like Date-Krumm, also started slowly. But the 23-year-old Atlanta-area resident never recovered in a 6-2, 6-2 loss to American Sanaz Marand.
   Oudin, a 2009 U.S. Open quarterfinalist and the 2011 mixed doubles champion (with Jack Sock) at Flushing Meadows, was playing in only her third tournament since undergoing two procedures for an accelerated heartbeat and having a growth removed from her left eye.
   Oudin also announced in November 2013 that she was suffering from a debilitating muscle condition. She declined an interview request immediately after Friday's match and left without talking to reporters.
   Mestach, 21, topped seventh-seeded Mayo Hibi, a 19-year-old Irvine resident who plays for her native Japan, 7-5, 7-5. Hibi won the 2013 Sacramento Challenger.
   Mestach, ranked No. 111, is 2-0 against No. 198 Date-Krumm, who retired in both matches with injuries.
   Hibino, 20, routed Amandine Hesse of France 6-1, 6-2.
   Hibino is ranked No. 173, and Marand, a 27-year-old left-hander and former North Carolina All-American, is No. 270.
   Marand, however, crushed Hibino in their only meeting 6-1, 6-0 in the second round of qualifying at Quebec City last September on the elite WTA tour.   

$50,000 USTA PRO CIRCUIT CHALLENGER

At University of the Pacific in Stockton

Singles quarterfinals

   Nao Hibino (5), Japan, def. Amandine Hesse, France, 6-1, 6-2.
   Kimiko Date-Krumm, Japan, def. Danielle Lao, United States, 6-3, 6-2.

   Sanaz Marand, United States, def. Melanie Oudin, United States, 6-2, 6-2.

   An-Sophie Mestach (1), Belgium, def. Mayo Hibi (7), Japan, 7-5, 7-5.  

Doubles semifinals

   Kaitlyn Christian and Danielle Lao, United States, def. Naomi Broady, Great Britain, and Amandine Hess (2), France, 6-1, 6-3.

   Jamie Loeb and Sanaz Marand (4), United States, def. Nao Hibino, Japan, and Emily Webley-Smith, Great Britain, 7-5, 2-6 [10-8]. 

  Today's schedule
(Starting at 11 a.m.)

Stadium

   Nao Hibino (5), Japan, vs. Sanaz Marand, United States.

   An-Sophie Mestach (1), Belgium, vs. Kimiko Date-Krumm, Japan.

   Jamie Loeb and Sanaz Marand (4), United States, vs. Kaitlyn Christian and Danielle Lao, United States.

Little Lao has the write stuff

Danielle Lao, 5-foot-3 (1.61 meters) and 120 pounds (54 kilo-
grams), has published an e-book about her four years at USC.

   Danielle Lao has been a pro for less than a year, but she already has published a book.
   Lao collaborated with Atlanta free-lance writer Rick Limpert on "The Invaluable Experience," released last December as a self-published e-book on Amazon. The 80-page work chronicles Lao's four years at USC, where she earned All-America honors in singles in 2012 and 2013.
   "It was the best experience of my life," the 5-foot-3 (1.61-meter), 120-pound (54-kilogram) Lao said last week after defeating 6-foot-2 (1.88-meter) Samantha Crawford to reach the quarterfinals of the $50,000 FSP Gold River Women's Challenger in the Sacramento area. "I started blogging about all the great things I learned not only about tennis but life in general. I was sad that college was ending, and (Limpert) found it and wanted to turn it into a book."
   Asked what she learned at USC, the 23-year-old Pasadena product said: "Life is a marathon, not a sprint. You have to be able to face the music — that's a term I like to use — whether it's on the tennis court or dealing with people you love."
   Lao elaborated on her pet phrase.
   "You don't need things to be perfect," she explained. "It's about finding a way to maximize what you have on that day instead of complaining about what's wrong. It's not being afraid of failing."
   Maybe Crawford, 19, should read Lao's book. The 2012 U.S. Open girls champion and a semifinalist at the inaugural Gold River Challenger that year, Crawford grew frustrated by her repeated errors against Lao and stopped chasing balls in the second set of her 6-4, 6-1 loss.
   Lao was gracious and diplomatic while discussing Crawford's performance.
   "Sam is a great player," Lao said. "She has a lot of big shots. I guess mentally I was a little more focused. I've practiced with her. I played well, but she's had better days."
   Lao's greatest strength, she said, is "being patient with myself. I'm 5-3 and 120 pounds. It's not size and power. It's upstairs, what goes on in your mind between points. It's realizing that you can't play your best every day, that there's always a way to win even when you're not playing your best."
   Lao, who's working on a new book about the pro tour, has improved her world singles ranking from No. 576 at the end of 2013 to No. 402. Her rise in doubles has been even more dramatic, from No. 763 in the year-end rankings to No. 266 after reaching the Gold River semifinals with former Arizona State standout Jacqueline Cako.
    The daughter of a mortgage banker and stay-at-home mother, Lao is as polite as she is positive. She began an interview by asking a reporter to repeat his first name and ended it by saying, "Nice meeting you, sir."
   Nicknamed "The Little Giant," Lao conceded that her size is "a disadvantage, but it can be used to your advantage as long as you manage it correctly. There are days when a bigger serve and forehand would help, but if I sit around and complain, I won't have a career anymore. I'll be done."

U.S. teens Loeb, Chirico outclass seeds in Challenger

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.

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.

Klinger wins battle of top Bay Area juniors for title

Cameron Klinger, right, defeated Lane Leschly to win the USTA
National Open boys 16s in Elk Grove. Photo by Paul Bauman

   ELK GROVE -- Cameron Klinger and Lane Leschly, nationally ranked 15-year-olds, live about 20 miles (32 kilometers) apart in the San Francisco Bay Area.
   So they've played each other since they were toddlers, right?
   Not exactly.
   Klinger and Leschly met for the first time Monday in the boys 16 singles final of the USTA National Open at the Laguna Creek Racquet Club.
   Klinger, ranked No. 34 in the 18s and No. 32 in the 16s, won the battle of hard-hitting baseliners 6-3, 7-5 for his second singles title in two weeks in the Sacramento area. He also took the 18s crown at the Rio del Oro Championships at the Rio del Oro Racquet Club in Sacramento. Leschly, ranked No. 23 in the 16s, breezed to the 16s title in that tournament.
   The best career results of both players came in the 14s of the USTA National Hardcourt Championships in San Antonio. Klinger swept the singles and doubles titles in 2011, and Leschly reached the singles quarterfinals and doubles final last summer.

Claire Liu, 12, left, beat Sarah Hu for the girls 16s title
in Elk Grove. Photo by Paul Bauman

   In Monday's girls 16 singles final, second-seeded Claire Liu routed third-seeded Sarah Hu of Oakland 6-0, 6-3. Liu, from Thousand Oaks in the Los Angeles area, will turn 13 on May 25. She defeated CiCi Bellis of Atherton to win the 12s singles crown at the prestigious Orange Bowl in Coral Gables, Fla., in 2011.
   Klinger, from urban San Jose, is eight months older than Leschly, of wealthy Atherton near Stanford University. Klinger will turn 16 on Aug. 1; Leschly turned 15 on April 2. Also, Klinger has trained out of the area, according to Leschly's mother, Darcy. Klinger was not available after Monday's match. The players did team up in doubles in the USTA National Open, winning the title on Sunday.
   Both Klinger and Leschly possess strong serves and topspin groundstrokes and employ two-handed backhands. That's where the similarities end, though. Klinger, 6-foot-2 (1.88 meters), has more firepower than Leschly, 5-9 (1.75 meters), and is far more emotional on the court.
   After hitting winners, Klinger almost invariably pumped his fist. After breaking serve, he yelled "C'mon!" And after committing errors, he swatted the ball against the fence, dropped his racket in frustration or berated himself aloud.
   Leschly, meanwhile, remained stoic throughout the match. He even smiled after netting an easy overhead on match point. When is the last time you saw that?
   "I try to keep my composure on the court," Leschly, who knocked off top-seeded Kalman Boyd in the first round, explained afterward. "That's one of the main things my dad tells me. As long as I keep my composure, I feel it's a good match."
   Mark Leschly, a managing partner of a venture capital firm and Lane's coach, attended Monday's match with Darcy. Mark, the son of Danish Davis Cup veteran Jan Leschly, reached No. 22 in the college rankings as a Harvard junior in 1989 and briefly played professionally before a rotator cuff injury ended his career.
   Monday's match featured many long baseline rallies, and one game in the first set lasted 24 points. Leschly served for the second set at 5-4.
   "I thought we both played well (in the match)," Leschly said. "Cameron stepped it up and played a great game when I was serving at 5-4. He went up 40-0. Kudos to him."
   Leschly was coming off a 6-7 (5), 6-4, 7-6 (6) victory over fifth-seeded Jonathan Li of Cupertino in the semifinals.
   "I was a bit sore in the morning, but it had no effect in the (final)," said Leschly, who was broken early in the first set. "I got loosened up and was fine. Cameron played better than me today."
  USTA National Open boys 14s in Alameda -- Third-seeded Sean Hill of Berkeley topped second-seeded Alafia Ayeni of San Diego 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 for the title at the Harbor Bay Club.
   National 30 Indoors in Gold River -- Top seeds Calle Hansen of Newbury Park in the Los Angeles area and Romana Tedjakusuma of Tracy retained their singles titles at the Spare Time Indoor Tennis Center.
   The 6-foot-5 (1.96-meter) Hansen, a 33-year-old native of Sweden and former Pepperdine All-American, beat second seed and four-time champion Jan Tiilikainen of Reno 7-5, 6-2.
   The 5-foot-2 (1.57-meter) Tedjakusuma, a 36-year-old native of Indonesia, dominated Francesca LaO of Bellevue, Wash., 6-2, 6-0. Tedjakusuma peaked at No. 82 in the world at 17 in 1994 but later suffered burnout and quit to attend Nicholls State in Thibodaux, La.

OTHER FINALS

USTA National Open

At Laguna Creek Racquet Club in Elk Grove

Boys 16 doubles

   Cameron Klinger, San Jose, and Lane Leschly, Atherton, def. Andrew Gu, El Cerrito, and Jonathan Li (3), Cupertino, 8-3.

Girls 16 doubles

   Kelly Chen, Cerritos, and Claire Liu, Thousand Oaks, def. Jessica Livianu, Brooklyn, N.Y., and Ally McKenzie, Glendale, 8-2.

At Harbor Bay Club in Alameda

Boys 14 doubles

   Alafia Ayeni, San Diego, and Stefano Tsorotiotis (3), Libertyville, Ill., def. Nate Eazor, Dallas, and Kailas Shekar (4), Cupertino, 8-5.

National 30 Indoors

At Spare Time Indoor Tennis Center in Gold River

Men's doubles

   Calle Hansen, Newbury Park, and Sherif Zaher (1), Folsom, def. Ryan Sablan, Martinez, and Jeff Thomsen, Newport Beach, 6-3, 6-4.

Women's doubles

   Marisue Jacutin-Mariona, Los Altos, Romana Tedjakusuma (1), Tracy, def. Michelle Chapple, Rancho Murieta, and Isabella Kling (2), Orangevale, 6-1, 6-3.

Mixed doubles

   Tedjakusuma and Zaher (1) def. Sarah Ansboury, Portland, Ore., and Monty Basnyat, Sacramento, 6-1, 6-0.