Roommates to meet in Gold River Challenger semis

Third-seeded Madison Brengle, above, of the United States
will face top-seeded Olivia Rogowska, below, of Australia
in the semifinals of the Gold River Women's Challenger.

   GOLD RIVER, Calif. -- Madison Brengle will have mixed emotions when she faces Olivia Rogowska this evening in the semifinals of the $50,000 FSP Gold River Women's Challenger.
   "She is my roommate and closest friend," Brengle said. "She is a great person."
   Rogowska, 23, of Australia and Brengle, a 24-year-old American, train in Bradenton, Fla. Seeded first and third, respectively, they held off young Americans in tough three-set matches on Thursday at the Gold River Racquet Club in the Sacramento area.
   In the other semifinal, seventh-seeded Julia Boserup of Newport Beach will take on eighth-seeded Nao Hibino of Japan. They eliminated promising U.S. teenagers Louisa Chirico and Jamie Loeb, respectively.
    Rogowska, ranked No. 127 in the world, edged 19-year-old Sachia Vickery of Hollywood, Fla., 2-6, 7-6 (4), 6-4. Rogowska saved four break points at 5-5 in the second set, won four of the last five points in the tiebreaker and overcame a 3-0 deficit (one break) in the third set.
   "At these tournaments, the level of play is similar," observed Rogowska, who has reached the second round of singles three times in Grand Slam tournaments. "The difference is all mental. You have to have self-belief."
  Vickery won the USTA National Girls 18s singles and doubles titles last August. She then beat Mirjana Lucic-Baroni, a Wimbledon semifinalist in 1999, in the first round of the U.S. Open before losing to qualifier Julia Glushko of Israel in the second round.   
   "Vickery is a very tough player," Rogowska said. "I was proud of how I held it together."
   Brengle, ranked No. 158, outlasted 5-foot-3 (1.61-meter) Danielle Lao 6-4, 6-7 (9), 6-3. Lao, a 23-year-old former USC All-American, saved two match points in the second set.
   "Danielle has a tricky game," said Brengle, the runner-up in last year's Gold River Challenger. "She's very consistent and a good mover. You have to stay very mentally tough, working to create angles."
   Brengle has played Rogowska only once in a tournament, winning by the surprisingly one-sided score of 6-2, 6-0 in the final of a $25,000 Challenger in Landisville, Pa., last August. Rogowska had been extended to 2-6, 7-6 (3), 6-2 in the semifinals, whereas Brengle had breezed 6-1, 6-2.
   Boserup, 22, and Hibino, 19, will meet for the first time. Boserup is ranked No. 222 and Hibino No. 227.
   Boserup, a hard hitter at 5-foot-11 (1.80 meters) and 145 pounds (66 kilograms), reached the quarterfinals as a qualifier in Monterrey, Mexico, on the elite WTA tour in April. In the first round, she beat then-No. 25 Kirsten Flipkens, a Belgian who advanced to the Wimbledon semifinals last year.
   Hibino reached the final of a $25,000 Challenger on hardcourts in Fergana, Uzbekistan, last month. She is bidding to become the second consecutive Japanese teenager to win the Gold River tournament. Mayo Hibi prevailed at 17 last year but chose to play in a $25,000 event in Gatineau, Canada, this week instead. Seeded fifth, she will meet top-seeded Risa Ozaki, another Japanese player, in today's quarterfinals.
   Boserup, who squandered a 5-0 lead in the first set against Chirico before recovering, is the only player in the Gold River Challenger who has not lost a set. Not coincidentally, she has yet to face a seed, but that will change tonight.

$50,000 FSP GOLD RIVER WOMEN'S CHALLENGER

At Gold River Racquet Club

In Gold River, Calif.

Singles quarterfinals

   Olivia Rogowska (1), Australia, def. Sachia Vickery (6), United States, 2-6, 7-6 (4), 6-4.

   Madison Brengle (3), United States, def. Danielle Lao, United States, 6-4, 6-7 (9), 6-3.

   Nao Hibino (8), Japan, def. Jamie Loeb, United States, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.

   Julia Boserup (7), United States, def. Louisa Chirico, United States, 7-5, 6-3. 

  Doubles quarterfinals

   Macall Harkins and Peggy Porter, United States, def. Natalie Pluskota and Keri Wong (2), United States, 6-3, 5-7 [10-7].

   Maria Sanchez and Zoe Gwen Scandalis, United States, def. Jamie Loeb and Allie Will, United States, walkover.

Today's schedule

(Starting at 4 p.m.)

Stadium

   Maria Sanchez and Zoe Gwen Scandalis, United States, vs. Macall Harkins and Peggy Porter, United States.

   Olivia Rogowska (1), Australia, vs. Madison Brengle (3), United States.

   Julia Boserup (7), United States, vs. Nao Hibino (8), Japan.

Court 3

   Jacqueline Cako and Danielle Lao (3), United States, vs. Daria Gavrilova, Russia, and Storm Sanders, Australia.

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.

U.S. teen Crawford upsets seed in Challenger

Samantha Crawford, 19, above, beat fifth-seeded
Romina Oprandi, below, in the first round of the Gold
River Women's Challenger. Oprandi, who reached
No. 32 in the world last year, has beaten four
Grand Slam singles champions.

   GOLD RIVER, Calif. -- Samantha Crawford knew nothing about Romina Oprandi before they met for the first time today.
   It's probably just as well. Crawford might have been intimidated, even though the 19-year-old American is eight inches (20.3 centimeters) taller than the 5-foot-6 (1.72-meter) Swiss veteran.
   The fifth-seeded Oprandi, who fell 6-3, 6-3 in the first round of the $50,000 FSP Gold River Women's Challenger at the Gold River Racquet Club in the Sacramento area, was by far the most accomplished player in the draw.
   The 28-year-old right-hander climbed to a career-high No. 32 in the world in June last year before undergoing surgery on her right shoulder for the third and fourth time and missing seven months.
   Playing on her preferred clay in Marrakech, Morocco, in April, Oprandi reached her first singles final and won her maiden doubles title (with Spain's Garbine Muguruza) on the elite WTA tour.

   Oprandi owns victories over Grand Slam singles champions Kim Clijsters (grass), Svetlana Kuznetsova (clay) and Ana Ivanovic and Francesca Schiavone (hardcourts). The victory over Schiavone put Oprandi in the third round of the 2012 Australian Open, her best Grand Slam result.
   Still, Crawford overpowered Oprandi during the day session.
   "I felt I played well," said the soft-spoken Crawford, the 2012 U.S. Open girls champion and a semifinalist in the inaugural Gold River Challenger earlier that year. "I was trying to control the points and not be on defense so much."
   The featured night matches were anticlimactic.
   Fourth-seeded Nicole Gibbs outrallied 6-foot-1 (1.85-meter) Alexandra Stevenson 6-3, 6-2 in a matchup of native Southern Californians.
   Then Modesto product Maria Sanchez, the first Gold River champion, continued her singles tailspin with an error-filled 6-3, 6-0 loss to third-seeded Madison Brengle, last year's runner-up. Brengle, a 24-year-old resident of Bradenton, Fla., won the last eight games of the 52-minute shellacking.
   Stevenson, the 33-year-old daughter of basketball legend Julius Erving, drew international attention 15 years ago when she became the first female qualifier to reach the Wimbledon semifinals. Ranked a career-high No. 18 in the world in 2002, she is now No. 496.
   Gibbs, 21, turned pro last summer after becoming the fifth woman in history -- and fourth from Stanford -- to win back-to-back NCAA singles titles. She is ranked a career-high No. 145.
   Sanchez, a 24-year-old USC graduate, has tumbled from a peak of No. 107 last July to No. 399. However, she's No. 105 in doubles after winning Auckland in January with Sharon Fichman of Canada for her first WTA title and reaching three finals in tennis' minor leagues this year. 
   In contrast to the night program, the day session included several marathons as the temperature soared to 102 degrees (38.9 Celsius).
   Jennifer Elie outlasted qualifier Chanelle Van Nguyen, who helped UCLA win its second NCAA team title in May, 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-4 in 3 hours, 10 minutes in an all-American battle.
   Second-seeded An-Sophie Mestach, 20, of Belgium held off Allie Will, a native of San Mateo in the San Francisco Bay Area who reached last year's semifinals, 6-7 (4), 6-1, 6-3 in 2 hours, 52 minutes. 
   Since Marrakech, Oprandi has suffered six straight first-round exits. Two came at the French Open and Wimbledon, two on the WTA tour and two in the minor leagues.
   When asked why she decided to play on hardcourts in the Gold River Challenger rather than on clay in Europe, the 180th-ranked Oprandi said: "That's a good question. I must have missed something in my brain. It was a terrible decision. I already knew it was the wrong decision."
   Almost everything about Oprandi -- from her candor to her appearance to her playing style -- is unusual.        
   With her white shorts, white shirt, short blond hair and white cap with the bill turned up, she resembled a house painter. She has a small silver ring pierced under her lower lip and the names of family members tattooed on her left forearm.
   Oprandi also had orange laces on one shoe and white laces on the other, but she wasn't making a fashion statement.
   "It's what I got from my sponsor (Lotto, an Italian sportswear company)," Oprandi shrugged.
   In an era of power, Oprandi relies on variety and placement. She's sort of a poor woman's Agnieszka Radwanska.
   Crawford, who missed last year's Gold River Challenger because of her third knee operation (two on the left), said the match was closer than the score indicated.
   "She's tough to play against. She will hit drop shots and slices. She'll hit flat and then slice. ... It's not easy to get in a rhythm. She has good shots on the line," Crawford observed.  
    Mostly, Oprandi hit soft serves and groundstrokes in the match. She was either "super relaxed," as Crawford put it, or out of sorts.
   Oprandi conceded that she played "not my best" but didn't know why.
   "I'll find out later, maybe," she mused.   

$50,000 FSP GOLD RIVER WOMEN'S CHALLENGER

At Gold River Racquet Club

In Gold River, Calif.

First-round singles

   Jamie Loeb, United States, def. Jessica Lawrence, United States, 7-5, 6-1.

   Olivia Rogowska (1), Australia, def. Macall Harkins, United States, 6-4, 6-2.

   Nicole Gibbs (4), United States, def. Alexandra Stevenson, United States, 6-3, 6-2.

   Madison Brengle (3), United States, def. Maria Sanchez, United States, 6-3, 6-0. 

   Jennifer Elie, United States, def. Chanelle Van Nguyen, United States, 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-4.

   Chiara Scholl, United States, def. Asia Muhammad, United States, 2-6, 6-4, 6-0.

   An-Sophie Mestach (2), Belgium, def. Allie Will, United States, 6-7 (4), 6-1, 6-3.

   Julia Boserup (7), United States, def. Zoe Gwen Scandalis, United States, 6-1, 6-1.
   Samantha Crawford, United States, def. Romina Oprandi (5), Switzerland, 6-3, 6-3.

   Laura Pigossi, Brazil, def. Tori Kinard, United States, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4.

   Sachia Vickery (6), United States, def. Sanaz Marand, United States, 7-6 (2), 6-4.

   Louisa Chirico, United States, def. Jennifer Brady, United States, 6-3, 6-3.

   Peggy Porter, United States, def. Marina Shamayko, Russia, 6-4, 6-3.

   Danielle Lao, United States, def. Natalie Pluskota, United States, 6-2, 6-4.

First-round doubles

  Jessica Lawrence, United States, and Alina Soltanici, Moldova, def. Emina Bektas and Jennifer Brady, United States, walkover.

Wednesday's schedule

(Starting at noon on each court)

Stadium

   Julia Boserup (7), United States, vs. Jennifer Elie, United States.

   Madison Brengle (3), United States, vs. Storm Sanders, Australia.

   An-Sophie Mestach (2), Belgium, vs. Jamie Loeb, United States.

   Olivia Rogowska (1), Australia, vs. Peggy Porter, United States (starting at 6:30 p.m.).

   Samantha Crawford and Sachia Vickery, United States, vs. Daria Gavrilova, Russia, and Storm Sanders, Australia.

Court 3

   Samantha Crawford, United States, vs. Danielle Lao, United States.

   Nicole Gibbs (4), United States, vs. Louisa Chirico, United States.

Court 4

   Nao Hibino (8), Japan, vs. Laura Pigossi, Brazil.

   Sachia Vickery (6), United States, vs. Chiara Scholl, United States.

Court and time TBA

   Jacqueline Cako and Danielle Lao (3), United States, vs. Jessica Lawrence, United States, and Alina Soltanici, Moldova. 

Stevenson to face Gibbs in Gold River Challenger

Alexandra Stevenson, a 1999 Wimbledon semifinalist, will meet
fourth-seeded Nicole Gibbs, a former Stanford star, in the first
round of the Gold River Challenger. 2013 photo by Paul Bauman

   Several intriguing first-round matches highlight today's busy schedule in the $50,000 FSP Gold River Women's Challenger.
   Alexandra Stevenson will meet fourth-seeded Nicole Gibbs at 6:30 p.m. at the Gold River Racquet Club in the Sacramento area.
   Stevenson, a 33-year-old La Jolla resident and 6-foot-1 (1.85-meter) daughter of basketball legend Julius Erving, drew international attention in 1999 by becoming the first female qualifier to reach the Wimbledon semifinals.
   Gibbs, 21, of Santa Monica turned pro last year after becoming the fifth woman in history, and fourth from Stanford, to win back-to-back NCAA singles titles. She is 3-0, including two retirements, against Stevenson.
   Following the Stevenson-Gibbs encounter, third-seeded Madison Brengle of Bradenton, Fla., will take on Modesto product Maria Sanchez in a matchup of 24-year-olds.
   Brengle reached the final of last year's Gold River Challenger, and Sanchez won the inaugural tourament in 2012. Brengle won their only previous meeting 5-7, 7-6 (6), 6-1 on clay in the first round of a $50,000 Challenger at Indian Harbour Beach, Fla., last year.
   At noon, fifth-seeded Romina Oprandi of Switzerland will face 6-foot-2 (1.88-meter) Samantha Crawford of Tamarac, Fla., for the first time.
   Oprandi, a 28-year-old right-hander, reached a career-high No. 32 in the world in June last year before missing seven months with a right shoulder injury. She owns career victories over Grand Slam singles champions Kim Clijsters, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Ana Ivanovic and Francesca Schiavone. Clijsters and Ivanovic climbed to No. 1.
   Crawford, 19, won the 2012 U.S. Open girls title and reached the semifinals of the Gold River Challenger earlier that year.
   Also today, second-seeded An-Sophie Mestach of Belgium will play Allie Will, a Gold River semifinalist last year and native of San Mateo in the San Francisco Bay Area, at about 4 p.m. They have never met.
   Qualifier Macall Harkins, a 6-foot (1.84-meter) left-hander now based in Concord in the Bay Area, will tackle top-seeded Olivia Rogowska of Australia for the first time at about 2 p.m. Harkins reached the doubles semifinals in last year's Gold River Challenger with Zoe Gwen Scandalis of San Diego.
   On Monday, Crawford and Sachia Vickery ousted top-seeded Sanaz Marand and Asia Muhammad 7-5, 6-1 in an all-American first-round doubles match. Muhammad won the doubles title in the inaugural Gold River Challenger with recently retired Yasmin Schnack of Elk Grove in the Sacramento area.

$50,000 FSP GOLD RIVER WOMEN'S CHALLENGER

At Gold River Racquet Club

In Gold River, Calif.

Final-round singles qualifying

   Jennifer Brady, United States, def. Anne-Liz Jeukeng, United States, 6-3, 6-2.

   Macall Harkins (6), United States, def. Julia Elbaba, United States, 2-6, 6-3, 6-3.

   Natalie Pluskota (7), United States, def. Ching-Wen Hsu (3), Taiwan, 6-3, 7-6 (4).

   Chanelle Van Nguyen, United States, def. Mari Osaka (2), Japan, 6-3, 6-1.

First-round singles

   Storm Sanders, Australia, def. Denise Muresan, United States, 7-6 (9), 6-7 (1), 6-1.

   Nao Hibino (8), Japan, def. Emina Bektas, United States, 6-2, 6-3.

First-round doubles

    Jamie Loeb and Allie Will, United States, def. Julia Boserup and Madison Brengle, United States, 3-6, 6-2 [10-3].

   Maria Sanchez and Zoe Gwen Scandalis, United States, def. Laura Pigossi, Brazil, and Marina Shamayko (4), Russia, 7-5, 6-0.

   Macall Harkins and Peggy Porter, United States, def. Anne-Liz Jeukeng and Chiara Scholl, United States, 6-4, 6-3.

   Samantha Crawford and Sachia Vickery, United States, def. Sanaz Marand and Asia Muhammad (1), United States,7-5, 6-1.

   Jacqueline Cako and Danielle Lao, United States, def. Ching-Wen Hsu, Taiwan, and Ayaka Okuno, Japan, 3-6, 7-6 (6), [10-8].

   Natalie Pluskota and Keri Wong, United States, def. Anamika Bhargava and Denise Muresan, United States, 6-1, 6-4.

   Daria Gavrilova, Russia, and Storm Sanders, Australia, def. Kelly Chen and Alaina Miller, United States, 6-3, 6-1.

Today's schedule

(Starting at noon on each court)

Stadium

   Jamie Loeb, United States, vs. Jessica Lawrence, United States.

   Olivia Rogowska (1), Australia, vs. Macall Harkins, United States.

   Emina Bektas and Jennifer Brady, United States, vs. Jessica Lawrence, United States, and Alina       Soltanici, Moldova.

   Alexandra Stevenson, United States, vs. Nicole Gibbs (4), United States (starting at 6:30 p.m.).

   Madison Brengle (3), United States, vs. Maria Sanchez, United States. 

Court 3

   Jennifer Elie, United States, vs. Chanelle Van Nguyen, United States.

   Asia Muhammad, United States, vs. Chiara Scholl, United States.

   Allie Will, United States, vs. An-Sophie Mestach (2), Belgium.

   Julia Boserup (7), United States, vs. Zoe Gwen Scandalis, United States (possible court change). 

Court 4

   Samantha Crawford, United States, vs. Romina Oprandi (5), Switzerland.

   Laura Pigossi, Brazil, vs. Tori Kinard, United States.

   Sanaz Marand, United States, vs. Sachia Vickery, United States.

Court 5

   Louisa Chirico, United States, vs. Jennifer Brady, United States.

   Marina Shamayko, Russia, vs. Peggy Porter, United States.

   Natalie Pluskota, United States, vs. Danielle Lao, United States.

Brady surprises top seed in Challenger qualifying

   Jennifer Brady, a freshman on UCLA's national championship team in the spring, upset top seed and fellow American Jacqueline Cako 6-2, 6-4 on Sunday in the second round of qualifying for the $50,000 FSP Gold River Women's Challenger.
    Brady will face Anne-Liz Jeukeng of the United States today at 10 a.m. at the Gold River Racquet Club in the Sacramento area for a berth in the main draw. Jeukeng, 18, edged Kelly Chen, 15, of Cerritos in the Los Angeles region 6-1, 4-6, 7-6 (5).
   Brady's teammate at UCLA, Chanelle Van Nguyen, also advanced to the final round of qualifying.
   Elizabeth Profit, a 17-year-old Los Angeles-area resident with type-1 diabetes, lost to third-seeded Ching-Wen Hsu of Taiwan 6-3, 2-6, 6-3. Profit plays with a small insulin pump attached to her waist.
   Sixth-seeded Macall Harkins, a 28-year-old veteran based in Concord in the San Francisco Bay Area, dismissed Karina Vyrlan, 15, of Sacramento 6-2, 6-1.

$50,000 FSP GOLD RIVER WOMEN'S CHALLENGER

At Gold River Racquet Club

In Gold River, Calif.

Second-round singles qualifying

   Jennifer Brady, United States, def. Jacqueline Cako (1), United States, 6-2, 6-4.

   Macall Harkins (6), United States, def. Karina Vyrlan, United States, 6-2, 6-1.

   Anne-Liz Jeukeng, United States, def. Kelly Chen, United States, 6-1, 4-6, 7-6 (5).

   Natalie Pluskota (7), United States, def. Alexandra Cercone, United States, 6-3, 6-0.

   Julia Elbaba, United States, def. Brianna Morgan (4), United States, 7-6 (3), 6-4.

   Ching-Wen Hsu (3), Taiwan, def. Elizabeth Profit, United States, 6-3, 2-6, 6-3.

   Chanelle Van Nguyen, United States, def. Ayaka Okuno (8), Japan, 6-3, 6-2.

   Mari Osaka (2), Japan, def. Keri Wong, United States, 6-1, 1-6, 7-6 (3).

Today's schedule

(Starting at 10 a.m. on each court)

Stadium

   Julia Elbaba, United States, vs. Macall Harkins (6), United States (final-round qualifying).

   Storm Sanders, Australia, vs. Denise Muresan, United States.

   Macall Harkins and Peggy Porter, United States, vs. Anne-Liz Jeukeng and Chiara Scholl, United States.

   Anamika Bhargava and Denise Muresan, United States, vs. Natalie Pluskota and Keri Wong (2), United States.

Court 3

   Jennifer Brady, United States, vs. Anne-Liz Jeukeng, United States (final-round qualifying).

   Jamie Loeb and Allie Will, United States, vs. Julia Boserup and Madison Brengle, United States.

   Sanaz Marand and Asia Muhammad (1), United States, vs. Samantha Crawford and Sachia Vickery, United States.

   Daria Gavrilova, Russia, and Storm Sanders, Australia, vs. Kelly Chen and Alaina Miller, United States. 

Court 4

   Ching-Wen Hsu (3), Taiwan, vs. Natalie Pluskota (7), United States (final-round qualifying).

   Nao Hibino (8), Japan, vs. Emina Bektas, United States.

   Jacqueline Cako and Danielle Lao (3), United States, vs. Ching-Wen Hsu, Taiwan, and Ayaka Okuno, Japan.

Court 5

   Mari Osaka (2), Japan, vs. Chanelle Van Nguyen, United States (final-round qualifying).

   Maria Sanchez and Zoe Gwen Scandalis, United States, vs. Laura Pigossi, Brazil, and Marina Shamayko (4), Russia.

Results of all 2014 Wimbledon finals

NOVAK DJOKOVIC
2012 photo by Paul Bauman

PETRA KVITOVA
2014 photo by Paul Bauman

2014 WIMBLEDON FINALS

   Men's singles -- Novak Djokovic (1), Serbia, def. Roger Federer (4), Switzerland, 6-7 (7), 6-4, 7-6 (4), 5-7, 6-4.
   Women's singles -- Petra Kvitova (6), Czech Republic, def. Eugenie Bouchard (13), Canada, 6-3, 6-0.
   Men's doubles -- Vasek Pospisil, Canada, and Jack Sock, United States, def. Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan (1), United States, 7-6 (5), 6-7 (3), 6-4, 3-6, 7-5.
   Women's doubles -- Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci (2), Italy, def. Timea Babos, Hungary, and Kristina Mladenovic (14), France, 6-1, 6-3.

   Mixed doubles -- Nenad Zimonjic, Serbia, and Samantha Stosur (15), Australia, def. Max Mirnyi, Belarus, and Chan Hao-Ching (14), Taiwan, 6-4, 6-2.
   Boys singles -- Noah Rubin, United States, def. Stefan Kozlov (6), United States, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3.
   Girls singles -- Jelena Ostapenko, Latvia, def. Kristina Schmiedlova (8), Slovakia, 2-6, 6-3, 6-0.
   Boys doubles -- Orlando Luz and Marcelo Zormann (3), Brazil, def. Stefan Kozlov, United States, and Andrey Rublev (1), Russia, 6-4, 3-6, 8-6.
   Girls doubles -- Tami Grende, Indonesia, and Qiu Yu Ye, China, def. Marie Bouzkova, Czech Republic, and Dalma Galfi, Hungary, 6-2, 7-6 (5).

Wimbledon Day 13 highlights: Djokovic wins classic

Novak Djokovic needed 3 hours, 56 minutes to subdue Roger
Federer for his second Wimbledon title. It was the longest of
their 35 matches. 2012 photo by Paul Bauman

   Men's final -- Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer played the longest match in their long rivalry today.  In the end, Djokovic gutted out a tense 6-7 (7), 6-4, 7-6 (4), 5-7, 6-4 victory in 3 hours, 56 minutes for his second Wimbledon title.
   Federer, down two sets to one and 5-2 in the fourth set, practically willed himself to his 18th Grand Slam crown. He won five straight games, saving one championship point, to send the match to a fifth set.
   Oddly, given that Federer will be 33 next month and Djokovic is 27, Federer looked fresher in the decisive set. Djokovic took a medical timeout for treatment on his right calf at 2-1 but, showing tremendous resolve himself, recovered to lead 5-4 and break Federer in the last game. Federer missed four groundstrokes in the game, netting a backhand on Djokovic's second championship point.
   Djokovic, who will return to No. 1 in the world on Monday, captured his seventh Grand Slam title but first since last year's Australian Open. He had lost three straight major finals and five of his last six.
   Federer, now 18-17 against Djokovic, was trying to:
   -- Win his first Grand Slam title since Wimbledon two years ago in his first major final since then.
   -- Become the oldest man in the Open era (since 1968) to win a Slam and only the fifth to win two majors past the age of 30.
   -- Break the record of seven Wimbledon men's singles titles he shares with Pete Sampras  (1993-95, 1997-2000) and William Renshaw (1881-86, 1889).
   Notable -- Djokovic was not the only Serb to win a title today. The 15th-seeded team of Nenad Zimonjic, 38, and Samantha Stosur of Australia topped 14th-seeded Max Mirnyi, 37, of Belarus and Chan Hao-Ching of Taiwan 6-4, 6-2 in mixed doubles.
   U.S. report -- Qualifier Noah Rubin, an 18-year-old protege of John McEnroe from Rockville Centre, N.Y., beat sixth-seeded Stefan Kozlov, 16, of Pembroke Pines, Fla., 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 for the boys singles title.
   It was the first all-American boys singles final at Wimbledon since Van Winitsky defeated Eliot Teltscher in 1977, and Rubin became the first U.S. boy to win the title since Donald Young in 2007.
   The last all-American girls singles final at Wimbledon was in 1979, when Mary Lou Piatek downed Alycia Moulton of Sacramento. No U.S. girl has won the singles crown since Chanda Rubin in 1992.
   Rubin almost swept the boys titles as he and Russia's Andrey Rublev, seeded first, fell to third-seeded Orlando Luz and Marcelo Zormann of Brazil 6-4, 3-6, 8-6 in the doubles final.  
   Northern California connection -- Stosur, the 2011 U.S. Open women's singles champion, is scheduled to make her eighth appearance in the Bank of the West Classic, July 28-Aug. 3 at Stanford. She reached the semifinals in 2009 and 2010. Entries also include Venus and Serena Williams and Petra Kvitova, who won her second Wimbledon title on Saturday. ...
   As a wild card, Rubin lost to second seed and eventual runner-up Tim Smyczek 7-6 (3), 6-0 in the first round of last year's Sacramento Challenger.
   Fast facts -- With 35 meetings, Djokovic and Federer are tied for the third-most in the Open era behind Djokovic-Rafael Nadal (42) and Ivan Lendl-McEnroe (36). However, this was only the second Grand Slam final between Djokovic and Federer. The Swiss star won 7-6 (4), 7-6 (2), 6-4 in the 2007 U.S. Open. Also, this was the first five-set Wimbledon final since Federer edged Andy Roddick 5-7, 7-6 (6), 7-6 (5), 3-6, 16-14 five years ago.
   Quotes -- Djokovic, on Wimbledon: "This is the best tournament in the world, the most valuable one. The first tennis match that I ever (saw), when I was 5 years old, was Wimbledon, and that image stuck (in) my mind."
   Djokovic, on prevailing in the fifth set: "I took a bathroom break after the fourth set and said, 'Believe in yourself.' It's not a cliche. It really works."
   Federer, on pulling out the fourth set: "I can't believe I made it to five. It wasn't looking good there for a while."
   Djokovic, whose fiancee is six-months pregnant, on how he will describe the match to his future child: "I don't know. I'll make sure I have everything on tape, and we'll watch it after a few hours of cartoons."