Serena, Vandeweghe to meet in all-American final

Top seed and defending champion Serena Williams needed only one hour
to beat ninth-seeded Sorana Cirstea 6-1, 6-2 in the semifinals of the Bank
of the West Classic at Stanford. Photo by Paul Bauman

   STANFORD -- The woes of American professional tennis have been well-documented over the past decade.
   The United States hasn't had a Grand Slam men's singles champions since Andy Roddick in the 2003 U.S. Open, and Serena Williams is the only U.S. woman in the top 25.
   Perhaps the most shocking statistic of all, however, surfaced -- so to speak -- on Saturday at the Bank of the West Classic.
   Sunday's 1 p.m. final between Williams, the top seed and defending champion, and lucky loser CoCo Vandeweghe will be the first between two American women on U.S. soil since Lindsay Davenport routed Williams 6-1, 6-3 eight years ago in Los Angeles.
   "It's cool," the fourth-ranked Williams said of the all-American final after dismissing ninth-seeded Sorana Cirstea of Romania 6-1, 6-2 in one hour Saturday night. "Everyone is always asking about American players. CoCo took her second chance to the ultimate degree. I'm glad she's American. If she wins tomorrow, I'll be happy for her."

 CoCo Vandeweghe used her powerful serve to become
the first lucky loser in seven years to reach a WTA final.
Photo by Paul Bauman

   The 6-foot-1 Vandeweghe earlier used her powerful serve and groundstrokes to become the first lucky loser in seven years to reach a WTA final. She blasted 12 aces, including a 120-mph rocket to lead all players in the tournament, in a 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 victory over fifth-seeded Yanina Wickmayer of Belgium.
   That put Vandeweghe, a 20-year-old resident of Rancho Santa Fe in the San Diego area, in her first career WTA final.
   "My whole dream when I started playing tennis was to be No. 1 in the world," Vandeweghe said. "Playing in WTA finals and winning titles is progress toward that goal."
   The only previous meeting between Williams and Vandeweghe came in World TeamTennis, which uses an abbreviated scoring format. Williams won by one point, 5-4 (5-4 tiebreaker), last summer. 
   Vandeweghe lost to Thailand's Noppawan Lertcheewakarn, the 2009 Wimbledon girls singles champion, 2-6, 6-2, 7-5 in the final round of qualifying for the Bank of the West Classic but advanced to the main draw when Bojana Jovanovski of Serbia withdrew with an unspecified injury.
    The last lucky loser to reach a WTA final was Hungary's Melinda Czink, who fell to Ana Ivanovic in the 2005 Canberra title match.
   Vandeweghe beat Czink in the first round at Stanford, fourth seed and former world No. 1 Jelena Jankovic of Serbia in the second round, and Urszula Radwanska in the quarterfinals. Radwanska is the younger sister of recent Wimbledon runner-up Agnieszka Radwanska.
   Vandeweghe comes from a renowned athletic family. Her uncle Kiki averaged 19.7 points during his 13-year NBA career (1980-93). Her grandfather Ernie played for the New York Knicks in the 1950s, and her mother, Tauna, represented the United States at the Olympics in swimming in 1976 and volleyball in 1984.
   Tauna is attending the Bank of the West Classic. After Saturday's match, CoCo jumped in her mother's arms and gave her a big hug.
   CoCo played volleyball and basketball as a child and didn't take up tennis until the preposterously late age -- for a future pro -- of 11. At 16, she turned pro and won the U.S. Open girls singles title.
   Vandeweghe played for the Sacramento Capitals of WTT the following year and will return to the team in eight days after competing for the Boston Lobsters the past two seasons.   
   Playing near home in Carlsbad two years ago, Vandeweghe knocked off Vera Zvonareva en route to the quarterfinals. Zvonareva had reached the Wimbledon final one month earlier, losing to Williams.
   Vandeweghe, ranked No. 120 entering the Bank of the West Classic, will crack the top 75 Monday to surpass her career high of No. 89 in April last year.
   Wickmayer, 6 feet, reached the U.S. Open semifinals three years ago at 19 but has been plagued by back problems. She won long three-setters in the first two rounds of the Bank of the West Classic, then upset second-seeded Marion Bartoli of France in the quarterfinals. Bartoli won the Bank of the West in 2009 and reached the final in 2008 and last year.
   Wickmayer and Vandeweghe traded darts from the baseline in their two-hour, 11-minute battle. Vandeweghe broke Wickmayer's serve for 3-1 and 6-2 in the third set while holding her own throughout the set. Both times Wickmayer was broken, she followed an unforced error with a double fault on the last two points.
   Vandeweghe saved four break points at 3-1 in the final set and six of seven overall. She converted only 46 percent of her first serves, a figure that must improve against Williams, but won 86 percent of her first-serve points.
   "She served well," Wickmayer said. "It was tough to get any chances on her serve. It made my serve more difficult. I knew I couldn't lose my own serve. Every break point was like match point."
   The night match featured Serena vs. Sorana. Williams, who reputedly has the best serve in women's tennis history, put in only 38 percent of her first deliveries.
   "That's outrageous, to be honest," she said. "(Cirstea) didn't serve very well, either."
   Cirstea had a first-serve percentage of just 36 and double-faulted eight times. She also committed a whopping 32 unforced errors to 10 winners.
   Vandeweghe hardly can do worse Sunday, but at least an American will win.
   See below for Saturday's full results and Sunday's schedule.
   WTT in Irvine -- Sam Querrey, a top-20 player before undergoing elbow surgery in June 2011, joined the Capitals one match early. But it wasn't enough as Davenport and the Orange County Breakers defeated Sacramento 23-20 in overtime to end the Capitals' three-match winning streak.
   Querrey, replacing Ryan Sweeting, won 5-3 in men's singles and lost 5-4 in men's doubles with Mark Knowles. Sweeting played only one of his scheduled three matches for Sacramento (3-2) after suffering back spasms in the season opener.
   Querrey is scheduled to play the next five matches for the Capitals and 33rd-ranked Kevin Anderson the last four of the regular season. Querrey is 6-foot-6 and Anderson 6-8.
   Davenport, a former Capital who reached No. 1 in the world in singles and doubles, won 5-3 in women's doubles with Anna-Lena Groenefeld and 5-2 in mixed doubles with Travis Parrott for Orange County (2-2). Davenport, a 36-year-old mother of three, did not play singles.
   See below for Saturday's full results.

BANK OF THE WEST CLASSIC

At Stanford

Singles semifinals

   CoCo Vandeweghe, Rancho Santa Fe, def. Yanina Wickmayer (5), Belgium, 6-2, 3-6, 6-2.
   Serena Williams (1), Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., def. Sorana Cirstea (9), Romania, 6-1, 6-2.

Doubles semifinals

   Jarmila Gajdosova, Australia, and Vania King (1), Boynton Beach, Fla., def. Yung-Jan Chan and Hao-Ching Chan (4), Taiwan, 6-3, 6-3.
   Marina Erakovic, New Zealand, and Heather Watson, Great Britain, def. Natalie Grandin, South Africa, and Vladimira Uhlirova (3), Czech Republic, 7-5, 6-7 (6), 10-7.

Sunday's order of play

(Starting at 1 p.m.)

   CoCo Vandeweghe, Rancho Santa Fe, vs. Serena Williams (1), Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

   Jarmila Gajdosova, Australia, and Vania King (1), Boynton Beach, Fla., vs. Marina Erakovic, New Zealand, and Heather Watson, Great Britain. 

WORLD TEAMTENNIS

Orange County 23, Capitals 20 (OT)

In Irvine, Calif.

   Men's doubles -- John-Patrick Smith-Travis Parrott (Breakers) def. Sam Querrey-Mark Knowles (Capitals) 5-4.
   Women's doubles -- Lindsay Davenport-Anna-Lena Groenefeld (Breakers) def. Asia Muhammad-Yasmin Schnack (Capitals) 5-3.
   Men's singles -- Sam Querrey (Capitals) def. John-Patrick Smith (Breakers) 5-3.
   Mixed doubles -- Travis Parrott-Lindsay Davenport (Breakers) def. Mark Knowles-Yasmin Schnack (Capitals) 5-2.
   Women's singles -- Asia Muhammad (Capitals) def. Anna-Lena Groenefeld (Breakers) 5-4.
   Overtime -- Anna-Lena Groenefeld (Breakers) tied Asia Muhammad (Capitals) 1-1.

SUNDAY'S TV SCHEDULE

(All times PDT)

   Newport (men), final, Tennis Channel, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. (live); Stanford (women), final,  ESPN2, 1-3 p.m. (live); Stuttgart (men), final, Tennis Channel, 1-3 pm. (delay); Bastad (men), final, Tennis Channel, 3-5 p.m. (delay); Umag (men), final, Tennis Channel, 5-7 p.m. (delay); Palermo (women), final, Tennis Channel, 7-9 p.m. (delay).

CALENDAR

   Sunday -- WTA, Bank of the West Classic, Stanford, singles final at 1 p.m., doubles final to follow. www.bankofthewestclassic.com.
   Monday -- World TeamTennis, Sacramento Capitals (with Sam Querrey) vs. New York, Sunrise Marketplace Outdoor Pavilion, Sunrise Mall in Citrus Heights, 7:35 p.m., http://www.saccaps.com/.
   Wednesday -- Capitals at Washington, 4:10 p.m.
   Thursday -- Capitals at Springfield, 5:05 p.m.
   Friday -- Capitals at Kansas City, 5:35 p.m.
   July 22 -- Springfield at Capitals (with Querrey, CoCo Vandeweghe), Sunrise Marketplace Outdoor Pavilion, Sunrise Mall in Citrus Heights, 7:35 p.m., http://www.saccaps.com/.
   July 24 -- Orange County (with Lindsay Davenport) at Capitals (with Kevin Anderson, Vandeweghe), Sunrise Marketplace Outdoor Pavilion, Sunrise Mall in Citrus Heights, 7:35 p.m., http://www.saccaps.com/.
   July 25 -- Capitals (with Vandeweghe) at Orange County, 7 p.m.
   July 27 -- Philadelphia (with Mark Philippoussis) at Capitals (with Anderson, Vandeweghe), Sunrise Marketplace Outdoor Pavilion, Sunrise Mall in Citrus Heights, 7:35 p.m., http://www.saccaps.com/.
   July 28 -- Boston at Capitals (with Anderson, Vandeweghe), Sunrise Marketplace Outdoor Pavilion, Sunrise Mall in Citrus Heights, 7:35 p.m., http://www.saccaps.com/.
   July 28-Aug. 5 -- OLYMPIC TENNIS TOURNAMENT, Wimbledon, www.london2012.com.

Serena advances, but No. 2 and 3 seeds fall

   Serena Williams' toughest foe this week might be jet lag.
   Williams still hasn't adjusted to California time after flying from London on Monday, but it hasn't hurt her on the court at Stanford.
   The top seed and defending champion dismissed sixth-seeded Chanelle Scheepers of South Africa 6-4, 6-0 Friday night in the quarterfinals of the Bank of the West Classic. Williams has lost only seven total games in two matches after receiving a first-round bye.
   Williams woke up at Friday at 1 a.m. and couldn't go back to sleep. So she watched several episodes of  "Desperate Housewives."
   "I was wide-awake,” Williams told reporters. “It was like I was still in Europe. So I finished 'Desperate Housewives,' which was amazing. It’s my favorite show ever. I finally got back to sleep around 6. What stinks is I have to go back very soon (for the Olympics), and I’ll have to readjust again. But it’s OK.”

   Meanwhile, the second and third seeds lost at Stanford. No. 2 Marion Bartoli of France fell to No. 5 Yanina Wickmayer of Belgium 6-3, 6-2, and No. 3 Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia wilted against No. 9 Sorana Cirstea 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-0. 

   Bartoli, who had never lost a set in three matches against Wickmayer, double-faulted nine times. She won the 2009 Bank of the West Classic, beating Venus Williams in three sets, and lost in the 2008 and 2011 finals.     

   Cibulkova reached the Bank of the West semifinals last year and the quarterfinals in 2008.
   The 6-foot Wickmayer, a U.S. Open semifinalist in 2009 and Bank of the West quarterfinalist in 2010, will face 6-foot-1 CoCo Vandeweghe in today's semis at 1 p.m. Williams and Cirstea will square off at 7 p.m. Both matches will be first-time meetings.
   Vandeweghe, a part-time Sacramento Capital in World TeamTennis from the San Diego area, beat Urszula Radwanska of Poland 6-4, 6-4 to reach her first WTA semifinal. Vandeweghe also become the first lucky loser in a Premier semifinal since Samantha Stosur in 2006 at New Haven.  
   "I was pretty mad about losing in the last round in qualifying," said Vandeweghe, who avenged a loss to Radwanska one month ago in the final of a minor-league tournament on grass at Nottingham. "I had the match on my racquet and didn't play well on that day -- of course you can't play well every day. But I seem to be doing a pretty good job of picking myself back up and putting a lot of good matches together these days.
   "I've been putting a lot of hard work in, on and off the court, and I knew it would translate into my matches sometime. And I'm glad it's here in Stanford."
   World TeamTennis in Citrus Heights, Calif. -- The good news for the Capitals is that they won their third straight match Friday night. The bad news is that marquee player Mardy Fish completed his two-match stint with the team.
   Fish, ranked 13th in the world in singles after reaching a career-high No. 7 last August, won both of his sets for the second night in a row as Sacramento routed the Orange County Breakers 24-14 at Sunrise Mall. 
   Ryan Sweeting, ranked No. 116, is scheduled to take over tonight at Orange County (1-2) in his last match of the season for the Capitals (3-1). Sweeting, a 25-year-old American, suffered back spasms in Sacramento's season-opening loss at Boston and missed the Capitals' victory at Philadelphia the following night.
   Sacramento won four of the five sets against Orange County, which received a 5-4 victory in women's doubles from Anna-Lena Groenefeld and Jana Juricova.
   Mark Knowles, 40, and Sacramento-area resident Yasmin Schnack got the Capitals off to a fast start with a 5-0 victory over Travis Parrott and Jana Juricova in mixed doubles. 

   In 2009, Knowles and Groenefeld won the Wimbledon mixed doubles title, and Parrott took the U.S. Open mixed crown with Carly Gullickson. Juricova, a former NCAA singles and doubles champion from Slovakia, completed her eligibility at Cal in May. 

BANK OF THE WEST CLASSIC

At Stanford

Singles quarterfinals

   Serena Williams (1), Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., def. Chanelle Scheepers (6), South Africa, 6-4, 6-0.
   Yanina Wickmayer (5), Belgium, def. Marion Bartoli (2), France, 6-3, 6-2.
   Sorana Cirstea (9), Romania, def. Dominika Cibulkova (3), Slovakia, 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-0.   CoCo Vandeweghe (USA) d. Urszula Radwanska, Poland, 6-4, 6-4.

Today's schedule 

Stadium (starting at 1 p.m.)

   CoCo Vandeweghe, Rancho Santa Fe, vs. Yanina Wickmayer (5), Belgium.
   Jarmila Gajdosova, Australia, and Vania King (1), Boynton Beach, Fla., vs. Yung-Jan Chan and Hao-Ching Chan (4), Taiwan.
   Serena Williams (1), Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., vs. Sorana Cirstea (9), Romania (not before 7 p.m.).
   Natalie Grandin, South Africa, and Vladimira Uhlirova (3), Czech Republic, vs. Marina Erakovic, New Zealand, and Heather Watson, Great Britain.

WORLD TEAMTENNIS

Capitals 24, Orange County 14

In Citrus Heights, Calif.

   Mixed doubles -- Mark Knowles-Yasmin Schnack (Capitals) def. Travis Parrott-Jana Juricova (Breakers) 5-0.
   Women's doubles -- Anna-Lena Groenefeld-Jana Juricova (Breakers) def. Asia Muhammad-Yasmin Schnack (Capitals) 5-4.
   Men's doubles -- Mardy Fish-Mark Knowles (Capitals) def. Travis Parrott-John-Patrick Smith (Breakers) 5-3.
   Women's singles -- Asia Muhammad (Capitals) def. Anna-Lena Groenefeld (Breakers) 5-4.
   Men's singles -- Mardy Fish (Capitals) def. John-Patrick Smith (Breakers) 5-2.

WEEKEND TV SCHEDULE

(All times PDT)

   Today -- Newport, Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony (Jennifer Capriati, Gustavo Kuerten, Manuel Orantes, Randy Snow and Mike Davies), Tennis Channel, 9:30-10:30 a.m. (live); Newport (men), semifinals, Tennis Channel, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. (live); Stanford (women), semifinals, ESPN2, 1-3 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. (live); Stuttgart (men), semifinals, Tennis Channel, 3-7 p.m. (delay); Bastad (men), semifinals, Tennis Channel, 7-11 p.m. (delay).

   Sunday -- Newport (men), final, Tennis Channel, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. (live); Stanford (women), final,  ESPN2, 1-3 p.m. (live); Stuttgart (men), final, Tennis Channel, 1-3 pm. (delay); Bastad (men), final, Tennis Channel, 3-5 p.m. (delay); Umag (men), final, Tennis Channel, 5-7 p.m. (delay); Palermo (women), final, Tennis Channel, 7-9 p.m. (delay).

CALENDAR

   Today -- WTA, Bank of the West Classic, Stanford, semifinals, 1 and 7 p.m. www.bankofthewestclassic.com.
   World TeamTennis, Sacramento Capitals at Orange County, 7 p.m.
   Sunday -- WTA, Bank of the West Classic, Stanford, singles final at 1 p.m., doubles final to follow. www.bankofthewestclassic.com.
   Monday -- Capitals (with Sam Querrey) vs. New York, Sunrise Marketplace Outdoor Pavilion, Sunrise Mall in Citrus Heights, 7:35 p.m., http://www.saccaps.com/.
   Wednesday -- Capitals at Washington, 4:10 p.m.
   Thursday -- Capitals at Springfield, 5:05 p.m.
   Friday -- Capitals at Kansas City, 5:35 p.m.
   July 22 -- Springfield at Capitals (with Querrey, Vandeweghe), Sunrise Marketplace Outdoor Pavilion, Sunrise Mall in Citrus Heights, 7:35 p.m., http://www.saccaps.com/.
   July 24 -- Orange County (with Lindsay Davenport) at Capitals (with Kevin Anderson, Vandeweghe), Sunrise Marketplace Outdoor Pavilion, Sunrise Mall in Citrus Heights, 7:35 p.m., http://www.saccaps.com/.
   July 25 -- Capitals (with Vandeweghe) at Orange County, 7 p.m.
   July 27 -- Philadelphia (with Mark Philippoussis) at Capitals (with Anderson, Vandeweghe), Sunrise Marketplace Outdoor Pavilion, Sunrise Mall in Citrus Heights, 7:35 p.m., http://www.saccaps.com/.
   July 28 -- Boston at Capitals (with Anderson, Vandeweghe), Sunrise Marketplace Outdoor Pavilion, Sunrise Mall in Citrus Heights, 7:35 p.m., http://www.saccaps.com/.
   July 28-Aug. 5 -- OLYMPIC TENNIS TOURNAMENT, Wimbledon, www.london2012.com.

Fish lifts Capitals over Kansas City

   The Sacramento Capitals waited a long time for this.
   Marquee player Mardy Fish finally debuted for Sacramento on Thursday night, lifting the Capitals to a 22-21 World TeamTennis victory over the Kansas City Explorers at Sunrise Marketplace Outdoor Pavilion in Citrus Heights, Calif.
   Kansas City (1-2) led 18-17 entering the last set, men's singles, in the home opener for Sacramento (2-1), but Fish defeated Nick Monroe 5-3.
   Fish was scheduled to play one match for Sacramento last season but withdrew the day before with an abdominal muscle injury. Moreover, his two planned appearances this year looked shaky when he underwent a procedure for an irregular heartbeat in May. However, he returned to action late last month at Wimbledon and reached the fourth round.
   Fish, ranked 13th in the world after reaching a career-high No. 7 last August, is set to play again for Sacramento tonight at 7:35 against the visiting Orange County Breakers (1-1).
   See below for Thursday's full results.
   Bank of the West Classic at Stanford -- Second-seeded Marion Bartoli of France saved two set points, then rolled to a 7-5, 6-0 victory over Stanford wild card Mallory Burdette of Jackson, Ga., in the second round of the Bank of the West Classic.
   Burdette jumped out to a 5-2 lead, then lost the last 11 games against the 2009 Bank of the West champion and two-time runner-up at Stanford. Burdette reached the NCAA singles final this year as a junior, losing to teammate Nicole Gibbs, and won her second straight NCAA doubles crown.
   "Mallory played extremely well at the beginning, taking the ball very early and hitting very flat into the corners -- I felt at times like I was playing against myself," Bartoli, the 2007 Wimbledon runner-up, told reporters. "She just won her first match on the WTA in the first round, which probably gave her a huge confidence boost coming into this match. I expected her to go for her shots and play very well against me today.
   "I knew I had to wait a bit for her to come down and that I had to improve my level. I've played so many matches in my career, and I know when you're down, you can turn the match around. I couldn't worry about the score."
   Burdette, who hits hard but is mentally fragile, admitted she got nervous on the set points. 
   Urszula Radwanska, the younger sister of 2012 Wimbledon runner-up Agnieszka Radwanska, upset eighth-seeded Marina Erakovic of New Zealand 6-3, 3-6, 6-4. 
   Pete Sampras withdrew from his exhibition against Jim Courier after retiring from his match against Michael Chang on Wednesday night with a left calf injury. Courier played Chang instead, winning 7-6 (3), 6-4.
   Top seed and defending champion Serena Williams, who won her fifth Wimbledon singles title Saturday, will meet sixth-seeded Chanelle Scheepers of South Africa in the quarterfinals tonight at 7.
   See below for Thursday's full results and today's schedule.

WORLD TEAMTENNIS

Capitals 22, Kansas City 21

In Citrus Heights, Calif.

   Mixed doubles -- Mark Knowles-Yasmin Schnack (Capitals) def. Tetiana Luzhanska-Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi (Explorers) 5-4.
   Women's doubles -- Tetiana Luzhanska-Chanel Simmonds (Explorers) def. Asia Muhammed-Yasmin Schnack (Capitals) 5-3.
   Men's doubles -- Mardy Fish-Mark Knowles (Capitals) def. Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi-Nick Monroe (Explorers) 5-4.
   Women's singles -- Chanel Simmonds (Explorers) def. Asia Muhammed (Capitals) 5-4.
   Men's singles - Mardy Fish (Capitals) def. Nick Monroe (Explorers) 5-3.

 BANK OF THE WEST CLASSIC

At Stanford

Second-round singles

   Marion Bartoli (2), France, def. Mallory Burdette (Stanford), Jackson, Ga., 7-5, 6-0.
   Dominika Cibulkova (3), Slovakia, def. Erika Sema, Japan, 6-1, 6-3.
   Urszula Radwanska, Poland, def. Marina Erakovic (8), New Zealand, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4.
   Sorana Cirstea (9), Romania, def. Saisai Zheng, China, 6-3, 6-3.

Doubles quarterfinals

   Natalie Grandin, South Africa, and Vladimira Uhlirova (3), Czech Republic, def. Eleni Daniilidou, Greece, and Urszula Radwanska, Poland, walkover.

Legends round robin

   Jim Courier, New York, def. Michael Chang, Orange County, 7-6 (3), 64.

Today's schedule

(Starting at noon)

Stadium

   Urszula Radwanska, Poland, vs. CoCo Vandeweghe, Rancho Santa Fe.
   Yanina Wickmayer (5), Belgium, vs. Marion Bartoli (2), France (not before 2 p.m.).
   Dominika Cibulkova (3), Slovakia, vs. Sorana Cirstea (9), Romania.
   Serena Williams (1), Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., vs. Chanelle Scheepers (6), South Africa (not before 7 p.m.).
   Exhibition match: Michael Chang vs. Jim Courier.   

WEEKEND TV SCHEDULE

(All times PDT)

   Today -- Bastad (men), quarterfinals, Tennis Channel, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. (repeat); Stanford (women), quarterfinals, Tennis Channel, 2-6 p.m. (live), 7-9 p.m. (live).
   Saturday -- Newport, Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony (Jennifer Capriati, Gustavo Kuerten, Manuel Orantes, Randy Snow and Mike Davies), Tennis Channel, 9:30-10:30 a.m. (live); Newport (men), semifinals, Tennis Channel, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. (live); Stanford (women), semifinals, ESPN2, 1-3 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. (live); Stuttgart (men), semifinals, Tennis Channel, 3-7 p.m. (delay); Bastad (men), semifinals, Tennis Channel, 7-11 p.m. (delay).
   Sunday -- Newport (men), final, Tennis Channel, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. (live); Stanford (women), final,  ESPN2, 1-3 p.m. (live); Stuttgart (men), final, Tennis Channel, 1-3 pm. (delay); Bastad (men), final, Tennis Channel, 3-5 p.m. (delay); Umag (men), final, Tennis Channel, 5-7 p.m. (delay); Palermo (women), final, Tennis Channel, 7-9 p.m. (delay).

PRO RANKINGS

   Following are this week's world rankings of professional players with Northern California ties (change from last week in parentheses):

Men

   Kevin Anderson, Sacramento Capitals (2012) of World TeamTennis -- No. 33 in singles (-2), No. 153 in doubles (-27).
   Bob Bryan, 1998 NCAA doubles champion from Stanford -- No. 3 in doubles (no change), unranked in singles.
   Mike Bryan, 1998 NCAA doubles champion from Stanford -- No. 3 in doubles (no change), unranked in singles.
   Mardy Fish, Capitals (2012) -- No. 13 in singles (-1), No. 722 in doubles (+8).
   John Paul Fruttero, Cal All-American in 2001 and 2002 -- No. 95 in doubles (+2), unranked in singles.
   Bradley Klahn, 2010 NCAA singles champion and 2011 NCAA doubles runner-up from Stanford -- No. 661 in singles (+34), No. 713 in doubles (+120). 
   Mark Knowles, Capitals (2001-07, 2009-12), three-time World TeamTennis Male MVP (2001, 2005 and 2007) -- No. 70 in doubles (+1), unranked in singles.
   Scott Lipsky, 2002 NCAA doubles runner-up from Stanford -- No. 36 in doubles (+3), unranked in singles.
   Sam Querrey, San Francisco native, Capitals (2012) -- No. 55 in singles (+9), No. 61 in doubles (no change).   Ryan Sweeting, Capitals (2012) -- No. 116 in singles (+14), No. 849 in doubles (+6).
   Dmitry Tursunov, Folsom resident -- No. 134 in singles (-5), No. 173 in doubles (-25).
   Jimmy Wang, Folsom resident -- No. 201 in singles (+6), No. 389 in doubles (-33).
   Pedro Zerbini, All-Pacific-10 Conference first team at Cal (2009-11) -- No. 642 in singles (+5), No. 996 in doubles (+15).

Women

   Raquel Kops-Jones, 2003 NCAA doubles champion from Cal -- Career-high No. 19 in doubles (+5), No. 716 in singles (+11).
   Asia Muhammed, Capitals (2012) -- No. 187 in doubles (-9), No. 480 in singles (-66).
   Maria Sanchez, Modesto resident -- Career-high No. 137 in doubles (+1), career-high No. 220 in singles (+5).

   Yasmin Schnack, Elk Grove resident, Capitals (2011-12) -- No. 145 in doubles (+1), No. 455 in singles (-23).
   Romana Tedjakusuma, Tracy resident -- No. 541 in singles (+19), No. 1,147 in doubles (+17).

   CoCo Vandeweghe, Capitals (2009, 2012) -- No. 120 in singles (+12), No. 501 in doubles (+14).

CALENDAR

   Today -- WTA, Bank of the West Classic, Stanford, quarterfinals, noon and 7 p.m. Exhibition, Michael Chang vs. Jim Courier, not before 8 p.m. www.bankofthewestclassic.com.
   World TeamTennis, Sacramento Capitals (with Mardy Fish) vs. Orange County, Sunrise Marketplace Outdoor Pavilion, Sunrise Mall in Citrus Heights, 7:35 p.m., http://www.saccaps.com/.
   Saturday -- WTA, Bank of the West Classic, Stanford, semifinals, 1 and 7 p.m. www.bankofthewestclassic.com.
   Capitals at Orange County, 7 p.m.
   Sunday -- WTA, Bank of the West Classic, Stanford, singles final at 1 p.m., doubles final to follow. www.bankofthewestclassic.com.
   Monday -- Capitals (with Sam Querrey) vs. New York, Sunrise Marketplace Outdoor Pavilion, Sunrise Mall in Citrus Heights, 7:35 p.m., http://www.saccaps.com/.
   July 18 -- Capitals at Washington, 4:10 p.m.
   July 19 -- Capitals at Springfield, 5:05 p.m.
   July 20 -- Capitals at Kansas City, 5:35 p.m.
   July 22 -- Springfield at Capitals (with Querrey, Vandeweghe), Sunrise Marketplace Outdoor Pavilion, Sunrise Mall in Citrus Heights, 7:35 p.m., http://www.saccaps.com/.
   July 24 -- Orange County (with Lindsay Davenport) at Capitals (with Kevin Anderson, Vandeweghe), Sunrise Marketplace Outdoor Pavilion, Sunrise Mall in Citrus Heights, 7:35 p.m., http://www.saccaps.com/.
   July 25 -- Capitals (with Vandeweghe) at Orange County, 7 p.m.
   July 27 -- Philadelphia (with Mark Philippoussis) at Capitals (with Anderson, Vandeweghe), Sunrise Marketplace Outdoor Pavilion, Sunrise Mall in Citrus Heights, 7:35 p.m., http://www.saccaps.com/.
   July 28 -- Boston at Capitals (with Anderson, Vandeweghe), Sunrise Marketplace Outdoor Pavilion, Sunrise Mall in Citrus Heights, 7:35 p.m., http://www.saccaps.com/.
   July 28-Aug. 5 -- OLYMPIC TENNIS TOURNAMENT, Wimbledon, www.london2012.com.

Stars come out at Stanford

Serena Williams, playing her first match since winning
her fifth Wimbledon singles title, beat Stanford's Nicole
Gibbs, the NCAA singles and doubles champion, 6-2,
6-1 in the second round of the Bank of the West Classic.
Photo by Paul Bauman

   STANFORD — One match was a rout, even if the winner didn't think so. The other was an exhibition that ended prematurely.
   But for star power at a non-Grand Slam tournament, it doesn't get any better than Wednesday at the Bank of the West Classic.
   Top seed and defending champion Serena Williams dominated Stanford star Nicole Gibbs 6-2, 6-1 in 62 minutes in the second round during the day session. Then Pete Sampras retired with a calf injury while leading Michael Chang 7-6 (2), 5-5 in an exhibition match at night.
   Williams and Sampras have won 14 Grand Slam singles titles each, but the 30-year-old Williams figures to add to her total. Chang remains the youngest man to win a Grand Slam singles title, capturing the 1989 French Open at 17. He never won another major title, although he reached three more Slam finals.
   All four players were born in the Midwest (Williams and Gibbs) or East (Sampras and Chang) and moved to the Los Angeles area as juniors. Sampras and Chang are 40-year-old International Tennis Hall of Famers.
   Williams' match Wednesday was her first since winning her fifth Wimbledon title on Saturday.

Pete Sampras retired with a calf injury
while leading Michael Chang 7-6 (2),
5-5 in an exhibition. Photo by Paul Bauman

   "I couldn't quite believe I was playing today," said Williams, who will face sixth-seeded Chanelle Scheepers of South Africa in Friday's quarterfinals. "But I'm healthy, I have a heartbeat, so there's no reason not to play. I'll feel better after a day off. I'm still waking up at 2 a.m. I definitely felt sluggish. It's good to get the win over with."

   Williams won last year's Bank of the West Classic in her third tournament back from an 11-month layoff. She had cut her foot on a piece of glass at a restaurant, then had two operations on the foot and was treated for life-threatening blood clots in her lungs.
   Gibbs, a 19-year-old wild card, had won 26 consecutive matches in college and professional competition before Wednesday. She became the third woman in history and first since 1995 to sweep the NCAA singles and doubles titles, then won the $50,000 Colorado International last week as an amateur qualifier.
   "She played really well," Williams said graciously about Wednesday's match. "She moves really well, and she doesn't quit. That's the best quality you can have as an athlete. She easily could have given up. She's a fighter. She actually has a really good first serve. It's good to see Ameicans coming up."
   When pressed about administering a "beat-down," Williams replied: "I don't think it was too much of a beat-down. She held her own."

Chang, whose wife won two NCAA singles titles while attending
Stanford, said the conditions were quick Wednesday night.
Photo by Paul Bauman

  Williams, pounding her first serve and groundstrokes, raced to leads of 4-0 in the first set and 5-0 in the second set. But Gibbs played Williams even for the rest of the first set, and Williams needed four match points to put away her opponent.
   “It was a great experience for me to match up against that level of player and see what’s out there," said Gibbs, who plans to return to Stanford in the fall for her junior year. "I have a lot to look over and work on, but that was a good benchmark for where I am.
   "It was pretty surreal, no matter how much I tried to prepare myself mentally. To be matched up against someone like Serena was obviously a dream and obviously intimidating but just an incredible experience.”    
   The muscular, 5-foot-9 Williams, whose serve is considered the best in women's history, blasted seven aces at up to 117 mph. The petite, 5-6 Gibbs, meanwhile, had none. Her first serve registered in the high 80s and low 90s, her second delivery in the powder-puff 60s.
   "Her second serve has to get deeper and faster," Stanford women's coach Lele Forood said. "She knows that. That's why she's in college."
   Lucky loser CoCo Vandeweghe, who will play the last five matches of the World TeamTennis regular season for the Sacramento Capitals, reached the quarterfinals with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over fourth seed and former world No. 1 Jelena Jankovic of Serbia.
   Sampras said he will have an MRI on his left calf on Thursday. He's scheduled to play Hall of Famer Jim Courier that night in another exhibition, with Chang and Courier set to meet Friday night. 
   Sampras said his injury "was my own fault. I haven't been playing a lot. I felt it on a forehand."       
   He apparently over-extended himself Wednesday, having earlier hit with second-seeded Marion Bartoli of France.
   "She was hitting balls hard," said Sampras, one of whose three siblings is named Marion. "I had just gotten off a plane. It took a lot out of me."
   Sampras and Chang showed flashes of their former brilliance amid some bad errors. The legends were lighthearted in the first set, bantering between each other and with the crowd, but serious in the second. Points ended quickly throughout the match.
   "The women's ball is a little lighter," explained Chang, a former part-time Capital whose wife, the former Amber Liu, won the NCAA singles title in 2003 and 2004 while attending Stanford. "The conditions were quick."
   See below for Wednesday's full results and Thursday's schedule.
   Sweeting probable — The Capitals expect Ryan Sweeting to return for Saturday night's match at Orange County, his last scheduled appearance for the team this season.
   Sweeting suffered back spasms in Monday's season opening loss at Boston and missed Tuesday's overtime victory at Philadelphia. Last-minute replacement Alex Kuznetsov, a 25-year-old American, helped Sacramento beat the Freedoms 22-16 in overtime. In an e-mail, Capitals coach Wayne Bryan called the victory "truly one of the best all-around Caps performances in my 11 years with the team."
   Marquee player Mardy Fish is scheduled to join the Capitals for their home opener Thursday night at 7:35 against Kansas City and for Friday night's home match against Orange County. Fish, 30, is coached by 40-year-old Capitals captain Mark Knowles, who's in his 11th season, all with the team.
   NorCal Hall of Fame — The Northern California Tennis Hall of Fame will add four members, including ex-Stanford All-American Nick Saviano, on Thursday at Stanford.
   Joining Saviano will be volunteer Andrea Norman; Steve Cornell, an accomplished junior, collegiate and senior player and tennis advocate; and Martha Downing, a gifted senior player, teaching pro and volunteer. 
   Saviano has coached more than 50 ATP and WTA players. He helped Stanford win NCAA titles in both of his years there (1974 and 1975) before he turned pro. Saviano peaked at No. 48 in the world in 1978 and reached the round of 16 at Wimbledon in 1980.
   Norman directed the USTA Girls 18 National Championships in Berkeley, started a tennis-based non-profit organization and participated on national and regional committees aimed at making tennis accessible to everyone.
   Cornell played on UCLA's national championship teams in 1970 and 1971. His teammates included Jimmy Connors, Jeff Borowiak of Berkeley and Jeff Austin.Cornell, a founding member of the Berkeley Tennis Club Foundation, is a USTA committee member and an avid volunteer.
   Downing, a retired teaching pro and tennis director at Sacramento-area clubs for more than 35 years, holds 27 national senior titles and represents the United States in international competitions. A member of the inaugural class of the Sacramento Tennis Hall of Fame in 2009, she has been named the NorCal Senior Player of the Year four times. 

BANK OF THE WEST CLASSIC

At Stanford

Second-round singles

   Chanelle Scheepers (6), South Africa, def. Michelle Larcher de Brito, Portugal, 6-3, 6-4.
   Yanina Wickmayer (5), Belgium, def. Heather Watson, Great Britain, 5-7, 6-1, 6-4.
   Serena Williams (1), Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., def. Nicole Gibbs, Santa Monica, 6-2, 6-1.
   CoCo Vandeweghe (Capitals), Rancho Santa Fe, def. Jelena Jankovic (4), Serbia, 6-4, 6-2.

First-round doubles

   Natalie Grandin, South Africa, and Vladimira Uhlirova (3), Czech Republic, def. Mallory Burdette, Jackson, Ga., and Nicole Gibbs, Santa Monica, 7-6 (5), 3-6, 10-6 tiebreak.

Doubles quarterfinals

   Yung-Jan Chan and Hao-Ching Chan (4), Taiwan, def. Dominika Cibulkova and Janette Husarova, Slovakia, 6-4, 6-3.
   Jarmila Gajdosova, Australia, and Vania King (1), Boynton Beach, Fla., def. Sorana Cirstea, Romania, and Anne Keothavong, Great Britain, 6-2, 6-2.
   Marina Erakovic, New Zealand, and Heather Watson, Great Britain, def. Raquel Kops-Jones (former Cal All-American), Fresno, and Abigail Spears (2), San Diego, 7-6 (9), 2-6, 10-4 tiebreak.

Thursday's schedule
Stadium (starting at 11 a.m.)

   Sorana Cirstea (9), Romania, vs. Saisai Zheng, China.
   Marina Erakovic (8), New Zealand, vs. Urszula Radwanska, Poland (not before 2 p.m.).
   Marion Bartoli (2), France, vs. Mallory Burdette (Stanford), Jackson, Ga.
   Eleni Daniilidou, Greece, and Urszula Radwanska, Poland, vs. Natalie Grandin, South Africa, and Vladimira Uhlirova (3), Czech Republic.
   Exhibition: Jim Courier vs. Pete Sampras (not before 7 p.m.)
   Dominika Cibulkova (3), Slovakia, vs. Erika Sema, Japan (not before 8 p.m.)

CALENDAR

   Thursday -- WTA, Bank of the West Classic, Stanford, second round, 11 a.m. and not before 8 p.m. Exhibition match, Pete Sampras vs. Jim Courier, 7 p.m. www.bankofthewestclassic.com.
    2012 Northern California Tennis Hall of Fame Brunch and Induction Ceremony (Nick Saviano, Andrea Norman, Steve Cornell and Martha Downing), Stanford, Pac 12 Plaza/Cardinal Plaza, 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., tickets $75 each at http://www.acteva.com/booking.cfm?bevaid=230538. 
   World TeamTennis, Sacramento Capitals' home opener (with Mardy Fish) vs. Kansas City, Sunrise Marketplace Outdoor Pavilion, Sunrise Mall in Citrus Heights, 7:35 p.m., www.saccaps.com.
   Friday -- WTA, Bank of the West Classic, Stanford, quarterfinals, noon and 7 p.m. Exhibition match, Michael Chang vs. Courier, not before 8 p.m. www.bankofthewestclassic.com.
   Capitals (with Fish) vs. Orange County, Sunrise Marketplace Outdoor Pavilion, Sunrise Mall in Citrus Heights, 7:35 p.m., http://www.saccaps.com/.
   Saturday -- WTA, Bank of the West Classic, Stanford, semifinals, 1 and 7 p.m. www.bankofthewestclassic.com.
   Capitals at Orange County, 7 p.m.
   Sunday -- WTA, Bank of the West Classic, Stanford, singles final at 1 p.m., doubles final to follow. www.bankofthewestclassic.com.
   Monday -- Capitals (with Sam Querrey) vs. New York, Sunrise Marketplace Outdoor Pavilion, Sunrise Mall in Citrus Heights, 7:35 p.m., http://www.saccaps.com/.
   July 18 -- Capitals at Washington, 4:10 p.m.
   July 19 -- Capitals at Springfield, 5:05 p.m.
   July 20 -- Capitals at Kansas City, 5:35 p.m.
   July 22 -- Springfield at Capitals (with Querrey, Vandeweghe), Sunrise Marketplace Outdoor Pavilion, Sunrise Mall in Citrus Heights, 7:35 p.m., http://www.saccaps.com/.
   July 24 -- Orange County (with Lindsay Davenport) at Capitals (with Kevin Anderson, Vandeweghe), Sunrise Marketplace Outdoor Pavilion, Sunrise Mall in Citrus Heights, 7:35 p.m., http://www.saccaps.com/.
   July 25 -- Capitals (with Vandeweghe) at Orange County, 7 p.m.
   July 27 -- Philadelphia (with Mark Philippoussis) at Capitals (with Anderson, Vandeweghe), Sunrise Marketplace Outdoor Pavilion, Sunrise Mall in Citrus Heights, 7:35 p.m., http://www.saccaps.com/.
   July 28 -- Boston at Capitals (with Anderson, Vandeweghe), Sunrise Marketplace Outdoor Pavilion, Sunrise Mall in Citrus Heights, 7:35 p.m., http://www.saccaps.com/.
   July 28-Aug. 5 -- OLYMPIC TENNIS TOURNAMENT, Wimbledon, www.london2012.com.

Cardinal star Gibbs to face Serena at Stanford

   After disposing of one Wimbledon champion Tuesday, Nicole Gibbs will face another today.
   This one promises to be a bit tougher.
   Gibbs, a wild card who finished her sophomore year at Stanford in May, defeated Thai qualifier Noppawan Lertcheewakarn, the 2009 Wimbledon girls singles champion, 6-4, 6-4 in the first round of the Bank of the West Classic at Stanford.
   Next for Gibbs is top seed and defending champion Serena Williams, who won her fifth Wimbledon women's singles title Saturday. They will meet at 3 p.m. or later.
   "I'm in awe of Serena Williams," Gibbs, 19, told reporters. "She was one of my idols when I was growing up. I'll be honored to be on the court with her. I'm going to try to get her serves back. We'll see what I can do."
   It will be a blockbuster day at Stanford, as seven-time Wimbledon singles champion Pete Sampras is scheduled to play an exhibition match against Michael Chang at 7 p.m. Both are 40-year-old International Tennis Hall of Famers.
   When Gibbs was 12 and growing up in Cleveland, she was a ballgirl for an exhibition match in which Williams played.
   "I think I spoke to her briefly in the locker room," Gibbs said. "I got to hit with Venus Williams, who was there, for five minutes. It was the best memory of my life."
   Did the chance to play Serena, 30, give Gibbs extra incentive against Lertcheewakarn? You might say that.
   "I couldn't have been more nervous today if I tried," Gibbs said after her WTA main-draw debut. "It was an added level of excitement, definitely, which may have translated into nerves. But it was incentive to stay in the points and fight harder, so it actually served me well.
   "I'm going to be nervous (today) -- there's no question about that -- but I couldn't have any less pressure on me. It's just going to be an experience I'll have to enjoy. Hopefully, I present myself as competitive in that match."
   The muscular, 5-foot-9 Williams, whose serve is considered the best in women's tennis history, likely will overpower the petite, 5-6 Gibbs. But Gibbs does have some advantages. She will be playing on her home court and already has played one match in the tournament.
   Williams, meanwhile, will play her first match since beating Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland 6-1, 5-7, 6-2 in the Wimbledon final. Williams, who received a first-round bye, must quickly adjust from grass to hardcourt and cool, rainy weather to heat and sun. A high of 88 degrees is forecast for today.
   And will Williams be mentally ready to play another match only four days after hoisting the Venus Rosewater Dish at Wimbledon?
   One year ago, Williams won the Bank of the West in her third tournament back from an 11-month layoff. Shortly after winning Wimbledon two years ago, she stepped on a piece of glass at a restaurant and subsequently had two operations on her foot. She also was treated for life-threatening blood clots in her lungs.
   "I wanted to come here more than anything," Williams said. "This is where it all began last year. Getting on that plane from London and coming here and playing is the best thing I could have done. I just want to enjoy the moment right now. You never know when you're going to feel this great and this healthy, so you've got to enjoy it."
   Gibbs has been enjoying herself, too. In May, she became the third player in history and first since 1995 to sweep the NCAA singles and doubles titles. Gibbs returned to the court last week and won the $50,000 Colorado International in Denver as a qualifier for her first Challenger title. She has won 26 straight singles matches since losing to UCLA's Robin Anderson in a dual match on April 14. 
   "I still haven't processed it," said Gibbs, who plans to play at Stanford for at least one more year. "I've been playing solid tennis and competing better than I have in my life. I'm taking the opportunities as they come. The biggest improvement for me is mental. I've gotten more mature on the court. My reactions to bad points and to an opponent who is outplaying me have been more tempered."
   Gibbs was not the only wild card from Stanford who won her WTA main-draw debut to earn a meeting with a high seed and Bank of the West champion. Mallory Burdette, who ended her junior year in May by winning her second straight NCAA doubles crown, outlasted 75th-ranked Anne Keothavong of Great Britain 2-6, 7-5, 6-4.
   Burdette will face second-seeded Marion Bartoli of France on Thursday. Bartoli won the Bank of the West in 2009 and reached the final in 2008 and last year. Five years ago, she was the runner-up at Wimbledon to Venus Williams.
   Qualifier Jana Juricova, a former Cal star who won last year's NCAA women's singles title at Stanford, lost to eighth-seeded Marina Erakovic of New Zealand 6-2, 6-2 in the first round. Erakovic stunned top seed and defending champion Victoria Azarenka in the second round of last year's Bank of the West Classic before falling to Dominika Cibulkova in the quarterfinals.
   Radwanska's younger sister, Urszula, pulled out a 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory over Eleni Daniilidou of Greece.
   In Tuesday night's late match, former Sacramento Capital Vania King lost to ninth-seeded Sorana Cirstea of Romania 7-5, 6-4.
   See below for Tuesday's full results and today's schedule.
   Capitals bounce back -- It didn't look good for the Capitals entering Tuesday night's World TeamTennis match. They were playing on the road for the second straight night, and they were without injured Ryan Sweeting.
   But Sacramento got a lift from last-minute replacement Alex Kuznetsov and regular Asia Muhammed to  beat the Philadelphia Freedoms 22-16 in overtime. Sweeting suffered back spasms in his WTT debut Monday night as the Capitals lost to the Boston Lobsters 20-14.
   Kuznestov, a 25-year-old American who reached the semifinals of the Sacramento Challenger last October, won 5-1 in men's doubles with Mark Knowles and lost to James Blake 5-4 in men's singles.
   Blake's victory sent the match to overtime, in which Kuznetsov won the first game to give Sacramento the victory and even its record at 1-1.     
   Ironically, Kuznetsov lost to Blake in the Sacramento Challenger and to Sweeting in the second round of the Winnetka (Ill.) Challenger last week.
   Muhammed, who lost both of her sets Monday in her Capitals debut, won both against Philadelphia. The 21-year-old Las Vegan teamed with Yasmin Schnack, a Sacramento-area resident, to beat 20-year-old identical twins Karolina and Kristyna Pliskova of the Czech Republic 5-4 in the first set. Muhammed later routed Karolina Pliskova 5-1 to give Sacramento a 17-11 lead.
   Kuznetsov took over from there.
   After a day off today, the Capitals will play home matches Thursday and Friday night as marquee player Mardy Fish makes his only two appearances for the team.
   Sweeting is scheduled to play his last match for Sacramento on Saturday night at Orange County. Sam Querrey then will join the Capitals for five matches.
   See below for Tuesday's full results.
   West Coast Junior Championships in Sacramento -- Unseeded Logan Staggs of Tracy defeated second-seeded Garrett Auproux of Studio City 7-6 (6), 6-1 to win the boys 18 singles title in the West Coast Junior Championships at the Rio del Oro Racquet Club.
   Staggs beat the No. 1, 2, 8 and 9 seeds en route to the title.
   Fourth-seeded Manon Peri of Los Angeles won the girls 18 singles title, downing unseeded Iris Lin of South San Francisco 4-6, 6-2, 6-2.

BANK OF THE WEST CLASSIC

At Stanford

First-round singles

(8) Marina Erakovic (NZL) d. (Q) Jana Juricova (SVK) 62 62.
(9) Sorana Cirstea (ROU) d. Vania King (USA) 75 64.
Urszula Radwanska (POL) d. Eleni Daniilidou (GRE) 36 63 64.
(Q) Erika Sema (JPN) d. (LL) Alexa Glatch (USA) 62 63.
(LL) Zheng Saisai (CHN) d. Ayumi Morita (JPN) 42 ret. (low back injury).
(WC) Nicole Gibbs (USA) d. (Q) Noppawan Lertcheewakarn (THA) 64 64.
(WC) Mallory Burdette (USA) d. Anne Keothavong (GBR) 26 75 64.

First-round doubles

(2) Kops-Jones/Spears (USA/USA) d. Chang/Scheepers (TPE/RSA) 63 75.
Cibulkova/Husarova (SVK/SVK) d. Dekmeijere/Lertcheewakarn (LAT/THA) 63 63.
Erakovic/Watson (NZL/GBR) d. Karatantcheva/Sema (KAZ/JPN) 63 36 10-5.

Wednesday's schedule

Stadium (from 11 a.m.)

1. Michelle Larcher de Brito vs. Chanelle Scheepers (6).
2. Yanina Wickmayer (5) vs. Heather Watson.
3. Serena Williams (1) vs. Nicole Gibbs (not before 3 p.m.).
4. Erakovic/Watson vs. Kops-Jones/Spears (2).
5. Exhibition: Pete Sampras vs. Michael Chang (7 p.m.).
6. CoCo Vandeweghe vs. Jelena Jankovic (4) (not before 8 p.m.).

Court 6 (from 1:30 p.m.)

1. Chan/Chan (4) vs. Cibulkova/Husarova.
2. Gajdosova/King (1) vs. Cirstea/Keothavong (not before 2:30 p.m.).
3. Burdette/Gibbs vs. Grandin/Uhlirova (3) (not before 5 p.m.; after suitable rest).

WORLD TEAMTENNIS

Capitals 22, Philadelphia 16 (OT)

In Philadelphia

   Women's doubles -- Asia Muhammad-Yasmin Schnack (Capitals) def. Karolina Pliskova-Kristyna Pliskova (Freedoms) 5-4.
   Men's doubles -- Mark Knowles-Alex Kuznetsov (Capitals) def. James Blake-Jordan Kerr (Freedoms) 5-1.
   Mixed doubles -- James Blake-Kristyna Pliskova (Freedoms) def. Mark Knowles-Yasmin Schnack (Capitals) 5-2.
   Women's singles -- Asia Muhammad (Capitals) def. Karolina Pliskova (Freedoms) 5-1.
   Men's singles -- James Blake (Freedoms) def. Alex Kuznetsov (Capitals) 5-4.
   Overtime -- Alex Kuznetsov (Capitals) def. James Blake (Freedoms) 1-0. 

CALENDAR 

   Wednesday -- WTA, Bank of the West Classic, Stanford, second round, 11 a.m. and not before 8 p.m. Exhibition match, Pete Sampras vs. Michael Chang, 7 p.m. www.bankofthewestclassic.com. 
   Thursday -- WTA, Bank of the West Classic, Stanford, second round, 11 a.m. and not before 8 p.m. Exhibition match, Sampras vs. Jim Courier, 7 p.m. www.bankofthewestclassic.com.
    2012 Northern California Tennis Hall of Fame Brunch and Induction Ceremony (Nick Saviano, Andrea Norman, Steve Cornell and Martha Downing), Stanford, Pac 12 Plaza/Cardinal Plaza, 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., tickets $75 each at http://www.acteva.com/booking.cfm?bevaid=230538. 
   World TeamTennis, Sacramento Capitals' home opener (with Mardy Fish) vs. Kansas City, Sunrise Marketplace Outdoor Pavilion, Sunrise Mall in Citrus Heights, 7:35 p.m., www.saccaps.com.
   Friday -- WTA, Bank of the West Classic, Stanford, quarterfinals, noon and 7 p.m. Exhibition match, Chang vs. Courier, not before 8 p.m. www.bankofthewestclassic.com.
   Capitals (with Fish) vs. Orange County, Sunrise Marketplace Outdoor Pavilion, Sunrise Mall in Citrus Heights, 7:35 p.m., http://www.saccaps.com/.
   Saturday -- WTA, Bank of the West Classic, Stanford, semifinals, 1 and 7 p.m. www.bankofthewestclassic.com.
   Capitals at Orange County, 7 p.m.
   Sunday -- WTA, Bank of the West Classic, Stanford, singles final at 1 p.m., doubles final to follow. www.bankofthewestclassic.com.
   Monday -- Capitals (with Sam Querrey) vs. New York, Sunrise Marketplace Outdoor Pavilion, Sunrise Mall in Citrus Heights, 7:35 p.m., http://www.saccaps.com/.
   July 18 -- Capitals at Washington, 4:10 p.m.
   July 19 -- Capitals at Springfield, 5:05 p.m.
   July 20 -- Capitals at Kansas City, 5:35 p.m.
   July 22 -- Springfield at Capitals (with Querrey, Vandeweghe), Sunrise Marketplace Outdoor Pavilion, Sunrise Mall in Citrus Heights, 7:35 p.m., http://www.saccaps.com/.
   July 24 -- Orange County (with Lindsay Davenport) at Capitals (with Kevin Anderson, Vandeweghe), Sunrise Marketplace Outdoor Pavilion, Sunrise Mall in Citrus Heights, 7:35 p.m., http://www.saccaps.com/.
   July 25 -- Capitals (with Vandeweghe) at Orange County, 7 p.m.
   July 27 -- Philadelphia (with Mark Philippoussis) at Capitals (with Anderson, Vandeweghe), Sunrise Marketplace Outdoor Pavilion, Sunrise Mall in Citrus Heights, 7:35 p.m., http://www.saccaps.com/.
   July 28 -- Boston at Capitals (with Anderson, Vandeweghe), Sunrise Marketplace Outdoor Pavilion, Sunrise Mall in Citrus Heights, 7:35 p.m., http://www.saccaps.com/.
   July 28-Aug. 5 -- OLYMPIC TENNIS TOURNAMENT, Wimbledon, www.london2012.com.

Sweeting hurt as Capitals lose season opener

   It didn't take long for adversity to strike the Sacramento Capitals.
   The third set of their season opener, to be exact.
   Ryan Sweeting suffered back spasms in his World TeamTennis debut, and visiting Sacramento dropped its season opener 20-14 Monday night to the Boston Lobsters.
   Sweeting's status for tonight's match in Philadelphia is uncertain. His only other scheduled match for Sacramento this season is Saturday night at Orange County.
   Monday night's match began well for the Capitals as the 6-foot-5 Sweeting beat fellow American veteran Robby Ginepri 5-3 in men's singles. In the 2005 U.S. Open, Ginepri reached the men's singles semifinals for the best Grand Slam result of his career, and Sweeting won the boys singles title.
   Boston's Irina Falconi and Carly Gullickson-Eagle then defeated Asia Muhammed, making her Capitals debut, and Sacramento-area resident Yasmin Schnack 5-2 in women's doubles to give the Lobsters an 8-7 lead.
   Sweeting returned to the court for men's doubles with fellow Nassau, Bahamas, native Mark Knowles and began suffering spasms early in the set. Sweeting, who will turn 25 Saturday, continued to play, but he and Knowles lost to former Capital Eric Butorac and Ginepri 5-0 to give Boston a 13-7 lead at intermission.
   Sacramento closed to 15-12 with a 5-2 victory by Schnack and Knowles -- 24- and 40-year-old former UCLA All-Americans, respectively -- in mixed doubles. But Falconi, ranked 86th in the world in women's singles, beat No. 480 Muhammed 5-2 to end the match.
   After facing Philadelphia tonight, the Capitals will be off Wednesday and play at home Thursday and Friday night in marquee player Mardy Fish's only two scheduled appearances for the team.
   Bank of the West Classic at Stanford -- CoCo Vandeweghe, who will play the last five matches of the regular season for the Capitals, and ex-Capital Michelle Larcher de Brito won their first-round matches Monday in the Bank of the West Classic.
   Vandeweghe, a 20-year-old lucky loser from Rancho Santa Fe in the San Diego area, defeated Melinda Czink of Hungary 6-4, 6-1. Vandeweghe fell in the last round of qualifying but advanced to the main draw when Bojana Jovanovski withdrew with an undisclosed injury.
   Larcher de Brito, a 19-year-old wild card from Portugal, beat Jarmila Gajdosova of Australia 5-7, 6-2, 6-3. At 14 in 2007, Larcher De Brito helped the Capitals win the last of their record six WTT titles. She was the youngest player in league history at the time, but Madison Keys surpassed her by 19 days in 2009 as a 14-year-old with the Philadelphia Freedoms.
   Vandeweghe and Larcher de Brito each will face a seed in the second round on Wednesday. Vandeweghe will take on No. 4 Jelena Jankovic of Serbia, and Larcher de Brito will play No. 6 Chanelle Scheepers of South Africa. 
   See below for Monday's full results and today's schedule.
   West Coast Junior Championships in Sacramento -- Unseeded Logan Staggs of Tracy shocked top-seeded David Hsu 7-6 (3), 6-3 in the boys 18 semifinals at the West Coast Junior Championships at the Rio del Oro Racquet Club in Sacramento.
   Staggs will meet second-seeded Garrett Auproux of Studio City today for the title. Auproux defeated Kenneth Tao of San Jose 7-5, 6-2.
   Fourth-seeded Manon Peri of Los Angeles will play unseeded Iris Lin of South San Francisco for the girls 18 singles crown.

BANK OF THE WEST CLASSIC

At Stanford
First-round singles

   (5) Yanina Wickmayer (BEL) d. Chang Kai-Chen (TPE) 75 26 75
   (6) Chanelle Scheepers (RSA) d. (Q) Grace Min (USA) 64 64
   Heather Watson (GBR) d. Sloane Stephens (USA) 76(5) 46 61
   (LL) CoCo Vandeweghe (USA) d. Melinda Czink (HUN) 64 61
   (WC) Michelle Larcher de Brito (POR) d. Jarmila Gajdosova (AUS) 57 62 63

First-round doubles

   (4) Chan/Chan (TPE/TPE) d. (WC) Kalhorn/Parra (USA/USA) 60 60
   Daniilidou/U.Radwanska (GRE/POL) d. Lee-Waters/Moulton-Levy (USA/USA) 67(4) 64 10-2 (match tiebreaker)
   Cirstea/Keothavong (ROU/GBR) d. Glatch/Zheng (USA/CHN) 46 64 106 (match tiebreaker)

Today's schedule

Stadium (from 11 a.m.)

1. Nicole Gibbs vs. Noppawan Lertcheewakarn
2. Marina Erakovic vs. Jana Juricova
3. Eleni Daniilidou vs. Urszula Radwanska
4. Cibulkova/Husarova vs. Dekmeijere/Lertcheewakarn
5. Mallory Burdette vs. Anne Keothavong (not before 7 p.m.)
6. Vania King vs. Sorana Cirstea 

Court 6 (from 11:30 a.m.)

1. Chang/Scheepers vs. Kops-Jones/Spears
2. Erika Sema vs. Alexa Glatch (not before 12:30 p.m.)
3. Ayumi Morita vs. Zheng Saisai
4. Karatantcheva/Sema vs. Erakovic/Watson

WORLD TEAMTENNIS

Boston 20, Capitals 14
In Boston

   Men's singles -- Ryan Sweeting (Capitals) def. Robby Ginepri (Lobsters) 5-3.
   Women's doubles -- Irina Falconi-Carly Gullickson-Eagle (Lobsters) def. Asia Muhammed-Yasmin Schnack (Capitals) 5-2.
   Men's doubles -- Eric Butorac-Robby Ginepri (Lobsters) def. Mark Knowles-Ryan Sweeting (Capitals) 5-0.
   Mixed doubles -- Yasmin Schnack-Mark Knowles (Capitals) def. Irina Falconi-Eric Butorac (Lobsters) 5-2.
   Women's singles -- Irina Falconi (Lobsters) def. Asia Muhammed (Capitals) 5-2. 

CALENDAR 

   Today -- WTA, Bank of the West Classic, Stanford, first round, 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. www.bankofthewestclassic.com.
   World TeamTennis, Sacramento Capitals at Philadelphia, 4 p.m. http://www.saccaps.com/.
   West Coast Junior Championships, finals, Rio del Oro Racquet Club, 119 Scripps Dr., Sacramento, www.norcal.usta.com.
   Wednesday -- WTA, Bank of the West Classic, Stanford, second round, 11 a.m. and not before 8 p.m. Exhibition match, Pete Sampras vs. Michael Chang, 7 p.m. www.bankofthewestclassic.com. 
   Thursday -- WTA, Bank of the West Classic, Stanford, second round, 11 a.m. and not before 8 p.m. Exhibition match, Sampras vs. Jim Courier, 7 p.m. www.bankofthewestclassic.com.
    2012 Northern California Tennis Hall of Fame Brunch and Induction Ceremony (Nick Saviano, Andrea Norman, Steve Cornell and Martha Downing), Stanford, Pac 12 Plaza/Cardinal Plaza, 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., tickets $75 each at http://www.acteva.com/booking.cfm?bevaid=230538. 
   Capitals' home opener (with Mardy Fish) vs. Kansas City, Sunrise Marketplace Outdoor Pavilion, Sunrise Mall in Citrus Heights, 7:35 p.m., www.saccaps.com.
   Friday -- WTA, Bank of the West Classic, Stanford, quarterfinals, noon and 7 p.m. Exhibition match, Chang vs. Courier, not before 8 p.m. www.bankofthewestclassic.com.
   Capitals (with Fish) vs. Orange County, Sunrise Marketplace Outdoor Pavilion, Sunrise Mall in Citrus Heights, 7:35 p.m., http://www.saccaps.com/.
   Saturday -- WTA, Bank of the West Classic, Stanford, semifinals, 1 and 7 p.m. www.bankofthewestclassic.com.
   Capitals at Orange County, 7 p.m.
   Sunday -- WTA, Bank of the West Classic, Stanford, singles final at 1 p.m., doubles final to follow. www.bankofthewestclassic.com.
   Monday -- Capitals (with Sam Querrey) vs. New York, Sunrise Marketplace Outdoor Pavilion, Sunrise Mall in Citrus Heights, 7:35 p.m., http://www.saccaps.com/.
   July 18 -- Capitals at Washington, 4:10 p.m.
   July 19 -- Capitals at Springfield, 5:05 p.m.
   July 20 -- Capitals at Kansas City, 5:35 p.m.
   July 22 -- Springfield at Capitals (with Querrey, Vandeweghe), Sunrise Marketplace Outdoor Pavilion, Sunrise Mall in Citrus Heights, 7:35 p.m., http://www.saccaps.com/.
   July 24 -- Orange County (with Lindsay Davenport) at Capitals (with Kevin Anderson, Vandeweghe), Sunrise Marketplace Outdoor Pavilion, Sunrise Mall in Citrus Heights, 7:35 p.m., http://www.saccaps.com/.
   July 25 -- Capitals (with Vandeweghe) at Orange County, 7 p.m.
   July 27 -- Philadelphia (with Mark Philippoussis) at Capitals (with Anderson, Vandeweghe), Sunrise Marketplace Outdoor Pavilion, Sunrise Mall in Citrus Heights, 7:35 p.m., http://www.saccaps.com/.
   July 28 -- Boston at Capitals (with Anderson, Vandeweghe), Sunrise Marketplace Outdoor Pavilion, Sunrise Mall in Citrus Heights, 7:35 p.m., http://www.saccaps.com/.
   July 28-Aug. 5 -- OLYMPIC TENNIS TOURNAMENT, Wimbledon, www.london2012.com.

Loaded on men's side, Capitals to open season

No. 13-ranked Mardy Fish, left,  is scheduled to play home
matches for the Sacramento Capitals on Thursday and Friday.
Fish is shown with friend and doubles partner Andy Roddick
at Indian Wells in March. Photo by Paul Bauman

   Losing a player usually hurts a team.
   Not so with Jean-Julien Rojer.
   Although Rojer has some impressive credentials, it turned out to be a lucky break for the Sacramento Capitals when he withdrew from World TeamTennis in May.
   The 30-year-old veteran from the Netherlands Antilles in the Caribbean Sea is ranked 20th in the world in men's doubles after reaching a career-high No. 17 last August. Since the beginning of May, Rojer and Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi of Pakistan have won two titles on the ATP World Tour (on clay and grass) and reached the French Open semifinals.
   Also, Rojer was named the WTT Male Rookie of the Year last year after helping the St. Louis Aces edge the Capitals 20-19 in the Western Conference finals. St. Louis, which folded during the offseason, then lost to the undefeated Washington Kastles in the WTT Finals.
   Indeed, Rojer and 40-year-old Mark Knowles, both ex-UCLA stars, would have formed an excellent pair for Sacramento. Knowles was ranked No. 1 in men's doubles at various times from 2002 to 2005 and won the SAP Open in San Jose in February with Xavier Malisse.
   But the Capitals, who open their 27th season today at Boston, drafted Rojer in the second round in March to play singles in addition to doubles. Rojer, who hasn't played singles regularly since 2006, ultimately balked.
   Rojer's defection, though, allowed Sacramento to sign the towering trio of 6-foot-8 Kevin Anderson, 6-6 Sam Querrey and 6-5 Ryan Sweeting to split men's singles and doubles duties with marquee player Mardy Fish.
   All four players have won singles titles on the ATP World Tour, the major leagues of men's tennis. All but Sweeting have been ranked in the top 30 in the world in singles and are accomplished doubles players.
   Sweeting climbed to a career-high No. 64 in singles last year and won the 2005 U.S. Open boys singles title. However, he is 0-5 in doubles on the ATP circuit this year and 7-26 in his career.
   "We're much stronger and happier with our new (men's) lineup," conceded Ramey Osborne, who returned as a Capitals co-owner last winter after 12-year hiatus. " ... It worked out to be a blessing."
   Except for the expense, which Osborne admitted is a "huge" concern.
   "Our salaries are doubled over last year," he said, adding that league rules prohibit him from elaborating.
   Still, Osborne didn't hesitate to sign the 13th-ranked Fish for two matches (Thursday and Friday at 7:35 p.m. at Sunrise Mall), Querrey for five, Anderson for four and Sweeting for three.
   "We wanted to put the best product we could out there," Osborne said.
   Osborne, who will turn 74 on July 20, and Deepal Wannakuwatte bought the team from Bob Cook, a local real estate developer who filed for personal bankruptcy last August. During Osborne's first stint (1988-99), the Capitals won the first three of their record six WTT championships. The team's last title came in 2007 on its home court.   Sacramento finished 8-6 in the 2011 regular season after going 6-8 and missing the playoffs in each of the two previous years. The Capitals' only other losing season, in which they also finished 6-8, came in 1991.
   Knowles, a three-time WTT Male MVP and Fish's coach, will return for his 11th season with the Capitals.
   So will coach Wayne Bryan, the father of doubles stars Bob and Mike Bryan.
   "I have a tremendous amount of respect for (Wayne Bryan), more so than before," Osborne said. "I didn't realize how much time and effort he puts into tennis and the Capitals."
   Sacramento's women are not as strong as its men, which could be especially damaging. It's more difficult for men to break serve and create gaps in the scoring against each other because of their greater power and the abbreviated format in team tennis (no-ad scoring, sets up to five games and tiebreakers at 4-4 in sets).
   Five-foot-10 Yasmin Schnack, a former UCLA All-American ranked No. 145 in doubles and No. 455 in singles, will come back after a solid rookie season with her hometown Capitals. Asia Muhammad, ranked No. 187 in doubles and No. 480 in singles, will play her first full season in WTT after serving as a substitute for Philadelphia in 2009.
   Muhammad and Schnack won the doubles title in the $50,000 USTA Gold River Women's Challenger last month at the Gold River Racquet Club, the Capitals' home during Osborne's first tenure as a co-owner.
   CoCo Vandeweghe, the 20-year-old niece of former NBA star Kiki Vandeweghe, will join the Capitals for their last five regular-season matches and, if they qualify, for the Sept. 14-16 playoffs. Vandeweghe, 6-foot-1, played for Sacramento as a WTT rookie in 2009 and for Boston the past two seasons. She is ranked No. 120 in singles after climbing to a career-high No. 89 in April 2011.
   Half of Sacramento's regular roster in 2011, Vania King and Dusan Vemic, did not return after two years with the team. King, the 2009 WTT Female MVP for Springfield (Mo.), tried to make the U.S. Olympic team but fell short and will play on the regular tour instead. The Capitals chose not to bring back the flashy but inconsistent Vemic, who turned 36 last month.
   Visiting marquee players will be ex-Capital Lindsay Davenport, formerly ranked No. 1 in singles and doubles, of the Orange County Breakers on July 24 and two-time Grand Slam singles runner-up Mark Philippoussis of Philadelphia on July 27.
   Federer regains top ranking -- Roger Federer returned to No. 1 in the world Monday for the first time in two years after winning his record-tying seventh Wimbledon singles title.
   Federer, who had been No. 3, defeated Andy Murray 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-4 Sunday to tie the mark held by William Renshaw of the late 1800s and Pete Sampras. Federer also tied Sampras' record of 286 weeks at No. 1.
   At 30 years and 335 days, Federer is the second-oldest man to hold the No. 1 ranking. Andre Agassi was 33 years and 131 days old when he returned to the top in June 2003.
   Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal each dropped one spot to No. 2 and No. 3, respectively.
   Wimbledon -- Second-seeded Mike Bryan and Lisa Raymond of the United States won the Wimbledon mixed doubles title Sunday, defeating fourth-seeded Leander Paes of India and Elena Vesnina of Russia 6-3, 5-7, 6-4.
   It was the third Grand Slam mixed doubles title for Bryan, who won the 1998 NCAA men's doubles crown as a Stanford sophomore with twin brother Bob, and Raymond. They won the 2002 U.S. Open and 2003 French Open.
   Paes and Vesnina also lost in the Australian Open final, falling to Horia Tecau of Romania and Bethanie Mattek-Sands of Phoenix. Paes has won six Grand Slam mixed doubles titles, the last one coming two years ago at Wimbledon with Cara Black of Zimbabwe. 
   Bank of the West Classic at Stanford -- Wild card Jana Juricova, making her professional debut after finishing her eligibility at Cal, upset fourth-seeded Alexa Glatch of Newport Beach 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 Sunday to advance to the main draw of the Bank of the West Classic.
   Juricova, who won the 2011 NCAA singles title at Stanford and the 2009 NCAA doubles crown with Mari Andersson, will meet eighth-seeded Marina Erakovic of New Zealand on Tuesday in the first round.
   Erakovic reached the Bank of the West quarterfinals as a qualifier last year, stunning top seed and defending champion Victoria Azarenka in the second round. Azarenka proceeded to win the Australian Open in January for her first Grand Slam title 
   Vandeweghe, seeded second in qualifying, lost to fifth-seeded Noppawan Lertcheewakarn of Thailand 2-6, 6-2, 7-5 in the last round but advanced to the main draw when Bojana Jovanovski of Serbia withdrew with an undisclosed injury. Vandeweghe will face unseeded Melinda Czink of Hungary in tonight's second match.
   Among Saturday's first-round losers in qualifying were Raquel Kops-Jones, the 2003 NCAA doubles champion with Cal teammate and Sacramento native Christina Fusano, and current Stanford players Kristie Ahn and Ellen Tsay.
  Women's Challenger in Denver -- Qualifier Nicole Gibbs, who swept the NCAA singles and doubles titles in May as a Stanford sophomore, subdued unseeded Julie Coin of France 6-2, 3-6, 6-4 to win the $50,000 Colorado International.
   It was the 19-year-old Gibbs' first Challenger singles crown. She won the singles championship at a $10,000 tournament in Mexico City at 14 in 2007 and the doubles title at a $50,000 event in Raleigh, N.C., in 2010 with Ahn.
   Gibbs, a wild card in the Bank of the West Classic, will play Lertcheewakarn, the 2009 Wimbledon girls champion, on Tuesday for the right to play top seed and defending champion Serena Williams late Wednesday afternoon. Williams, who won her fifth Wimbledon singles title Saturday, received a first-round bye. 
   Men's Challenger in Winnetka, Ill. -- Unseeded Americans Devin Britton and Jeff Dadamo, the singles finalists in last month's Sacramento Challenger, beat top-seeded Australians John Peers and John-Patrick Smith 1-6, 6-2, 10-6 tiebreak to capture the doubles title of the $50,000 Nielsen Pro Tennis Championships.
   Britton, the 2009 NCAA singles champion as a freshman at Mississippi, saved two match points to beat Dadamo, who won last year's NCAA doubles crown as a senior at Texas A&M, 2-6, 7-6 (6), 6-2 at the Park Terrace Swim & Tennis Club.
   Smith, a qualifier who recently completed his eligibility after an All-America career at Tennessee, won his first Challenger singles title. He saved two match points to nip seventh-seeded Ricardas Berankis of Lithuania 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (3) for his third victory over a top-200 player in the tournament. 
  Trivia time -- Not only have the last two NCAA women's champions in singles come from Stanford or Cal, so have the last four in doubles.
   Since Andersson and Juricova triumphed in 2009, Stanford teams have prevailed: Hilary Barte and Lindsay Burdette in 2010, Barte and Mallory Burdette in 2011, and Mallory Burdette and Gibbs this year.

CALENDAR 

   Today -- WTA, Bank of the West Classic, Stanford, first round, 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. www.bankofthewestclassic.com.
   World TeamTennis, Sacramento Capitals' season opener at Boston, 4 p.m., http://www.saccaps.com/.
   West Coast Junior Championships, quarterfinals and semifinals, Rio del Oro Racquet Club, 119 Scripps Dr., Sacramento, www.norcal.usta.com.
   Tuesday -- WTA, Bank of the West Classic, Stanford, first round, 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. www.bankofthewestclassic.com.
   Capitals at Philadelphia, 4 p.m. http://www.saccaps.com/.
   West Coast Junior Championships, finals, Rio del Oro Racquet Club, 119 Scripps Dr., Sacramento, www.norcal.usta.com.
   Wednesday -- WTA, Bank of the West Classic, Stanford, second round, 11 a.m. and not before 8 p.m. Exhibition match, Pete Sampras vs. Michael Chang, 7 p.m. www.bankofthewestclassic.com. 
   Thursday -- WTA, Bank of the West Classic, Stanford, second round, 11 a.m. and not before 8 p.m. Exhibition match, Sampras vs. Jim Courier, 7 p.m. www.bankofthewestclassic.com.
    2012 Northern California Tennis Hall of Fame Brunch and Induction Ceremony (Nick Saviano, Andrea Norman, Steve Cornell and Martha Downing), Stanford, Pac 12 Plaza/Cardinal Plaza, 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., tickets $75 each at http://www.acteva.com/booking.cfm?bevaid=230538. 
   Capitals' home opener (with Mardy Fish) vs. Kansas City, Sunrise Marketplace Outdoor Pavilion, Sunrise Mall in Citrus Heights, 7:35 p.m., www.saccaps.com.
   Friday -- WTA, Bank of the West Classic, Stanford, quarterfinals, noon and 7 p.m. Exhibition match, Chang vs. Courier, not before 8 p.m. www.bankofthewestclassic.com.
   Capitals (with Fish) vs. Orange County, Sunrise Marketplace Outdoor Pavilion, Sunrise Mall in Citrus Heights, 7:35 p.m., http://www.saccaps.com/.
   Saturday -- WTA, Bank of the West Classic, Stanford, semifinals, 1 and 7 p.m. www.bankofthewestclassic.com.
   Capitals at Orange County, 7 p.m.
   Sunday -- WTA, Bank of the West Classic, Stanford, singles final at 1 p.m., doubles final to follow. www.bankofthewestclassic.com.
   July 16 -- Capitals (with Sam Querrey) vs. New York, Sunrise Marketplace Outdoor Pavilion, Sunrise Mall in Citrus Heights, 7:35 p.m., http://www.saccaps.com/.
   July 18 -- Capitals at Washington, 4:10 p.m.
   July 19 -- Capitals at Springfield, 5:05 p.m.
   July 20 -- Capitals at Kansas City, 5:35 p.m.
   July 22 -- Springfield at Capitals (with Querrey, Vandeweghe), Sunrise Marketplace Outdoor Pavilion, Sunrise Mall in Citrus Heights, 7:35 p.m., http://www.saccaps.com/.
   July 24 -- Orange County (with Lindsay Davenport) at Capitals (with Kevin Anderson, Vandeweghe), Sunrise Marketplace Outdoor Pavilion, Sunrise Mall in Citrus Heights, 7:35 p.m., http://www.saccaps.com/.
   July 25 -- Capitals (with Vandeweghe) at Orange County, 7 p.m.
   July 27 -- Philadelphia (with Mark Philippoussis) at Capitals (with Anderson, Vandeweghe), Sunrise Marketplace Outdoor Pavilion, Sunrise Mall in Citrus Heights, 7:35 p.m., http://www.saccaps.com/.
   July 28 -- Boston at Capitals (with Anderson, Vandeweghe), Sunrise Marketplace Outdoor Pavilion, Sunrise Mall in Citrus Heights, 7:35 p.m., http://www.saccaps.com/.
   July 28-Aug. 5 -- OLYMPIC TENNIS TOURNAMENT, Wimbledon, www.london2012.com.