De Los Rios survives round of upsets
Published 11:00 pm Friday, April 3, 2009
Rosanna de Los Rios is the only serving seeded pro in the United States Tennis Association Pro Circuit $25K Challenger after Friday’s quarterfinal round at the Pelham Racquet Club. De Los Rios, last year’s No. 1 seed and singles runner-up, dropped the first set, 6-3, to Sharon Fichman of Canada, but rallied to win the quarterfinal, 6-1 and 7-5.
The day was full of upsets, as word traveled across town to the Shelby County high school girls’ tennis tournament that top-seeded Austrian Patricia Mayr had fallen in the quarterfinals, 6-0, 6-2, to Jorgelina Cravero of Argentina. Just before that message, word came in of De Los Rios’ first-set loss.
Also falling to un-seeded players were No. 3 Gullickson and No. 4 Betina Jozami. Yurika Sema of Japan beat Carly Gullickson of Brentwood, Tenn., 6-1, 7-6(5) and will face Cravero in a semifinal Saturday. Jozami fell to Yuliana Fedak of Ukraine in three sets, 7-5, 3-6, 7-5.
In doubles play, Netherlands duo Danielle Harmsen and Kim Kilsdonk will challenge Marie-Eve Pelletier of Canada and Frederica Piedade of Portugal in the final Saturday afternoon.
The singles semifinal matches will begin at 10 a.m. with Cravero taking on Sema on the stadium court and Fedak challenging De Los Rios on court No. 10.