Mercer Tennis Classic gets underway for the 10th time

By Michael A. Lough

The Sports Report

centralgasports@gmail.com

          The 10th anniversary of the Mercer Tennis Classic will be greeted by a sudden surge of seriously fall weather when it begins Monday morning at the John Drew Smith Tennis Center.

          Temperatures will be in the 50s when the first volley is offered around 10 a.m. Monday, and rise only into the low 60s. But it will warm up as the week progresses toward the Sunday’s finals

          Nearly 40 former MTC competitors were in a Grand Slam event in 2023.

          The lone former champ in the field is Kayla Day, who won in 2016 and is currently ranked 96th. Taylor Townsend, a 27-year-old from Chicago, has the top current ranking at No. 77, and is No. 8 in doubles, with US Open quarterfinal and French Open finals in doubles.

          No. 330 Ashley Lahey is the top seed in qualifying.

          The field also includes Mercer’s Teordora Ristic, a senior from Serbia who transferred from Gardner-Webb who is 4-0 this fall.

          Alumni of the tournament include winners of majors: 2014 Macon singles champ Kateryna Bondarenko and sister Alona of Ukraine won the 2008 Australian Open doubles title; the 2010 French Open singles champion Francesca Schiavone was the tournament’s top seed in 2018.

          Singles qualifying for a post in the 32-player main draw is Monday and Tuesday, with a 16-team doubles draw.

          Tickets are $5 a day and $25 for the week, with a $125 VIP pass that includes access to all events, as well as complimentary food and beverages, and dinner for evening matches.