Halbauer, 17, ousts seed in Redding Challenger

   Ellie Halbauer, 17, of Boca Raton, Fla., surprised fifth-seeded Petra Rampre of Slovenia 6-3, 6-3 today in the first round of The Ascension Project $25,000 Women's Challenger in Redding, Calif.

   Rampre, 34, wears a bandana because she lost all the hair on her body seven years ago. She has a rare disorder called alopecia universalis.
   Halbauer will face Alexandra Stevenson, the 33-year-old daughter of basketball legend Julius Erving playing in her home state, on Thursday at Sun Oaks Tennis & Fitness. Stevenson, a Wimbledon semifinalist 15 years ago but now ranked No. 515, defeated qualifier Karla Popovic, a Cal freshman from Croatia, 6-1, 6-4.
   Top-seeded Mayo Hibi, 18, advanced with a 7-6 (3), 6-4 victory over American Caitlin Whoriskey. Hibi, an Irvine resident who plays for her native Japan, won last year's Sacramento Challenger.
   Michaela Gordon, a 15-year-old wild card from Saratoga in the San Francisco Bay Area, dismissed Ximena Hermoso, 23, of Mexico 6-2, 6-2.
   Sacramento's Karina Vyrlan, also 15, lost to Megan McCray of Oceanside 6-3, 6-4.

     THE ASCENSION PROJECT $25,000 WOMEN'S CHALLENGER

At Sun Oaks Tennis & Fitness

In Redding, Calif.

First-round singles

   Lauren Embree, United States, def. Anne-Liz Jeukeng, United States, 6-1, 6-2.
   Mayo Hibi (1), Japan, def. Caitlin Whoriskey, United States, 7-6 (3), 6-4.
   Jennifer Brady, United States, def. Maegan Manasse, United States, 6-3, 6-2.
   Michaela Gordon, Saratoga, def. Ximena Hermoso, Mexico, 6-2, 6-2.
   Megan McCray, United States, def. Karina Vyrlan, Sacramento, 6-3, 6-4.
   Ellie Halbauer, United States, def. Petra Rampre (5), Slovenia, 6-3, 6-3.

   Alexandra Stevenson, United States, def. Karla Popovic, Croatia, 6-1, 6-4. 

First-round doubles

   Tara Moore, Great Britain, and Tammi Patterson (3), Australia, def. Terri Fleming and Elizabeth Profit, United States, 6-2, 6-0.

   Jennifer Brady and Lauren Embree, United States, def. Marina Shamayko, Russia, and Zuzana Zlochova (2), Slovakia, 6-0, 7-6 (4).

   Alexandra Facey and Kat Facey, Cameron Park, def. Akvile Parazinskaite, Lithuania, and Trelsie Sadler, United States, 6-3, 7-6 (3).
   Tory Parravi and Lauren Stratman, United States, def. Marie Norris and Alexandra Valenstein, United States, 7-5, 2-6 [10-6].

   Ellie Halbauer and Malika Rose, United States, def. Stephanie Luk and Felicity Maltby, United States, 6-2, 5-7 [10-5]. 

Wednesday's schedule

(Starting at 10 a.m.)

Court 2

   Kristie Ahn, United States, vs. Fatma Al Nabhani (8), Oman.

   Zuzana Zlochova (3), Slovakia, vs. Lyann Hoang, United States.

   Akvile Parazinskaite, Lithuania, vs. Tammi Patterson (4), Australia.

   Fatma Al Nabhani, Oman, and Jacqueline Cako (1), United States, vs. Megan McCray and Morgan McCray.

Court 1

   Felicity Maltby, Sunnyvale, vs. Elizabeth Profit, United States.

   Jacqueline Cako, United States, vs. Marina Shamayko (6), Russia.

   Lauren Albanese, United States, vs. Marie Norris, United States.

   Mayo Hibi, Japan, and Danielle Mills, United States, vs. Sabastiani Leon, Mexico, and Mara Schmidt, United States.

Court 3

   Krista Hardebeck, United States, vs. Tara Moore (2), Great Britain.

   Karolina Wlodarczak, Australia, vs. Terri Fleming, United States.

   Klaartje Liebens (7), Belgium, vs. Denise Starr, United States.

   Roxanne Ellison, United States, and Karolina Wlodarczak, Australia, vs. Leila Hodzic and Anne-Liz Jeukeng, United States.