Top seed Hibi to open in Redding Challenger

   Top-seeded Mayo Hibi of Japan is scheduled to play Caitlin Whoriskey of the United States today in the first round of the $25,000 The Ascension Project Women's Challenger in Redding, Calif.
   The match between Hibi, who won last year's Sacramento Challenger at 17, and Whoriskey, a former Tennessee All-American, will follow a 10 a.m. encounter at Sun Oaks Tennis & Fitness.
   Today's schedule also features Alexandra Stevenson, 15-year-olds Michaela Gordon of Saratoga in the San Francisco Bay Area and Karina Vyrlan of Sacramento, and the doubles team of 21-year-old twins Alexandra and Kat Facey of Cameron Park in the Sacramento region.
   Stevenson reached the Wimbledon semifinals in 1999 as a qualifier and climbed as high as No. 18 in the world in 2002 before shoulder injuries derailed her career. The 33-year-old daughter of basketball legend Julius Erving is ranked No. 515.

THE ASCENSION PROJECT WOMEN'S CHALLENGER

At Sun Oaks Tennis & Fitness in Redding, Calif.

Today's schedule

(Starting at 10 a.m.)

Court 3

   Lauren Embree, United States, vs. Anne-Liz Jeukeng, United States.
   Mayo Hibi (1), Japan, vs. Caitlin Whoriskey, United States.
   Terri Fleming and Elizabeth Profit, United States, vs. Tara Moore, Great Britain, and Tammi Patterson (3), Australia.

Court 2

   Maegan Manasse, United States, vs. Jennifer Brady, United States.
   Michaela Gordon, United States, vs. Ximena Hermoso, Mexico.
   Jennifer Brady and Lauren Embree, United States, vs. Marina Shamayko, Russia, and Zuzana Zlochova (2), Slovakia.

Court 1

   Megan McCray, United States, vs. Karina Vyrlan, United States.
   Akvile Parazinskaite, Lithuania, and Trelsie Sadler, United States, vs. Alexandra Facey and Kat Facey, United States.
   Tory Parravi and Lauren Stratman, United States, vs. Marie Norris and Alexandra Valenstein, United States.

Court 4

   Petra Rampre (5), Slovenia, vs. Ellie Halbauer, United States.
   Alexandra Stevenson, United States, vs. Karla Popovic, Croatia.
   Ellie Halbauer and Malika Rose, United States, vs. Stephanie Luk and Felicity Maltby, United States.