Defending champ to face Slam champ in Redding

Jennifer Brady, shown in July, will defend her Red-
ding title as the top seed. Photo by Paul Bauman 

   For the first round of a $25,000 Challenger, it doesn't get much better than this.
   Jennifer Brady, the top seed and defending champion, is scheduled to play fellow American Vania King, a former top-50 singles player and a two-time Grand Slam women's doubles champion, on Wednesday in the The Ascension Project Women's $25,000 Challenger in Redding, Calif.

   Brady, 20, is ranked No. 187 in the world. She turned pro in June after two years at UCLA, helping the Bruins win the 2014 NCAA title and reach this year's final.
   King, 26, will play in her fifth tournament after missing one year with a herniated disc in her neck. She reached career highs of No. 50 in singles in 2006 and No. 3 in doubles in 2011, winning the women's doubles titles at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open in 2010 with Yaroslava Shvedova of Kazakhstan.
   The main draw begins today at Sun Oaks Tennis and Fitness with the last two Redding runners-up in action. Fourth-seeded Lauren Embree (2014) will meet left-hander Nicole Frenkel, and Robin Anderson (2013) will face Lauren Albanese. All four players are American.
   Embree, a 24-year-old former University of Florida star, has won the last two Redding doubles titles. She teamed with Brady last year and Anderson in 2013.

Vania King, playing for the Sacramento Capitals in a 2012
World TeamTennis match, has won two Grand Slam women's
doubles titles. Photo by Paul Bauman

   Anderson graduated from UCLA this year after becoming the seventh player in school history to earn All-American honors in singles and doubles for all four years.

   On Wednesday, eighth-seeded Heidi El Tabakh of Canada will play Alexandra Stevenson in the opening round.

   Stevenson, 34, drew international attention in 1999 by becoming the first female qualifier to reach the Wimbledon semifinals. The daughter of basketball legend Julius Erving, she climbed to a career-high No. 18 in 2002 before injuries derailed her career.

   Three Cal All-Americans -- Maegan Manasse, Denise Starr and Klara Fabikova -- won in the second round of qualifying on Monday to reach the main draw.

THE ASCENSION PROJECT WOMEN'S $25,000 CHALLENGER

At Sun Oaks Tennis and Fitness in Redding, Calif.

Final-round qualifying

   Ema Burgic Bucko (1), Bosnia and Herzegovina, def. Lyann Hoang, Australia, 6-1, 6 -1.
   Amy Zhu, United States, def. Emma Christine Higuchi (11), United States, 6-0, 6-3.
   Denise Starr, United States, def. Lorraine Guillermo, United States, 6-3, 6-0.
   Klara Fabikova, Czech Republic, def. Olivia Hauger, United States, 6-3, 6-3.
   Maegan Manasse (3), United States, def. Darya Possokhova, United States, 7-6 (3), 6-2.
   Ashley Kratzer (9), United States, def.  Michelle Sammons (6), South Africa, 7-5, 7-6 (5).
   Sophie Chang (2), United States, def. Caroline Doyle, United States, 6-0, 4-6, 7-6 (1).
   Megan McCray, United States, def. Kaitlyn Christian, United States, 6-1, 6-2.

Today's schedule

Court 2

(Starting at 10 a.m.)

   Klara Fabikova, Czech Republic, vs. Anna Zaja, Germany.

(Not before 11 a.m.)

   Caitlin Whoriskey (6), United States, vs. Ema Burgic Bucko, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

(Not before 12:30 p.m.)

   Petra Rampre, Slovenia, vs. Ena Shibahara, United States.

(Not before 2 p.m.)

   Varatchaya Wongteanchai, Thailand, and Michelle Sammons (2), South Africa, vs. Tory Parravi and Karina Kristina Vyrlan, United States.

Court 1

(Starting at 10 a.m.)

   Julia Jones, United States, vs. Lisa Whybourn, Great Britain.

(Not before 11 a.m.)

   Sherazad Reix (5), France, vs. Laura Schaeder, Germany.

(Not before 12:30 p.m.)

   Maegan Manasse, United States, vs. Ashley Kratzer, United States.

(Not before 2 p.m.)

   Ashley Weinhold and Caitlin Whoriskey (1), United States, vs. Lauren Albanese and Sophie Chang, United States.

Court 3

(Starting at 10 a.m.)

   Denise Starr, United States, vs. Piia Suomalainen, Finland.

(Not before 11 a.m.)

   Lauren Albanese, United States, vs. Robin Anderson, United States.

(Not before 12:30 p.m.)

   Lauren Embree (4), United States, vs. Nicole Frenkel, United States.

(Not before 2 p.m.)

   Kaitlyn Christian, United States, and Sherazad Reix (4), France, vs. Robin Anderson and Vania King, United States.