Querrey holds off Fritz; Bellis reaches quarters

Sam Querrey advanced to the semifinals in Acapulco.
2014 photo by Paul Bauman

   Sam Querrey dominated the three-week Challenger swing through Northern California in 2014. Taylor Fritz did so last year.
   The native Californians met for the first time on Thursday, with Querrey prevailing 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the quarterfinals of the hardcourt Abierto Mexicano Telcel in Acapulco.
   Querrey, who at 28 is 10 years older than Fritz, won the title in Delray Beach last week and upset No. 2 seed Kei Nishikori of Japan in the second round in Acapulco.
   Fritz reached his first ATP final two weeks ago in Memphis and ousted eighth-seeded Jeremy Chardy of France in the first round in Acapulco.
   Fritz will become the youngest player in the top 100 on Monday, jumping from No. 102 to about No. 82.
   Querrey, originally from San Francisco, swept the Napa, Sacramento and Tiburon Challengers in 2014.
   Fritz, a lifelong resident of Rancho Santa Fe in the San Diego area, won Sacramento and Fairfield (which replaced Napa) last October, and did not play in Tiburon.
   Querrey will play No. 4 seed Dominic Thiem, a 22-year-old Austrian who beat No. 7 seed and 2014 champion Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria 7-5, 6-2, for the first time. Thiem won the title in Buenos Aires on clay two weeks ago, surprising Rafael Nadal in the semifinals.
   In the other semifinal, fifth-seeded Bernard Tomic of Australia will meet Alexandr Dolgopolov of Ukraine. Dolgopolov knocked off top-seeded David Ferrer, a 33-year-old Spaniard who won his fourth Acapulco title last year.  
   ITF Women's Circuit in Rancho Santa Fe -- Defending champion CiCi Bellis, 16, of Atherton in the San Francisco Bay Area reached the quarterfinals of the $25,000 Morgan Run Women's Open with a 6-2, 6-3 victory over qualifier Aleksandra Wozniak of Canada.
   Bellis, the runner-up in last week's $25,000 Surprise (Ariz.) Tennis Classic, will face 27-year-old veteran Vania King of Long Beach for the first time. King, a two-time Grand Slam champion in women's doubles, took out seventh-seeded Alla Kudryavtseva of Russia 4-6, 6-2, 6-3.
   Bellis also advanced to the doubles semifinals with countrywoman Jacqueline Cako.