Top seed Gibbs to face Wozniak in 50K Stockton

Nicole Gibbs serves during her fourth-round loss
to Petra Kvitova at Indian Wells in March, Photo
by Paul Bauman

   Nicole Gibbs and Aleksandra Wozniak have fond memories of Stanford, one as an amateur and the other as a professional.
   Gibbs attended the world-renowned university in the San Francisco Bay Area for three years (2011-13), winning two NCAA titles in singles and one in doubles.
   Wozniak qualified for the 2008 Bank of the West Classic at Stanford and went on to become the first Canadian in 20 years, and first ever from Quebec, to win a WTA title. She defeated Serena Williams 6-2, 3-1, retired (knee) in the semifinals and Marion Bartoli in the final.
   Gibbs and Wozniack will meet for the first time today, not before 11:30 a.m., in the first round of the $50,000 USTA Pro Circuit Challenger in Stockton, Calif.
   The second annual tournament, at the new Eve Zimmerman Tennis Center at the University of the Pacific, kicks off the U.S. Open wild-card challenge that also includes Sacramento, Calif., and Lexington, Ky., in the following two weeks. The American with the most points in two of the three tournaments will earn a wild card into the U.S. Open, Aug. 29-Sept. 11 in Flushing Meadows, N.Y.
   Gibbs, a 23-year-old resident of Marina del Rey in the Los Angeles area, is seeded first in Stockton with a world ranking of No. 76.
   The 28-year-old Wozniak is ranked No. 471 after reaching a career-high No. 21 in 2009. The right-hander missed 11 months after undergoing right shoulder surgery in September 2014.
   In a matchup of 20-year-olds with Northern California ties, sixth-seeded Taylor Townsend of Atlanta will play Mayo Hibi of Japan.
  Townsend, a talented left-hander, reached the third round of the French Open in 2014 and the second round at Roland Garros in May. She played for the Sacramento Capitals of World TeamTennis in their final season of 2013.
   Hibi, who was born in Japan but grew up in Irvine in the Los Angeles region, won the 2013 Sacramento Challenger at 17 and gained the Stockton quarterfinals last year.
   Also in action today will be:
   --Michelle Larcher de Brito, 23, of Portugal. She reached the third round at Wimbledon as a qualifier in 2013 (beating 2004 champion Maria Sharapova) and 2014.
   Larcher de Brito broke into pro tennis at 14, helping the Capitals win the 2007 WTT title. She was the youngest player in league history until Madison Keys surpassed her by 19 days as a 14-year-old with the Philadelphia Freedoms in 2009.
   --Kristie Ahn, who played on Stanford's NCAA championship team in 2013 with Gibbs.
   --Michaela Gordon, a 16-year-old wild card from Saratoga in the Bay Area.

$50,000 USTA PRO CIRCUIT CHALLENGER

In Stockton, Calif.

Second-round qualifying

   Brynn Boren, United States, def. Danielle Lao (1), United States, 6-2, 6-4.
   Chanel Simmonds, South Africa, def. Nicole Frenkel, United States, 6-3, 6-2.
   Gabriela Ce (2), Brazil, def. Jacqueline Cako, United States, 6-2, 6-4.
   Caitlin Whoriskey, United States, def. Ashley Weinhold, United States, 6-3, 6-2.
   Elizaveta Ianchuk (3), Ukraine, def. Brooke Austin, United States, 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-2.
   Desirae Krawczyk, United States, def. Giuliana Olmos, Fremont, 6-1, 6-2.
   Priscilla Hon (4), Australia, def. Yuliya Beygelzimer, Ukraine, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4.
   Jennifer Elie (6), United States, def. Sabrina Santamaria, United States, 6-4, 6-2.

Today's schedule

Starting at 10 a.m.

Court 1

   Elizaveta Ianchuk (3), Ukraine, vs. Desirae Krawczyk, United States (final-round qualifying).
   Nicole Gibbs (1), United States, vs. Aleksandra Wozniak, Canada (not before 11:30 a.m.).
   Storm Sanders, Australia, vs. Michaela Gordon, Saratoga (not before 1 p.m.).
   Asia Muhammad and Taylor Townsend (1), United States, vs. Chanel Simmonds, South Africa, and Renata Zarazua, Mexico (not before 2:30 p.m.)

Court 2

   Jennifer Elie (6), United States, vs. Priscilla Hon (4), Australia (final-round qualifying).
   Taylor Townsend (6), United States, vs. Mayo Hibi, Japan (not before 11:30 a.m.)
   Michelle Larcher de Brito, Portugal, vs. Sabina Sharipova, Uzbekistan (not before 1 p.m.).
   CiCi Bellis, Atherton, and Jamie Loeb, United States, vs. Yuki Kristina Chiang, United States, and Elizaveta Ianchuk, Ukraine (not before 2:30 p.m.).

Court 3

   Gabriela Ce (2), Brazil, vs. Caitlin Whoriskey, United States (final-round qualifying).
   Kristie Ahn, United States, vs. Riko Sawayanagi, Japan (not before 11:30 a.m.).
   Victoria Kan, Russia, vs. Arina Rodionova, Australia (not before 1 p.m.).
   Jacqueline Cako, United States, and Gabriela Ce (3), Brazil, vs. Greet Minnen, Belgium, and Riko Sawayanagi, Japan (not before 2:30 p.m.).

Court 4

   Brynn Boren, United States, vs. Chanel Simmonds, South Africa (final-round qualifying).

   Robin Anderson, United States, vs. Sanaz Marand, United States (not before 11:30 a.m.).
   Kristyna Pliskova, Czech Republic, and Alison Van Uytvanck (4), Belgium, vs. Alexandra Facey and Kat Facey, Cameron Park (not before 1 p.m.).
   Kristie Ahn and Nicole Gibbs, United States, vs. Sanaz Marand and Melanie Oudin, United States (not before 2:30 p.m.).