Monday, May 29, 2017

Bellis, 18, wins French Open main-draw debut

   CiCi Bellis achieved another first in her blossoming career today.
   The 18-year-old San Francisco native, who grew up in nearby Atherton, won a women's main-draw match in a Grand Slam tournament other than the U.S. Open.
   Debuting in the main draw of the French Open, Bellis defeated qualifier Quirine Lemoine of the Netherlands 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 in the opening round in Paris.
   Bellis, the youngest player in the top 50 at No. 48, will face another Dutchwoman, 18th-seeded Kiki Bertens, in the second round. Bertens, a semifinalist at Roland Garros last year, beat Ajla Tomljanovic of Australia 4-6, 6-1, 6-1.
   The 6-foot (1.82-meter) Bertens dismantled the 5-foot-7 (1.68-meter) Bellis 6-4, 6-0 in the second round of the Italian Open in Rome on May 17 en route to the semifinals. Bertens then won her third career singles title, and second straight in Nurnberg, although the highest-ranked player she beat was No. 36 Alison Riske of the United States in the quarterfinals.
    Bellis reached the third round of the U.S. Open as a qualifier last year and the second round at Flushing Meadows at 15 in 2014. By stunning 12th-seeded Dominika Cibulkova three years ago, Bellis became the youngest player to win a match at the U.S. Open since 15-year-old Anna Kournikova in 1996.     
    Another San Francisco native, 27th-seeded Sam Querrey, is scheduled to meet Hyeon Chung, a 21-year-old South Korean, on Tuesday in the first round of the French Open.
   The 6-foot-6 (1.98-meter) Querrey's best result in 10 appearances at Roland Garros is the third round in 2013. He has lost in the first round there seven times, including the past two years.
    Bellis is now based in Orlando, Fla., and Querrey in the Los Angeles suburb of Santa Monica.

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