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The US Open National Playoffs – Men’s Championship was dominated by the four seeded players, all of whom reached the semifinals last week in Atlanta.  On Friday at the Taube Family Tennis Center on the Stanford University campus, the four seeded women at the Women’s Championship attempted to do their part to match that accomplishment and continue down the path to earning a wild card into the 2010 US Open Qualifying Tournament.  All four of Friday’s US Open National Playoff quarterfinal matches were played on Court 11, in the shadow of the Stadium Court where some of women’s tennis’ biggest names were battling it out at the Bank of the West Classic, an Olympus US Open Series event.  But in a departure from the Men’s Championship, not all of the women’s seeds would survive to Saturday’s semifinals. 

Top-seeded Alina Jidkova, 33, of Boca Raton, Fla., began Friday’s action as she took on 18-year-old Kaitlyn Christian of Orange, Calif.  Jidkova, who was born in the Soviet Union but considers the U.S. home, made her US Open debut in 2000 and knows that this could be her last opportunity to make it back to Flushing Meadows.  She played like it on Friday, as she controlled the match throughout, en route to beating the less-experienced Christian 6-2, 6-0.  Christian, who will enroll at the University of Southern California in a few weeks, left the court believing that she played well, but was beaten by a professional, as Jidkova used her wits and displayed the excellent placement that has helped her beat the likes of Serena Williams and Jelena Jankovic during her career. 

Next on court was the third-seeded Brittany Augustine, 18, of Carson, Calif., taking on 15-year-old Evangeline Repic of Oakville, Canada.  As a former USTA Girls’ 14s No. 1, Augustine knows how important confidence can be for a young player, and she was determined to take command of the match from the outset.  Repic responded with a number of unforced errors, and Augustine took the first set 6-1.  Repic, whose father played college football at Acadia University in Canada, refused to go quietly, and immediately broke Augustine to open the second set en route to a 4-1 lead.  However, Augustine was able to regain her composure, breaking back to even the set at 4-4 and ultimately breaking again for a 6-1, 7-5, victory.

With the seeded players each recording straight-set victories in the first two quarterfinal matches, the US Open National Playoffs – Women’s Championship appeared to be mirroring the men’s draw.  But 16-year-old Jessica Pegula of Boca Raton, Fla., had other ideas, and dominated No. 4 seed Courtney Dolehide, 18, of Hinsdale, Ill., 6-0, 6-1.  Pegula, who picked up the sport from her older sister who played collegiately at the University of Pittsburgh, was the aggressor from the outset and consistently attacked Dolehide’s serve, which led to five breaks in the match. 

The last quarterfinal match featured 28-year-old Maureen Diaz of Glendale, Calif., who hoped to follow Pegula’s upset with one of her own.  However, 22-year-old No. 2 seed Alexandra Mueller of Abington, Pa., was able to restore order, again displaying a dominating serve en route to a 6-2, 6-3, win.  Diaz, the former USC Trojan who currently works as a tennis pro in Los Angeles, played valiantly, but was no match for the stronger Mueller, who won 21 of 22 points on her first serve and never faced a break point in the match. 

The semifinals of the 2010 US Open National Playoffs will be contested on Saturday, starting at noon.  Jidkova will once again start the day of play, as she looks to continue her march back to the US Open by taking on Augustine, who is hoping to make her women’s singles debut at Flushing Meadows after twice attempting to qualify for the girls’ singles draw.  Despite their age difference the two players have met before, with Augustine defeating Jidkova in three sets in the qualifying tournament for the 2010 USTA Pro Circuit $50,000 event in Dothan, Ala.  The second semifinal will pit the upstart Pegula against the second-seeded Mueller.  Pegula is not unfamiliar with Flushing Meadows, having competed in girls’ singles qualifying last year, while Mueller is looking to return to the US Open for the first time since 2007, when she competed in the main doubles draw as a wild card.
US Open National Playoffs – Women’s Championship
Taube Family Tennis Center at Stanford University
Palo Alto, Calif.

Day 3 Quarterfinal Results
(1) Alina Jidkova (RUS), Boca Raton, Fla., def. Kaitlyn Christian (USA), Orange, Calif., 6-2, 6-0
(3) Brittany Augustine (USA), Carson, Calif., def. Evangeline Repic (CAN), Oakville, Canada, 6-1, 7-5
Jessica Pegula (USA), Boca Raton, Fla., def. (4) Courtney Dolehide (USA), Hinsdale, Ill., 6-1, 6-0
(2) Alexandra Mueller (USA), Abington, Pa., def. Maureen Diaz (USA), Glendale, Calif., 6-2, 6-3