CICI BELLIS TO PLAY 2014 COLEMANVISION TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS
15-year-Old US Upstart Given Wildcard to Qualifying at Pro Circuit Event
ALBUQUERQUE, September 9,2014 – Tournament Director, Sue Jollensten is pleased to confirm that Catherine “CiCi” Bellis has been given a Wild Card entry into the Qualifying Round of the ColemanVision Tennis Championships, a USTA Pro Circuit Event.
Bellis, 15, just two weeks ago stunned the 12th seeded Dominika Cibulkova in a first-round match at the US Open. Cibulkova was the 2014 Australian Open finalist.
Bellis' win was the youngest opening round win by a female player at a Grand Slam since 1996 (Anna Kournikova).
Bellis (picture, right) is currently the top-ranked junior player in the world in the International Tennis Federation rankings, and is widely seen as one of the United States' best prospects. She was given a Wild Card invitation to the U.S. Open this year after winning the USTA Girls 18s Championships.
This will be her first appearance in Albuquerque.
Qualifying play begins on Sunday September 14, 2014, at 10 a.m.
Bellis will be in Albuquerque with her fellow United States' Junior Federation Cup team members, Tornado Alicia Black (2013 junior US Open finalist) and Sofia Kenin (currently No. 31 in the ITF junior world rankings) to train at high altitude to prepare for the Junior Fed Cup finals to be held in Mexico, later this month.
University of New Mexico Women’s Tennis Coach, Erica Perkins Jasper also announced that the UNM Women’s team will host a match against the Junior Federation Cup team on Friday, September 19 at 4 p.m., at the newly-opened McKinnon Family Tennis Center.
For ColemanVision Tennis Championship Event details and ticket information please go to colemanvision.com or call 505.820.8880.
ABOUT THE USTA PRO CIRCUIT:
This circuit is a pathway to tour-level competition for aspiring tennis players and a frequent battleground for established professionals. The USTA launched its Pro Circuit 33 years ago to provide players with the opportunity to gain professional ranking points and it has since grown to become the largest developmental tennis circuit in the world offering nearly $3 million in prize money. Past CVTC players have gone on to play and win in the Grand Slam events.