SAN JOSÉ, CA (July 31, 2021) – Four of Saturday’s eight qualifying matches went all three sets to lead a competitive day of play at the 2021 Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic.
The day was marked by upset wins by Americans Ashlyn Krueger, Emina Bektas and Robin Montgomery.
Added to the qualifying field just hours before stepping on the court, alternate Emina Bektas emerged victorious from a three-set thriller against fellow American Katie Volynets. Bektas grabbed her first lead of the match at 3-2 in the first set, breaking Volynets in a marathon 13-point game. The former Michigan Wolverine would win the set 6-4 and ultimately advanced to Sunday’s finals with a 6-3 third set victory.
Awaiting Bektas on Sunday is Australian Ellen Perez. Perez moved through to the finals after earning a win in Saturday’s most competitive match, topping Mayo Hibi 6-2, 6-7(2), 7-5.
Americans Ashlyn Krueger and Robin Montgomery both advanced in straight sets Saturday after receiving qualifying wild cards. Krueger upset No. 7 seed Valeria Savinykh 6-1, 7-6(2) and will face Na-Lae Han on Sunday. The 16-year-old Montgomery defeated No. 5 seed Arina Rodionova 6-4, 6-0 to setup a Sunday showdown with 2015 Nottingham Open champion Ana Konjuh.
Top qualifying seed Anastasia Potapova was the first to punch her ticket to the final round on Court 1. Potapova regrouped quickly after American Danielle Lao only dropped two games in the opening set, winning 6-0, 6-2 to advance to Sunday. She will face Lesley Pattinama Kerkhove of the Netherlands, who won 6-2, 6-2 over Stanford product Carol Zhao.
Sunday’s qualifying finals are open to the public. Individual session tickets for the main draw are available now, with opening-round tickets starting at only $20. Get your tickets today for this historic Bay Area event as it returns to San José State University, August 2-8, and celebrates its 50th Anniversary. Weeklong ticket packages are also available.
Co-founded by the legendary sportswoman, visionary, and activist Billie Jean King, the tournament was the first event of the historic 1971 women's professional tennis tour, a precursor to the WTA. Its list of past champions reads like a who's who of women's tennis, including Serena Williams, Lindsay Davenport, Billie Jean King, Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Andrea Jaeger, Monica Seles, Martina Hingis, Venus Williams, and Kim Clijsters.
Tickets can be purchased at www.MubadalaSVC.com, or you can call the tournament ticket office at 1-833-94-MATCH (1-833-946-2824).
Owned and operated by IMG, the tournament features a 28-player singles draw and 16-team doubles draw and serves as the opening women's event of the US Open Series.
ABOUT THE MUBADALA SILICON VALLEY CLASSIC: Co-founded by Billie Jean King in 1971, the Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic celebrates its 50th Anniversary and is the longest-running women-only professional tennis tournament in the world. Owned and operated by IMG, the WTA 1000 level event is the first women's stop on the US Open Series and features a 28-player singles draw and 16-team doubles draw with total prize money of $565,530.
ABOUT MUBADALA: Mubadala Investment Company is a sovereign investor managing a global portfolio, aimed at generating sustainable financial returns for the Government of Abu Dhabi. Mubadala's $243.4 billion (AED 894 billion) portfolio spans six continents with interests in multiple sectors and asset classes. We leverage our deep sectoral expertise and long-standing partnerships to drive sustainable growth and profit while supporting the continued diversification and global integration of the economy of the United Arab Emirates. Headquartered in Abu Dhabi, Mubadala has offices in London, Rio de Janeiro, Moscow, New York, San Francisco and Beijing. For more information about Mubadala Investment Company, please visit: www.mubadala.com
ABOUT THE US OPEN SERIES: The US Open Series serves as a true "regular season" of summer tennis in North America, linking nine summer WTA and ATP Tour tournaments to the US Open. Featuring a cohesive weekly schedule, the Series centralizes the way tennis is viewed in North America, across multiple television and digital platforms. Fans will see today's top champions go head-to-head with tomorrow's emerging stars, as storylines develop throughout the summer season. Each tournament also engages its local community with a variety of outreach initiatives, including grass-roots youth tennis clinics and activities.
ABOUT IMG: IMG is a global leader in sport, events, fashion, and media. The company manages some of the world's greatest athletes and fashion icons; owns and operates hundreds of live events annually; and is a leading independent producer and distributor of sports and entertainment media. IMG also specializes in licensing, sports training and league development. IMG is a subsidiary of Endeavor, a global entertainment, sports and content company.
ABOUT SAN JOSÉ STATE UNIVERSITY: The founding campus of the 23-campus California State University system, San José State provides a comprehensive university education, granting bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in 250 areas of study – offered through its eight colleges. With more than 33,000 students and nearly 4,370 employees, San José State University continues to be an essential partner in the economic, cultural and social development of Silicon Valley and the state, annually contributing 10,000 graduates to the workforce. The university is immensely proud of the accomplishments of its more than 260,000 alumni, 60 percent of whom live and work in the Bay Area.