Stanford, California – Day one of the Bank of the West Classic qualifying tournament is in the books with seven players moving one win closer to a spot in the main draw.
The day had been uneventful leading into the day’s final match as all seeded players recorded straight set wins. The final match of the day, however, between Jacqueline Cako and incoming Stanford freshman Michaela Gordon would flip the script.
Cako, ranked 217 in the world and seeded ninth in qualifying, was the clear favorite heading into the match against Gordon who was late wildcard entry. Gordon came out strong and took the first set 7-5. Cako bounced back to win the second set 6-2. The final set was a back and forth affair which Gordon pulled out 6-4.
Gordon, from Saratoga, California, will face the seventh-seeded qualifier Marina Erakovic on Sunday in the third match on stadium.
Other winners on Saturday included Veronica Cepede Royg, Sachia Vickery, Asia Muhammad, Lizette Cabrera and Caroline Dolehide.
Play begins at 10 am and is open to the public. The four winners of Sunday’s matches move into the Bank of the West Classic main draw.
The Bank of the West Classic, a Premier WTA event, features a 28-player singles draw as well as a 16-team doubles draw. The event is owned and operated by IMG and serves as the opening women's event of the US Open Series.
Tickets for the Bank of the West Classic are on sale now with individual session tickets for the opening round start at just $34. The Bank of the West Classic also provides fans with multiple money-saving ticket packages that start as low as $192 for Night Session Packages, $265 for Weekend Packages and $620 for Full Week Packages. Groups of 15 or more can also receive discounts of up to 20%.
Go to www.mubadalasvc.com or call (866) 982-8497 to secure your tickets today.
The Bank of the West Classic offers several different seat options with prices to fit everyone's budget so reserve your seats today. Qualifying will be held July 29-30 and is free to the public.
The list of past champions of the event 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.
ABOUT THE BANK OF THE WEST CLASSIC: The Bank of the West Classic is the longest-running women-only professional tennis tournament in the world and is the first stop of the US Open Series. Owned and operated by IMG, the WTA Premier event features a 28-player singles draw and a 16-team doubles draw with total prize money of $776,000. Held on Stanford University’s campus at Taube Family Tennis Stadium since 1997, former champions include: Billie Jean King, Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Andrea Jaeger, Monica Seles, Martina Hingis, Lindsay Davenport, Serena Williams, Venus Williams and Kim Clijsters.
ABOUT BANK OF THE WEST: Bank of the West is a regional financial services company chartered in California and headquartered in San Francisco with $77.2 billion in assets as of March 31, 2016. Founded in 1874, Bank of the West provides a wide range of personal, commercial, wealth management and international banking services through more than 600 offices in 23 states and digital channels. Bank of the West is a subsidiary of BNP Paribas, which has a presence in 75 countries with 185,000 employees.
ABOUT THE US OPEN SERIES: Now in its 14th season, the world's best players on the WTA and ATP World Tour are coming together for the US Open Series. Linking seven summer WTA and ATP World Tour tournaments to the US Open, the US Open Series serves as a true regular season of hard court tennis.
Featuring a cohesive 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 grassroots youth tennis clinics and activities.
ABOUT IMG: IMG is a global leader in sports, fashion, events and media, operating in more than 30 countries. The company represents and manages some of the world’s greatest sports figures and fashion icons; stages hundreds of live events and branded entertainment experiences annually; and is one of the largest independent producers and distributors of sports media. IMG also specializes in sports training; league development; and marketing, media and licensing for brands, sports organizations and collegiate institutions.