Latest update July 27th, 2024 12:59 AM
Aug 14, 2013 Sports
USTA.com – SAN DIEGO – Top-seeded Sachia Vickery of Miramar, Fla., capped a strong performance at the Barnes Tennis Center, defeating second-seeded Alexandra Kiick of Plantation, Fla., 4-6, 6-2, 6-0, in a match lasting nearly two hours to capture the USTA Girls’ 18s National Championship.
Sachia Vickery won the USTA Girls’ 18s National Championship, earning a wild card into the main draw of the women’s singles at the 2013 US Open. © J. Fred Sidhu
With the win, 18-year-old Vickery, No. 230 in the WTA singles rankings, earned a wild card into the women’s singles main draw of the upcoming US Open, which takes place Aug. 26 – Sept. 9 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, N.Y.
“It feels unbelievable. It hasn’t sunk in that I’m going to be playing at the US Open,” Vickery, who is of Guyanese parentage, (Rawle Vickery and Paula Liverpool), said. “It’s been my dream since I started playing tennis. I can’t even put it into words how happy I am.”
After winning the USTA Girls’ 18s Nationals doubles title together on Saturday, Kiick and Vickery faced each other in the singles championship under bright, sunny skies and breezy conditions.
The first set was deadlocked at 4-4 with Vickery serving. At 30-30, Vickery was called for a foot fault on her first serve and proceeded to double fault to give Kiick a break point. Kiick, 17, secured the service break and a 5-4 lead, as Vickery’s down-the-line backhand sailed wide.
Serving for the first set, Kiick gained a set point at 40-30, but Vickery answered with a booming down-the-line backhand winner to send the game to deuce. Kiick went on to win the set, 6-4, when Vickery’s backhand landed in the net on the third set point.
After losing her first set of the tournament, Vickery came back strong in the second set, as she lost only six points in her first three service games and broke Kiick twice to build a 5-1 lead. The top seed went on to close out the set in 30 minutes to tie the match at one set all.
Following a 10-minute break, both players returned to the court and Vickery continued where she left off. With the momentum on her side, Vickery dominated the third set, scoring service breaks in the second and fourth games to establish a 5-0 lead.
The match ended with Vickery breaking Kiick’s serve at love in the sixth and final game of the third set to secure the prestigious USTA Girls’ 18s National Championship and a wild card into the US Open.
“The first set was a lot of nerves. My shot selection wasn’t good, and I was going for too much. I was letting her dictate on the bigger points,” Vickery said. “The difference between that and the last two sets was being more aggressive and going for my shots.”
Nearly 400 girls ages 16 and 18 and under are competing for the title of national champion, as well as a wild-card entry into the singles main draw of the US Open (for the 18s champion) and a wild card into the US Open Junior Championships (for the 16s champion). The 18s doubles champions will also receive a wild card into the main draw of the US Open.
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