MA SERVES UP HOME COOKING AT KPSF OPEN: The beloved KPSF Open lost its home at the Bay Club when, after decades, the venerable venue was flattened. They sought refuge at the Berkeley Tennis Club before tournament founder Mukesh Patel and his team went back across the bay to Golden Gate Park’s sparkling new Goldman Tennis Center. And there was plenty of action September 22-26, as the tourney’s $50,000 prize money drew top talent to the Bay Area. Dublin’s Connie Ma, a product of the Tompkins Tennis program and now a Stanford freshman, cruised to the women’s final. She collected five bagels en route and scored wins over the likes of USF’s Arianna Capogrosso and Saint Mary’s Maria Kozyreva. In the final, Ma took the first set 6-3 over Jovana Jovic. But the Serbian, who’s ranked No. 359 and reached a high of No. 102, rallied and took a 5-3 lead in the second set. Ma broke back, forced a tiebreak and continued her steady play. Ultimately, she outmaneuvered Jovic, to win 6-3, 7-6.
In the men’s draw Raymond Sarmiento, former No. 287 and USC Trojan, was the No. 1 seed but had to battle through tough matches in the quarters and semis to reach the final. There, he met unseeded Dzianis Zharyn. Sarmiento capitalized on the first-serve woes of his Belarusian foe to take the first set 6-1. In the second, in front of a packed house, Raymond continued his steady play from the baseline and outlasted Zharyn 6-1, 6-3. Both winners took home $10,000. And what’s more, for every ace hit during the tourney, philanthropist Tad Taube and Taube Philanthropies, along with the Patel foundation, donated $100 to local charities, totaling over $30,000. To stay up to date, visit tenniscoalitionsf.org/
