Frodin Qualifies for W100 Edmond, Liutova, Penickova Post First Round Wins; Letzel and Kha Qualify at Redding W35; Mosejczuk Earns Main Draw Spot at Austin M25; Goode Takes on Top Seed Bicknell in Lexington M15

The USTA Pro Circuit is back up to post-US Open speed, with four events--two women's and two men--this week, including the W100 in Edmond Oklahoma.

Although there are three WTA 125s this week in Europe, the W100 in Edmond is the biggest World Tennis tournament in the world, and the field reflects that, with two Top 100 players, Tatjana Maria of Germany and Renata Zarazua of Mexico the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds.

Qualifying concluded today, with 17-year-old Thea Frodin advancing to the main draw, with a 5-7, 6-4, 6-2 win over Sofia Cabezas(Iowa State, Tennessee) of Spain. The other two Americans to qualify are Alana Smith(NC State), who beat top qualifying seed Anastasia Kulikova of Finland 7-5, 6-1 today and has drawn Maria in the first round, and wild card Zoie Epps, a senior at Oklahoma. Epps defeated Kennedy Drenser-Hagmann 6-2, 6-2; Drenser-Hagmann had beat No. 2 qualifying seed Anna Rogers(NC State) in the first round.

In first round action today, Kristina Penickova, the right-hander of the twins, defeated Martina Capurro Taborda(Oklahoma) of Argentina 6-1, 6-2. I think Penickova must have received entry as a wild card, because her WTA ranking of 638 would not have given her direct entry into a W100. The only wild card showing on the draw is Maria Berlanga Bandera(Tulsa) of Spain, who plays Frodin next.

Sixteen-year-old Kristina Liutova, seeded No. 4, was back in action today for the first time since the US Open, where she qualified and took Qinwen Zheng of China, who is now 23 in the WTA rankings, to three sets in the first round. Liutova, who is competing under the WTA age restrictions, has to choose her events carefully from now until her 17th birthday in February. By my count she has played in eight of the 12 tournaments she is allowed, although qualifying at the US Open will have earned a merited increase. Today she defeated Maria Carle(Georgia) of Argentina 6-3, 6-0 and is now 37-5 (including qualifying) this year on the WTA and WT circuits.

The other women's event on the USTA Pro Circuit this week is the W35 in Redding California. 

Seventeen-year-old Natalie Kha, a senior verbally committed to USC, reached the main draw with a 6-2, 6-1 win over No. 2 seed Ruby Cooling of Great Britain, a freshman at Texas A&M. Texas A&M freshman Sydney Jara advanced to the main draw, as did Abigail Rencheli(NC State). The fourth American to qualify is 17-year-old Delaney Letzel, a blue chip senior from LA, who has committed to SMU. Letzel, who reached the round of 16 at the San Diego 18s Nationals, defeated Texas A&M freshman Yoana Konstantinova of Bulgaria 6-0, ret. in the final round of qualifying today. Letzel will play former Cal standout Lan Mi of China, the No. 7 seed, in the first round.

The left-handed Penickova, Annika, seeded No. 8, defeated Amelie Hejtmanek of Czechia 6-0, 6-3 in first round action today.

Vivian Wolff(Georgia, UCLA) and Lea Ma(Georgia) are the top two seeds.  Wild cards were awarded to Lexington Reed, a junior at Texas A&M, Maria Aytoyan, a Cal recruit, and Connie Ma(Stanford), who won her first round match today over Victoria Rodriguez of Mexico 6-3, 6-2.

Dominick Mosejczuk, the Wake Forest sophomore, has continued his impressive fall, with the 19-year-old New Yorker qualifying for the M25 in Austin today. Mosejczuk, who qualified for the NCAAs with a semifinal appearance at the ITA All-Americans in Tulsa and won his first pro title the M15 in Fayetteville the following week, defeated Shu Matsuoka(Arizona State) 6-4, 6-4 today. He'll play fellow college sophomore and qualifier Johan Rodriguez(Oklahoma) of Colombia.

The other American qualifier was former Texas All-American Micah Braswell, who defeated current Texas sophomore Gabriel Debru, the No. 1 qualifying seed, 6-3, 2-6, 10-8. Braswell was out eight months this year before returning to competition late last month.

Wild cards were given to Spencer Johnson, a senior at UCLA, Texas freshman Tomasz Berkieta of Poland, Baylor senior Devin Badenhorst of South Africa and 17-year-old blue chip Mason Vaughan. Johnson lost to top seed Alastair Gray(TCU) of Great Britain 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-2 in first round action today. Benjamin Willwerth, the 2025 Australian Open boys finalist, received a WT junior exempt entry, and will play No. 5 seed Tyler Zink. Michael Antonius is back for his first competition since his second round loss at the US Open Junior Championships last month. He will face Andrew Fenty(Michigan) in the opening round. 

As you might expect, the M15 in Lexington Kentucky is UK Wildcat heavy, with wild cards going to sophomore twins Mikael and Nicolas Arseneault of Canada, freshman Johan Oscar Lien of Norway, and Matei Onofrei of Romania, a junior at Louisville. 

Blaise Bicknell(Florida, Tennessee) and Gavin Young(Michigan) are the top two seeds. Bicknell will face 18-year-old Gavin Goode, who received a WT junior reserve entry, as did Oklahoma State sophomore Christopher Thies of Germany, who is currently No. 74 in the WT junior rankings.

Other notable qualifiers today are Clemson senior Marko Mesarovic, Matt Rankin(Kentucky) of Great Britain and Kentucky senior Eli Stephenson. Recent Kentucky graduate Jaden Weekes of Canada also qualified today.