Mecco Commercial Lending Cup

Presented by AIR PRODUCTS AND CHEMICALS

A USTA Professional Circuit Event

USTA Women's $25,000 Satellite

Westend Racquet, Swim & Fitness Club in Allentown, PA

June 11-16, 2002

Results

By Toni Astone-Weissbein

Singles Quarterfinals

Holly Parkinson (7), United States, def. Bethanie Mattek, United States, 7-5, 6-0

Tanner Cochran, United States, def. Melissa Torres (8), Mexico, 6-1, 6-3

Lindsay Lee-Waters (5), United States, def. Milangela Morales, United States, 6-4, 6-3

Jessica Lehnhoff, United States, def. Katia Afinogenova, Russia, 7-6(7-4), 6-3.

Doubles-Quarterfinals

Jennifer Embry and Jessica Lehnhoff (1), United States def. Salome Devidze, Georgia, and Melissa Torres, Mexico, 6-1, 6-3.

Kaori Aoyama and Seiko Okamoto, Japan, def. Karine Ionesco, Canada, and Jacqueline Trail (4), United States 6-2, 6-3.

Tanner Cochran and Kristen Schlukebir (3), United States, def. Yvonne Doyle, Ireland, and Melanie Marois, Canada, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1.

Milangela Morales and Shenay Perry, United States, def. Aneta Soukup, Canada, and Jessica Steck (2), Republic of South Africa, 7-6(7-4), 6-1.

Singles-Finals

Tanner Cochran, United States, def. Lindsay Lee-Waters (5), United States, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4.

Doubles-Finals

Jennifer Embry and Jessica Lehnhoff (1), United States def. Tanner Cochran and Kristen Schlukebir, United States, 6-4, 6-7(4-7), 7-6(7-4).

Quarterfinals 

Rain drove quarterfinal action of the USTA Satellite $25,000 women's tennis tournament indoors Friday at the Westend Racquet, Swim & Fitness Club.

In the singles draw of the MECCO Commercial Lending Cup, Holly Parkinson, the seventh seed, managed a huge comeback to win in two over qualifier, Bethanie Mattek (7-5, 6-0), after being down 1-5 in the first set.

Tanner Cochran, dominated the eighth seed, Melissa Torres, winning in straight sets (6-0, 6-2), and Jessica Lehnhoff, a promising young college player finished off the 15-year-old, poised, Russian, Katia Afinogenova, after a tie break in the first set. Lehnhoff has admitted she is a slow starter, but this NCAA runner up and USTA wildcard entry more than makes up for it once she gets rolling.

Lindsay Lee-Waters (5) put an end to the lucky loser's winning streak and now faces Lehnhoff in the semifinals. 

Milangela Morales, the lucky loser from the qualifiers, fared better in doubles action, claiming a spot in the quarterfinals with partner, Shenay Perry. They upset the second seeded Aneta Soukup and Jessica Steck with an aggressive, go-for-it attitude. They will face Tanner Cochran and Kristen Schlukebir in the semifinals Saturday.

The first seeded team, Jennifer Embry and Jessica Lehnhoff defeated Salome Devidze and Melissa Torres in straight sets, while a Kaori Aoyama and Seiko Okamoto, of Japan, prevailed against the fourth seed. Kaori traveled from Japan and plans to play in four tournaments in North America, including two in Canada, before returning to Tokyo. She is trying to raise her ranking to qualify in the U.S. Open.

Semifinals  

The semifinal matches concluded Saturday at the Westend Racquet, Swim & Fitness Club, with four teams advancing to the finals of this USTA, $25,000 satellite event.

In singles action Jessica Lehnhoff let three match points slip away during the final and third set against the fifth seed and eventual victor, Lindsay Lee-Waters. Once ranked 36th in the world, Lee-Waters capitalized on Lehnhoff's tentativeness at serve, and went for aggressive, deep shots to turn the match around. Lindsay had to stay solid to prevail, and came back from a 3-5 deficit in the final set (1-6, 7-6(7-3), 7-5).

A 17-year-old from Dublin, Georgia, Tanner Cochran, found her rhythm, handled her volleys well, and upset the fifth-seeded Holly Parkinson in straight sets. Cochran stayed aggressive, kept the ball to Parkinson's backhand, and put pressure on her serve for the win (6-3, 6-1).

Sunday, both Cochran and Lee-Waters who train together in Atlanta, Georgia will face off at the MECCO Cup finals in Allentown. In their only previous meeting Cochran beat Lee-Waters on clay. 

The first seeded team of the doubles semifinal, Jennifer Embry and Jessica Lehnhoff did not breeze to victory against the Japanese duo of Kaori Aoyama and Seiko Okamoto as some expected. Instead the underdogs gave them a tough time with their soft touch and deep lobs. It took better service placement and put aways to eventually gain control of the match which Embry and Lehnhoff did to win in three (2-6, 6-3, 6-3).

Third seeded Cochran and Schlukebir also needed three sets to close out the match against Morales and Perry. Finals begin Sunday at 11:00AM.

Finals 

Tanner Cochran, the 17-year-old from Georgia, had to fight hard to defeat fifth-seeded Lindsay Lee-Waters for her first ever singles title at the MECCO Cup $25,000 USTA satellite tournament on Sunday.

Down a break in set one, Cochran picked up her serve to hold, break back, then take set one, 6-4. During set two, Lindsay Lee-Waters' determined aggressiveness paid off as she began to make fewer unforced errors and more winners.

Lee-Waters in recent years has struggled since being number 36th in the world. She has struggled with a series of injuries and she took time off after marrying and having a child.

Though Lee-Waters captured set two, it was to be Cochran's victory as she elevated her service and serve receive for the third set win, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4.

In doubles final action at the Westend Racquet, Swim, & Fitness Club in Allentown, Pennsylvania, Tanner Cochran and her partner, Kristen Schlukebir, a 17-year-old from Kalamazoo, Michigan, faced off with the number one seeds, Jennifer Embry and Jessica Lehnhoff. 

Embry, born in Bethlehem, who currently has a world ranking of 104 in doubles, won her first round at the French Open this year and plans to play doubles with Amanda Augustus at Wimbledon. Her big serve, volleys, and experience proved pivotal in the finals, paring well with Lehnhoff's skillful defense and volleys.

Though Cochran and Schlukebir played well --Cochran had played six sets that day -- Cochran's singles final match might have taken a toll. Both she and her partner Schlukebir chased down perfectly placed lobs and tried to pick away at Lehnhoff's weaker serve, but came up short in the third set tiebreak 6-4, 6-7(4), 7-6(4).

These matches conclude the tournament, which ran June 9-16th. 2002. The MECCO Cup singles finals were scheduled to be televised on Service Electric's TV 2.      

The MECCO Commercial Lending Cup

For the second year in a row, Westend Racquet, Swim & Fitness Club in Allentown hosted world-class tennis. Last year, Ashley Harkleroad, now the number one ranked junior in America, and Irina Selyutina of Kazakhstan who currently ranks 87th in the world, sparked the enthusiastic crowds. 

This year's action kicked off with a Wildcard Tournament from May 28th to May 31st, in which local tennis talent competed for a spot in the Main Draw. From the Qualifying Tournament, June 9th to 11th, four players advanced to the Singles Main Draw, which ran from June 11th to 16th.

Not only did players battle for $25,000 prize money in both singles and doubles competitions, but they also earned WTA points based upon results.

Admission was free to each of these outdoor events until the weekend of June 15th & 16th when tickets will cost $5.00 or a donated racquet for the benefactor, the Lehigh Valley Boys & Girls Clubs. Last year's event raised over five thousand dollars for the Lehigh Valley Boys and Girls Clubs.