ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The University of New Mexico men’s and women’s tennis teams are kicking off their fall season at home on Sept. 19 when they host the USTA Junior Fed and Junior Davis Cup teams at the McKinnon Family Tennis Complex. This will be the first official event played at the new stadium.
These young USTA squads are on their way to San Luis Potosi, Mexico to compete in the 2014 Jr. Fed Cup finals and Jr. Davis Cup finals, but first they are making a pit stop in N.M. to get in some training at high altitude and face off against a few Lobos.
This unique event provides a great opportunity for Lobo tennis fans to come and check out some quality tennis matches featuring top junior players from all over the world.
Fifteen-year-old Catherine “CiCi” Bellis, Tornado Alicia Black (16), and Sofia Kenin (15) are the Jr. Fed Cup competitors coming to UNM. Despite their young age, these players carry a wealth of tennis experience with them. Bellis is currently the No. 1 ranked player in the International Tennis Federation (ITF) junior rankings. Additionally, the USTA Girls 18s champion became the youngest player to win an U.S. Open first round match since 1996 when she defeated Australia’s Dominika Cibulkova earlier this year. Black is currently ranked 13th in ITF rankings and Kenin comes in at No. 31.
Coach Kathy Rinaldi will accompany Bellis, Black, and Kenin. The former tennis pro also carries a long list of accolades including three WTA singles titles, two doubles titles, and was also a semifinalist at the 1985 Wimbledon Championships.
“We are very excited to welcome the USTA Jr. Fed Cup Team to Albuquerque,” head coach Erica Jasper said. “A huge thanks to the USTA, Coach Kathy Rinaldi, and Director of Women’s Tennis Ola Malmqvist for making this match a reality. It is an incredible opportunity for our team to play an exhibition against three of the top 50 junior players in the world—and arguably three of the United States top young pro prospects.”
Sixteen-year-old Michael Mmoh, William Blumberg (16), and Gianni Ross (15) will compete on behalf of the Jr. Davis Cup team. Six-foot-one Mmoh currently comes in at No. 14 in the ITF Junior rankings. Tennis pro Eric Nunez serves as the head coach for the Jr. Davis Cup squad. Like Rinaldi, Nunez also has an extensive tennis background including four doubles ATP Challenger titles.
“We’re very excited to compete against some of the best junior tennis players in the country,” head coach Bart Scott said. “It is a unique experience so I hope the Albuquerque tennis community will come and check it out. This will be another gauge to see where our level is early in the season.”
The event is open to the public and admission is free.
“Despite the difference in age, we’ll actually be the underdogs in the match, and I know our players will be excited at the opportunity,” Jasper added. “Hopefully we can fill the McKinnon Family Tennis Stadium on Friday evening and our fans will get a glimpse at some very high level tennis!”
Schedule (Friday, September 19)
Doubles:
4:00 p.m. (1 men’s match, 1 women’s match, 1 mixed match)
Singles:
Following doubles (3 men’s matches, 3 women’s matches)