Winners Crowned at Recent Opens Earn Wild Cards to Compete in KPSF Open

It's been a long journey, but tournaments are back in Northern California and it has been full speed ahead this summer. The inaugural Top 500 Open series at NorCal has been full of hard-fought battles, tight matches, and impressive wins. 

 

And that could not be more accurate for the recent Moraga Country Club Open in July and the Laguna Creek Tennis Club Open in August. 

 

Not only did the winners of the Men’s and Women’s Singles division clinch the Open title, but their wins also earned them a wild card spot to compete in the upcoming KPSF Open, an event tennis fans won’t want to miss.

 

As a lead up to their wild card entries, we recently caught up with the winners to learn about their tennis backgrounds, their recent path to triumph, and to hear how they are feeling ahead of the KPSF Open. Take a look below and make sure to check out the KPSF Open to see these players in action!

 

Moraga Country Club Open

Men’s Singles Winner: Francis Casey Alcantara

 

Francis Casey has been playing tennis since he was five and is a professional tennis player from the Philippines. He is no stranger to success, as he has competed at a top level for years playing in junior grand slams, winning the 2009 Australian Open Boys’ Doubles event, playing at Pepperdine University, and competing in the Davis Cup for the Philippines as an adult.

 

Since the pandemic has slowed tennis competitions, Francis has been in the U.S. for the past five months to play in tournaments like the Moraga Open and keep on top of his training.

 

“Going into the tournament, I was ready to play long matches and had been training for the past few weeks,” he said. “I played very competitive players and I actually struggled in the first and second round, but I was happy I made it through to the last match.”

Francis was familiar with his opponent in the championship match from other tournaments, so he knew he was going to be tough to beat. It was a tight first set, but then Francis got the edge in the second and was able to pull out the win.

 

“It felt great to win, and I got some good wins along the way,” Francis added. “I haven’t played tournaments in so long because of the pandemic, so it was great for my confidence and tennis to win something during this hard time. I wasn’t expecting a wild card spot in the KPSF Open, but I am excited to play and just have fun there.”

Women’s Singles Winner: Connie Ma

 

For Connie Ma, competing in the Moraga Open was more than just a tennis tournament.

 

“I remember coming to watch the men’s finals one year when I was younger, and I remember thinking I wanted to compete in it because of the competitors, how fun the atmosphere was, and because it had history,” Connie shared.

 

This year she made that wish a reality.

 

Connie has been playing tennis since she was seven and has a long track record of success as a junior player in NorCal and nationally. However, playing in the Open for the first time, Connie went into the tournament with the goal of staying positive and believing in herself. 

 

“I hadn’t played a tournament in a while, so I tried really hard not to set any expectations on myself or put added and unnecessary pressure,” she said. 

“It was definitely tough to play five matches within three days. Everyone I played had something that made it tough to play, so every match really was a battle.” 

 

Despite the tough competition, Connie was able to take home the title for the Open she watched when she was younger. 

 

“It felt special to win this one. It's a unique feeling when you win, and I definitely will remember it for a really long time,” Connie added. 

 

Not only did Connie win the Moraga Open, but it kicked off a winning streak for her as she took home the title in the Laguna Open several weeks later as well.

 

“Winning both tournaments definitely gave me a confidence boost,” Connie said. “Going into the Moraga Open, I was definitely hesitant of my skills, but winning the tournament instilled self-belief and the Laguna Open really allowed me to regain a sense of where I was at with my tennis.”  

 

Connie’s two Open wins earned her a wildcard to compete in the KPSF Open, where she will be playing alongside her new teammates from Stanford women’s tennis.

 

"I've never been [to the Goldman Tennis Center]; I'm really excited to see the courts, the clubhouse, whatever is there. Being able to play more matches is also very helpful, so I'm looking forward to playing [KPSF], and cheering for my teammates as well."

 

Laguna Tennis Club Open

Men’s Singles Winner: Andrei Volgin

 

Playing since he was three years old and now competing for UC Davis in college, Andrei Volgin entered the tournament with the intention of testing his game level and getting ready for his upcoming college tennis season.

 

The tournament ended up being more than just good practice, and Andrei confirmed he was ready to compete at a top level against quality players.

 

“It was a long and tough road to the final win. I hadn’t played that volume of matches in such a short time in a while,” Andrei said. “I just took each match one at a time and focused on what I had to do against that specific opponent to win. I played some talented and fit players along the way with several three setters in that span, so I had to really dig deep and find the motivation and ability to win each of those matches.”

 

One of his main goals coming into the Open was to keep his intensity the same against every opponent, whether it was the first round or the final. As part of that plan, Andrei focused on using his serve and forehand to stay aggressive and dictate each point with his first shot.

 

“It felt really good to win, and it’s been a while since I’ve won a tournament,” Andrei said. “Winning this one gives me the confidence that if I prepare well, practice hard, and fight the most I can, I’m capable of playing with high quality players.” 

 

Andrei plans on preparing for the upcoming college season by practicing with his coach and teammates in Davis, as well as working on his conditioning to have an edge in physical matches.

 

“I was very excited to hear that I earned an opportunity to compete in a tournament of that size,” he added. Unfortunately, the timing of this year's event conflicts with the beginning of the school year at UC Davis, and Andrei will be unable to play at the KPSF Open.

Women’s Singles Finalist: Jovana Jovic

 

Jovana Jovic recently made the transition from pro player to coach in March after starting her tennis journey 20 years ago. But when she started missing the competition, she decided to enter the Laguna Open since it was close to her home. After being on the tour for over ten years and reaching a career high WTA ranking of 102, Jovana entered the tournament with no expectations.

 

“Believe it or not, I hadn’t hit a ball myself or had one practice since I stopped playing in March, so the tournament was a little physically challenging for me,” Jovana said. “I knew I would be playing young women that have been playing and practicing a lot, but at the same time, I had nothing to lose so I just told myself to enjoy it.”

 

And while Jovana had no specific strategy other than to be aggressive, her experience helped her push through and make it to the finals. 

“I had a few chances in the finals, but I couldn’t keep up physically, as I was playing mixed doubles as well and had seven matches in two days,” Jovana said. Although Jovana ended up losing the match, “It felt good to make it to the finals, and I felt like I still got some of it!” 

 

Nevertheless, Jovana still earned a wild card spot into the KPSF Open and is excited  to use the opportunity to get back on the court. 

 

“I’m ready to get to play some good girls, stick to my game, and really get back to competing,” she added.