January 19th, 2015

Vickery Wins All-Florida Plantation USTA Pro Circuit Final, Heads to Daytona

Adult Tennis News Youth Tennis News USTA Pro Circuit

Sachia Vickery

As the top women tennis players in the world kicked off the 2015 Grand Slam season at the Australian Open, two of the potential next wave of American stars were contesting the USTA Pro Circuit title in Plantation, Fla., and valuable WTA tour ranking points.

Sachia Vickery beat her friend Samantha Crawford in the all-Florida, all-19-year-old final at the USTA Pro Circuit event at the $25,000 Plantation Community Open Challenger at the Frank Veltri Tennis Center.

Many hours spent practicing together at the USTA Professional Development-Headquarters in Boca Raton helped the Miramar native Vickery to a 6-3, 6-1 victory in the championship match over her 6-foot-2 friend from nearby Coconut Creek.

“I hit the ball better today than I did all week, and I had to because Sam is playing so well and hits the ball so big, so I’m happy I got through,” Vickery told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel after winning her first career title. She is expected to rise to approximately No. 145 on the WTA Tour Rankings.

Crawford, who had to deal with the expectations of playing at her “home” club, where her mother frequently plays in leagues, tearfully thanks the crowd for their support during the trophy ceremony.

“She started playing real well,” said Crawford, the 2012 US Open girls’ champion, of Vickery. “I wasn’t serving well and I made a lot of errors.”

Crawford fell to 0-2 career in USTA Pro Circuit finals, while Vickery improved to 1-1.

Both players will next head to the Daytona Beach $25,000 Women’s Open, held this coming week at the Florida Tennis Center in Daytona Beach.

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