Pro Tennis Tourney Underway at Hempfield Rec

By Lynn Rebuck • 2 years ago

Aug
2022

LANDISVILLE, PA- (LititzDailyNews.com) – Karman Kaur Thandi served the ball so hard Monday morning at the $100,000 Koser Jeweler Tennis Challenge in Landisville, Pennsylvania, that she quite literally knocked the fuzz off the ball.

Fluorescent yellow particles fell like pixie dust over Kaur, 23, the current world number 382, before her match in the first qualifying round of the USTA Pro Circuit event taking place at the Hempfield Rec Center this week.

Hard-hitting pros from around the world have descended on the area in the hope of winning the tournament, now in its fifteenth year, and leaving town with cash, coveted WTA points, and a foot in the door at the upcoming US Open.

Thirty players started out in the qualifying draw today, where they will battle it out through Tuesday for eight slots in the singles main draw. Those that advance to the main draw will vie for the cash prize starting on Wednesday.

As it did last year, the August heat and humidity combined to be a factor today during the first day of match play, with temperatures on the court exceeding the real-feel of 107 degrees this afternoon. USTA officials suspended play midday due to the heat and matches did not resume until late afternoon.

One 2021 Koser qualifier made quite a name for herself at the Open last year: Emma Radacanu. Though Emma had to bow out after reaching the main draw of the Koser due to heat exhaustion, she went on to victory in New York. The Koser is a prep tournament for that major national stage.

Hiroko Kuwata hits a backhand during the first qualifying round of the Koser Jeweler Tennis Challenge in Landisville, PA on August 8, 2022. Photo (c)2022 Lynn Rebuck/LititzDailyNews.comPhoto (c)2022 Lynn Rebuck/LititzDailyNews.com

“I’ve been telling people the only way to the US Open final is through Landisville,” said tournament director Wilson Pipkin. He even tried to convince Radacanu to return.

“We were really hoping that Emma would be superstitious, that she’d feel like she had to come back and play just because, but apparently she’s not superstitious,” Pipkin said.

One thing is for sure: a magical week of professional tennis is ahead at the Hempfield Rec Center, and the public can attend for free.

The Koser Jeweler Tennis Challenge runs through August 14 and features singles and doubles play. The public can stream the stadium matches online. Special events will be held daily, including racket giveaways.

For more information, visit LandisvilleProCircuit.com, where you can watch the livestream of matches from the Stadium Court, see results, and more. View photos from the matches on the exclusive LititzDailyNews.com Koser Jeweler Tennis Tournament photo gallery, which is updated daily.

Lynn Rebuck is the award-winning editor and publisher of LititzDailyNews.com. Follow LititzDailyNews on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.