Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, July 28, 1990 TAG: 9007280038
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: SCOTT BLANCHARD SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
"Based on our tournaments in the past, this will be our most competitive tournament," said Lineberry, the pro at Hunting Hills Country Club, which is playing host to the tournament for the eighth time and fourth straight year.
"A qualifier could win this tournament, as strong as they're going to have to be playing just to get out of the qualifying," Lineberry said.
The winner will make $1,600 and earn points that could boost her in the rankings ladder.
As of Thursday, Lineberry said 133 players had signed up for the qualifying draw, eight of whom will win spots in the 32-player main draw. He expects at least 120 to actually show up for the qualifying, which would be 30 more than competed in 1989.
Registration will be today from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The eight qualifiers will join eight seeded players and 16 others in the main draw.
Presently, the top seed is Dalia Coriat from Tel Aviv, Israel. Coriat, 20, is ranked 297th in the world. Her career highlight is being a finalist in the 1989 $10,000 Masters of Tel Aviv.
The seedings in the tournament are still subject to change because of the availability of the draw in the Canadian Open this weekend in Toronto.
The USTA's wild card into the main draw is Caroline Kuhlman, from Lakeside Park, Ky. A former All-American at Southern California, Kuhlman, 24, was ranked No. 1 in the NCAA during the 1986 regular season. She was the 1986 Goodwill Games champion and a finalist in the 1985 $25,000 Women's Challenger Series of Richmond.
Kim Schaefer has replaced William Byrd's Antonette Veloso as Hunting Hills' wild-card entry. Lineberry said Veloso is one of two Middle Atlantic players who will compete in the USTA intersectional championships next week in California.
Lineberry, though, doesn't regret having Schaefer, 32, who was ranked as high as 25th in the world in 1984. She won the 1983 U.S. Indoor championship, beating Virginia Ruzici, Zina Garrison and Pam Shriver, among others. Schaefer lives in Great Falls, where she is a tennis coach.
Schaefer, 32, has been a professional since 1980 and has career earnings of $228,156.
"I'm looking for her to do some damage," Lineberry said.
Others in the main draw include Tammy Whittington of Florida, who reached the quarterfinals last year in Roanoke and won the USTA Women's Circuit of Key Biscayne (Fla.) in June. She is seeded third. Virginia Beach's Julie Shiflet is seeded sixth.
To beef up the qualifying - and to benefit from the $30 entry fee for players in the qualifying - Lineberry invited last year's USTA top 25 Middle Atlantic players in four age groups. At least six have signed up. Also in the qualifying, Lineberry said, will be Roanoke's Raissa Remandaban, who was Hunting Hills' wild card in last year's tournament, and Chris O'Keefe, a former Radford player who is assistant pro at Roanoke Country Club.
"The chances of seeing great matches are much better [in qualifying]," he said. "There is not much difference [between the players], especially after the first round of qualifying."
Originally, qualifying matches were scheduled to be played at the River's Edge tennis courts and Hunting Hills, but Lineberry said because of the high number of entries, they also will use the courts at North Cross School.
There is no charge for the qualifying matches, which are open to the public and run all day Sunday beginning at 9 a.m. at both locations.
Qualifying matches will begin at 9 a.m. Monday and Tuesday. The main-draw matches will begin at noon Tuesday, when admission will be charged. The main draw will continue Wednesday and Thursday, with competition starting at 9 a.m. each day.
Sunday through Saturday, there will be feature matches at 6 p.m. at Hunting Hills.
The singles semifinals are Saturday Aug. 4 beginning at 6 p.m. The singles final is 1 p.m. Sunday, followed by the doubles final.
Ticket prices are $2 for Tuesday's main-draw matches, $3 for all matches Wednesday and Thursday, $4 for all matches Friday, and $5 Saturday and Sunday. A $20 pass is available for all matches Tuesday through Sunday. Tickets are available at Hunting Hills, at local tennis shops and at the gate, or by calling 774-8880.
by CNB