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It was a banner day for American women at the Party Rock Open Wednesday, with seven U.S. women
winning first-round matches, including Maria Sanchez (pictured).

Photo credit: Party Rock Open

One year ago Allie Kiick would have loved to have made her Party Rock Open debut as a 17-year-old qualifier, but instead was stuck in Albuquerque, N.M., unable to travel due to a serious infection in her lungs that caused severe dehydration.

Kiick, the daughter of former Miami Dolphins fullback Jim Kiick, is making the most out of her first appearance in Las Vegas this week as the qualifier from Plantation, Fla., won her fourth match in as many days. On Wednesday at the Darling Tennis Center, Kiick beat Sacha Jones of Australia, 6-2, 6-2 and will next face Alexandra Stevenson in the Round of 16 on Thursday.

Kiick also teamed with Madison Brengle to upset the top-seeded team in doubles, Asia Muhammad and Allie Will, 3-6, 6-4, 10-5. Last year’s finalist Shelby Rogers, the No. 8-seeded player, had a similar score line as Kiick, beating wild card Allie Will 6-2, 6-3.

“It was a special memory getting to the finals last year,” said Rogers, who battled 25 mph gusts of wind. “I definitely didn’t play well by any means today. I was just keeping the ball in the middle of the court and being smart and playing high percentage shots; not doing anything too risky. It was definitely more mental than anything and not getting frustrated.”

Rogers, coming off a big title run at the Albuquerque $75,000 Challenger last week, will play frequent practice partner, good friend and fellow Southerner Melanie Oudin in the second round on Thursday.

Local Las Vegas qualifier Asia Muhammad also won her fourth match in four days as she beat former world No. 1 junior Taylor Townsend, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4.

Other singles winners included Maria Sanchez over Chieh-Yu Hus 6-0, 5-7, 6-2; Melanie Oudin over Slovenia's Petra Rampre 6-0, 6-2; CoCo Vandeweghe over Eleni Danilidou 6-3, 7-6(2); and Brengle over Sachia Vickery 6-1, 6-3.

The Party Rock Open is Las Vegas’ only professional tennis tournament, and is named for LMFAO’s Redfoo and his Party Rock franchise’s title sponsorship. The event is a USTA $50,000 Pro Circuit women’s tournament with a 32-player field in singles and 16 doubles teams.


 

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