By Britten Gerrard (February 6, 2010) In a place known primarily for its sunshine and dryness, it was the rain that halted play Saturday at the Childhelp Desert Classic pro tennis tournament benefitting Childhelp Merv Griffin Village in nearby Beaumont, Calif. Both the semifinals and finals will take place Sunday in the Coachella Valley desert. The two singles semifinals will begin at 9 a.m. and after a break the winners will return for a final with a match time no sooner than noon. The doubles finals will take place at 9 a.m. The tournament is a $25,000 USTA Pro Circuit Challenger and is taking place at the Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage. Qualifying for the tournament took place Sunday-Tuesday while main draw matches began on Tuesday. Admission is free to the tournament, which is being co-chaired by Jackie Cooper and Lornie Kuhle. France’s Olivia Sanchez, who reached No. 90 on the WTA rankings in June of 2008, will take on No. 1 seed and former No. 41 WTA ranked player Lilia Osterloh. In the other semifinal, Slovenia’s Tadeja Majeric faces American Alison Riske. In doubles, Ukrainian twin sisters Lyudmyla and Nadiya Kichenok will try to upset No. 1 seed Abigail Spears and Monique Adamczak. Childhelp Merv Griffin Village provides a home for 80-100 children that have been severely abused or abandoned by their parents. For information on contributions to Childhelp email EKuhle@aol.com.