MIDLAND, February 1, 2020 (Press Release)
The USTA today announced that Ellie Coleman, Irina Falconi, Grace Min, and Jamie Loeb have been awarded main draw wild cards into the 2020 Dow Tennis Classic. The $100,000 USTA Pro Circuit women’s event will take place February 3-9 at the Greater Midland Tennis Center.
Midland-native Ellie Coleman returns to the Dow Tennis Classic fresh off a run to the doubles semifinals of the Australian Open Junior Girls’ Doubles event. The 16-year-old who currently sits at a No. 74 in the ITF Junior Rankings also reached the second round in the singles event. In 2019, Coleman earned a spot on the 2019 Team USA National Junior Team after her showing in the semifinals of the Easter Bowl in Indian Wells, California.
“The Dow Tennis Classic provides a great opportunity for Ellie to get top-level experience, playing against some of the best players in the world,” said Tournament Director Talaya Schilb. “We hope to see the entire Midland community come out and support one of our rising stars.”
Irina Falconi, 29 of Orlando, Florida comes back to the Dow Tennis Classic after an extended break from professional tennis. Falconi reached the singles final of the Dow Tennis Classic in 2011 and has since gone on to win one WTA singles title and seven ITF World Tennis Tour singles titles in her career. The American reached a career-high singles ranking of No. 63 in the world in 2016 and has competed in all four Grand Slams.
Grace Min, 25 of Atlanta, Georgia is currently ranked No. 281 in the world and will be competing in Midland for the third time in her career. In 2015, Min cracked the Top 100 for the first time and has picked up 11 singles titles on the ITF World Tennis Tour. She also had a stand-out junior career, winning the US Open girls’ singles title and the Wimbledon girls’ doubles title in 2011. She reached as high as No. 4 in the world in the ITF Junior Rankings.
Jamie Loeb, 24 of Ossining, New York is currently ranked No. 297 in the world. She reached the singles final of the Dow Tennis Classic in 2018 (def. by Madison Brengle) and has won eight singles titles on the ITF World Tennis Tour. Loeb also attended the University of North Carolina for two years, where she went on to win the NCAA singles championship in 2015.
“Irina and Jamie have both enjoyed success on the courts of Midland and we cannot wait to have them competing here again,” said Schilb. “The Dow Tennis Classic always boasts a competitive player field and these three players only make it stronger.”
Wild cards into the qualifying tournament have been awarded to Kayla Day, Emma Navarro, Peyton Stearns, Maria Mateas, and Karina Miller.
The Dow Tennis Classic, a $100,000 USTA Pro Circuit event, will be held at the Greater Midland Tennis Center, February 3-9. Professional athletes from around the world will be competing for $100,000 in prize money, as well as valuable WTA Tour Ranking points.
Save the date! 🗓
The @DowTennisCL returns to the @GrMidTennisCent February 3-9, 2020! Who’s excited to see professional tennis back in Midland?
Get your #DTC20 🎟️’s now: https://t.co/73OibEBaOJ pic.twitter.com/InxCPeNs3r
— Dow Tennis Classic (@DowTennisCL) January 2, 2020
