TEMPLETON, October 2, 2022 (by Steve Pratt)

Eighteen-year-old Robin Montgomery let out a huge “Come On!” as fellow qualifier Kateryna Bondarenko from Ukraine hit a forehand wide putting an exclamation point on the Washington D.C. native’s first career semifinal victory at a USTA Pro Circuit $60,000-level tournament.

Montgomery’s 6-3, 6-1 score was the same as her quarterfinal win on Friday as she continued to dominate with her big lefty serve and all-court game. Montgomery will face top-seeded Madison Brengle in Sunday’s EPIC Central Coast Tennis Classic taking place this week at the Templeton Tennis Ranch.

It’s been a tough couple of months for Montgomery, who has been sidelined with a wrist injury since June forcing her to miss the summer season and a chance to play at the USTA National Hardcourts in San Diego, as well as the US Open.

“It was a bummer to miss San Diego and the US Open,” said Montgomery, who made her return last week at Berkeley and won two qualifying matches and one in the main draw. “But health comes first.”

Montgomery, who in July moved to Orlando to be closer to the USTA National Campus, was watched by her mother Gabrielle Montgomery and her coach Eric Nunez, a former USTA National Coach who is traveling with Montgomery this week as he said he still works with the USTA on a part-time basis.

Montgomery will next face the 32-year-old Brengle, who was just as dominant in her 6-2, 6-3 semifinal win over fellow American unseeded Sophie Chang.

In Sunday’s doubles final that will kick off play at 12 noon, top-seeded Sophie Chang and Katarzyna Kawa will take on the No. 2 seed Nao Hibino from Japan and American Sabrina Santamaria, a former NCAA doubles champion from USC. In Saturday’s semis, Chang and Kawa took out No. 3 Arianne Hartono from the Netherlands and Astra Sharma of Australia, 6-7 (5), 6-0, 10-8.

Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased here. Prices start at $10.