Riviera Hosting All-American Tennis Event

For the 24th consecutive year, is hosting the ITA Women's All-American Tennis Championships, one of the premiere national college events of the season. The main draw begins Thursday and runs through Sunday, Oct. 9.

The prequalifying singles and doubles were held Saturday at UCLA. Qualifying rounds were held Tuesday and Wednesday at Riviera, with eight singles players and four doubles teams earning spots in the main draws. Singles quarterfinalists, doubles finalists and consolation champions will earn automatic berths into the USTA/ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships Nov. 3-6 in Flushing, N.Y.

Stanford's Hilary Barte, who swept the singles and doubles titles, has graduated so a new champion will be crowned. The favorite in singles is 2010 Riviera finalist Jana Juricova of UC Berkeley, who is seeded No. 1 for the second straight time. She lost to Barte, 7-6 (4), 6-3, in the finals last fall. Juricova began her senior season by sweeping the singles and doubles titles last week at the Cal Nike Invitational.

This week's tournament features 17 of the top 20 players in the nation, including Stanford's Mallory Burdette (who teamed with Barte to capture the doubles title last fall), 2009 NCAA singles champion Chelsey Gullickson of Georgia and Lauren Embree of Florida, who clinched the NCAA team title for the Gators last year with her three-set victory over Burdette.

Clemson’s Josipa Bek and Keri Wong, who reached the doubles final at Riviera a year ago, are the top-ranked duo in the nation and are back for another run at the title. They are seeded No. 1 this week after compiling a 34-11 mark last year.

Fourteen of the top 15 doubles tandems in America are in this year's main draw, including Florida’s Sofie Oyen and Allie Will (who beat Bek and Wong to win the 2010 National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships); Stanford’s Burdette and new partner Nicole Gibbs; and wildcard entrants Gullickson and Nadja Gilchrist from Georgia, who ended the 2008-09 campaign ranked seventh in the nation and made the NCAA Doubles Championships semifinals in 2010.

Several past WAATC winners have gone on to successful pro careers, including Florida's Jill Craybas, who is still competing on the WTA Tour at the age of 37 and reached the top 40 in the world in 2006; Cal's Raquel Kops-Jones, who reached No. 31 in the world in doubles in 2007; and Georgia Tech's Irina Falconi, who is already ranked inside the top 100 in the world in singles and reached the third round of the 2011 U.S. Open.

Admission is free, so fans are encouraged to head over to Riviera courts to watch the tournament. Click here for more information