Brengle Outplays Ellicott City Native Capra in WTA Citi Open

Madison Brengle led Ellicott City native Beatrice Capra 4-2 after the first set of their Citi Open matchup on Monday when the oppressive heat took a volatile turn. A storm rolled through College Park and suspended play for nearly two hours.

The remainder of the match between 269^th-ranked Capra and 222^nd-ranked Brengle was filled with twists and turns that proved to be more dramatic than the weather. Despite tweaking her left calf midway through the third set and needing a tape job, Brengle didn’t drop a game following the delay. She won 7-6, 6-7, 6-1, eliminating Capra from the tournament.

It was Brengle's second career victory over Capra.

“Madison is a really tough player,” Capra said. “I’ve played her twice before.  It’s never been easy.  It could have gone either way. I had my chances in the first set. My energy was kind of up and down.  I just felt like I couldn’t stay focused for more than three points in the first set.”

The 19-year-old Capra, who used to train with the Junior Tennis Champions Center in College Park, had friends and family cheering her on. 

“It was nice being at home with my family, relaxing,” Capra said.  “I got to sleep in my own bed and hang out with my family.”

Brengle’s mother drove down from Delaware to watch her 21-year-old daughter, who trains in Florida.

“It’s nice to have some family come to see you play,” Brengle said. 

Neither player said the delay greatly hindered her game but did acknowledge that it was disruptive.

“It’s hard when you have a delay,” Capra said. “You don’t know when you’re going to eat and you don’t know when you’re going to go back on. So it is kind of stressful, but it is the same for both players.”  

While hundreds came out to the Women’s Tennis Association’s (WTA) inaugural Citi Open at the Tennis Center in College Park, the tournament was not officially on Vesa Ponkka’s radar until May.  He’s the senior director for the Junior Tennis Champions Center.

Regardless of the short timeframe to make preparations for the tournament, which included adding 2,440 seats to the facility and resurfacing the center’s outdoor courts, the event is set to provide the area with a unique opportunity, Ponkka said.

“We all need examples; we all need to be inspired,” Ponkka said. “The best way to inspire is to see some of the best players in the world.”

The tournament is one of just three WTA international tournaments to occur on American soil this year. 

College Park resident Karl Spangler said he was attracted to the tournament “To see the professionals.  You can really get up close and see how they really play,” he said.

Ponkka said he hopes people will take advantage of the opportunity to see some of the international talent performing in College Park. 

“You don’t get many chances to see the top lady players,” Ponkka said. “The Legg Mason is every year, so you can always see the best male players.” The Legg Mason Tennis Classic is set for July 30 through Aug. 7 in Rock Creek Park.

The top-ranked player at the tournament is , who entered the tournament 24^thin the WTA rankings. Five of the players in the tournament are the top-ranked players in their respective countries. 

Singles and doubles play will continue for the rest of the week with the final on Sunday as players vie for a total purse of $400,000.

Despite Monday’s loss, local Capra will compete in doubles competition alongside Asia Muhammed (U.S) Tuesday afternoon. Check  for a schedule summary.