Sachia Vickery needed just over one hour to beat fellow 22-year-old Jamie Loeb, 6-1, 6-2, and become the first-ever singles champion as the inaugural Central Coast Pro Tennis Open came to a close on Sunday.
Controlling the points and displaying precision shot-making from both the forehand and the two-handed backhand side, No. 4 seeded Vickery watched as a Loeb forehand sailed wide on the final point in the $60,000 USTA Women’s Pro Circuit event played at the Templeton Tennis Ranch. Vickery looked toward coaches Matt Evans and Chris Howard in jubilation before meeting the No. 8-seeded Loeb at the net. It was the third career USTA Pro Circuit title for Vickery and first at this level having previously won two $25,000-level events.
Both players said Saturday’s three-set semifinal wins took their toll.
“This feels really good, especially after playing such a long match yesterday,” said Vickery, whose WTA world ranking is projected to be No. 115 on Monday when the new rankings are released. “Jamie’s such a great player and we’re such good friends so it’s always tough to play a friend.”
At the end of August, Vickery beat Loeb 6-3, 6-4 in the final round of US Open qualifying in the only previous time the two have met on the pro level.
“Physically I was really feeling it yesterday and today and was just trying to shorten the points and go for my shots and not stay in games for too long,” Vickery said.
Vickery raced out to a 5-0 first-set lead before Loeb finally got on the board by holding serve for 5-1 before Vickery closed out the first set, 6-1.
Vickery will cash a check for $9,119 and also received a unique tournament logo-designed jewelry piece designed by K. Jons Diamonds and Gem in nearby Atascadero.
Loeb, coached all week by Felix Alvarado, won $4,863 and 48 WTA ranking points. Loeb was trying to capture her eighth USTA Pro Circuit title, and was 7-0 in finals matches coming into the day. “It’s been an up and down year for me,” Loeb said. “Sachia played great and I just wasn’t able to get anything going today. Congrats to her.”
Former college teammates at USC, the No. 4-seeded team of Kaitlyn Christian and Giuliana Olmos of Mexico downed the top-seeded Swiss team of Viktorija Golubic and Amra Sadikovic, 7-5, 6-3, to win the doubles title. Christian, who is the body double for Emma Stone in the new tennis moving “Battle of the Sexes”, has now with eight career USTA and ITF Pro Circuit doubles title.
Olmos has won eight Pro Circuit doubles title this year alone, including her second with Christian. “I just sat back and let K.K. do all the work,” Olmos told the crowd after the match. “It feels great to win the title here in our home state.”
Christian loved everything about her stay in the small town in northern San Luis Obispo County
“We had never heard of Templeton before this week, and we’re from Southern California,” Christian said after the match. “Our chemistry was just amazing today and I just love playing with my old college doubles partner.”
Christian and Olmos split $3,344 while Golubic-Sadikovic split $1,672.