Sacha Jones wins 24th Consecutive Match on ITF Women’s Circuit

PETE ZIEBRON

 

 

 

 SACHA JONES serving to Anna Tatishvili

 

Nineteen year old Sacha Jones of New Zealand continued her impressive run on the ITF circuit, winning her 24^th consecutive match by defeating Anna Tatishvili of Georgia in three sets to advance to the Final of the inaugural Goldwater Tennis Classic at the Phoenix Country Club.

 

 

Sacha Jones entered the Goldwater Classic winning the last four tournaments she entered, three in Australia in September and October as well as last week in Rock Hill, South Carolina.  This week in Phoenix, Jones dropped only 6 games in her first three matches and sought to continue her lopsided victory march in the semifinal.  However, Anna Tatishvili’s solid backhand winners were the difference early as she took the opening set 6-3.  Jones lifted her game in the next two sets and once again exhibited the form she displayed in the previous three rounds, relying on a solid all court game and dropped only 3 games in the next two sets to win 3-6 6-2 6-1.

 

 

 VARVARA LEPCHENKO in semifinal action at the Goldwater Tennis Classic

 

Second seeded Varvara Lepchenko of the United States took on third seeded Rosana De Los Rios of Paraguay in the next semifinal.  All week, the tricky left-handed serve of Lepchenko has been instrumental throughout the tournament as she dropped only one set in her previous three matches.  Like her predecessors, De Los Rios was impacted by the serve and Lepchenko won the match easily 6-0 6-0. Lepchenko enters tomorrow’s Final having not dropped a game in her last 3 sets.

 

 

Varvara Lepchenko will be seeking her first title of the year while Sacha Jones looks to secure her twenty-fifth straight match win, fifth consecutive tournament championship and sixth title of the year.