NEW YORK, (Reuters) – American teenager Catherine Bellis provided the biggest jolt in the U.S. Open’s first round yesterday by upsetting 12th seed Dominika Cibulkova 6-1 4-6 6-4.
Playing on the secondary Court Six, the 15-year-old Bellis became the youngest female player to win a match at the U.S. Open since Anna Kournikova in 1996.
“I went into the match thinking it was going to be such a great experience,” Bellis told reporters. “But I never thought I would come out on top winning. I’m still in shock about that match.”
Bellis earned her wild card into the tournament by being the youngest player to win the girls’ 18s national championships since Lindsay Davenport won as a 15-year-old in 1991.
Cibulkova has won only one of four hard court matches in the run-up to the Open, but the 25-year-old Slovakian showed her prowess by reaching this year’s Australian Open final.
