With a young gun on the women’s side and an old reliable in the men’s pairing, today’s singles finals in the Denver City Open tennis tournament has something for followers of both longshots and favorites.
Seventeen-year-old Alexandra Leatu of Littleton, who’ll be a freshman at Vanderbilt this fall, brings a new face to the women’s final. A winner in doubles last year, Leatu beat Shannon Cross 6-1, 6-1 in the semifinals and will meet Yana Ruegsegger for the title at 9 a.m. at the Denver Tennis Club.
“I definitely would call myself the young gun in this tournament,” Leatu said. “I’m not at all nervous. It’s just the normal tournament excitement.”
Ruegsegger pulled the upset of the tournament, ousting Mallory Voelker, the women’s singles winner the last two years. Ruegsegger, the Denver Open women’s singles champ in 2000, won two tiebreakers against Voelker.
“The two sets today were enough tennis for me,” Ruegsegger said. “I haven’t played singles in a couple of years. It’s exciting for me to get to the finals and to have beaten the defending champion on the way.”
On the men’s side, Cory Ross goes for a fourth Denver City title when he faces Lewis Miller in the 10:30 a.m. final.
Ross, the winner in 2003, 2007 and 2009, had a tough semifinal outing before beating Stephen Nolen 7-6, 5-7, 6-1. The match was delayed a half hour because of threatening weather. Nolen finished the match despite visibly suffering from the heat.
Miller was a 6-4, 2-6, 7-5 winner over Willie Dann. The two finalists faced each other two years ago in the Denver Open.
“He makes you beat him,” Ross said of Miller. “He’s the type of player who’s not going to give you anything for free.”
Ross praised Nolen for finishing despite the heat. “He didn’t want to retire and I appreciate that,” Ross said.
Saturday’s semifinals
Women’s
Yana Ruegsegger def. Mallory Voelker 7-6, 7-6; Alexandra Leatu def. Shannon Cross 6-1, 6-1.
Men’s
Cory Ross def. Stephen Nolen 7-6, 5-7, 6-1; Lewis Miller def. Willie Dann 6-4, 2-6, 7-5.
Today’s finals
Ruegsegger vs. Leatu, 9 a.m.; Ross vs. Miller, 10:30 a.m.
