15-Year-Old CiCi Bellis Becomes Youngest to Win at US Open Since '96
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By Chris Oddo / Tuesday, August 26, 2014
File this under stunner. 15-year-old American wild card CiCi Bellis knocked
off this year’s Australian Open finalist Dominika Cibulkova in three sets on
Day 2 to become the youngest player to win a match at the US Open since Anna
Kournikova in 1996.
The American’s 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 victory sets up a second-round clash with Zarina
Diyas of Kazakhstan.
"I went into the match thinking it was going to be such a great experience, but
I never thought I would come out on top winning," Bellis told reporters after
the match.
Bellis, who earned her wild card by winning the USTA’s 18-and-younger National
Playoff, also becomes the youngest American to win a match at the US Open since
Mary Joe Fernandez reached the third round as a 14-year-old in 1986.
As the match progressed, the scene on Court 6 became quite frenzied. Fans
packed in like sardines to watch the Atherton, California native make her own
slice of US Open history. ESPN, the main provider for the US Open in the United
States, even moved cameras over to the court (normally not television-ready) in
order to bring the action to its viewers.
Bellis didn’t disappoint. She cracked winners aggressively, taking the play to
Cibulkova until finally closing out the colossal upset as the crowd went wild.
Afterwards, she gave an impromptu interview to ESPN’s Darren Cahill. “I have
no words,” said Bellis. “I’m so happy to be here. I can’t believe I got
through that.”