Ditty enjoys biggest finish
BY ROCKY STANLEY OF THE DAILY INDEPENDENT
     Julie Ditty's professional tennis career hit another high point last week-end. The former Vanderbilt University All-American from Ashland teamed with 16-year-old Varvara Lepchenko to reach the finals of the $75,000 Movie Gallery USTA Pro Tennis Classic in Dothan, Ala. Ditty has enjoyed success at lower level satellite tournaments, particularly in doubles, but this marked her best finish in a $75,000 event.
     Ditty and Lepchenko, from Uzbekistan, had to play their way into the main draw via a qualifier. They did just that by beating Natallia Dziamidzenka and Lioudmila Skavronskaia, the top-seeded team in the qualifier.
     Ditty, 24, and Lepchenko took advantage of their spot in the 16-team field. They reeled off three consecutive victories, beginning with a 6-1, 6-4 win over Jessica Kirkland and Alexandra Mueller. In the quarterfinals, Ditty and Lepchenko knocked off fourth-seeded Jennifer Hopkins and Marissa Irvin 6-2, 5-7, 6-3. Irvin, a former doubles partner of Ditty in the junior ranks, came into the tournament with a world ranking of 102 in singles and Hopkins was 186th.
     Ditty and Lepchenko continued their run by upending Jennifer Embry and Jessica Lehnhoff 7-5, 6-2 in the semifinal round. Lehnhoff, like Irvin, is a former NCAA runner-up in singles. Ditty and Lepchenko moved on to the finals and took the first set from third-seeded Milagross Sequera of Venezuela and Christina Wheeler of Australia. However, the momen-tum shifted when Lepchenko pulled a stomach muscle in the early stages of the second set. Sequera and Wheeler went on to take a 5-7, 6-1, 6-2 victory Sunday. Ditty won $1,000 for her second-place finish. As a bonus, Wheeler asked Ditty to play doubles with her in a future tournament.
     The singles competition didn't go so well for Ditty. Mueller, a wild card, beat Ditty 6-3,0-6, 6-2 in the opening round of the qualifier. Mueller made it as far as the quarterfinals. Ditty will train at Vanderbilt this week in preparation for a tournament at Sea Island, Ga. She entered the Dothan tournament ranked 323rd in singles. That's just below her highest rating of 321. ROCKY STANLEY can be reached at (606) 326-2671 or rstanley@dailyindependent.com