It’s a sprint to the desert that starts in North County and tennis players are ready, set and go.
Especially Oceanside’s Megan McCray, who has a leg up on advancing to the qualifying round for next spring’s BNP Paribas Open in the Coachella Valley.
McCray won the season-opening event of the SoCal Pro Series, prevailing at the Rancho Santa Fe Tennis Club last week. McCray upset UCLA standout and top-seeded Fangran Tian, 6-1, 0-6, 6-4.
Now McCray sets her sights on her second SoCal Pro title this weekend at the University of San Diego.
“Hopefully I can win many more and get my ranking up and play more tournaments,” said McCray, 27. “It’s a dream of mine to play on the (Women’s Tennis Association) Tour.”
Some dreams don’t die, and McCray is among the players, many with local ties, trying to make them come true.
While the game’s biggest names, the ones earning the big bucks, are knocking the clay from their sneakers at the French Open, others seek to say bonjour to a breakthrough.
That’s what the SoCal Pro Series offers players, many who are minus a sponsor to help cover the daunting costs of hopscotching around the world and paying for the shot at fame.
This is the SoCal Pro Series’ second season, an endeavor backed by the International Tennis Federation and the United States Tennis Association Southern California.
Players vie for each tournament’s $15,000 purse and world-ranking points, and the man and woman having the most success in the SoCal Pro Series are catapulted within arm’s reach of entering the BNP Paribas Open.
“Traveling is super expensive,” said McCray, a longtime standout in San Diego Junior Tennis circles. “I was hoping something (like this) would come close to home.”
McCray, who played at Oklahoma State, won her first ITF title some 14 years after playing in a similar event.
“It means so much because it’s been quite a while coming,” said McCray, who was a finalist in doubles with partner Brandy Walker. “Right now (I’m playing) some of my best tennis.”
In addition to the $2,352 and 10 WTA ranking points McCray earned, she zoomed to the top of the overall list for the “Race to Indian Wells” and those aiming for the BNP Paribas Open.
While most SoCal Series participants are trying to earn their stripes, some already have. Among those playing at the series-opening tournament was Solana Beach’s James Blake.
Once ranked as high as No. 4 in the world, Blake teamed with Rancho Santa Fe’s Hudson Rivera to reach the quarterfinals.
Blake has been retired for about a decade after winning 10 singles and seven doubles titles on the ATP World Tour.
Currently he’s working with Rivera, the talented teenager who’s bound for Stanford University.
It takes smarts to gain entrance to Stanford and Rivera is still learning.
When Blake hits with Rivera, Blake often plays possum.
Not so when they are battling rivals.
“He has it all — it’s crazy,” Rivera said of Blake. “Now I know what his level really is because he doesn’t play to that level when he practices with me.”
This week’s SoCal Pro Series tour stop is the University of San Diego. Jacob Brumm of Rancho Santa Fe returns to defend his title.
The real winners are the players getting a taste of pro tennis without the challenging costs that usually accompany that experience.
The SoCal Pro Series provides a path for those climbing the tennis ladder, giving them a chance to enhance their status with the men’s and women’s tours to gain eligibility.
That carrot of getting a shot to play in the prestigious BNP Paribas Open is enticing.
“My eyes are definitely on that,” McCray said. “I’ll go even harder for that.”
Contact Jay Paris at [email protected] and follow him @jparis_sports
