Qualifying Starts for Slims Tennis

Marita Redondo and Kathy May Paben, who were among the nation’s top junior players in the early 1970s before embarking on professional careers, are among the 32 players who will participate in this weekend’s qualifying tournament for the $350,000 Virginia Slims of Los Angeles at the Manhattan Country Club in Manhattan Beach.

Redondo, 35, won the U.S. Lawn Tennis Assn. girls’ 14-and-under title in 1970 and the 16-and-under championship in 1972. As a professional, she was ranked 13th on the Virginia Slims circuit in 1976, had victories over Virginia Wade and Rosie Casals and in 1974 was an original member of the Strings when they played in World Team Tennis.

Paben, 35, won the USLTA’s girls’ 18-and-under doubles title in 1973 and spent several years on the professional circuit.

Eight qualifiers will receive spots in the 56-player main draw. Play begins at 10 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. Tickets are $10. Information: (213) 546-7753.

Tournament organizers also announced that Kimberly Po, a 1989 Miraleste High graduate who helped UCLA to a second-place finish in this year’s NCAA tournament, will receive a wild-card berth into the main draw. The other wild cards are Alysia May, Kathy May Paben’s younger sister, and Camille Benjamin.