Orange Tennis Player Earns Wild-Card Entry

Kim-Anh Nguyen of Orange bested two opponents in eight-point, pro-set matches to win a round-robin playoff and earn a wild-card entry into the $750,000 Acura Classic tennis tournament.

Nguyen, a 17-year-old Santa Ana Saddleback High graduate, defeated Anita Loyola of Tucson, 8-5, and she blanked Beau Jones of Encinitas, 8-0, in the playoff at La Costa Resort and Spa. Loyola topped Jones, 8-4, in the other match.

The girls’ 18 runner-up in the Southern California sectional tournament earlier this month, Nguyen is ranked No. 2 in Southern California and No. 13 nationally in that division, according to the U.S. Tennis Assn. She has made her way into finals of seven consecutive junior tournaments in the past 10 months, winning five.

While Nguyen played her way into the Acura Classic singles main draw, Loyola and Jones were given berths into the Acura singles qualifying tournament that takes place today and Sunday.

Main-draw play begins Monday and runs through Aug. 5 at La Costa.