The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

KERRIE Cartwright, now playing on the International Tennis Federation's (ITF) Women's Circuit, is hoping to make some inroads in singles this week after a successful showing in doubles last week in Knokke, Belgium.

She won her second-round match yesterday, beating Jessica Bertoldo of Italy, 6-4, 7-5. She will play Dana Kuczer of Poland today to get into the main draw.

Last week at the Knokke Zoute Ladies Open 2017 at the Royal Zoute Tennis Club in Knoffe, Belgium, Cartwright and her American partner, Kariann Pierre-Louise lost 7-5, 2-6 (10-7) in the semi-final of doubles to Leonie Kung of Switzerland and Axana Mareen of Belgium.

Cartwright and Pierre-Louise won their quarter-final match 6-3, 6-3 to the team of Michaela Boev and Deborah Kerfs, the No.2 ranked team from Belgium. In the first round, the Bahamian-American duo won 6-4, 6-2 over the French combo of Brandy Mina and Mallaurie Noel.

After getting a bye, Cartwright played her first match in singles last week, losing 6-1, 6-3 to Margot De Pre from Belgium.

This week, Cartwright is playing in the Iris Ladies Trophy in Belgium where she won her first round match in the qualifying round with a 6-3, 1-6, 6-4 decision over Juliette Loliee from France.

Cartwright, having completed her collegiate eligibility at Florida State two years ago, is eager to see where her professional career will take her as she will play both singles and doubles again this week in her fifth tournament for her first full season on the tour this year.

She started in June in Bethany Beach, Delray, Florida where she lost in the third round in the qualifying for the main draw and her partner, American Shelby Talcott, got eliminated in the first round of main draw play in doubles.

That was followed by another appearance in the United States where she played in Sumter, South Carolina in June as well, losing in the first round of the qualifying draw in singles. From there, she began her journey overseas in Victoria, British Colombia, Canada with another first round loss in singles, while her and Talcott got ousted in the first round of the main draw doubles.

Cartwright then headed to Middelburg, Netherlands at the beginning of the month where she lost in the second round of the qualifying draw in singles and in doubles, she and Pierre-Louise were eliminated in the first round of the main draw in doubles.

She will be in Europe for the remainder of the summer, playing just about every week as she continues to pile up her stock.

"I made semi-finals in doubles and so it gave me a lot of confidence going into singles and doubles," said Cartwright about her transition from last week's tournament to this year's tournament. "So I think that helped a lot."

The 25-year-old, who has taken her career further than her parents Kim O'Kelly and Sean Cartwright, said the atmosphere in Europe is one that she's making the most out of before she returns to the United States.

"I like it a lot. I'm getting a lot of experience over here," she said. "I haven't played over here in a while, so it's been good so far. It's a different culture and stuff, so I'm just enjoying the journey and the process and everything that comes along with it."

If there's anything that she can work on as she plays more on the tour, Cartwright said it's getting her balls to drop "deeper on the court and staying focused. My service percentage also needs to improve."

It's an adjustment that she feels she can make.