Lyneham ACT 2602, Australia, 19 October 2016 | Tennis ACT
Three of Australia’s top 10 men will headline the field at the Apis Canberra International $50,000 ATP Challenger event at Canberra Tennis Centre next week, with more than half Australian players.
Australia’s Jordan Thompson (NSW), James Duckworth (NSW) and Matthew Barton (NSW) will join some of the world’s best players in the nation’s capital, where US $50,000 and world ranking points will be on the line.
Thompson is the top world ranked player, currently ranked 99 in the world.
The Aussie trio will be joined by ten other top 25 Australian players, including 2015 Canberra International singles final runner-up Luke Saville (SA), and fellow Aussies John Patrick Smith (QLD), Matthew Ebden (WA), Blake Mott (NSW), Marc Polmans (VIC), Christopher O’Connell (NSW), Max Purcell (NSW), Omar Jasika (VIC), Dayne Kelly (VIC), and Maverick Banes (OLD) in the main draw.
The international charge will be led by Argentinian talent Marco Trungelliti (ARG) and Slovakia’s Grega Zemlja (SLO), as well as challengers from India, Italy, Korea, Japan, New Zealand and the USA.
A strong women’s draw will provide a masterful week of tennis, with 32 of the world’s top female tennis players to battle it out on court in the ITF event, with an additional US $50,000 and world rankings points up for grabs.
Both from Japan, world No.117 Risa Ozaki and world No.161 Hiroko Kuwata will start as early favourites for the title, but will be forced to overcome top ranked Australian Arina Rodionova (VIC) (184) who will be looking to add to her successful 2016 campaign which has included a doubles quarter final berth in the Australian Open 2016 with sister Anastasia, Federation Cup, Rio Olympics and runner up in Lexington USA.
Former junior Wimbledon champion Ashleigh Barty (QLD) will make a return to singles tennis in Canberra, after time off playing cricket, currently ranked 328 in the world.
And during an impressive year with wins over former top 50 players Laura Robson and Melanie Oudin, Canberra’s Alison Bai will have the support of her home crowd.
Lizette Cabrera (QLD), Storm Sanders (WA), Olivia Rogowska (VIC) round out to total 6 Australians to play in the women’s field.
Slovakian Dalila Jakupovic leads the International contingent, alongside 2015 Canberra International singles champion, Asia Muhammad (USA) who is fresh from a doubles quarter final berth at the 2016 US Open.
The men’s and women’s Apis Canberra International events form part of the Australian Pro Tour, which provides local and international players the ideal lead-in to the domestic summer of tennis.
Tennis Australia Pro Tour Manager Fiona Luscombe, said the events will bring world class tennis to Canberra.
“We are really pleased with the fields assembled for both tournaments and are excited to welcome more than 100 of the world’s top tennis players to the Territory.
“The outstanding new Canberra Tennis Centre in Lyneham is an ideal venue to host elite-level tournaments, and I encourage all local tennis fans to come along and experience international tennis right in their own backyard.”
EVENT INFORMATION
Men’s qualifying begins on Saturday 29 October and women’s qualifying commences on Sunday 30 October, with play from 9am each day. Men’s main draw action is scheduled to commence on Monday 31 October, and Women’s on Tuesday 1 November.
The Apis Canberra International is part of the Australian Pro Tour, a series of professional tennis events that bridge junior events and the ATP/WTA Tour, providing an opportunity for players to earn world ranking points.
The tournaments were announced in September as part of the Tennis ACT calendar of Pro Tour events secured through the redevelopment of the Canberra Tennis Centre. The redeveloped centre features 28 tennis courts – including synthetic grass, Italian clay and hardcourt surfaces – as well as four ANZ Tennis Hot Shots courts.
Finals weekend will be Saturday 5 – Sunday 6 November, with doubles scheduled on Saturday and singles on Sunday. The Sunday will be filled with activities and fun for the whole family, including face painting, jumping castle and speed serve.
Entry to the Canberra Tennis Centre is free for all five Pro-Tour 2016/2017 events, with a gold coin donation upon entry on finals days.
Players in the Apis Canberra International Men’s and Women’s events are subject to change.
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