Rising star Lizette Cabrera (QLD) and Fed Cup representatives Arina Rodionova (VIC) and Destanee Aiava (VIC) will lead the women’s field at the Apis Canberra International. The three women have had outstanding seasons in 2017, peaking at career high rankings. The field includes 12 of Australia’s top 20 female players along with representatives from 13 additional countries who will compete for USD$60,000 in prizemoney along with valuable world ranking points.
Cabrera has been in impressive form reaching the quarterfinals of WTA events in Guangzhou and Hong Kong and recording a career best win over world number 31 Anett Kontaveit (EST). Now up to 141 in the WTA rankings, the 19 year old also pushed Australia’s top ranked female Daria Gavrilova to three sets in the quarterfinals of Hong Kong.
Rodionova will return to Canberra for the third consecutive year, heading into this year’s event as the top ranked player at a career high of 117 in the world. Rodionova has had a breakthrough year at Grand Slam level, qualifying for Wimbledon before defeating 16th seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) in the opening round. She also progressed to the second round of the US Open and made her first career WTA quarterfinal at the Jiangxi Open in China.
After starting the year ranked 386, 17 year old, Destanee Aiava (VIC) has risen up the rankings in 2017, peaking at 147 in the world last month. In January she became the first player born in the 2000’s to win a WTA main draw match when she defeated Bethanie Mattek-Sands (USA) in the opening round of the Brisbane International. Aiava won Pro Tour titles in Perth and Mornington, before being named in Australia’s Fed Cup team against Serbia in April.
Victorian Olivia Rogowska will be the in form Aussie to watch, winning Pro Tour titles in Cairns and Penrith, along with a semifinal appearance at Brisbane. Rogowska was last week awarded a qualifying wildcard into Australian Open 2018 as the best performing Australian woman across the four $25,000 Pro Tour events.
Kimberly Birrell (QLD) will return to the event after reaching the semifinals in 2015. The Aussie peaked at a career high ranking of 275 in early 2016 before being sidelined with a chronic elbow injury for most of 2016/17. She has made a strong return to the court, winning the Pro tour title in Brisbane and reaching the final in Penrith.
A host of other Australians will contest the main draw including Isabelle Wallace (VIC), Tammi Patterson (VIC), Naiktha Bains (QLD), Zoe Hives (VIC), Ellen Perez (NSW), and Olivia Tjandramulia (QLD)
The international charge will be led by Miyu Kato (JPN) and Asia Muhammad (USA), currently ranked 123 and 137 respectively. The pair have both experienced success in Canberra with Kato winning the 2016 ACT Claycourt International #2 and Muhammad winning the 2015 Canberra International.
Local hope Alison Bai (ACT) will have to come through qualifying along with Jessica Moore (WA), Sara Tomic (QLD) and Storm Sanders (WA). National Academy Canberra athletes Lisa Mays and Annerly Poulos will have to wait until closer to the event to see if they will play with both currently on the alternate list along with Sarina Kang (ACT).
Full entry list is available here
The entry list for the men’s event will be announced on Tuesday.
About the Apis Canberra International
Part of The Australian Pro Tour, the next generation of top tennis players are set to compete when the Apis Canberra International kicks off in Canberra from October 28 – November 5 with an ATP USD$75,000 event (Men) and ITF USD$60,000 event (Women).
Players from the world’s top 200, and a crop of rising tennis stars from Australia and across the globe, will compete for significant prize money and valuable world ranking points, right here in Lyneham at the Canberra Tennis Centre.
The Australian Pro Tour is a collaboration of International Tennis Federation (ITF) Women’s and Men’s, and ATP Challenger (Men’s) professional tournaments and is integral to introducing players to professional tennis and providing pathways to the WTA and ATP Tours.
Men’s qualifying begins on Saturday 28 October and women’s qualifying commences Sunday 29 October while, main draw action is scheduled to commence on Monday October 30 for men and Tuesday October 31 for women.
Finals weekend will be Saturday 4 – Sunday 5 November, with doubles scheduled on Saturday and singles on Sunday. There will be a free Kids Tennis Day on Saturday 4 November from 9.00am-11.00am.
Entry to the event is free each day, with a gold coin donation on finals weekend.
The main draw for the Apis Canberra International Men’s and Women’s events are subject to change until Monday 30 October 2017.
You can follow the Australian Pro Tour score updates on Twitter from @oztennisresults.
For more information on the Apis Canberra International, click here. For more information of the Australian Pro Tour, click here.
For more information of the ATP Challenger circuit, click here. For more information on the ITF Pro Circuit click here.
For all tennis news follow @tenniscanberra on Twitter or like Tennis ACT on Facebook and Instagram.
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