Four of Australia\u2019s top 10 men will headline the field at the Canberra International ATP Challenger event at Canberra Tennis Centre next month.<\/p>\n
Australians John Millman (Qld), Matthew Ebden (WA), Jordan Thompson (NSW) and Luke Saville (SA) will join some of the world\u2019s best tennis players in the nation\u2019s capital, where US$50,000 in prize money and world ranking points will be on the line.<\/p>\n
The Aussie quartet will be joined by former world No.39 Marinko Matosevic (Vic), rising star Omar Jasika (Vic) \u2013 who last year became the first player in 28 years to win both the US Open boys\u2019 singles and doubles titles in one season \u2013 and countrymen Maverick Banes (Qld), Matthew Barton (NSW), Alex Bolt (SA), Greg Jones (NSW), Ben Mitchell (Qld), Matt Reid (NSW) and Gavin van Peperzeel (Qld) in the draw.<\/p>\n
The international charge will be led by America\u2019s Connor Smith and Chinese talent Zhe Li, as well as challengers from Great Britain, Italy, India, Indonesia and New Zealand.<\/p>\n
In a blockbuster week of tennis in the Territory 32 of the world\u2019s top female tennis players will also battle it out on court, with an additional US$50,000 and women\u2019s rankings points up for grabs in the ITF event.<\/p>\n
World No.136 Alexa Glatch (USA) and world No.179 Riko Sawayanagi (JPN) will start early favourites for the title, but will be forced to overcome Canberra\u2019s own Alison Bai and fellow local hopes Jessica Moore (WA), Arina Rodionova (Vic), and Storm Sanders (WA) in the field.<\/p>\n
Bai collected her first professional singles title at the ITF-sanctioned Mildura Grand Tennis International this season, and will have the support of her home crowd in Canberra next month.<\/p>\n
The men\u2019s and women\u2019s 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. The tournaments were announced in May as part of the Tennis ACT calendar of events secured through the redevelopment of the Canberra Tennis Centre. The redeveloped centre features 28 tennis courts \u2013 including synthetic grass, European clay and hardcourt surfaces \u2013 as well as four ANZ Tennis Hot Shots courts. The venue will also host back-to-back Pro Tour events in March and April next year, to be contested on clay.<\/p>\n
Tennis Australia Pro Tour Manager Fiona Luscombe said the week-long Canberra International would bring world class tennis to Canberra. \u201cThe men\u2019s and women\u2019s Canberra International events will attract more than 100 of the world\u2019s top tennis players to the ACT,\u201d she said. \u201cWe\u2019re thrilled with the strength of the fields we have assembled for both tournaments and excited to welcome some of the best Australian and international rising stars to the Territory.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe outstanding new Canberra Tennis Centre 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.\u201d Qualifying for the Canberra International men\u2019s event gets under way at Canberra Tennis Centre on Saturday 31 October, with women\u2019s qualifying commencing Sunday 1 November. Main draw action is scheduled to commence on Monday 2 November.<\/p>\n