Rankings watch: ITF success boosts Aussies
Impressive results on the ITF tour have seen several Aussies make significant gains in the new ATP and WTA rankings released on Monday.
Melbourne, Australia, 6 May 2013 | tennis.com.au
Impressive results on the ITF tour have seen several Aussies make significant gains in the new ATP and WTA rankings released on Monday.
One such upward mover was Alison Bai, who rose 85 places to world No.515 after reaching the quarterfinals of the recent $25,000 ITF event in Phuket, Thailand.
The Canberran came through qualifying and in the second round beat No.6 seed Ling Zhang if Hong Kong, a player ranked almost 400 places above her.
Bai, who as recently as February was ranked outside the top 700, is now 11-7 on the year and will be aiming for a return towards her career-high ranking of No.397, set back in January 2011.
> view the latest WTA rankings
Also making tracks was Chris Guccione, whose continued success on the ATP Challenger circuit was responsible for another rankings boost.
The big-serving left-hander jumped 41 places to No.495 after qualifying for the An-Ning Challenger in China and then reaching the second round, a fortnight after doing the same thing at the Mexico City Challenger
The Victorian returns to the top 500 for the first time in almost one year, and has risen nearly 100 places in the past three weeks.
Meanwhile, Queensland youngster Gavin Van Peperzeel has been rewarded for his toils on the Futures circuit in Israel, jumping 81 spots to a career-high ranking of No.751.
The 21-year-old’s rise came after reaching the semifinals of the ITF event in Ashkelon, and he is projected to rise even higher after making the final of another event in the same city at the weekend.
Fellow youngster Nick Kyrgios continued his rapid progress up the ATP ladder with a rise of 24 places to world No.265.
Kyrgios’ win at the recent ITF Futures event in Yuxi, China was this week included in his points tally; since the Australian Open he was won 22 of 27 matches and improved his ranking by almost 600 places.
> check out where the Aussie men stand in the latest ATP rankings