Zhengzhou, China, 9 October 2023 | Leigh Rogers

Zhengzhou, China

Ellen Perez has qualified for the singles event at a WTA 500 tournament in Zhengzhou.

The 27-year-old Australian secured her spot in the main draw with a 6-4 5-7 6-4 victory against world No.101 Tamara Korpatsch in the final qualifying round.

“I felt like I did a good job to kind of get the better of her in the first set,” Perez said after scoring her biggest singles win in a year.

“I got a 4-1 lead in the second and then she started to play really well. I think she played some of her best tennis when she was behind.

“The best thing I think I did was not panic when I lost that second set and just kind of went back to what I knew I was doing well and was working. It got really close in the end, but I’m really happy with the way I fought and playing the way I wanted to play.”

Perez, who is currently ranked No.456 in singles and No.25 in doubles, described qualifying as “satisfying”.

It is Perez’s biggest singles victory ranking-wise since October 2022 and marks the first time she has won back-to-back singles matches since May.

“I’ve always believed that I could play really good singles, it’s just the case that my doubles got so high that my singles kind of had to take a little bit of a back seat,” she said.

“When you’re playing a lot of doubles and you’re not getting a lot of opportunities in singles, you kind of feel like you lose that touch and feel for it a little bit. So it’s been a battle but anytime I do get the chance, I love to play singles.”

Perez now faces world No.28 Anhelina Kalinina in the opening round.

Aussies in action – Zhengzhou

RESULTS
Women’s qualifying singles, final round
Ellen Perez (AUS) d [6] Tamara Korpatsch (GER) 6-4 5-7 6-4

COMING UP
Women’s singles, first round
[Q] Ellen Perez (AUS) v Anhelina Kalinina (UKR)

Women’s doubles, first round
Ellen Perez (AUS)/Nicole Melichar-Martinez (USA) v Timea Babos (HUN)/Lyudmyla Kichenok (UKR)

Hong Kong

Daria Saville has advanced to the final qualifying round at a WTA 250 tournament in Hong Kong.

The 29-year-old Australian, who is currently ranked No.211 and rebuilding her ranking after undergoing knee surgery last year, scored a 6-2 6-2 win against Chinese Taipei’s Tsao Chia Yi.

This sets up a final-round showdown with Slovenian Dalila Jakupovic.

Saville is looking to join compatriot Priscilla Hon in the main draw.

Aussies in action – Hong Kong

RESULTS
Women’s qualifying singles, first round
[5] Daria Saville (AUS) d Tsao Chia Yi (TPE) 6-2 6-2

COMING UP
Women’s qualifying singles, final round
[5] Daria Saville (AUS) v [3] Dalila Jakupovic (SLO)

Women’s singles, first round
Priscilla Hon (AUS) v [WC] Eudice Chong (HKG)

Seoul, Korea

Australia’s top-ranked woman, Kimberly Birrell, is contesting a WTA 250 tournament in Seoul this week.

The world No.102 faces American qualifier Sachia Vickery in the opening round.

Aussies in action – Seoul

COMING UP
Women’s singles, first round
Kimberly Birrell (AUS) v [Q] Sachia Vickery (USA)

Women’s doubles, first round
Olivia Tjandramulia (AUS)/Arianne Hartono (NED) v [WC] Ji-hee Choi (KOR)/Sohyun Park (KOR)
Kimberly Birrell (AUS)/Emina Bektas (USA) v Na Lae Han (KOR)/Su Jeong Jang (KOR)

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