Ten of the world’s top 100 men will head to Canberra to compete in the Canberra $75K ATP Challenger event from January 9-16.
World number 68, Paolo Lorenzi (ITA) will be the top seed at the event. Lorenzi had a solid year on the ATP Challenger circuit, winning 4 Challenger titles and making the final of an additional event. He also made the quarter finals of the ATP 250 Ecuador Open, along with the 2nd round of the Australian Open 2015.
Former world number 28, Santiago Giraldo (COL) will be looking to add to his 8 career ATP Challenger titles. The Columbian who is currently ranked 70, made the 3rd round at Wimbledon in 2015, along with second round appearances at the French and Australian Opens. He made the semifinals at two ATP 250 events in 2015, including a win over world number 10, Marin Cilic.
Spaniards, Daniel Munoz de la Nava and Marcel Granollers will round out the top 4 seeds. Munoz de la Nava is currently sitting a career high ranking of 75 after making 6 Challenger finals in 2015, winning 3 titiles. Granollers will be looking to return to the form that took him to the world’s top 20 in 2012.
Ivan Dodig (CRO), will be looking to continue his solid end to 2015, where he was named as the MVP for the Indian Aces in the Indian Premier Tennis League (IPTL). Dodig knotched up a win in the IPTL over Canberra’s own Nick Kyrgios and helped lead his team to the finals. Dodig is also ranked 6 in the world in doubles and teamed with Marcelo Melo to win the 2015 French Open doubles title.
Top 100 players, Diego Schwartzman (ARG), Evgeny Donskoy (RUS), Taro Daniel (JPN), Daniel Gimeon-Traver (ESP), and Dudi Sela (ISR), will all join the field. Sela, a former world number 29, reached the 3rd round at the 2015 Australian Open, losing to Rafael Nadal.
Quentin Halys (FRA), Noah Rubin (USA), and Yoshihito Nishioka (JPN), will all play in Canberra after receiving wildcards into the Australian Open 2016. Halys and Rubin were the recipients of the reciprocal French Tennis Federation and US Tennis Association wildcards, while Nishioka won the Australian Open 2016 Asia-Pacific Wildcard Playoff in December.
The Australian contingent will be led by world number 105 Matthew Ebden (WA) and Maverick Banes (QLD) who will both feature in the main draw. A host of Australians will also feature in qualifying.
Tournament Director, Ross Triffitt said “We are delighted to attract such a strong field to Canberra for the Challenger event. We are looking forward to some great tennis, which will showcase the fantastic new venue we have here in Canberra.
It is exciting to be part of the 2016 Australian summer of tennis and we are pleased that the Canberra community will have the chance to watch world class tennis at the Canberra Tennis Centre for free”.
The Canberra $75K ATP Challenger will be held at the Canberra Tennis Centre from 9-16 January, 2016. The event is part of the Australian Pro Tour and will provide local and international players a lead-in to the Australian Open 2016.
The tournament was announced in November after the success of the Canberra International and as part of the Tennis ACT calendar of events secured through the redevelopment of the Canberra Tennis Centre.
The redeveloped Canberra Tennis Centre features 28 tennis courts – including synthetic grass, Italian clay and hardcourt surfaces – as well as four ANZ Tennis Hot Shots courts. The venue will also host back-to-back Pro Tour events in March 2016 to be contested on clay.
Entry to the Canberra Tennis Centre is free, with qualifying set to commence on Saturday from 10am, while main draw matches will start on Monday the 11th of January. Click here for further information or visit the event facebook page here
Further information for spectators can be found here
The order of play for Saturday and qualifying draw will be available after 9.30pm Friday 8 January at the following location http://www.tennis.com.au/protour/canberra-2
The proposed tournament schedule is as follows.
SCHEDULE (subject to change)
| Date | Time | Round |
| Saturday 9 January | 10:00am – 5:00pm | Qualifying |
| Sunday 10 January | 10:00am – 5:00pm | Final round qualifying |
| Monday 11 January | 10.00am – 5.00pm | Main Draw |
| Tuesday 12 January | 10.00am – 5.00pm | Main Draw |
| Wednesday 13 January | 10.00am – 5.00pm | Main Draw |
| Thursday 14 January | 11.00am – 5.00pm | Quarter-finals |
| Friday 15 January | 11.00am – 5.00pm | Semifinals Singles & Doubles final |
| Saturday 16 January | 1.00pm – 3.00pm | Final |
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