Australian teenagers Olivia Tjandramulia (QLD) and Destanee Aiava (VIC) will play for a place in the final of the ACT Claycourt International #1 after recording contrasting wins today. With play unable to get under way until after 4pm due to bad weather, three of the four quarterfinals were completed, with the last match stopped due to bad light.
Aiava took on fellow Aussie Naiktha Bains (QLD) in her quarterfinal. Aiava secured the first break of the match, jumping out to a 3-1 lead. She took the first set 6-2 in 33 minutes after breaking Bains again in the 8th game. Bains got off to a better start in the second, breaking Aiava in the 3rd game. She was unable to consolidate the break, with Aiava rattling off the next 5 games to take the match and secure a spot in the semifinals. It is an impressive run for the 15 year old, having now won five matches in Canberra after coming through qualifying.
Wildcard Tjandramulia will be waiting for Aiava in the semis after she battled through a tough three set match with qualifier Pia Konig (AUT) lasting almost three hours. After going down 5-3 in the first set, Tjandramulia fought back to force a tiebreak, which she secured 7-5. Konig responding by breaking Tjandarmulia in the first game of the second and raced through the set 6-2. The third set became a battle to hold serve, with five of the first six games of the set breaks of serve. With Tjandramulia up 4-2, she held her final two serve games to take the set 6-3.
In the other half of the draw, fourth seed Eri Hozumi (JPN) easily accounted for Katy Dunne (GBR) 6-3, 6-2. Canberra has been a happy hunting ground for Hozumi, who previously made the final of the Canberra International in November 2015. She will have to wait until tomorrow to find out her opponent after the match between second seed Jia-Jing Lu (CHN) and fifth seed Sherazad Reix (FRA) was suspended due to bad light, with Reix leading by a set.
The doubles semifinals were rescheduled for tomorrow, with Ashleigh Barty (QLD) and Arina Rodionova (VIC) taking on Anna Bondar (HUN) and Tena Lukas (CRO). Tjandramulia and Bains will feature in the other semi against second seed Kanae Hisami (JPN) and Varatchaya Wongteanchai (THA).
Tomorrow will also see qualifying action for the ACT Claycourt International #2 get under way. Canberra locals Ashley Keir, Sarina Kang, and Kaitlin Staines will all be in action tomorrow. Kang and Staines have been drawn to face each other in the first round.
Entry into the Canberra Tennis Centre is free. Semifinal action for the ACT Claycourt International #1 is scheduled for not before 12pm, while qualifying for #2 commences at 10am.
Tournament draws and the order of play for ACT Claycourt International #1 can be found here.
Tournament draws and the order of play for ACT Claycourt International #2 can be found here
Live scoring is available here. Live streaming is available here
The ACT Claycourt International #1 and #2 will be held at the Canberra Tennis Centre from March 12-27. Each tournament will offer $25,000 in prizemoney and will be held on the recently redeveloped European clay courts.
The tournaments were announced in May, 2015 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.
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