31 October 2017 | Tennis ACT

Canberra local Alison Bai will headline a huge day 5 at the Apis Canberra International.  In a blockbuster first round match, top seed Arina Rodionova (VIC) will face Priscilla Hon (QLD).  Unfortunately Davis Cup player John Millman (QLD) has been forced to withdraw from his first round clash with Sasi Kumar Mukund (IND) and has been replaced in the draw by 2015 Canberra International champion Benjamin Mitchell (QLD).

Millman’s strong end to 2017 has continued, making the final of the ATP Challenger event in Ho Chi Minh City last week.  He will play first up on centre court on Wednesday against Sasi Kumar Mukund (IND).

Top seed Rodionova will then face Hon, who is the fifth highest ranked player in the draw, but unseeded after progressing through qualifying.  Both players are currently sitting at career high ranking with Rodionova at 116 and Hon at 223.

Eight seed Omar Jasika (VIC) will then take on the inform Jason Kubler (QLD).  Kubler has risen almost 600 places in the ATP ranking in the past month, currently sitting at 349 after winning Traralgon and finalist performances in Toowoomba and Cairns.

Local hope Bai will then round out centre court action, taking on qualifier Ramu Ueda (JPN) who eliminated National Academy Canberra athlete Kaitlin Staines on Tuesday.

Lizette Cabrera (QLD), Destanee Aiava (VIC), Kimberley Birrell (QLD), and Olivia Rogowska (VIC) all feature in Wednesday’s schedule.

In Tuesday’s results, Matthew Ebden (WA) and Marc Polmans (VIC) progressed to the second round with contrasting victories today.  Ebden recorded a comfortable win over Brydan Klein (GBR) 6-3 6-4 while Polmans battled for almost three hours to edge out Dayne Kelly (VIC) in three grueling sets.

Andrew Harris (VIC) defeated lucky loser Chris O’Connell (NSW), who was a last minute replacement for top seed Jordan Thompson (NSW) who was forced to withdraw from the tournament with tonsillitis.  Wildcard Blake Ellis (QLD) posted a great win over top 300 player Lucas Miedler (AUT), while Alex Bolt (SA), Gavin Van Peperzeel (QLD), and Maverick Banes (QLD) made it through to the second round.

Play is set to commence at the Canberra Tennis Centre from 10am with free entry.

The full order of play and draws can be found here

Live streaming for the women can be found here.  Live scoring for the women’s event can be found here.

Live streaming and live scoring for the men’s event can be found here