The 2018 ACT Claycourt International #1 has been elevated to a USD$60,000 Women’s ITF Pro Tour event with women’s tennis set to shine over a two week period in the capital.
The ACT Claycourt International #1 and #2 will take place at the Canberra Tennis Centre from 17 March – 1 April 2018. The increase in prizemoney and ranking points is sure to increase the quality and depth of the field with the ACT Claycourt International #2 offering a further USD$25,000.
This will be the third year the events have been held on clay, with last year’s event being named as a finalist for Most Outstanding Professional Tournament at the Newcombe Medal, Australian Tennis Awards.
Tennis Australia Pro Tour Manager Fiona Luscombe says “There was an opportunity within the Australian calendar to elevate a clay court tournament prior to Australian players heading overseas for the European summer where many events are conducted on this surface.”
“The facilities at the Canberra Tennis Centre as well as Tennis ACT’s proven track record at running international events, made them an obvious choice to host the event.”
ACT Claycourt International Tournament Director Lenka Greenhalgh is excited about the upcoming tournaments.
“We are looking forward to welcoming a quality international field to Canberra and showcasing women’s tennis.
“The ACT Claycourt International has provided some great moments over the past couple of years. In 2016, Destanee Aiava came through qualifying to make her first Pro Tour final at only 15 years-old, while Ashleigh Barty played here in one of her first tournaments after returning to tennis, winning back to back doubles titles with Arina Rodionova,” Greenhalgh added.
Following on from the success of last month’s Fed Cup tie in Canberra, the Pro Tour events will provide further opportunities to inspire and show case women’s sport in the capital through a range of off court activities over the two weeks.
On Friday 23 March in conjunction with Canberra Women in Business, Tennis ACT will host a Sport and Leadership Networking Brunch with the opportunity to network and mingle with up and coming women’s tennis players. Click here for more.
Tennis ACT has partnered with the Australian Government’s Girls Make Your Move campaign for a girls’ day on Sunday 25 March from 9am-11am, a free community event aiming to inspire, energise and empower young women to be more active.
A number of ACT based sports will have a presence including Basketball , Cricket , Hockey , Netball , Tennis , and Volleyball . Next Gen Canberra will offer Yoga, Blitz boot camp and box fit sessions. A jumping castle, face painting, and Enchanted Canberra’s Belle and The Flash will also be in attendance. Participants can then watch the final of the ACT Claycourt International which is scheduled for 11.00am.
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