The Apis Canberra International will feature the strongest men’s field the capital has ever seen, led by world No.57 Ugo Humbert (FRA). Eight top 100 players will compete from 6-12 January in the ATP Challenger 125 event with over USD$160,000 in prizemoney on offer.
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Humbert will be the highest ranked male to ever compete in Canberra coming into the event after a breakthrough year which saw him post top 15 victories over David Goffin (BEL) and Gael Mofiles (FRA), along with making the 4th round of Wimbledon.
Former world No.19, Hyeon Chung (KOR) will make his debut in Canberra after missing much of 2018 due to back and leg injuries. Chung became a fan favourite with his dream run to the semifinals of Australian Open 2018, defeating Novak Djokovic (SRB) and Alexander Zverev (GER) on his way.
Winner of eight ATP Titles and boasting a career high world ranking of No.16 Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) will also compete in Canberra for the first time. Kohlschreiber caused one of the biggest upsets of 2019 when he defeated world No.1 Djokovic in the third round of Indian Wells and has ended the year in the top 100 for the past 16 years.
Former Canberra champions Andreas Seppi (ITA) and Dudi Sela (ISR) will return to the Canberra Tennis Centre, along with former finalists Taro Daniel (JPN) and Ilya Ivashka (BLR). Seppi is the second highest ranked player behind Humbert at No.72 and holds the famous win over Roger Federer (SUI) at Australian Open 2015. Reaching a career high no. 18 he will be a formidable force once more.
Rising star, Jannick Sinner (ITA) is touted as a future top 10 player and will be looking to build on his strong end to 2019, which saw him defeat Australia’s Alex de Minaur to win the Next Gen Finals in Milan.
Top 100 players Steve Johnson (USA), Jaume Munar (ESP), Soonwoo Kwon (KOR), and Dominik Koepfer (GER) will also line up for the event. It will be former world No.21 Johnson’s first appearance in Canberra.
The Australian contingent will be led by Marc Polmans (Vic), Andrew Harris (Vic) and Alex Bolt (SA). At world No.171 Filip Horansky (SVK) is the last direct acceptance in to the main draw.
Tennis ACT CEO and Apis Canberra International Tournament Director, Kim Kachel, is ecstatic about the quality of players starting their year in Canberra.
“Our events in January have always attracted a number of players in the world’s top 100, but it’s the calibre and depth of this year’s field which sets it apart. There are players who would have been seeded at previous events in Canberra who are not going to get into the main draw this year.
“There will be marquee matches from the first round and with the addition of night sessions on Monday, Tuesday and Friday the fans will have a tennis feast. With a chill out zone and a number of upgrades to the Canberra Tennis Centre it will be the perfect atmosphere”
“We have a great mix of seasoned elite players such as Kohlschreiber, Seppi, and Johnson, combined with some of the most exciting young talent on the ATP tour in Sinner, Humbert and Chung. We’re encouraging everyone to secure their ticket to witness world class tennis in a unique intimate environment,” Kachel added.
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