A stellar women’s field will compete at the Apis Canberra International from 6-12 January, with numerous top 200 players led by world No.114 Patricia Maria Tig (ROU) competing in the USD$25,000 ITF World Tennis Tour event.
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Tig returned to the professional tour in April this year after 18 months off due to injury and pregnancy. After starting the year unranked, she made the final of the WTA event in Bucharest as a qualifier before winning the WTA 125 series title in Germany, soaring up the WTA rankings to sit just outside the top 100 by the year end.
Luxembourg’s Mandy Minella is the tournament’s second highest ranked player at world No.141. Minella is an experienced player having reached a career high of No.66 and has made the third round of the US Open on two occasions. Minella won a WTA 125 series event in Croatia and 13 ITF World Tennis Tour titles.
Former top 100 players Sachia Vickery (USA), Kristina Kucova (SVK), and Richel Hogenkamp (NED) will also compete in the main draw which boasts plenty of depth.
The qualifying draw will prove just as tough with former top 100 players Urszula Radwanska (POL) and Katie Boulter (GBR) looking to earn a spot in the main draw. Radwanska reached a career high ranking of No.29, making two WTA finals and owning six ITF World Tennis Tour titles. Boulter will be looking to regain the form that saw her rise to a career high ranking of No.82 in February, before succumbing to a back injury which kept her off court for six months in 2019.
Victorian’s Jaimee Fourlis, Olivia Rogowska, and Belinda Woolcock will lead the Australian contingent. Fourlis and Rogowska have both previously had success in Canberra with both former ACT Claycourt International champions, while Rogowska also won the Apis Canberra International in 2017 and reached the final in 2018. Canberra’s Alison Bai will also be looking to make her way through the tough qualifying draw.
Apis Canberra International Tournament Director Kim Kachel says the field is incredibly strong.
“The main draw cut off for the event is world No.197 which would make this one of, if not, the strongest ITF World Tennis Tour fields at this level of event.
“All the players in main draw along with several in qualifying will be using the event as preparation for Australian Open 2020 qualifying following on from our event.
“There are numerous former top 100 players, alongside some real future stars including the current world No.1 junior Diane Parry (FRA). This is a chance to see these elite athletes on their ascent to the top of world tennis. I guarantee those who saw Barty, Tsitsipas, De Minaur and Shapovalov in Canberra still recall that moment. We will again be seeing some of the future of the sport in this field.
The women’s event will take place alongside a men’s ATP Challenger 125 event featuring eight of the world’s top 100 players and the strongest field to compete at the Apis Canberra International.
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