Bundaberg, Australia, 21 March 2013 | Tennis Australia

Jason Kubler (Mango Hill, Qld) will return to Queensland this weekend to defend his 2012 men’s singles crown at the Bundaberg Tennis International (23-31 March 2013) taking place at Drinan Park Tennis Centre.

Kubler, 19, who won two ITF titles on clay early last year, will join an all star line-up of up-and-coming Australian and international players as they compete for a valuable prize purse and world ranking points.

“The tournament is a free event giving local fans the opportunity to see Australia’s No.8 male player James Duckworth (Gordon, NSW) and Australia’s No.4 female player Olivia Rogowka (St Kilda, Vic) headline their respective fields,” said David Hearne, Tournament Director.

After significant rainfall and flooding, Bundaberg Regional Council and Bundaberg District Tennis Association have worked tirelessly to make the tournament possible.

“We have a dedicated group of 15 local volunteers who have been working hard to ensure the success of this annual Pro Tour event,” said Dave Field, Bundaberg Regional Council Sport and Recreation Coordinator.

“The event is a significant highlight on our sporting calendar and is a terrific opportunity for the community.

“We anticipate good crowd numbers over the Easter break in particular the men’s and women’s finals on Easter Sunday.”

Joining Duckworth and Kubler in the men’s draw will be a string of strong national prospects including Queenslander Ben Mitchell (Worongary, Qld) and 2011 champion James Lemke (Camberwell, Vic).

New Zealand’s Jose Statham, who won the tournament in 2009, will head the international contingent while Jordan Thompson (Cherrybrook, NSW), Jack Schipanski (Glengowrie, SA) and Bradley Mousley (Wynn Vale, SA) are just some of the Aussie young guns to also watch out for.

In the $25,000 women’s competition Rogowska will be joined by Australia’s No.5 player Sacha Jones (Melbourne, Vic) and Azra Hadzic (Keysborough, Vic) in the draw of 32.

Launceston Tennis International champion Storm Sanders (Safety Bay, WA) and Nature’s Way Sydney Tennis International winner Viktorija Rajicic (Delahey, Vic) will vie for a spot when they contest the qualifying draw.

International female players heading to Bundaberg include competitors from Japan, Thailand and Korea.

Men’s and women’s qualifying will begin on Saturday 23 March and the main draw will commence next Monday.