Tomic returns to Bogota to defend title
Bernard Tomic is joined by two Aussie compatriots in Bogota, while Sam Stosur and Daria Gavrilova will be in action at WTA events in Europe.
Melbourne VIC, Australia, 20 July 2015 | tennis.com.au
Bernard Tomic is the second seed at this week’s Claro Open Colombia in Bogota, 12 months on from winning the title there.
The top seed is Ivo Karlovic, the big-serving Croat whom Tomic defeated in last year’s final.
Joining Tomic at the ATP 250 hard court event are compatriots Sam Groth and John Millman.
> view the ATP Bogota main draw
Groth, seeded No.6, faces Argentine Guido Pella in round one – with a potential quarterfinal showdown looming against Karlovic – while Millman takes on a qualifier in his first-round match.
Tomic received a bye through to the second round, where he will face the winner of the match between Colombian Alejandro Gonzalez and Adrian Menendez Maceiras of Spain.
Fifth seed Marcos Baghdatis is his projected quarterfinal opponent.
Matt Ebden will attempt to join the Aussie trio in the main draw via qualifying; he takes on Brit Colin Fleming in the second round on Sunday (Bogota time).
In WTA action, Sam Stosur will line up as the second seed at the Nurnberger GasteinLadies event in Bad Gastein, Austria.
She will take on a qualifier in the opening round of the International-level claycourt event, hoping to put a disappointing second-round loss in Bastad behind her.
Sara Errani of Italy is the top seed, while the seeds in Stosur’s half of the draw are Carina Witthoeft (No.4), Anna Karolina Schmiedlova (No.7) and Katerina Siniakova (No.8), the latter being the Aussie’s projected quarterfinal opponent.
> view the WTA Bad Gastein main draw
In Turkey, Daria Gavrilova will fly the Aussie flag at the Istanbul Cup.
Seeded No.6, Gavrilova will face Ukrainian Lesia Tsurenko in her first-round match, with a possible quarterfinal date with No.1 seed Venus Williams should both players progress that far.
In qualifying, Australian teen Sara Tomic scored a career-best win in the first round over No.2 seed Kristyna Pliskova, who recently reached the third round at Wimbledon.
Following the 6-3 4-6 6-4 victory, Tomic stands one win away from the main draw.