The preliminary player list for the 2015 Clare Valley Tennis International has been released with Australia’s Alison Bai, set to be joined by a highly international field that includes three top 300 players, lining up for the event from 21 February.
Leading the Aussie contingent will be Australian No.13 and world No.405 Alison Bai. Bai, is coming off the back of a strong season in 2014 and earlier this month, made it to the quarter finals of a $50,000 event in Burnie, Tasmania. Yet to claim an ITF Futures singles title, Bai will be looking to continue her great form in to this event.
Su Jeong Jang comes into the main draw as the highest ranked player, with a current world ranking of No.265. Jang has won three ITF Futures titles in her career and has previously experienced success in South Australia, having claimed her maiden title at the City of Salisbury Tennis International in 2014.
Joining Jang in the field will be fellow Korean, Na-Lae Han. Han reached a career high singles ranking of 267 in October 2014 and currently sits at 279. Whilst Han has claimed two ITF Futures singles titles in the past, she is also an accomplished doubles player, with nine ITF Futures titles to her name.
Slovakian Zuzana Zlochova will also be a player to watch in the event. The world No.298 is a seasoned campaigner with 12 ITF Futures singles titles and 15 ITF Futures doubles titles. Although an internationally based player, Zlochova has been a regular on the Australian Pro Tour for many years and will no doubt be looking to claim her first ITF Futures title on Australian soil.
“We are obviously thrilled to announce a strong field of players planning to come to the inaugural 2015 Clare Valley Tennis International,” said Tournament Director Breanna Hassam.
“We are now looking forward to the reveal of the main draw in a week’s time and encourage locals to get involved by attending the official Cocktail Function on Sunday 22 February, ” said Hassam.
“It is very exciting to be able to release the preliminary player list for the event as the countdown begins with Clare Tennis Club and tournament staff now in final preparations for the tournament,” Hassam added.
2015 Clare Valley Tennis International
Player acceptance list as at 17 February 2015
| Name | Country | Ranking |
| Su Jeong JANG | KOR | 263 |
| Na-Lae HAN | KOR | 278 |
| Zuzana ZLOCHOVA | SVK | 297 |
| Noppawan LERTCHEEWAKARN | THA | 321 |
| Sandra ZANIEWSKA | POL | 337 |
| Pia KONIG | AUT | 352 |
| Ayaka OKUNO | JPN | 371 |
| Chang LIU | CHN | 372 |
| Yan WANG | CHN | 388 |
| Yuuki TANAKA | JPN | 410 |
| Sherazad REIX | FRA | 417 |
| Fang Ying XUN | CHN | 435 |
| Ran TIAN | CHN | 452 |
| Mana AYUKAWA | JPN | 461 |
| Mai MINOKOSHI | JPN | 469 |
| Alison BAI | AUS | 475 |
| Tammi PATTERSON | AUS | 494 |
| Isabella HOLLAND | AUS | 502 |
Please note list is subject to change
While the on-court action will be the main event, organisers are looking forward to a range of off-court opportunities for the community to enjoy.
On Sunday 22 February The Valleys Lifestyle Centre will play host to the official 2015 Clare Valley Tennis International Cocktail Function. The event is open to the public and will feature the reveal of the main draw, as well as interviews with tournament players and staff. Tickets for the event are available for purchase from The Valleys Lifestyle Centre for $20 per person.
A pro-am event will be held on Tuesday 24 February, giving event sponsors and local businesses the chance to meet players and compete in a light-hearted evening of matches.
Local school children are also getting involved in the action, with a free Pro Tour Schools Experience being held during the week. Children will experience a behind-the-scenes tour of the tournament and have the opportunity to play ANZ Tennis Hot Shots, meeting tournament players and staff along the way.
Qualifying will start on Saturday 21 February, with main draw matches commencing on Tuesday 24 February. Entry to the tournament is free for spectators, with matches commencing at 10:00am daily from Saturday – Friday.
Finals weekend will be an action-packed three days, with the doubles final scheduled to start at 5:00pm on Friday 27 February, singles semi-finals at 11:00am on Saturday 28 February and the singles final on Sunday 1 March at 11:00am.
The Clare Valley Tennis International is part of the 2015 Australian Pro Tour, a series of professional tennis events that bridge junior tournaments and the WTA Tour, providing an opportunity for players to earn their first world ranking points.
For more information about the Australian Pro Tour, Tennis Australia or the players visit www.tennis.com.au. For more information on the ITF Pro Circuit visit www.itftennis.com.
For Australian Pro Tour score updates follow @oztennisresults on Twitter. For all tennis news follow @tennisaustralia or like us on Facebook.
For ITF Pro Circuit updates follow @ITFprocircuit on Twitter or like ITF Pro Circuit on Facebook.
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