Hobart tennis bosses are dreaming of Genie
CANADIAN Eugenie Bouchard is firmly in Hobart International tournament director Darren Sturgess’s sights for the 2018 tournament — but the former world No. 5 will need a wildcard to enter.
And while Bouchard could make a second appearance in Tasmania in three years, Sturgess has all but ruled out making a play for another of tennis’s most high-profile athletes in Maria Sharapova, despite her ranking currently sitting at the cut-off for direct entry to the event.
2014 Wimbledon finalist Bouchard reached the final of Hobart last year before crashing to a 6-1, 6-2 loss to Alize Cornet in the decider.
After four straight top-50 end-of-year ranking seasons Bouchard will finish 2017 outside the top 80, with her current mark at 83 following a tough run where she has not advanced past the second round of a tournament since May, when she reached the quarterfinals in Madrid.
However she remains one of the most marketable players on the WTA tour, and may use Hobart to finalise her Australian Open preparations after her commitments at the Hopman Cup in Perth.
“Based on this year, she wouldn’t get in on her ranking as it stands at the moment so definitely would require a wildcard,” Sturgess said.
“She is playing over in Perth, I don’t think she has committed to where she would like to play other than that yet and if she wants to play the week before.
“It would be a great coup for the event to get her back but we will wait and see what her schedule is and whether we hear from her and her management about applying for a wildcard.
“I would love to have her, she is a great profile.”
Global superstar Sharapova, a five-time Grand Slam champion and former world No. 1, returned to the court in April following her 15-month suspension for testing positive for meldonium.
She won her first title in two years at the Tianjin Open, moving her ranking back to No. 60, which has been the cut-off for acceptance into the Hobart International.
However the 30-year-old traditionally does not play the week before a Grand Slam and is expected to contest the Shenzhen Open from December 31 to January 6 before heading to Melbourne.
“Because we are a bit smaller event we don’t have the weight behind us to approach those players,” Sturgess said.
“Certainly we asked the question, but she doesn’t normally play the week before a Slam.”
The Hobart International field, which will be released next month, is likely to contain a number of recognisable faces.
Sturgess confirmed he is in talks with Elise Mertens’s management about the defending champion returning, while 2009 winner and dual Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova could also feature, with her ranking slipping to 29 following a knife attack when her home was broken into just before Christmas last year.
Sorana Cirstea (37), Cornet (38) rising talent Ana Konjuh (44), former world No. 2 Agnieszka Radwanska (28) and Mona Barthel (48) are others in the mix.