PLAYERS READY TO SERVE IT UP
Toowoomba International set to begin
TENNIS: The final make-up of the 2018 Hutchinson Builders Toowoomba International begins taking shape this weekend when more than 120 tournament hopefuls meet in qualifying play at Toowoomba Regional Tennis Centre — USQ.
The International gets into full swing early next week when the final draws are completed.
A field of 32 players will contest both the men’s and women’s main draw.
The final draw make-up will become clearer this weekend when 64 men and 64 women look to win through the qualifying stage to join the tournament top seeds and wild-card entries.
The Toowoomba International is the last in a succession of four Pro Circuit events which have taken players to Cairns, Darwin and the Brisbane QTC Tennis International which winds up this weekend.
Australian players on the men’s Toowoomba International acceptance list include Blake Ellis, Luke Saville, Ben Mitchell and Michael Look.
Female entries include Australia’s world number 162 Olivia Rogowska, previous Toowoomba finalist Katie Dunne from Britain and Australia’s Kimberly Birrell.
Gold Coast-based Birrell scored her first ITF Pro Circuit title last month with a 6-3, 6-3 final win fellow Ellen Perez in the Darwin International.
Toowoomba International tournament director Emma Creighton expects the main draw play to kick off late Monday or Tuesday morning.
“We have 64 players in both the men’s and women’s qualifying draws fighting it out from tomorrow morning in a tworound qualifying draw looking to win through to next week,” Creighton said yesterday.
“Seedings and wild-card entries will be decided when the final play lists are known but at this stage Olivia Rogowska tops the women’s acceptance list and Blake Ellis and Luke Saville are the top ranked men.”
■ QUALIFYING begins at 9am. Spectator entry is free.