A former world No.11, our second seed and a rising Australian star headline day one of Hobart International 2016.
Australian wildcard Maddison Inglis has the honour of opening our main draw matches today. The 17-year-old Western Australian is first on centre court against Russian world No.61 Margarita Gasparyan. It is the world No.781’s WTA Tour main draw debut.
Seventh seeded Frenchwoman Alize Cornet is next on court, with the former world No.11 meeting Czech Republic’s Denisa Allertova.
Two Hobart International 2015 quarterfinalists go head-to-head in the final match scheduled on centre court. Second seed and world no.35 Camila Giorgi is now the highest-ranked player in the draw after Sloane Stephens’ withdrawal. She faces Kazahkstan’s Zarina Diyas, the world No.52, in her opening match.
Eighth seed Alison Van Utyvanck also opens her campaign, facing up-and-coming German player Carina Witthoeft on Court Events Tasmania.
A showdown between two of the game’s rising stars – Japan’s Naomi Osaka and France’s Oceane Dodin is a feature match of the four final round qualifying matches scheduled. The 19-year-old Dodin is hoping to qualify in her first visit to Hobart but knows overcoming Osaka will be no easy task.
“I practiced with her this week, so I know her game. I know she has a big serve and forehand, so it’s going to be a tough match for me,” Dodin said.
“If I don’t serve well, I’ll be in trouble.”
Japan’s Kurumi Nara is the highest-ranked player left in the qualifying draw. The 2015 Hobart International semifinalist and world No.81 faces the Netherlands’ Richel Hogenkamp in the first match of the day on Court Events Tasmania.
Main draw doubles action is also on the schedule, with the Australian pairing of Kimberly Birrell and Jarmila Wolfe facing a tough first round against Kateryna Bondarenko of the Ukraine and Tatjana Maria of Germany, two of the mothers on tour. It is the third match on centre court. Ukrainian twin sisters and third seeds Lyudmyla and Nadiia Kichenok also feature.
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