It’s all about the number one at the Hobart International today. It is day one of main draw action – and former world No.1 Jelena Jankovic headlines the round one action. There is also a former world No.1 doubles player on court to complete what shapes to be a big day at the Domain Tennis Centre.
Jankovic is competing in Hobart for the first time – and her impending debut has local fans excited.
> Read about Jankovic’s thoughts on Hobart
The 31-year-old Serbian faces a tough first opponent – world No.38 Monica Niculescu, the tournament’s third seed who is making her eighth appearance in Hobart.
“She’s a very tricky player, a very crafty player with all the slices and drop shots,” Jankovic said of her Romanian opponent. “She has quite a unique style of play and it won’t be an easy match.”
Jankovic holds a 5-2 head-to-head record over Niculescu, but has lost their two most recent matches.
First up on Centre Court is two players making their tournament debut: American Shelby Rogers and second-seeded Latvian Anastasija Sevastova. Both players reached Grand Slam singles quarterfinals during 2016, Rogers at Roland Garros and Sevastova at the US Open. Sevastova won their only previous meeting in 2012.
Fifth seed Miskai Doi of Japan follows, facing Australian wildcard Lizette Cabrera.
The last match of the day on Centre Court is a doubles clash between Italian Sara Errani and Belgian Kirsten Flipkens against the British duo Jocelyn Rae and Anna Smith. Errani is a former Hobart International doubles champion and spent 87 weeks at world No.1 between 2012-2015.
> Read more about Errani’s return to Hobart
Final round qualifying matches are scheduled on Court Events Tasmania and Court Triple M, as is a first round clash between Kazakh Galina Voskoboeva and Frenchwoman Pauline Parmentier.