International Events Set To Start With Busy Days Play
Monday 15 November 2010, 6:07PM
By Tennis New Zealand
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Day one of the play at the Configure Express Pro US$25,000 women’s tennis Challenger tournament and the US$15,000 men’s Futures at the Renouf Tennis Centre in Wellington features 14 singles matches and 11 doubles as the Capital gets ready for a big dose of professional tennis.
Although only playing doubles world No42 Jarmilla Groth will take the court with young Queenslander Jade Hopper. Jarmilla’s husband, Sam will open the days play at 10am on court one against Auckland’s Stefan Williams.
Powerful Sam Groth could easily fit into any rugby team with his stature and has been recorded with a serve of 230kph. He is the fourth seed at the event and has a ranking of 351 in the world.
Several Kiwi players will make the second round no matter what. Wellington player Warwick Foy takes on new Kiwi No1 Michael Venus who is the third seed and ranked at 304. Another all-Kiwi men’s match features former Davis Cup player Adam Thompson against Paris-based Sebastian Lavie, who has been a highly regarded junior.
Other Kiwi men on court include Auckland teenager Adam Lee against Harrison Keyser(Australia), North Harbour’s Anton Bettink versus Ben Mitchell and Waikato player Jaden Grinter plays another Aussie, James Duckworth. Russian-born fifth seed Artem Sitak who is in the process of becoming a Kiwi faces German Richard Becker.
In the women’s singles there will be a Kiwi winner guaranteed when Katherine Westbury faces Chelsea Te Tai. Westbury has Thai links, while Te Tai continues the vein of Kiwis with overseas connections with Queensland as her base.
Canterbury teenager Leela Beattie will play one of the biggest matches of her career when she takes on sixth seed and world number 255 Elista Kostova of Bulgaria.
Meanwhile Sacha Jones who won a tournament of the same prizemoney in Western Australia on Sunday will face Tammi Patterson ranked 351 from Australia in the first round and is potentially set up to face Groth in the quarterfinals on Friday.
Day 1 Schedule – US$25,000 Configure Express Pro Women’s Challenger, US$15,000 Men’s Futures
(New Zealand unless noted, 10am start unless noted).
Court 1
10am start
Men’s singles
(4)Sam Groth(AUS) v Stefan Williams,
Followed by
(3)Michael Venus v Warwick Foy,
f.b
Adam Thompson v Sebastian Lavie
f.b
Men’s doubles
Gilles De Gouy(FRA)/Olly Sadler v Warwick Foy/Matthew Grant
f.b
Anton Bettink/Adam Thompson v Richard Becker(GER)/Harri Heliovaara(FIN)
Court 2
Women’s Singles
Leela Beattie v (6)Elitsa Kostova(BUL),
f.b
Katherine Westbury v Chelsea Te Tai
f.b
Men’s singles
James Duckworth(AUS) v Jaden Grinter
f.b
Women’s doubles
Sung-Hee Han(KOR)/Chelsea Te Tai v Leela Beatti/Emily Fannning
f.b
Gail Brodsky(USA)/Arina Rodionova(RUS) v Timea Babos(HUN)/Tammi Patterson(AUS).
Court 3
Women’s singles
Isabella Holland(AUS) v Sung-Hee Han(KOR)
f.b
Men’s singles
Alessandro Bega(ITA) v (7)Harri Heliovaara(FIN).
Court 4
Women’s singles
(2)Sally Peers(AUS) v Monika Wejnert(AUS),
f.b
Julia Moriaty(IRL) v Jape Hopper(AUS)
f.b
Women’s doubles
Nicola Geuer(GER)/Keren Shlomo(ISR) v Bianca Botto(PER)/Marija Mirkovic(AUS)
f.b
Scarlett Werner(GER)/Anna Zaja(GER) v Julia Moriaty(IRL)/Alison Shemon(AUS)
f.b
Men’s doubles
Alessandro Bega(ITA)/Riccardo/Sinicropi(
Court 5 Women’s singles Kumiko Iijima(JPN) v Keren Shlomo(ISR) f.b Men’s singles Harrison Keyser(AUS) v Adam Lee Court 6 Anton Bettink v Ben Mitchell(AUS) f.b (5)Artem Sitak(RUS) v Richard Becker(GER) f.b Women’s doubles Isabella Holland(AUS)/Sally Peers(AUS) v Melanie South(GBR)/Monika Wejnert(AUS) f.b Yoko Nagai(JPN)/Michika Ozeki(JPN) v Jarmilla Groth(AUS)/Jade Hopper(AUS) f.b Men’s doubles Marvin Barker/Sebastian Lavie v James Duckworth(AUS)/Leon Frost(AUS) Court 10 Not before midday Eirini Georgatou(GRE)/Julia Glushko(ISR) v Amanda Fink(USA)/Gira Scholfield(USA).