World-class tennis continues in Britain as the Aegon GB Pro-Series comes to Loughborough on September 22nd with entry completely free for spectators.
A very strong international draw lines up at the Loughborough University Tennis Centre, for the $25k women’s tournament, with 7 world top 200 players while the leading British hope comes in the form of Samantha Murray and Tara Moore.
Murray has been in the form of her life in the past two months making consecutive $25k finals, narrowly going out in the quarters of a $100k event in three sets to former world no.4 Kimiko Date-Krumm and making the semis of a $50k – smashing the world top 200 to reach 167th.
Similarly, 21-year-old Moore has had an excellent 2013 in which she has won three singles titles, in Glasgow, Preston and a $25k tournament in Surprise, Arizona to also break the top 200 barrier this year. She also won the the $10k event in Loughborough in 2011.
But they will need to come through against a number of other former world top 100 players with Grand Slam experience in Valeria Savinykh, France’s Julie Coin and Renata Voracova – the defending champion.
The highest ranked player is Turkish number 1 Cagla Buyukakcay (138), whilst Anna-Lena Friedsam (Germany), and Pemra Ozgen (Turkish number 2) have already won $25k titles in Britain this year.
Richard Joyner, Tournament Director, said: "It is a fantastic line-up for the Aegon GB Pro-Series with some serious experience at the top level of tennis battling it out for the title. From a local perspective it’s great to see 17 year old Katie Boulter receive a main draw wild card. Katie, from nearby Woodhouse is currently making the transition from junior to pro’s having gained her first pro ranking earlier this summer. She has just returned from reaching the last 16 of the US Open Juniors, and I’m sure will be looking forward to competing at this prestigious event on home turf’
‘The Women’s Singles final is scheduled for 2.00pm on Saturday 28 September, with the Tennis Leicestershire Junior Awards being held on court after the final. There is courtside seating for the final with over 400 spectators watching the 2012 final. With entry completely free for spectators, what better way to watch some of the world’s best tennis players and cheer on the British hopefuls?
The qualifying draw takes place on September 22nd and 23rd with the main draw running from the 24th to the 28th
.