A combined men’s & women’s international tennis event returns to Loughborough University
from Sunday 26 October to Sunday 2 November, with a host of international players converging on the East Midlands.
The Aegon GB Pro-Series Loughborough is a combined ITF Pro Circuit men’s $15k and women’s $10k event, and the venue has previously seen a number of high profile players in action, including a number of men now ranked inside the world’s top 100
The initial men’s list is headed up by current world number 229 Peter Torebko from Germany, who has already won 5 ITF pro circuit singles titles in 2014, including the outdoor clay at Newcastle in May.
The likeable Lithuanian, Laurynas Grigelis, is returning to Loughborough to defend the title he won in October last year. His three set defeat of Briton’s David Rice in 2013, formed the platform for three consecutive titles on British soil. 2014 has seen the Lithuanian number 2, primarily play ATP Challenger events, and besides representing his country in the Davis Cup last month, has also played in qualifying at the US Open, Wimbledon, and Roland Garros in 2014.
The tournament is also delighted to welcome back Italian Flavio Cipolla to the East Midlands, having played the ATP Challenger event at Loughborough in 2012. Since 2012, Cipolla went on to secure a place in the world’s top 100 (70), and beat Andy Roddick, whilst the American was still ranked in the top 10.
David Rice, Dan Cox, and Josh Milton are the leading British men on the initial list, whilst there is local interest with Nottingham teenager, Luke Bambridge (who lives in Plumtree, and was a member of the successful world title GB Junior Davis Cup winning team), and 20 year old Josh Ward-Hibbert, who won the Australian Open Junior Doubles title in 2012, and holds the record for the fastest serve recorded by a junior at Wimbledon.
In the women’s event, the leading entrants are still to be determined, but there will be much British interest led by 18 year old Harriet Dart, who is currently at a career high ranking of 606, and last week captured her first ITF Pro Singles title in Sharm El Sheikh.
Other up and coming British teenagers in action include 16 year old Gaby Taylor, who sensationally knocked out former world top 30 player Sofia Arvidsson, in the first round of Wimbledon Qualifying earlier this year, to gain her first pro world ranking, whilst 15 year old Freya Christie, from Nottingham returns to the venue she trained at in the earlier part of her career. 2 / 09/10/2014
Naomi Cavaday, who recently returned to competitive tennis after a three year break, will also be someone to watch out for. Cavaday, who reached a career high of 174 in 2010, made three consecutive Wimbledon main draw appearances between 2006 and 2008, including extending former world number 1 Venus Williams to a first set tie-break on centre court in 2008. The 25 year old from Kent, having now regained a world ranking is looking to use events such as Loughborough, as a springboard back up the rankings.
Richard Joyner, Tournament Director, says ‘This is my fifth year in Loughborough, and it’s great to be staging a combined event this year. There are a number of overseas players who are returning again, and it promises to be a great week’s tennis, which is all free of charge to watch’.
Men’s qualifying is Sunday 26 and Monday 27 October, with main draw Tuesday 28 October to Saturday 1 November, whilst women’s qualifying for the Aegon GB Pro-Series Loughborough is Monday 27 & Tuesday 28 October, with main draw Wednesday 29 October to Sunday 2 November.
The final’s week end has courtside seating, which is free of charge with Saturday 1 November seeing the men’s singles final, women’s singles semi-finals, and women’s doubles final, and Sunday 2 November the women’s singles final, with play starting at 11.00am
Entry for spectators is free of charge throughout the week
As well as coming along to watch, you can also follow the scores through live scoring on
www.lta.org.uk.
Whilst the updated entry list can be found at
Men http://www.itftennis.com/procircuit/tournaments/men's-tournament/info.aspx?tournamentid=1100033047
Women http://www.itftennis.com/procircuit/tournaments/women's-tournament/info.aspx?tournamentid=1100033095