Nottingham’s international summer of sport, continues with women’s international tennis on the outdoor courts at The Nottingham Tennis Centre, from Sunday 3 August to Saturday 9 August, with free entry to spectators.
The Aegon GB Pro-Series Nottingham is an ITF Pro Circuit women’s $10k event, which has seen a number of players since move on to the higher echelons of the game. All the world’s top players sharpened their professional careers at this level, and this year’s line-up sees a good blend of British and overseas players.
The 2013 event saw an all Japanese final, with top seed Miyabi Inoue beating compatriot Yuka Higuchi, and 2014 sees a large Japanese contingent with seven players in the main draw, with the highest ranked entry being 27 year old Mari Tanaka, from Tokyo.
There is much local interest with Katie Boulter, from Loughborough, currently at a career high ranking of 491, in action on the courts where she trained in her formative years. Boulter, who celebrates her 18th
birthday two days before the event starts, is coached by former British number 1 Jeremy Bates, and has climbed nearly 300 places since the start of the year. Currently making the transition from the junior to the pro game, January saw the Loughborough teenager reach the final of the Australian Open junior doubles, and climb into the top 10 of the junior world rankings, whilst this year on the professional circuit she made her debut at Wimbledon Qualifying, and in May won her maiden Pro Singles title in Sharm El Sheikh (Egypt).
16 year old Freya Christie, from Hucknall, is also scheduled to appear at Nottingham Tennis Centre.
Christie, who is based at the Centre, where she started playing, age 5, is currently combining competing on the ITF Junior and Pro Circuits. In the juniors, she made her debut at Wimbledon this year, and last week won the European Junior Championships doubles title with Emily Arbuthnott, who is also scheduled to appear at Nottingham. Whilst in the professional game Christie is at a current career high ranking, and also played in the qualifying event for The Wimbledon Championships in June.