The upcoming edition of Hobart International is set to feature its strongest qualifying field in recent years. Eugenie Bouchard, Mona Barthel, and Heather Watson will be hoping to make it to the main draw.
The qualifying rounds of the 2019 WTA Hobart International will be played on January 5 and January 6, at the Hobart International Tennis Centre. Being one of the first tournaments of the season, players will be hoping to start their campaign on a winning note.
Despite being a WTA International event, the quality of players is quite phenomenal and fans can expect high-octane action in Hobart.
Former World No. 5 Eugenie Bouchard will be making her third appearance at the tournament in the last four years. The 2014 Wimbledon runner-up, who is currently ranked as the World No. 87, has had a rather disappointing spell over the last couple of seasons.
Nonetheless, the Canadian is more than capable of putting up a good fight and going the distance. Her success rate at Hobart isn’t that impressive although; she was the finalist in 2016 when she lost to Alize Cornet.
Similarly, Heather Watson will also be hoping to turn her fortunes around in Hobart. The British No. 2 won the tournament back in 2015 and since then, she has won only one other title. That win came at the WTA Monterrey in 2016.
She ended her 2018 season with a win-loss of 25-27 and ended the year as the World No. 46. At Hobart in 2018, she made it to the semifinal as a qualifier and will be hoping to better that performance this time around.
Another player who fits a similar profile is the German Mona Barthel. She is the 2012 champion – a feat she achieved as a qualifier and thus became the only player to do so in the tournament’s history.
In addition to these players, previous runners-up such as Madison Brengle and Monica Niculescu will participate in the qualifying contest at Hobart. The mix will also feature two rising stars – Taylor Townsend and Anastasia Potapova.
Fans can attend these qualifying rounds for free of cost and enjoy some high-quality tennis. As for the main draw of the tournament, it features a star-studded field including Belinda Bencic, the 2016 champion Alize Cornet, and the World No. 24 Mihaela Buzarnescu.
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