South Africa’s top-ranked player, Isabella Kruger, will lead a five-member local contingent when they face international competitors from around the world at the second successive ITF World Tennis Tour W50 tournament, starting in Pretoria on Tuesday, 26 February, 2024.
Kruger, who reached the quarterfinals of the Wiphold International in Pretoria last week, will meet Adithya Karunaratne of Hong Kong in the first round on Tuesday, it was confirmed at the draw for the lucrative tournament held on Monday.
Among the other SA players, all given wildcard entries, Zoë Kruger plays No 6 seed Manon Leonard of France, while 18-year-old Hailey Robyn Troup faces a stiff challenge in her opening match against No 2 seed Gabriela Knutson of the Czech Republic.
Photo: Barco Greeff
Photo: Barco Greeff
Aiming to gain valuable experience, 18-year-old Lilitha Ndungane, who reached the second round at the W50 tournament last week, meets Ekaterina Shalimova of Russia, and Marilouise van Zyl turns out against Amanada Elkin Nava of Mexico, who progressed to this week’s main draw through the qualifying rounds.
Among the foreign players in the main draw, all eyes will be on Israeli star Lina Glushko, the unseeded international who upset the form book to win both the singles and doubles titles last week. Glushko will play Rina Saigo of Japan in the first round on Tuesday.
Top seed Laura Pigossi of Brazil will face Russian player Anastasia Kovaleva for a place in the second round.
Women’s Singles Round of 32 at the Wiphold International WTA W50 World Tennis Tour on Tuesday, 27 February, 2024
At 10:00
Alina Charaeva (RUS) vs. Ekaterina Reyngold (RUS)
Lilitha Sithenkosi Ndungane (RSA) vs. Ekaterina Shalimova (RUS)
Isabella Kruger (RSA) vs. Adithya Karunaratne (HKG)
Laura Pigossi (BRA) [1] vs. Anastasia Kovaleva (RUS)
Isabella Shinikova (BUL) [4] vs. Nahia Berechoechea (FRA)
Alexandra Osborne (AUS) vs. Paris Corley (USA)
Not before 11:30
Lina Glushko (ISR) vs. Rina Saigo (JPN)
Polina Iatcenko (RUS) [7] vs. Kaylah McPhee (AUS)
Zoë Kruger (RSA) vs. Manon Leonard (FRA) [6]
Jaeda Daniel (USA) vs. Sofia Costoulas (BEL) [5]
Clervie Ngounoue (USA) vs. Yiming Dang (CHN)
Not before 13h00
Hanne Vandewinkel (BEL) [8] vs. Savanna Ly-Nguyen (VIE)
Yukina Saigo (JPN) vs. Xiaodi You (CHN) [3]
Marilouise van Zyl (RSA) vs. Amanda Carolina Nava Elkin (MEX)
Hailey Robyn Troup (RSA) vs. Gabriela Knutson (CZE) [2]
Alyssa Reguer (FRA) vs. Amelia Waligora (BEL)
Original Copy: Tennis SA, with editing by gsport
Main Photo caption: South Africa’s Zoë Kruger in action during week 1 of the Wiphold International, an ITF women’s $40,000 event held at TuksTennis, University of Pretoria. Photo: Barco Greeff
Photo 2 caption: South Africa’s top-ranked player, Isabella Kruger in action at the Wiphold International in Pretoria. Photo: Barco Greeff
Photo 3 caption: 18-year-old South African Lilitha Ndungane in action during week 1 at TuksTennis. Photo: Barco Greeff
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