We're off to the races in 2023 and into our second week of regulation Tennis. This is our last prep week before the first Major of the year, the Australian Open. This week the WTA and ATP are competing in the Adelaide International II, the WTA is also in Hobart, Tasmania, and the ATP is in Auckland, New Zealand, before most head to the AO in Melbourne next week. There were more than a few last-minute withdrawals for various reasons.
In the meantime enjoy some of the most adorable animals Down Under - including some who spend a great deal of their time in the air or also on two legs!👇
Adelaide International 2 WTA 500
Memorial Drive Tennis Centre
Adelaide, Australia
January 9 - 14, 2023
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| Memorial Drive Tennis Center |
Surface: hard
Draws: Singles 30, Doubles 16
This tournament is held in conjunction with an ATP 250 event.
2022 Champion: Madison Keys defeated Alison Riske-Amritraj
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| When people think of Australian animals, the kangaroo is definitely somewhere at the top of the list. Found all over Australia, they are actually the largest marsupials on the planet today. Kangaroos can reach heights ranging between 5 and 6 feet tall, and they can weigh up to 120 pounds. They use their powerful hind legs to hop and their tail to keep their balance. Not only do they travel fast, but they can leap up to 30 feet in one swift jump. [Bottom] A Tree Kangaroo and her Pal Joey. |
Although there were last-minute withdrawals by highly ranked players the tournament still has a strong draw.
Seeds (in order of seeding): Ons Jabeur, Caroline Garcia, Daria Kasatkina, Veronika Kudermetova, Belinda Bencic, Paula Badosa, Danielle Collins, Beatriz Haddad Maia
The top two seeds have first-round byes.
Other notables include: Barbora Krejcikova, Petra Kvitova, Elena Rybakina
Wildcards: Aussie players Jaimee Foulis, Storm Hunter (nee Storm Sanders), plus Victoria Azarenka and Garbine Muguruza
Protected ranking: Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova
Special exempt: Irina-Camelia Begu
Withdrawals: Madison Keys, Jessica Pegula, Iga Swiatek
Hobart International WTA 250
Hobart International Tennis Centre
Hobart, Australia
January 9 - 14, 2023
Surface: hard
Draws: Singles 32, Doubles 16
This is the 28th edition of the tournament. It was cancelled in 2021 and 2022 because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
2020 Champion: Elena Rybakina defeated Zhang Shuai
Seeds (in order of seeding: Marie Bouzkova, Elise Mertens, Alize Cornet, Sloane Stephens, Anhelina Kalinina, Bernarda Pera, Magda Linette, Yulia Putintseva
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| Flying Foxes are one of the most unique flying animals you'll find in Australia. Bats in Australia are scarily huge, in fact, the largest of these species can weigh up to one kilogram and have a wingspan of nearly 5 foot. They are otherwise known as flying foxes because they are so much larger than the average bat. They live in large colonies and are one of the smartest of all Australian animals. They may look blood-thirsty but thankfully they only feed on fruit, flowers, and nectar, sleeping in the day and hunting for food at dusk and during the night. |
Wildcards: Australian players Olivia Gadecki, Talia Gibson, plus Sofia Kenin and Sloane Stephens
Protected ranking: Jaqueline Cristian, Laura Siegemund, Patricia Maria Tig
Special exempt: Ysaline Bonaventure
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| A rare white fruit bat with serious sunburn recovering after being rescued by volunteers in south-east Queensland. The grey-headed flying fox has been named Tal'ngay Dha'run, which means 'white wing' in the local Yugambeh Indigenous dialect. The unique creature was among 300 other juvenile bats saved in a major rescue at Canungra in the Gold Coast hinterland |
Adelaide International 2 ATP 250
Memorial Drive Tennis Centre
Adelaide, Australia
January 9 - 14, 2023
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| Dingoes - One of the more well-known Australian animals, these wild dogs can be found throughout most of the country. Dingoes are medium in size, and usually weigh between 30 and 55 pounds. They can be sandy blond, reddish-brown, tan, black, or a combination of colors. Dingoes are known scavengers, but they regularly feed on rabbits, possums, rodents, lizards, and sometimes even kangaroos - the 'Dingoes Didn't Eat the Baby'! |
Surface: hard
Draws: Singles 28, Doubles 24
Defending champion: Thanasi Kokkinakis, defeated Arthur Rinderknech
Seeds (in order of seeding): Andrey Rublev, Pablo Carreno Busta, Karen Khachanov, Roberto Bautista Agut, Daniel Evans, Miomir Kecmanovic, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, Tommy Paul
The top four seeds have first-round byes.
Other notables include: Jack Draper, Sebastian Korda, Lorenzo Sonego
Wildcards: All Australian players: Thanasi Kokkinakis, Jason Kubler, Alexei Popyrin
Protected ranking: Kyle Edmund
Withdrawals: Nick Kyrgios, Lorenzo Musetti
ASB Classic ATP 250
ASB Tennis Centre
Auckland, New Zealand
January 9 - 14, 2023
Surface: hard
Draws: Singles 28, Doubles 16
This is the 45th edition of the tournament. It was cancelled in 2021 and 2022 because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
2020 champion: Ugo Humbert, defeated Benoit Paire
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| And our last, but not least, Down Under Animal is Roger's Favorite, which he certainly made as famous now as he is - Quokka! About 10,000 of these adorable, smiling marsupials live on Rottnest Island, a wonderful protected nature reserve located offshore from Perth, in Western Australia. The island got its name from Dutch explorer Willem de Vlamingh, after he named it ‘Rotte Nest’ (rats nest in Dutch), mistaking the ubiquitous small macropods (the kangaroo and wallaby family) as giant rats. |
Seeds (in order of seeding): Casper Ruud, Cameron Norrie, Diego Schwartzman, Francisco Cerundolo, Alexander Bublik, John Isner, Sebastian Baez, Adrian Mannarino
The top four seeds receive a first-round bye.
Wildcards: New Zealand player Kiranpal Pannu plus Ugo Humbert and Ben Shelton
Withdrawal: Holger Rune
Many people visit the island to try and get a famous “Quokka Selfie” of the marsupials said to the happiest animals on earth due to them always seem to be smiling. They have been described as the "world's happiest animal" and a photo of a Quokka snapping a selfie has proven why. The animal became instantly famous and popular after appearing in a selfie with the famous tennis player Roger Federer. Since then, people from all around the world have travelled to this island with the sole intention of catching a selfie with the cute marsupial.
Shirley's back! Shoutout to MCM Premiere Researcher and Tournament Content Provider - it's gonna' be a swell year, eh?👏👏👏
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