World class tennis makes its approach again to Western Canada this week, because the Edmonton Nationwide Financial institution Challenger kicks off on the Royal Glenora Membership in Alberta.
The combined occasion options among the prime younger males’s and girls’s gamers throughout the nation.
16 spots are occupied by Canadians in the primary draw of the M25 occasion, whereas 10 Canucks are within the W35 discipline. It’s simply the second version of the Challenger in Edmonton.
Boulais returns to defend title, Draxl again in motion
It was at this level final season that Ohio State standout Justin Boulais captured the most important skilled singles title of his profession, successful the inaugural Edmonton Nationwide Financial institution Challenger in 2023.
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The highly effective left-hander loved a dream week in 2023, ousting prime seed Aziz Dougaz, toppling fellow Canuck Liam Draxl within the semi-finals, and rallying for an exciting three-set win over Britain’s Giles Hussey to say the championship.
The 22-year-old has since accomplished his collegiate profession at Ohio State and is seeking to make headway on the tour. In July, he completed runner-up in doubles on the Granby Challenger.
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Liam Draxl is again to compete and is the very best ranked Canadian within the discipline at world No. 259. The Newmarket native, who represented Canada on the Davis Cup again in February, has captured two ATP Challenger titles in doubles this 12 months, with wins in Little Rock and Dobrich, Bulgaria. He’s seeded second this week in Edmonton.
Tunisia’s Aziz Dougaz, ranked No. 227, can be returning to Alberta and is the highest seed.
Stacey Fung leads Canadian ladies
Canadian Stacey Fung headlines the sphere within the W35 event this week, and he or she arrives on the occasion in glorious type.
The 27-year-old captured her ninth profession ITF title and first of the season in September, successful the W35 in Santarem, Portugal. She’s presently ranked No. 276 and holds the second seed in Edmonton this week.
London native Kayla Cross is seeded third this week, and has loved a breakout 12 months in each singles and doubles. The 19-year-old gained her first professional singles title on the Saskatoon Challenger in August and has additionally picked up three ITF wins in double this season.
Canadians Ariana Arseneault and Mia Kupres are additionally within the singles discipline and teaming up in doubles. The pair memorably reached the quarter-finals of the Nationwide Financial institution Open in August, and gained back-to-back titles in Granby and Saskatoon.
That is the primary of two consecutive occasions in Alberta, with the Calgary Nationwide Financial institution Challenger on the schedule subsequent week.
Important draw motion will get underway Tuesday.
