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Name it one other studying expertise for a handful of Canadian ladies taking to the courtroom within the early a part of the 2023 Calgary Nationwide Financial institution Challenger.
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However that’s the purpose of the ITF Girls’s Professional Circuit and one massive purpose why massive tennis occasions are being hosted in Canada …
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To assist get rising Canucks with their resumés, it doesn’t matter what their outcomes could also be.
“It’s a Canadian occasion, so there ought to be a number of Canadians right here,” stated tennis legend Daniel Nestor, The Challenger’s honorary chairman. “And these are occasions the place our gamers can — hopefully — construct their rankings and attempt to get into the upper ranges.”
‘Strive’ being the important thing phrase.
Simply because they’re taking part in on dwelling soil doesn’t imply they’ll come away victorious.
Take Tuesday, for example, on the week-long $60,000 ITF portion of The Challenger on the OSTEN & VICTOR Alberta Tennis Centre.
Three younger Canadian ladies — Edmonton’s Martyna Ostrzygalo, Ontario’s Layne Sleeth and Ontario’s Isabelle Boulais — competing in singles motion have been unable to tug out victories.
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That adopted Monday’s elimination in qualifying motion of Regina’s Teah Chavez and Toronto’s Ellie Daniels and Sunday’s early exits — additionally in qualifying — of Ontario’s Ana Grubor (retired), Toronto’s Louise Kwong (loss) and Ontario’s Scarlett Nicholson (loss).
Nonetheless, one Canadian — Stacey Fung — was in a position to choose up the win Tuesday in a 6-4, 6-1 win over France’s Caroline Romeo.
“I’m simply coming off some coaching at dwelling, so probably not within the swing of match match play and acquired on the market slightly jittery,” stated Fung of falling behind 3-1 earlier than roaring again to take 12 of the following 14 video games. “However I used to be in a position to get my ft going and discover the ball and discover the vary and was in a position to flip it round. Glad it labored out in the long run.”
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The Vancouver product made her WTA debut two months in the past on the Guadalajara Open in Mexico, and he or she’s ranked 250th on tour. Earlier than that, Fung reached the singles semifinals and the doubles finals on the ITF occasion in Saskatoon, so she’s acquired sport.
At 26, Fung — the No. 5 seed within the match — is barely older than her compatriots.
“I’ve met a couple of of the youthful Canadians right here this week,” Fung stated. “There’s a ton of women in Vancouver that clearly are youthful — 16 and 17 — they usually like to ask me about my time on the College of Washington — the place I performed collegiate tennis — and my time on tour, so I attempt to assist them as a lot as I can.”
One other older Canadian among the many ladies right here is Toronto’s Katherine Sebov. The 24-year-old is ranked 257th and is the highest seed at The Challenger.
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“Katherine’s made a reputation for herself, particularly within the final 12 months,” stated Nestor of the 141st ranked participant on the WTA Tour. “She’s at an all-time excessive — she’s the highest seed right here. She certified for one of many grand slams. She’s taking part in very strong.”
In any other case, it’s a youthful group of Canadian ladies competing this 12 months’s ITF play of The Challenger.
Sebov, Fung and Toronto’s Cadence Brace — 18 and ranked 499th — earned slots within the ladies’s primary draw on the ATC.
“Sebov is the large title right here for Canadian ladies’s tennis,” Nestor stated. “So she’s one of many top-five feminine gamers now we have in Canada.”
One of many nation’s high junior gamers is right here, too, in Ontario’s Kayla Cross.
The 18-year-old WTA-ranked three hundredth participant gained the doubles title final week in Edmonton and was within the semifinals of the Challenger in Toronto earlier this 12 months.
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“Kayla is at present among the finest juniors on the earth and has been taking part in very effectively in doubles of late,” stated Nestor of Cross, who joins Calgary’s personal Alexia Jacobs, 22-year-old Sleeth — ranked No. 467 — and 18-year-old Ostrzygalo — ranked No. 842 — as wildcard entries to the primary bracket.
“Alexia’s acquired an enormous sport, particularly in altitude right here,” stated Nestor of Jacobs, the 18-year-old freshman with the NCAA’s Washington Huskies. “If she’s in the correct mindset, she might do effectively and win some matches right here. She is aware of the situations right here, having grown up right here, and the explanation why she performs the best way she does might be due to having grown up on this setting. It will be good to see her win some matches and are available by way of the draw.”
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“Layne’s fairly enjoyable to look at,” stated Nestor, of the NCAA Oklahoma Sooners graduate. “She strikes unbelievably. If you wish to watch the right way to transfer in tennis, she could be probably the most preferrred.”
Additionally contemporary out of the school ranks is 23-year-old Boulais.
The NCAA Ohio State Buckeyes expertise is ranked 682nd on the WTA however is drawing loads of reward from gurus reminiscent of The Challenger’s honorary chairman, identical to her brother, Justin, who Sunday claimed the boys’s singles title on the Edmonton Nationwide Financial institution Challenger.
“She acquired a pleasant sport, too,” confirmed Nestor of Boulais.
“Then, there’s Teah Chavez — she’s new to Ohio State, and he or she’s enjoyable to look at,” stated Nestor of the 1,179th-ranked teenager. “She’s acquired actually good vitality. You may nearly assure her matches are going to go nearly three hours lengthy. She’s a very good competitor.”
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Chavez and Boulais joined Nicholson and Daniels because the wildcards for the qualifying spherical.
“Ellie is one other promising junior,” added Nestor, of the 17-year-old ranked 1,024th within the WTA. “She’s acquired an enormous sport. She’s a robust woman and hits the ball exhausting. And these situations are appropriate for gamers with that sort of mindset.”
SERVICE ACES
Ostrzygalo misplaced to Nice Britain’s Eden Silva 6-2, 6-0 … Boulais misplaced to Nice Britain’s Sarah Beth Gray 7-6(1), 6-1 … And Sleeth misplaced to Russia’s Kira Pavlova 6-4, 6-4 … Additionally on Tuesday’s card was an all-Canadian doubles’ match between Chavez/Jacobs and Nicholson/Ostrzygalo … Wednesday’s Day 4 begins with matches at 10 a.m.
tsaelhof@postmedia.com
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