Tennis Update: Sacha Jones gets wildcard at 2011 ASB Classic
New Zealand number one Sacha Jones was awarded the first wildcard into the Auckland event today. At Auckland, New Zealand the 2011 ASB Classic is to be held in the first week of January and is part of the regular WTA season.
Jones had an unlucky 2010 as compared to a significant 2009. Although, she was set to appear at the 2010 ASB Classic but had to pull out of the event due to an abdominal injury. She also qualified for the US$220,000 WTA event at Pattaya, though she was ousted
in the first round.
Jones is excited about getting the wildcard at the event and ready to hit the courts in 2011, hopeful for a better run than 2010. She said, "I'm feeling really good actually, which is nice after having eight months of injury this year; it's such a great
feeling to be out there and injury-free."
Although, she played at no other event in the regular season but managed to make an impact at the Challenger events. She played in about a dozen Challenger events during 2010.
She secured two wins at the US$25,000 Challenger, winning at Alice Springs in September and at Esperance in November. She was also a runner up at the Traralgon event, a semi finalist at the Bendigo event and a quarter-finalist at the Cairns event.
Jones won her first ITF senior title, winning the US$10,000 event at Brownsville. She finished as a semi-finalist at the US$50,000 Grapevine tournament. She won four US$25,000 Challenger events, winning three in Australia and one in the United States.
Talking about the wild card entrant, tournament director Richard Palmer said, “Sacha has always had promise and talent and it was unfortunate she was unable to play in the 2010 ASB Classic as a result of injury. She has come back and earned her place in
the main draw with some solid results in Challenger events. She will have plenty of hometown support in what is an exceptional ASB Classic field.”
Jones finished 2010 with a career high ranking of 157, and showing much strength and improvement hopes to go only up in 2011.
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