THERE will be a strong international flavour to this year’s William Loud Bendigo International Pro Tour tournaments.
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About 70 players are expected to compete in the event, with 22 different countries represented across the two week championships.
Only two Australian female players have entered the tournament, Monique Adamczak and Jessica Moore.
Bendigo Tennis Association executive officer Leon Retallick said the field for this year’s competition was one of the strongest in years.
“We have a big international field,” he said.
“There is a lot of Japanese, Chinese, European and even a couple of American players playing in Bendigo.”
Retallick said one of the players to watch was Noppawan Lertcheewakarn.
The Thai player was runner-up to winner Casey Dellacqua in last year’s tournament.
Retallick believes she could go one better in 2014.
“She is a very good prospect,” he said.
“She hits double-handed off both sides, which is a little different.
“She also won the junior Australian Open girls tournament a couple of years ago.”
The top ranked player for the Bendigo Festival of Tennis will be Japanese player Eri Hozumi.
Ranked 164 in the world, Hozumi has won three doubles titles this year.
Qualifying for the International tournament will begin on Sunday.
The Junior event will also kick-off on Saturday.
While the International Pro Tour AMT tournament will run between Wednesday and Friday.
The inagural Corporate Challenge will run on Friday.
About 15 teams have already entered that event.
The South Bendigo TC Masters Series tournament and the Bendigo Primary Schools Team Challenge is also on throughout the two week festival.
