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Wallace v Fourlis in wildcard final

Paris, France, 21 May 2017 | Matt Trollope

Jaimee Fourlis is one win away from scoring a second straight Grand Slam wildcard after getting past an injured Arina Rodionova on Saturday at Roland Garros.

In the final of the French Open Women’s Wildcard Play-off Fourlis will take on Isabelle Wallace, who brushed aside No.2 seed Lizette Cabrera in straight sets.

Fourlis won the AO Wildcard Pay-off in December and is on the brink of reaching the main draw in Paris; she was leading Rodionova 6-2 4-0 before the top seed pulled out, citing a hamstring injury.

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Gavrilova’s Rome run ended by Bertens

Melbourne & Olympic Parks, Olympic Blvd, Melbourne VIC • 3001, Australia, 20 May 2017 | AAP

The power-hitting of Dutchwoman Kiki Bertens proved too much for Daria Gavrilova to handle in their Italian Open quarterfinal.

The world No.20 Bertens dismissed Gavrilova with a 6-3 6-3 victory, producing a barrage of heavy forehands that the Australian could not withstand.

Bertens broke Gavrilova twice in each set, attacking the world No.33’s second serve.

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Stosur takes late Strasbourg wildcard

Strasbourg, France, 20 May 2017 | tennis.com.au

Sam Stosur is a late wildcard entrant into the WTA Strasbourg tournament as she seeks claycourt preparation ahead of Roland Garros.

Stosur is a former champion (2015) at the red claycourt event, staged the week before the French Open.

The Queenslander is seeded sixth at this year’s edition and will open against China’s Duan Ying-ying.

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Fourlis, Cabrera open play-off with wins

Jaimee Fourlis and Lizette Cabrera advanced to the final four of the French Open Women's Wildcard Play-off with victories on Friday at Roland Garros.

Paris, France, 19 May 2017 | Matt Trollope

Australian youngsters Jaimee Fourlis and Lizette Cabrera moved a step closer to the main draw at Roland Garros after wins in the first round of the French Open Women’s Wildcard Play-off.

Playing on outer courts at Roland Garros on Friday, Fourlis stopped Priscilla Hon in a lengthy three-set battle while Cabrera subdued Storm Sanders in straight sets.

> view the draw

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Gavrilova continues thrilling Rome run

Rome, Italy, 19 May 2017 | Reuters

Daria Gavrilova has continued her fine claycourt form at the Italian Open with a three-set win over former French Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova to power into the quarterfinals.

The 23-year-old Australian, who had to qualify for this tournament after missing the cut-off date to register her entry for the main draw, prevailed over the world No.8 2-6 7-5 6-4.

World No 33 Gavrilova has beaten American Madison Keys, runner-up last year, and Frenchwoman Caroline Garcia this week on her way to booking her spot in the last eight.

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De Minaur awarded wildcard for Roland Garros

Alex De Minaur has been rewarded by Tennis Australia for his impressive progress through the tennis ranks with a wildcard for the French Open.

Melbourne VIC, Australia, 18 May 2017 | tennis.com.au

Rising star Alex De Minaur (NSW) has been rewarded for his impressive progress through the tennis ranks with a wildcard for the French Open, which gets underway at Stade Roland Garros next week.

De Minaur has joined his fellow Australians Nick Kyrgios (ACT), Bernard Tomic (Qld), Jordan Thompson (NSW), John Millman (Qld) and Thanasi Kokkinakis (SA) (both protected ranking) in the acceptance list for the second Grand Slam of the year.

It will be a second appearance in a Major for De Minaur, who is currently 230th in the ATP Tour Rankings. At the start of the year, the 18 year old made his grand slam debut at Australian Open 2017 after receiving a wild card. In the first round, he beat Gerald Melzer in five sets having saved a match point in the fourth set, before falling to American Sam Querrey in round two.

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Jeremy Jin to represent Australia at Longines Future Tennis Aces

Jeremy Jin is preparing to fly to France after being selected as the Australian representative for the 2017 Longines Future Tennis Aces tournament.

Melbourne VIC, Australia, 18 May 2017 | tennis.com.au

Twelve-year-old Jeremy Jin from Sydney is preparing to fly to France after being selected as the Australian representative for the 2017 Longines Future Tennis Aces tournament.

The Kogarah schoolboy will take on the best players of his age group from around the world in Paris from 1 to 3 June during the first week of the French Open, where Longines is the Official Timekeeper.

The winner of the tournament will be awarded an annual grant to support their tennis career and development until their 16th birthday.

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Gavrilova marches on in Rome

Melbourne & Olympic Parks, Olympic Blvd, Melbourne VIC • 3001, Australia, 18 May 2017 | AAP

Daria Gavrilova is through to the round of 16 of the Italian Open after beating French world No. 24 Caroline Garcia 7-5 3-6 6-3.

The world No.33 started strongly, breaking at the end of the first set. Garcia hit back in the second, but Gavrilova was able to take a decisive break in the decider.

Gavrilova will play Kuznetsova in the third round. It will be her sixth match at the tournament after she was forced to go through qualifying having forgotten to submit entry to the main draw.

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Aussie results daily update, 17 May 2017

Melbourne VIC, Australia, 17 May 2017 | tennis.com.au

Men 

Challenger 

Busan Open – Busan, Korea (Hard)
R32[Q] Raymond Sarmiento (USA)dMax Purcell (NSW)7-6(3) 1-6 6-3

 

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Gavrilova upsets Keys in Rome

Melbourne & Olympic Parks, Olympic Blvd, Melbourne VIC • 3001, Australia, 17 May 2017 | AAP

Daria Gavrilova has rallied from a set down to beat world No.13 Madison Keys in the first round at the Italian Open in Rome.

Gavrilova, who had to qualify to book her place in the clay court event after forgetting to enter the main draw, prevailed 2-6 7-5 7-5 against the American.

Keys, a beaten finalist in this tournament last year, missed the opening two matches of the season following wrist surgery, took the first set in comfortable fashion.

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Aussie results daily update, 16 May 2017

Melbourne VIC, Australia, 16 May 2017 | tennis.com.au

Men

ATP

Internazionali BNL d’italia – Rome, Italy (Clay)
R64[Q] Jan-Lennard Struff (GER)dBernard Tomic (Qld)6-7(8) 6-1 6-4

 Challenger

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Tennis Australia unveils athlete Wellbeing Program

Tennis Australia’s Wellbeing Program is being rolled out across the country in the coming weeks.

Melbourne VIC, Australia, 16 May 2017 | Tennis Australia

The emotional health of its young athletes is at the forefront of Tennis Australia’s Wellbeing Program, which will be rolled out across the country in the coming weeks.

The program, which has just been launched in NSW and Victoria and is expanding across Australia, aims to produce tennis players who embrace the sport’s opportunities and thrive on its challenges – both on and off the court.

The five pillars of the program are ‘learning’, ‘physical activity’, ‘connection’, ‘mindfulness’ and ‘giving’, with each player individually monitored to ensure that they maintain a healthy wellbeing range.

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Stosur, Tomic fall in Rome

Rome, Italy, 16 May 2017 | AAP

Sam Stosur has been sent out in the opening round of the Rome WTA tournament, losing to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

Earlier on Monday, Bernard Tomic faltered after a strong start to lose in the first round of the men’s event in the Italian capital.

It is the second time in three years that Stosur has fallen to the Russian at this stage in Rome.

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Molik makes Jack’s day in Casino

Jack McLean enjoyed a day he will never forget when Alicia Molik visited his school.

Casino NSW 2470, Australia, 15 May 2017 | tennis.com.au

Jack McLean enjoyed a day he will never forget when ANZ Tennis Hot Shots ambassador Alicia Molik visited his school in Casino, NSW.

As part of the prize for being named the 2016 ANZ Tennis Hot Shot of the Year, Jack and his classmates at Casino Public School welcomed Molik to their assembly, before the eight-year-old and some of his best friends enjoyed a private lesson with Australia’s Fed Cup captain at Casino Tennis Club.

Jack was thrilled to introduce Alicia Molik to his peers and tennis friends.

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Rome: Aussies handed tough draws

Sam Stosur, Nick Kyrgios and Daria Gavrilova have all landed in brutal sections of the draw at Rome's Internazionali BNL d'Italia.

Rome, Italy, 15 May 2017 | tennis.com.au

Sam Stosur has received a horror draw in Rome as the claycourt season continues this week in the Italian capital in the build-up to Roland Garros.

And the news wasn’t so good for fellow Australians Nick Kyrgios and Dara Gavrilova, the latter drawing 10th seed and last year’s Rome finalist Madison Keys in round one.

Bernard Tomic has fared best; the 24-year-old will meet qualifier Jan-Lennard Struff.

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