Gabriela Ruse (128th in the world ranking) entered the main draw of WTA Auckland, a WTA 250 competition, on Sunday.
After a tense three-set match that lasted two hours and 57 minutes, Rousse defeated Jules Niemeyer, the world No. 165 and the No. 7 seed to qualify, 6-0, 3-6, 6-3.
Gabriela, the second favorite to qualify, will beat Emma Redukana (298th place in the WTA ranking – wild card holder) in the first round of the tournament in Auckland.
In the 1st set, Gabi was able to win important points and get a bagel. Niemeyer then caught fire in the 2nd set and took it to the decider, which had to be moved indoors due to rain. Gabi completed it to qualify for Auckland. Gabriela Ruse defeated Jules Niemeyer 6-0, 3-6, 6-3. pic.twitter.com/aG8vr4iLSB
— Romanian Tennis (@WTARomania) December 31, 2023
The qualifiers have taken place in Auckland and Gabriela Ruse will face Emma Raducanu in R1! Not the match I was hoping for this early. uD83DuDE31 pic.twitter.com/dRiwtLiDbY
— Romanian Tennis (@WTARomania) December 31, 2023
Know:
- Niemeyer had a very successful 2022 season (quarters at Wimbledon and eighth at the US Open), but the German failed to impress again in 2023 and reached a WTA ranking of 165.
- Romania already had a representative at the main table in Auckland. Jacqueline Christian (89 WTA) will beat China’s Xia Wang (70 WTA) in the first round.
ASB Classic in Auckland (New Zealand) takes place from January 1 to 7 on hard. It has a total prize pool of $267,082 and is part of the “WTA 250”. The last champions are Serena Williams (2020) and Coco Gauff (2023).
Source: Hot News
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