PREVIEW NOTES: SYDNEY INTERNATIONAL SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA | JANUARY 7 - 12, 2019 | USD $823,000
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SYDNEY QUICK FACTS Main draw dates: Monday - Saturday, January 7 - 12 Singles Final: Saturday, January 12, NB 5:00pm Doubles Final: Friday, January 11, TBC Venue: Sydney Olympic Park Tennis Centre Status: Premier event Staging: Tournament’s 42nd year (as a WTA event) Draw sizes: 30 singles / 16 doubles teams / 24 singles qualifying Surface: Hardcourt (pelxicushion) / Outdoors Total prize money: USD $823,000 Tennis Ball: Dunlop Australian Open 2018 Singles Final: Angelique Kerber (GER) d. Ashleigh Barty (AUS) 6-4 6-4 2018 Doubles Final: [3] Gabriela Dabrowski/Xu Yifan (CAN/CHN) d. [1] Latisha Chan/Andrea Sestini Hlavackova (TPE/CZE) 6-3 6-1
PRIZE MONEY AND RANKING POINT BREAKDOWN RANK RANK SINGLES USD $ DOUBLES USD $ POINTS POINTS Winner 141,875 470 Winner 42,850 470 Runner-Up 75,570 305 Runner-Up 22,900 305 Semifinalist 40,322 185 Semifinalist 12,510 185 Quarterfinalist 21,660 100 Quarterfinalist 6,365 100 Round of 16 11,620 55 Round of 16 3,460 1 Round of 32 6,345 1
PREVIOUS CHAMPIONS AND RUNNERS-UP YEAR CHAMPION RUNNER-UP 2018 Angelique Kerber Ashleigh Barty 2017 Johanna Konta* Agnieszka Radwanska 2016 Svetlana Kuznetsova Monica Puig* 2015 Petra Kvitova Karolina Pliskova 2014 Tsvetana Pironkova Angelique Kerber 2013 Agnieszka Radwanska Dominika Cibulkova 2012 Victoria Azarenka Na Li 2011 Na Li Kim Clijsters If highlighted denotes competing in 2019 Sydney International main draw *In qualifying draw
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MAIN DRAW QUICK HITS (excludes qualifiers) Singles wildcards: Daria Gavrilova (AUS), Petra Kvitova (CZE), Samantha Stosur (AUS), Ajla Tomljanovic (AUS) Youngest singles player: Aryna Sabalenka, 20 years old (May 5, 1998) Oldest singles player: Samantha Stosur, 34 years old (March 30, 1984) Withdrawals: Naomi Osaka Main draw debutantes: Hsieh Su-Wei (TPE), Anett Kontaveit (EST), Elise Mertens (BEL), Aryna Sabalenka (BLR)
TOURNAMENT TALKING POINTS World No.1 Simona Halep is one of several big names who will begin their 2019 campaign at the Sydney International Last year’s champion, Angelique Kerber, returns as No.2 seed and after a first-round bye will get her WTA season underway against either Camila Giorgi or Australian wildcard Ajla Tomljanovic Kerber’s victim in last year’s final, Ashleigh Barty, is also in the field. The Australian, like Kerber was in Hopman Cup action last week and faces Jelena Ostapenko in the opening round, with the winner going on to meet Halep Five other former finalists are in either the main or qualifying draws for the 42nd edition of the WTA tournament here: Dominika Cibulkova (2013 runner-up), Petra Kvitova (2015 champion), Karolina Pliskova (2015 runner-up), Monica Puig (2016 runner-up) and Johanna Konta (2017 champion) Kerber’s and Halep’s player boxes will have an unusual look about them in Sydney. In the off-season, Kerber hired a new coach in the form of former Australian Open finalist Rainer Schuttler, while Halep’s long-time coach Darren Cahill is taking a 12-month break from the sport to spend more time with his family Stat to watch – Kiki Bertens will reach 600 career matches (at all levels) should she reach the second round
TOP FOUR SEEDS’ PREVIOUS TOURNAMENT HISTORY PLAYER TOURNAMENT HISTORY WIN-LOSS WIN % [1] Simona Halep (ROU) SF (1): 2016 (l. Kuznetsova) 2-2 .500 1r (1): 2014 (l. Keys) [2] Angelique Kerber (GER) WON (1): 2018 (d. Barty in F) 15-5 .750 R-Up (1): 2014 (l. Pironkova) SF (2): 2013 (l. Cibulkova), 2015 (l. Ka.Pliskova) 2r (2): 2016 (W/O), 2017 (l. Kasatkina) 1r (1): 2009 (l. Kanepi) [4] Sloane Stephens (USA) 1r (1): 2018 (l. Giorgi) 0-1 .000 [5/WC] Petra Kvitova (CZE) Won (1): 2015 (d. Ka.Pliskova in F) 9-4 .692 SF (2): 2012 (l. Li), 2014 (l. Pironkova) 2r (1): 2018 (l. Giorgi) 1r (1): 2013 (l. Cibulkova)
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COUNTRY BREAKDOWN
Excluding qualifiers, a total of 17 countries are represented in the main draw, led by Australia with three players:
Australia (3) Ashleigh Barty, Daria Gavrilova, Samantha Stosur Belarus (1) Aryna Sabalenka Belgium (1) Elise Mertens Chinese Taipei (1) Hsieh Su-Wei Czech Republic (2) Petra Kvitova, Karolina Pliskova Estonia (1) Anett Kontaveit Germany (1) Angelique Kerber Italy (1) Camila Giorgi Latvia (2) Jelena Ostapenko, Anastasija Sevastova Netherlands (1) Kiki Bertens Romania (1) Simona Halep Russia (1) Daria Kasatkina Slovakia (1) Dominika Cibulkova Spain (2) Garbiñe Muguruza, Carla Suárez Navarro Switzerland (1) Timea Bacsinszky Ukraine (1) Lesia Tsurenko United States (1) Sloane Stephens
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