Ajla Tomljanovic’s first trophy since 2023 has delivered a big rankings boost, while Talia Gibson has landed a third straight Pro Tour title.
Melbourne, 7 October 2024 | Jackson Mansell
Ajla Tomljanovic has surged back into the top 100 after claiming her first title of the season at the Hong Kong WTA 125 event.
In a stacked field that included the likes of world No.8 Emma Navarro, the unseeded Tomljanovic came from a set down to defeat sixth seed Clara Tauson 4-6 6-4 6-4 to win her first tournament in 11 months.
It was her third straight top 100 victim of the tournament after she earlier beat Mccartney Kessler and Anna Blinkova back-to-back to reach the final.
The 31-year-old last won a title at the WTA 125 Brasil Tennis Cup in Florianopolis last November.
Tomljanovic has climbed 21 places to world No.86 in the latest rankings, three places behind top-ranked Australian Olivia Gadecki.
The former world No.32 has returned to the top 100 for the first time since August 2023.
Talia Gibson has scored her third consecutive #AustralianProTour title this week in Cairns 🏆🏆🏆#GoAussieshttps://t.co/rmBoXYfFG8
— TennisAustralia (@TennisAustralia) October 7, 2024
This week’s most outstanding performers include…
Talia Gibson: The 20-year-old extended her unbeaten streak to 14 matches after she beat Lizette Cabrera for her third straight Pro Tour title at the Cairns W35 event. It was the red-hot Gibson’s eighth ITF title since April 2022 from 15 finals.
> READ MORE: Gibson completes Pro Tour three-peat
Lizette Cabrera: The 26-year-old reached her second straight Cairns ITF final, following last year’s W25 defeat to Destanee Aiava, at the upgraded W35 event. Cabrera fell short of her eighth ITF title in the final against Gibson after she downed second-seeded compatriot Maddison Inglis.
Blake Ellis: The 25-year-old made his third ITF final this season at the Cairns M25 event where he succumbed to Japan’s Rio Noguchi. It was Ellis’ sixth career singles final at M25 level since 2022, while he also finished runner-up in the doubles with Joshua Charlton.
> READ MORE: Jones siblings make history in qualifying for ITF junior finals
Edward Winter: A ninth win from his past 13 matches lifted the 20-year-old into his first ITF semifinal since Changwon, South Korea in June at the Cairns M25 event. It was Winter’s fourth straight ITF quarterfinal or better before he fell to eventual champion Noguchi.
Maddison Inglis: A semifinal at the Cairns W35 event marked the 26-year-old’s third straight after she reached the final and semifinal back-to-back at Perth’s two Pro Tour events.
Ava Beck: The 16-year-old old collected her biggest junior title at the J200 event in Miki City, Japan with victory over Thailand’s Kamonwan Yodpetch. It follows J100 tournament wins in Canberra and Mornington.
Luke Saville and Tristan Schoolkate: A second straight ATP Challenger title together improved the pair’s record to 25-3 since the start of 2023. It comes in addition to three ITF titles together.
Alana Parnaby and Petra Hule: After falling in the Cairns final two years ago, the duo captured their first ITF title together at the W35 tournament. The win marked Parnaby’s second doubles title this season, while it was Hule’s third.
Matt Hulme: The 25-year-old and New Zealander James Watt picked up their second ITF title this season after they upset top seeds Charlton and Ellis for the Cairns M25 doubles trophy. The win atoned for successive final defeats at ITF events in Darwin leading in.
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