Australian Arina Rodionova won her 16th career ITF singles title this week. It is her seventh of a career-best season.
Australia , 3 December 2023 | Leigh Rogers
From wedding celebrations to title-winning efforts, it has been another big week in Australian tennis.
James Duckworth and John-Patrick Smith both got married in Queensland over the weekend, with many top-ranked Aussie players in attendance at their respective ceremonies.
Meanwhile, other Australian players were busy making memories on court.
Perth talent Talia Gibson won the biggest singles title of her young career at an Australian Pro Tour event on the Gold Coast, while fellow Aussie teens Roisin Gilheany and Maya Joint secured maiden pro-level titles in doubles.
Thomas Fancutt had a week to remember too, with the Gold Coast local winning an ITF 25 doubles title in his hometown.
Arina Rodionova’s red-hot form continued in Slovakia, with the in-form Aussie defeating former world No.10 Kristina Mladenovic to claim her seventh ITF singles title of the season. This improves Rodionova’s impressive 2023 record to 78 victories from 104 matches.
This week’s most outstanding performers include:
Calum Puttergill: The 30-year-old was a doubles finalist at an ATP Challenger tournament in Yokkaichi (Japan) with Chinese Taipei’s Ho Ray. It was Puttergill’s fifth doubles final appearance for the season and his second in the past fortnight.
Marc Polmans: The 26-year-old progressed to the singles semifinals at the ATP Challenger in Yokkaichi. Polmans has won 10 of his past 15 matches in a strong finish to the season.
Li Tu: The 27-year-old made the singles quarterfinals at the ATP Challenger in Yokkaichi. Tu has won seven of his past 10 matches and advanced to the three singles quarterfinals at ATP Challenger level in the past three weeks.
Arina Rodionova: The 33-year-old won five consecutive three-set battles, and saved five match points in the semifinals, to be crowned the singles champion at an ITF 60 tournament in Trnava (Slovakia). This was Rodionova’s 10th final appearance of the season and the second time this year she has claimed back-to-back ITF singles titles.
Talia Gibson: The 19-year-old won her fourth career singles title – and first at ITF 60 level – at an Australian Pro Tour event on the Gold Coast. Gibson secured her biggest title with a first top-150 win, against compatriot Olivia Gadecki, in the final.
> READ: Gibson crowned champion at Gold Coast Tennis International
Olivia Gadecki: The 21-year-old was a singles finalist at the ITF 60 tournament on the Gold Coast. This was Gadecki’s sixth ITF singles final appearance of the season.
Roisin Gilheany and Maya Joint: The Aussie teens combined to win an ITF 60 women’s doubles title on the Gold Coast. This is a first pro title for 18-year-old Gilheany and 17-year-old Joint.
Melisa Ercan and Alicia Smith: The Aussie duo finished runners-up in the ITF 60 women’s doubles event on the Gold Coast. This was 18-year-old Ercan’s first ITF doubles final appearance and 27-year-old Smith’s 12th (but first at ITF 60 level).
Matthew Dellavedova: The 23-year-old was a singles finalist at an ITF 25 tournament on the Gold Coast. This was the third and biggest singles final of Dellavedova’s career.
Thomas Fancutt: The 28-year-old teamed with New Zealand’s Ajeet Rai to win the doubles title at the ITF 25 tournament on the Gold Coast, as well as advance to the singles semifinals. This is Fancutt’s fifth ITF doubles title of the season.
Blake Bayldon and Kody Pearson: The Aussie pair finished runners-up in the ITF 25 doubles event on the Gold Coast. This was 24-year-old Bayldon’s seventh ITF doubles final of the season and 24-year-old Pearson’s fourth.
Hayden Jones: The 17-year-old wildcard impressed at his hometown ITF 25 tournament on the Gold Coast, advancing to his first pro-level singles quarterfinal.
Find your way to play: Visit play.tennis.com.au to get out on court and have some fun!
