Italian Camila Giorgi and Kazahkstan’s Zarina Diyas made quarterfinals in their Hobart International debuts in 2015. Both are back in 2016, targeting more success.
The talented Giorgi was the tournament’s No.3 seed in 2015 and will have a similar high seed in her return.
Giorgi won a career-first WTA title on grass in June last year and reached a career-high rank of No.30 in July. Consistency remains her biggest challenge though, only bettering her Hobart quarterfinal run in two events.
The Italian started her season in Brisbane, where she pushed world No.10 Angelique Kerber to three sets in the first round yesterday.
Similarly for Diyas, our second seed in 2015, inconsistent results are hindering her ranking climb.
Diyas’ ranking peaked at No.31 after her 2015 run at the Domain Tennis Centre, earning a Grand Slam seeding for the first time at the Australian Open. The 22-year-old reached the third round at Melbourne Park, where she was stopped by Maria Sharapova.
A fourth round appearance at Wimbledon, after upset wins over Flavia Pennetta and Andrea Petkovic, marked her first foray into the second week of a major. But just as the 2014 WTA Rising Star looked to fulfil her highly-touted potential, her confidence and form dipped.
Diyas won just one match in her final nine tournaments of the season, a disappointing end to a promising season. She is back on the winners list though – with a straight sets round one win to open her 2016 season in Shenzhen yesterday.
There is no denying the talent of either – and Hobart has a proud history of launching the careers of players such as Petra Kvitova and Garbine Muguruza. Could Giorgi or Diyas make a similar breakthrough here?
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