Adam Walton and Kimberly Birrell will compete earlier than their dwelling followers on the Queensland Tennis Centre subsequent month after securing major draw wildcards.
Brisbane, Australia, 18 December 2024 | tennis.com.au
Queenslanders Adam Walton and Kimberly Birrell have been awarded wildcards for subsequent month’s Brisbane Worldwide.
Walton, who cracked the highest 100 in Might and later peaked at world No.86, will make his debut within the ATP occasion in his dwelling state, whereas Birrell, who reached her maiden WTA singles closing in Osaka in October, will return for the fifth time.
Walton stated he couldn’t wait to play in entrance of a house crowd on the Queensland Tennis Centre.
“It’s tremendous thrilling to get the possibility to play on the Brisbane Worldwide,” Walton stated. “This would be the first time I play on the event and to do it in entrance of a hometown crowd is extremely thrilling.
“Enjoying on the Brisbane Worldwide shall be nice expertise for me. There may be such an unbelievable line-up this yr, the services are wonderful, and I hope to make my household and pals proud. I can not wait to get out on court docket.”
Birrell was thrilled to be awarded a wildcard for her return to Tennyson, a spot she stated was all the time particular to begin her season.
“Rising up on the Gold Coast and spending hours on the courts coaching on the Queensland Tennis Centre makes the Brisbane Worldwide really feel like dwelling,” she stated.
“The event takes nice care of gamers, which is why so lots of the prime professionals return every year. I couldn’t consider a greater technique to begin my season than to check myself towards the very best gamers on this planet.
“I’m grateful for the chance to compete in entrance of my household and pals and keen to present it my all in entrance of the wonderful dwelling crowd.”
Walton will be part of 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic, defending champion Grigor Dimitrov (No.10), Holger Rune (No.13), Frances Tiafoe (No.18) and Matteo Berrettini (No.34) within the males’s major draw.
The ladies’s WTA 500 occasion is equally as spectacular with 4 top-10 gamers together with world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka, Jessica Pegula (No.7), Emma Navarro (No.8) and Daria Kasatkina (No.9).
The announcement additionally will increase the Australian main-draw contingent to 6.
Nick Kyrios, Alexei Popyrin, Jordan Thompson will be part of Walton within the males’s singles, whereas Birrell joins fellow wildcard Ajla Tomljanovic within the girls’s singles.
The Brisbane Worldwide runs from 29 December to five January on the Queensland Tennis Centre.
Qualifying motion begins on Friday 27 December, with the primary draw to begin on Sunday 29 December.
Tickets for the Brisbane Worldwide are on sale by means of Ticketmaster.
