Four Australians have received wildcards into the women’s qualifying singles event, which begins on Friday 31 December at the Queensland Tennis Centre.
Olivia Rogowska, Isabella Holland, Tammi Patterson and Jessica Moore all will have their chance to qualify for the main draw.
Rogowska defeated former world No.4 Jelena Dokic earlier this month to claim the Australian Open Wildcard Play-off and comes into qualifying in solid form.
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The four Australians will have to fight off 28 other hopefuls all vying for the remaining four main draw spots.
Belarusian Olga Govortsova leads the pack as the top seed. The former top 40 player was a first-round casualty in Brisbane last year but made it to the final of Ponte Vedra Beach. An upper respiratory infection along with a viral illness and knee tendonitis interrupted the 22 year old’s season.
Fellow seed Sorana Cirstea, No.5, is also coming back from an illness-interrupted 2010. The 20 year old who won the WTA title in Tashkent in 2008, suffered a bout of pneumonia that derailed her year.
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Currently ranked No.93 in the world, Cirstea will be hoping to regain the form that vaulted her into the world’s top 25 in August 2009.
Other seeded players include Monica Niculescu (No.2), Vania King (No.3), Shuai Zhang (No.4), Karolina Sprem (No.6), Ksenia Pervak (No.7) and Andrea Hlavackova (No.8).
Fans can watch the qualifying event at the Queensland Tennis Centre for free, gates open at 9:30 am with matches beginning at 10:00 am.