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The WTA tour moves to the picturesque island of Tasmania for the 29th edition of Hobart International, a WTA 250 event scheduled to be held between January 8-13 at the namesake facility.
The top names in the women’s game include former champions Sofia Kenin and Elise Mertens, who have already arrived in the Tasmanian capital city ahead of the tournament.
The duo will lead the field in the absence of defending champion Lauren Davis, who is out with an injury. Others looking to make an impact at this year’s tournament include Marie Bouzkova, Emma Navarro, Wang Xinyu, Alize Cornet and Zhu Lin.
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The players will be keen on getting a few wins under their belt heading into the season’s first Grand Slam — the Australian Open.
What is Hobart International?
A regular feature of the Australian Open series for years, Hobart International is a WTA 250 event that is played in Hobart, Tasmania, as one of the first tournaments of the tennis season. The first edition of the tournament was held in 1994.
Lauren Davis lifted the trophy at the last edition, getting past Elisabetta Cocciaretto in the final. Other former champions include Petra Kvitova, Elena Rybakina, Elise Mertens, Garbine Muguruza and Sofia Kenin.
Venue
The tournament will be played on hardcourts at the Hobart International Tennis Center in the namesake city in Tasmania.
Schedule
The qualification round matches for the WTA 250 event will start on Saturday (January 6), with the main draw starting on Monday, January 8. The summit clash will be held on January 13.
Players
Top seed Elise Mertens will lead the charge at this year’s tournament in the absence of defending champion Lauren Davis. The Belgian will be looking to reset after an early exit at her first tournament of the season in Brisbane.
Those standing in her path of a potential title include second seed Emma Navarro and the Chinese duo Zhu Lin and Wang Xinyu, who round out the top-4 seedings.
Former champion Sofia Kenin, much like, Mertens will also be looking to move past a first-round exit in Brisbane.
Prize Money
The winner of the Hobart International gets $267,082. The winner will pocket $35,250 along with 250 ranking points. Here's a detailed breakdown of the prize money and ranking points:
Where to watch
Viewers in the USA and UK can watch Hobart International 2024 live on the following channels and sites:
USA: The official broadcaster in the region is Tennis Channel.
UK: Matches will be telecast on Sky UK.
