Kairangi Vano. Photo / Mark Mitchell
National champion Di Hollands and fellow Kiwi wildcard Kairangi Vano will meet today on centre court after being drawn together in the first round of qualifying for the ASB Classic.
Despite being unranked after an unsuccessful stint in Europe, Hollands, who won all five New Zealand money tournaments
last year, will start favourite to beat the 682-ranked Vano.
The pair have met three times in domestic competition this season, with Hollands taking out all three encounters, including a 7-6 7-5 victory in the semifinals of the NZ Residential Championships.
With the cut-off for entry into qualifying at 190th-ranked Chinese player Chin-Wei Chan, both Kiwis will be viewing it as a favourable draw. The good news ends there, however, with the winner drawn to meet the top seed in the qualifying field, 85th-ranked Frenchwoman Mathild Johansson.
At stake in the all-Kiwi matchup is US$460 ($796) and five crucial WTA ranking points.
Hollands, for whom the ranking points would provide a foot on the first rung of the professional ladder, will be particularly desperate to make an impression in the qualifiers.
"I'm really happy with the opportunity but the thing I want to do is capitalise on it," Hollands said.
While in Europe she had remodelled her game, changing her serve, forehand and backhand. Those changes brought success on the domestic circuit but they were really designed to help her hold her own in the professional ranks. "I thought that if I wanted to play at a higher level then I needed to have solid foundations. I didn't really have that last year."
The qualifying draw includes last year's main draw fourth seed Michaella Krajicek, who also received a wildcard after an injury-ravaged season saw her ranking plummet from 30 to 203. A sometime doubles partner of Kiwi No 1 Marina Erakovic, Krajicek has been drawn against American Carly Gullickson.
That match precedes the Hollands-Vano encounter on centre court.
Also on centre court today is Ayumi Morita, the Japanese player who defeated Erakovic in the first round of the Olympics and again more recently in the Japan Open.
Four players from the field of 32 will qualify for the Classic, which starts on Monday. The draw for the main event is made today at 12pm.
