New Zealand's top ranked singles player Rubin Statham has battled through three rounds of qualifying to make the main draw at the strong $75,000 ATP Challenger tournament in Leon, Mexico.
The 30-year-old has beaten Germany's Tobias Simon 7-6, 6-3 in 1 hr 20. Statham had earlier had straight sets wins over Argentina's Franco Agamenone and Canadian Pavel Krainik.
Statham is also in the doubles main draw in Leon and will partner Darian King against the second seeds Australian John-Patrick Smith and Bradley Mousley in the first round.
New Zealand's second ranked women's singles player Erin Routliffe has been beaten in the second round of qualifying at the ITF $80,000 tournament n Charlottesville, Virginia.
Routliffe has lost 7-5, 6-1 to Italian 3rd seed Camilla Rosatello. However Routliffe has improved to a career high 174 in the latest WTA doubles rankings after winning a tournament last week in Alabama.
