West Australian Matt Ebden will start his 2016 campaign today at the Canberra 75K ATP Challenger.
“It’s good to be back here,” said the world No.105. “I’ve had a good few weeks training and I’m looking forward to the new season.”
“I really want to try and push up this year (well into the top 100) and try and stay up there for the rest of my career,” he said. “I need to keep working on improving my game to make that happen.
“Things don’t just happen unless you keep looking to become a better player and a better athlete. All round, I’m just looking to make those improvements.”
Ebden takes on experienced Spaniard Daniel Gimeno-Traver in the first round before a possible showdown with Ivan Dodig, the fifth seed, who must first contend with in-form Victorian Dayne Kelly.
The winner looks likely to meet world No.70 and second seed Santiago Giraldo in a potential quarterfinal.
“It’s a really strong draw this week,” Ebden said. “It’s all good quality matches and that’s what it’s about at the moment.”
Ebden ended 2015 at 105 in the world after a successful showing on the Challenger Tour.
Following Canberra, the 28 year-old will head to Melbourne for the Australian Open.
Live streaming commences on Monday with live scoring also available through www.atpchallengertour.com.