Tennis Australia officials have awarded promising female talent Olivia Rogowska the final wildcard into the Brisbane International. The 22-year-old is currently ranked no. 174 in the WTA world rankings.
“Brisbane is my favourite tournament of the year so I’m very excited,” she said.
Rogowska will face a strong field headlined by world No. 1 and defending champion Serena Williams, world No.2 Victoria Azarenka and Russian star Maria Sharapova.
“I love Brisbane, the tennis centre is amazing and I love the whole set-up of the event. Every single player in the draw is going to be tough. The field is ridiculously strong but I’m just going to try to forget who’s standing on the other side of the net and focus on my game and everything that I’ve been working on.”
Rogowska has worked tirelessly to improve her game in 2013 and is excited for the season ahead.
“2013 was a really big year for me, I’ve definitely improved and I feel like I’ve played really well,” she said.“If you can win a match or two in Brisbane it sets up your entire year. I’ve been working extremely hard for the past few months so I’m really excited to get into the new season.”
Tournament Director Cameron Pearson reserved fine praise for Rogowska, welcoming a second Australian female in the 2014 draw:
“Olivia is a great young talent and will certainly have the support of the Brisbane crowd behind her when she hits the court next week. She has a tough task ahead of her but she’ll be ready for the challenge, and I look forward to seeing her out on court in Brisbane.”
The Brisbane International commences on Sunday, December 29 at the Queensland Tennis Centre.