Despina Papamichail and Valentini Grammatikopoulou learned about the players they have to face in order to claim a spot on the main draw of the Australian Open this year.
Papamichail, who is ranked No.215 in the world, will face Raluca Serban from Cyprus in the first qualifying round. Serban, who is originally from Romania but grew up in Cyprus, is ranked No.179 in the world.
The winner of this match will face either Germany’s Anna-Lena Friedsam, No.17 on the board and No.127 in the world, or Czech Gabriela Knutson, No.166 in the world. In the third and final round of qualifying, they cross paths with Britain’s Harriet Dart, No.12 on the board and No.120 in the world.
26-year-old Grammatikopoulou, No.222 in the world, will play in the first round against American Elvina Kalieva, No.198 in the world.
If Grammatikopoulou wins, she will have a very difficult task in the second round of the qualifiers, since she will face either the Ukrainian Dayana Yastremska, No.1 on the board and No.98 in the world, or the Croatian Lea Boskovic, No.223 in the world. In the third and final round she crosses paths with Latvia’s Darja Semenistaja, No.32 on the board.
Both Papamichail and Grammatikopoulou will make their Australian Open qualifying debuts on Tuesday, January 9.
