Odysseas Geladaris, a talented 17-year-old Greek tennis player, has arrived in Australia. Geladaris will take part in the international junior (J300) tournament in Traralgon, with the qualifying rounds starting tonight, while the main draw will be held from January 16 to 21.
Before departing for the regional town of Traralgon, Geladaris visited Melbourne Park and watched Despina Papamichail’s victorious match against Sachia Vickery.
There, he met with our Melbourne correspondent Bill Roumeliotis and said: “This is my first time in Australia, and the purpose of my trip is to compete in the Traralgon international tournament and then in the Australian Open Junior, where it will be my first Grand Slam appearance.”
“In the past few days, I have trained hard to achieve my goals in both events, and I am satisfied with the level of training and facilities. I am ranked No. 3 among the qualifiers [at Traralgon], which means I have a good draw and might not need to play in the qualifiers if more than three main draw players withdraw,” Geladaris added.
He explained that to enter the Traralgon main draw, he needs to win two qualifying matches: “I need two wins to reach the main draw, and if I succeed, I also have a strong chance of playing directly in the Australian Open Junior main draw. I feel ready and hopeful that I can make it.”
Regarding his plans beyond the Australian Open Junior, Geladaris said: “I am 17, and I believe I have had a solid junior career. My next big step is to compete in professional men’s tournaments and aim as high as I can.”
Born in Athens with roots in Agrinio, Geladaris expressed his ambition and dedication. We wish him the best and look forward to seeing him competing in Australia’s major summer tournaments every year.
