IVANOVIC LEADS FANTASTIC FOUR AT AEGON CLASSIC IN BIRMINGHAM , TICKETS STILL AVAILABLE

Written by: Staff on 13th June 2014

IVANOVIC LEADS FANTASTIC FOUR AT AEGON CLASSIC IN BIRMINGHAM , TICKETS STILL AVAILABLE

BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: Ana Ivanovic of Serbia in action against Klara Koukalova of the Czech Republic during Day 5 of the Aegon Classic at Edgbaston Priory Club on June 13, 2014 in Birmingham, England. (Photo by Jordan Mansfield/Getty Images for Aegon) |

Top seed Ana Ivanovic has been cutting a swathe through the Aegon Classic draw in Birmingham this week and will play for a place in the final of the WTA Premier event on Saturday when she takes on China’s Shuai Zhang. Ivanovic notched up a 6-1, 6-4 win over Klara Koukalova to reach the last four and has yet to drop a set in what has been a week of impressive grass-court performances so far.

Casey Dellacqua takes on Barbora Zahlavova Strycova in Saturday’s other semi-final after both women delivered emphatic wins in the quarter-finals on Friday. Dellacqua was in devastating form in beating veteran Kimiko Date-Krumm 6-1, 6-0; while Zahlavova Strycova proved too strong for 2013 Wimbledon semi-finalist Kirsten Flipkens, earning a 6-4, 6-2 win.

Ivanovic is excited about playing Zhang on the Ann Jones Centre Court. “She’s young player. She’s one of the nicest girls actually on tour,” said Ivanovic. “I look forward to tomorrow’s match. I’m really happy with the way I’m playing at the moment.”

Shuai Zhang during Day Five of the Aegon Classic at Edgbaston Priory Club on June 13, 2014 in Birmingham, England.

Dellacqua said she was delighted with her grass-court form after her quick-fire win over Date-Krumm. “It’s great to be in another semi-final of a WTA event,” said Dellacqua. “I would like to go one further and hopefully make a final. That would be pretty special too. When you get to the latter stages of a grass-court tournament the matches get tougher and the girls get more comfortable. I expect a tough match tomorrow. I’m sure she does from me too.”

Casey Dellacqua during Day Five of the Aegon Classic at Edgbaston Priory Club on June 13, 2014 in Birmingham, England.

Please find attached the singles and doubles draws and Friday’s order of play, plus rights-free images of Ana Ivanovic, Shuai Zhang and Casey Dellacqua in action at the Aegon Classic on Thursday. Please credit Getty Images.

Tickets to the Aegon Classic are now on sale. For more information and to purchase tickets please visit www.aegonclassic.co.uk

To find a playing partner, a local court or coach, register at www.allplaytennis.com.

Tidbits :

• The Aegon Classic is upgraded to a WTA Premier 600 event in 2014 with prize money of over $700k

• 2014 is the 33rd staging of this WTA event in Birmingham which has been won previously by Billie Jean King, Martina Navratilova, Maria Sharapova and Li Na.

• The LTA has invested £5 million into a £12 million redevelopment project at Edgbaston Priory Club to encourage wider participation and grow community access to tennis in the Midland’s, as well as securing the venue as a prominent international venue for racquet sport, attracting world class players to Birmingham and bringing vital business for the local economy.

• The 2014 Aegon Championships is one of three ATP & WTA grass court tournaments staged and run by the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) in the run up to The Championships, Wimbledon.

• The Lawn Tennis Association’s (LTA) mission is to get more people playing tennis more often, and its role is to develop, promote and govern tennis in Britain.

• To find a playing partner, local court or coach please visit www.allplaytennis.com

• Aegon is Lead Partner of British Tennis and is helping to transform the sport in this country. They’re supporting young talent through the Aegon FutureStars programme, as well as sponsoring the junior and senior GB Davis and Fed Cup teams and amateur and professional events. Aegon sponsor three world-class grass court tournaments; the Aegon Classic, Aegon International and Aegon Championships and will also sponsor the new WTA and ATP events in Nottingham from 2015. For further information visit www.aegontennis.co.uk

• For more information on the LTA and British tennis, visit: www.lta.org.uk

Topics: AEGON Classic, Ana Ivanovic, Birmingham, Casey Dellacqua, Getty Images, Lta, Shuai Zhang, Tennis, Tennis News, Wta

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10sBalls_com says:

June 13, 2014 at 11:40 am

IVANOVIC LEADS FANTASTIC FOUR AT AEGON CLASSIC IN BIRMINGHAM , TICKETS STILL AVAILABLE – http://t.co/8wFnfaM6sL @AnaIvanovic #AegonClassic