Photography by Miya Tanner for Texas Student Media
From Down South to Down Under, some players were seeking enough ranking points at this week’s H-E-B Women’s Pro Tennis Open to automatically claim their spots in the 2025 Australian Open qualifying draw.
Every singles player was hoping to win this title – as well as the precious wild card into the 2025 ATX Open that comes with the victory. But the five players who started in the H-E-B main draw were hoping their results here would pay off in early January, when the Australian Open begins its qualifying tournament. The H-E-B event is one of the last tournaments these players have to raise their ranking.
Through three days of play at the Texas Tennis Center, just one of the five players is still alive. Fifth-seeded Sophie Chang, pictured above, advanced to the quarterfinals by defeating Longhorn Vivian Ovrootsky, 7-5, 4-6, 6-0. Even though Chang knows that continuing to win matches here will help boost her chances to make Australia, she’s focusing more on playing each match.
“I try not to think about (qualifying) that much,” the 27-year-old Maryland native said. “I’ve been at the ranking I’ve been at for the whole fall. I’ve had some opportunities in earlier weeks this fall and they didn’t push me in yet, so I’ve kinda made peace with what happens.
“I’ve played a couple of Australian Opens and played years where I didn’t play them, so wherever I end up I’m fine with that as long as I’m playing good tennis.”
The top 104 or so players gain direct entry in the Australian Open main draw. Chang’s current ranking is No. 239 in the world, and roughly players ranked to about 230 gain entrance into the qualifying tournament.
Chang will be back on Friday to take on Japan’s Haruka Kaji for a spot in the semifinals.
The four other players vying for qualifying spots in Melbourne were third-seeded Alina Charaeva and No. 7 Gabriela Knutson, who each lost in the first round, and No. 4 Irene Burillo Escorihuela and No. 6 Lina Glushko, who each lost in the second round.– Lindsey Plotkin