Aleksandra Wozniak - Tennis Canada

Trio of Canadians earn Wildcards into Main
Draw Line-Up
Wozniak, Dubois and Pelletier will take on world’s best at Rogers Cup presented by American Express

August 10, 2007 - Tennis Canada announced Friday three wild card entries into the main draw of women’s singles at the Rogers Cup presented by American Express held August 11-19 at Rexall Centre. Canadians Aleksandra Wozniak, Stephanie Dubois and Marie-Eve Pelletier will be among the 56 players competing at the Tier I Canadian stop on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour.

As the top-ranked Canadian, Wozniak reached a career-high ranking of No. 83 in May after reaching her first Tour final at a Tier IV clay court event in Fes, Morocco. The 19-year old native of Blainville, Quebec has also earned direct entry into each of the four Grand Slams in 2007 and defeated Top 50 regular Gisela Dulko for the second time in a World Group II Fed Cup playoff against Argentina in July.

After a slow start to her 2007 campaign, Dubois has enjoyed a stellar summer hard court season, winning her sixth and seventh career titles in consecutive weeks at the $25K BC Decker Hamilton Challenger and a $50K tournament in Lexington, Kentucky. She was also a recent doubles champion and a singles finalist at the Odlum Brown women’s challenger in Vancouver. The 20-year old of Laval, Quebec delighted hometown fans in Montreal last year when she reached the third round of the Rogers Cup presented by National Bank and will be looking for a similar performance in Toronto.

Pelletier will be making her 10th Rogers Cup appearance at Rexall Centre. At last year’s event, she scored her first victory over a Top 20 player when she defeated China’s Na Li in straight sets to join Dubois in the second round. The 25-year old from Repentigny, Quebec has risen more than 60 spots in the rankings this year and won the doubles title at the $50K Odlum Brown women’s challenger alongside Dubois.   

“These three women are rising stars and represent the best that Canadian tennis has to offer,” expressed tournament director Karl Hale. “Playing in such a high-level tournament on your home soil is a special time and I am sure they will rise to the challenge and be embraced by Canadian supporters.”

Tennis Canada also announced that five more Canadians will attempt to enter the tournament’s main draw by competing in the qualifying rounds beginning August 11. Fed Cup team member Valerie Tetreault (Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec), Sharon Fichman (Toronto), Ekaterina Shulaeva (Oakville, Ontario), Melanie Gloria (Montreal) and the winner of the Metro Label Under 18 Outdoor Junior Nationals to be played this weekend at the Rogers Cup presented by National Bank in Montreal, will all received wildcards into the qualifying draw.

The official draw for the Rogers Cup presented by American Express will take place Saturday at 2 p.m.

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