Kia Amateur Australian Open
Kia Motors offers amateur tennis players a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity Johannesburg 18 August: During the period of August to November 2011, Kia Motors will provide amateur tennis players in South Africa with an opportunity to experience a thrill like no other - to represent their country at the World Finals of the Kia Amateur Australian Open (KAAO) in Melbourne, Australia.
Three qualifying regional tournaments will produce the top four teams as well as four wild card teams, who will face-off in November to determine a male and female champion. These two champions will represent South Africa at the Kia Amateur World Finals in Australia 26-29 January as well as attend the Men's singles final at the Kia Australian Open in Melbourne.
At the Kia Amateur World Finals players will also have the experience of playing on either grass or clay courts at the Kooyong Tennis Complex and Hard courts at the Melbourne Park Tennis courts.
Qualifying events will be held at the following locations:
- Cape Town: Kelvin Grove Sports Club (27-28th August)
- Durban: Westridge Park (17-18th September)
- Johannesburg: University of Johannesburg (12-13th November)
Qualifying events are open to amateur participants over the age of 18 and is in the possession of a valid RSA ID document and passport, who can register by contacting Tournament Director Holger Losch on 082 520 9699, theh@mweb.co.za or by visiting the www.kia.co.za. Players need to enter by Thursday 25 August 20h00 for the Cape Town tournament.
Any player who has earned a point in an ATP and/or WTA event is ineligible to compete in the amateur tournament as well as previous national winners that have attended the KAAO. The National Finals event will be held in Pretoria at Groenkloof Club, November 12-13.
Register for the event
RULES:
- Players must be a minimum age of 18 on the 26th August 2011.
- Participants may not at any stage have had a professional singles or doubles ranking (appearing on the ATP or WTA ranking lists). This is irrespective of how many ATP or WTA points a player may have earned by competing in local international events for the sake of local participation, without the intention of pursuing tennis professionally.
- Any player that has won the national KIA AAO in previous years will not be allowed to participate.
- General rules of tennis will apply.
- Teams need not be from the same club or the same province.
- Winners of the regional finals will qualify for the national finals
- Email entry to theh@mweb.co.za
- Contact Holger Losche at 082 520 9699 with any queries.