Rinky Hijikata and Maddison Inglis will enter the Perpetual NSW Open in hot form after winning at Playford.
October 28, 2024 | jackson mansell
Rinky Hijikata and Maddison Inglis won their respective singles titles over the weekend, winning the City of Playford Tennis International.
Hijikata, who participated as the No. 1 seed, defeated Japan’s Yuta Shimizu 6-4 7-6(4) in just over two hours in the final. It was his first title of the season, and the 23-year-old joined James Duckworth as the only players to win multiple Playford trophies.
Hijikata said, “It was a difficult final. “I’m delighted to have overcome this and come back to Playford. I actually won my first Challenger title here two years ago. So I love coming back, it seems like a good place for me.
“Thank you to everyone who organized the tournament. We had a great crowd here today.”
In women’s singles, West Australian Inglis took the lead after defeating fifth seed Himeno Sakatsume in a final that lasted nearly three hours. Inglis expected a challenge given their history and the competition did not disappoint.
“It was a really tough match, we always play tough matches,” she admitted after winning 7-6(7) 5-7 6-1. “I had to play my best tennis to win. [Sakatsume]She is playing unbelievably. So I was lucky enough to be able to bring you some of the best tennis today. “I’m very happy because it’s been a long time since I thought about it.”
Inglis, who won her first title since April, came agonizingly close after returning to action at the US Open. The world number 158, who has reached the semi-finals in the last four tournaments, succumbed to the form of Talia Gibson. But Inglis avenged that loss at Playford, snapping Gibson’s 17-match winning streak in the semifinals.
The Australian Pro Tour continues this week in Sydney. Here, Inglis and Gibson headline the women’s category, along with another Playford semi-finalist in Taylah Preston.
Gibson, who boasts a new career-high ranking of world No. 126, will be the No. 1 seed for the fifth straight tournament.
On the men’s side, Hijikata will be aiming to build on his Playford form as the top seed at the Perpetual NSW Open. He will be joined in the draw by Thanasi Kokkinakis, who will be competing in his first event since the Laver Cup.
Hayden Jones, 18, fresh off an ITF Junior Finals campaign, earned a wildcard. This will be his first Challenger competition since the Bernie competition in February.
