The Palais du Ribat in Monastir hosted the draw for the third edition of the Jasmin Open Monastir, which kicks off on Saturday September 7 and runs until September 15 on the courts of a hotel in the city. The tournament, ranked in the WTA 250 category, offers a total prize money of $250,000.
In her opening speech, Salma Mouelhi, President of the Tunisian Tennis Federation, emphasized that the Jasmin Open has rapidly become one of the world’s most renowned tournaments on the women’s tennis circuit. In her opinion, the importance of this event goes beyond the sporting arena, both in terms of the ranking of the participating players and its role in promoting Tunisia as a tourist destination.
Mouelhi also pointed out that the federation had scheduled a series of activities and excursions to promote Tunisia’s rich culture and heritage. She assured that ticket prices would be accessible to the general public, to enable as many people as possible to attend the matches.
With regard to the change of date for the tournament from October to September, Salma Mouelhi acknowledged that this had led to an increase in costs, in excess of one million dinars, entirely financed by the federation. On the other hand, she praised the support of numerous sponsors and the efforts of local authorities to ensure the success of this edition.
One of the advantages of the change of date, according to Mrs Mouelhi, is the broadcasting of the Jasmin Open Monastir on Tunisian national television, which will help to further popularize tennis throughout the country.
For his part, Aïssa Moussa, first delegate of Monastir, emphasized the positive spin-offs of this tournament in sporting, tourist and economic terms, not only for Monastir, but also for Tunisia as a whole, while welcoming all participants and guests.
After the draw, Russian player Anastasia Zakharova expressed her delight at discovering Tunisia for the first time, praising the international renown of the Jasmine Open. Regarding her forthcoming match against defending champion Elise Mertens of Belgium, Zakharova acknowledged her opponent’s strength, while hoping for a favorable outcome.
The organization of this tournament marks a world-class event, attracting some of the best players on the WTA circuit, and helping to strengthen Tunisia’s place on the international tennis scene.
Now in its third year, the Jasmin Open Monastir 2024 is one of the most prestigious women’s competitions. The tournament attracts players ranked in the world’s top 50, and its growing success has prompted the WTA to hold the event immediately after the US Open.
As a reminder, the center court can accommodate up to 2,500 spectators, and matches will start each day from 4pm.
Here are the draw results for the first round of the Jasmin Open Monastir 2024:
E. Mertens (BEL) vs A. Zakharova
L. Tsurenko (UKR) vs E. Lys (GER)
R. Masarova (ESP) vs Qualified
Qualified vs [6] G. Minnen (BEL)
[3] D. Parry (FRA) vs [WC] C. Bechri (TUN)
Qualified vs S. Lamens (NED)
[WC] P. Nugroho (INA) vs M. Hontama (JPN)
Qualified vs [5] J. Cristian (ROU)
[7] L. Bronzetti (ITA) vs D. Galfi (HUN)
A. Li (USA) vs [WC] K. Mladenovic (FRA)
A. Parks (USA) vs Y. Miyazaki (GBR)
Qualified vs [4] N. Podoroska (ARG)
[8] A. Blinkova (RUS) vs S. Sorribes Tormo (ESP)
M. Sherif (EGY) vs J. Fett (CRO)
R. Sramkova (SVK) vs Qualified
M. Bassols Ribera (ESP) vs [2] C. Burel (FRA)
TunisianMonitorOnline (NejiMed)
