The Carlsberg Irish men's Open tennis championships at Templeogue has a close rival in the Leinster women's open, cast in a supporting role.
The inclusion of South African Mareze Joubert and her staunch rival Julia Lutrova, seeded two from Russia in the women's open, heightens interest.
Top seed Joubert, who plays at number two for Dusseldorf in the German tennis league, is a former South African under-18 champion who once extended Mary Pierce on grass at Eastbourne.
"I like a fast surface. The courts here suit me but to justify my seeding I feel I would have to get by your top player Gina Niland who is difficult to beat at any time."
Joubert would be much higher than her best world ranking of 220 had it not been for injuries which sidelined her for spells of up to six months in recent years. "It's always difficult to recover match fitness after long lay-offs," she says.
