The quality of the entries for the Irish Women's Open Tennis Championship, which starts at Riverview today, is improving all the time.
Evelyn Fauth, a 22-year-old Austrian who won the event two years ago when it was merely a $10,000 romp, is a case in point. Her world ranking has improved since then, but she is not deemed to be worthy of a place among the seeds in this year's $25,000 ETA event.
Further evidence of stiffer opposition is seen in the failure of a number of Irish Federation Cup players, and some aspirants to that status, to progress beyond the first-round of the qualifiers.
Defeats for Lesley O'Halloran and Yvonne Flynn, both wild-card entries into the qualifying rounds, were significantly disappointing.
The top seed is Spain's 22-yearold Alica Ortuno, currently ranked at 156. She faces Kylie Moulds of Australia in today's opening round.
The Irish challenge consists of wild-card entries Gina Niland Claire Curran and Spanish-based Kelly Liggan.
Niland is drawn against France's Karolina Jagieniak in the top half of the draw. Curran, in the bottom half, takes on Marketa Kochta from Gemrany. Liggans faces 22-year-old Italian Alessia Lombardi. Play gets under way this morning at 11.0.
