Dellacqua top seeded at Hobart WTA event

A terrific year on tour has landed Australia’s tennis underdog Casey Dellacqua in an unfamiliar but very welcome position.

In Hobart next month, Dellacqua will start as top seed at a WTA tournament for the first time in her career.

It’s a fitting reward for the tenacious West Australian, who soared 100 places in the rankings to challenge Sam Stosur’s nailed-on position as Australia’s No.1.

This time 12 months ago, Dellacqua ranked 125 and needed a wildcard to play in the Tasmanian capital.

Now as top seed, she will be favourite to claim a maiden singles title.

She spent last December slogging it out at Melbourne Park to win the Australian Open play-off.

At her home grand slam in January, she’s on track to be seeded for the first time.

As a 29-year-old enjoying a break-out year, it seems Dellacqua even surprised herself.

“I certainly exceeded my expectations in terms of what I thought I could achieve,” she told AAP.

“To finish the year top 30, it’s something I didn’t think I could have done.

“Tennis is all about consistency and I was always winning matches.”

Consistency has been Dellacqua’s strength during 2014.

After winning through to the fourth round at the Australian Open, Dellacqua won matches at every grand slam.

From 17 tournaments, Dellacqua was a first-round loser at just three – the best strike-rate in her career.

But her best wasn’t good enough for a maiden title.

Dellacqua’s 2014 high notes were a semi-final appearance at Birmingham and a run from qualifying to the quarter-finals at the prestigious Indian Wells event.

She insists she wouldn’t swap her consistency for a title.

“I’ll take a top 30 and a consistent year every day.”

“You’re not going to win the tournament every week but you want to be performing.”

The rankings boost means Dellacqua enters 2015 with new-found self-belief.

“I’d love to beat a top ten player,” she says.

“I’d love to make the quarter-finals of a slam, I’ve made the fourth-round three times now.

“There’s certainly things I would to achieve, I’ve got little goals that will keep me motivated.”

If one of those little goals is holding a WTA singles trophy aloft for the first time, Dellacqua has never had a better chance than Hobart.

Joining her in the Hobart International field are 23 of the world’s top-60 ranked players, including 2012 champion Mona Barthel, top Briton Heather Watson and American Sloane Stephens.

Reigning champion Garbine Muguruza will not defend her title, with the Spaniard choosing to play the higher-profile Sydney International during the same week.

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