'I want to crack world's top 200'

Belgium's 11th-ranked female player, Machela Boev, wants to get into the top 200 in world tennis so she can play qualifying tournaments for grand slams next year.

Currently ranked at 905, she is hoping that her ranking can climb to near 800 after a series of recent tournaments, including four in Montego Bay where she reached the quarter-finals in the last two.

Boev, 20, spoke to The Gleaner during a recent 'street tennis' promotional drive in the National Commercial Bank (NCB) car park in New Kingston, for the NCB Capital Markets Open set to serve off at the Liguanea Club in New Kingston this afternoon.

"I want to break into the top 200, so I can play grand slam tournaments," she said, adding that it would be a dream come true to finally play in a grand slam. "You have to battle through these small tournaments where all the (promising) players are so you can get points to bring your ranking up."

Her parents are both sportspersons and they encouraged her to get into a sport she loves.

"They made me chose any sport and I just love tennis, and they supported me," she said.

She is looking forward to playing in the NCB Capital Markets Open which starts today and ends next Sunday.

"I think it (the tournament) is going to be a great experience for me. I'm anxious to see how they organise things here," a beaming Boev said.

She started playing tennis from age six in her homeland and she has never looked back.

"I'm happy that I can do what I love, as a professional. I'm doing it (playing tennis) full time, and travelling and playing tournaments, it's amazing."

Role models

Boev, who won her first tournament four years ago in her homeland, looks up to fellow Belgians Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin and praised them for paving the way for other Belgium players to follow. The attractive European player said she was delighted with playing 'street tennis'.

"Street tennis was a lot fun for me, I think it is a great initiative."

Meanwhile, players cannot earn Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) points at the NCB Capital Merchants tournament, but NCB's Julian Patrick, the company's sponsorship and promotions manager, has put a timeline of next year for the tournament to be upgraded to an event that gives players ATP points.