MELBOURNE, January 6, 2017

The rising young star of Australian tennis, Destanee Aiava, has already had a week to remember in Brisbane and returns to her home court at Kooyong next week for the 2017 Priceline Pharmacy Kooyong Classic.

On Monday the Kooyong Foundation scholarship holder  will join defending Kooyong champion David Goffin, Australian tennis legend Pat Cash and tournament director Peter Johnston for the release of the draw and the preview the 2017 event.

Wickmayer Replaces Lisicki

Yanina Wickmayer has been included in the Kooyong Classic draw to replace Sabine Lisicki who was forced to withdraw from the tournament due to illness.

Former world number 12, Lisicki, who made the final at Wimbledon in 2013 against Marion Bartoli will also bypass the Australian Open making Wickmayer the highest ranked woman in the Kooyong draw.

The 27-year-old from Belgium and world number 58 will play her first match against China’s Qiang Wang in the first women’s field for two decades after recently reaching the second round of the Auckland Classic.

Wickmayer made the semi-finals of the US Open in 2009 a year before reaching her career high WTA ranking of 12.

Following that season she made it to the third round of the French Open and Wimbledon, while also advancing to the fourth rounds at the Australian and US Opens.

The six-footer from Lier has won five WTA singles titles and reached the fourth round of the Australian Open for a second time two years ago. She won the Washington Open in the middle of last year after making the third round on her favourite surface at Roland Garros.