The USTA Tennis Classic of Troy is set to get under way this weekend with qualifying matches beginning on Sunday at 10 am. The tournament is making its eighth appearance in Troy, and the competition seems to stiffen each year for the $50,000 prize.

“We are once again really excited about the field for this year’s event,” tournament director Eric Hayes said. “We’re looking forward to a great week of tennis and community activities. This tournament is so much more to Troy than just great professional tennis. It really involves the entire community rallying around a great game.”

Some of the top names heading to Troy for the tournament include Edina Gallovits, Mirjana Lucic and Beatrice Capra.

These three have had storied careers, and they represent just a small percentage of the elite athletes that will compete in the tournament.

Gallovits enters the tournament ranked 81st in the world in singles play and 68th in the doubles category. The right-handed Romanian has reached as high as 54th in the singles rankings before.

Her doubles career has brought her some big highlights as she has reached the round of 32 at the US Open the past two years in a row.

She has made her way to the round of 64 at Wimbledon the past three years in a row as well. Her success has also been noted at the Australian Open where as a doubles contender she reached the round of 32 in 2009 and the round of 64 in 2008 and 2010.

On the singles side, Gallovits has experienced more success on the courts reaching into the round of 64 at Wimbledon, The Australian Open and The Roland Garros, all since 2007.

Lucic comes to Troy with a different story ranked 115th in the world in singles, but one that has seen great accomplishments on the court too. Along with winning a doubles championship with Martina Hingis in the Australian Open, the right-hander from Croatia made her way through Wimbledon in 1999 and accomplished a spot in the semi-finals before her storied run was halted in the tournament.

She has also hit the round of 64 at Wimbledon on two occasions, and in the US Open her success continued with two appearances in the round of 32 in the late 1990’s.

The USTA Tennis Classic of Troy has a history of showcasing those who are making the turn towards the grandest stages in tennis, and the tournament always features great matches.

Admission to the tournament is free of charge, and the action lasts all week. The championship matches begin on Friday, October 15th with the doubles title on the line, and the singles title match will be on the following Saturday.