Following her successful performance in the $10,000 ITF tournament in Monastir, Tunisia, Kim Cassar, left, has achieved a WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) professional ranking of 1034.

This is a first for women’s local tennis. In Tunisia, Cassar reached the quarterfinals following four successive victories: two in the qualifying stage and another two in the main draw.

She started off with a 6-1, 6-0 win over Mouna Jebri from Tunisia and followed this up with a very good performance against Silvia Albano of Italy (WTA ranking 906), whom she beat 6-1, 6-2.

In the first round of the main draw, Cassar beat Sasha Khabubalina from Belarus (WTA ranking 910) 6-1, 7-6. In another sound display Kim Cassar beat Josanne Van Bennekom from Holland (WTA ranking 641) 6-3, 6-2.

In the quarter finals she faced Diana Marcinkevica from Latvia (WTA ranking 549). After going 4-1 down following a slow start, Cassar recovered well and won the first set 7-5. She then lost the second 6-3.

Unfortunately the final set was not much of a contest following Cassar’s hamstring injury, at the end of the second set, and ended 6-1 for the Latvian.

With the tennis season drawing close to its end, Cassar’s focus will now be to prepare for the next season where she will pursue her participation in international tournaments as from January in her quest to keep improving her ranking.

Kimberley Cassar is sponsored by local Babolat representative David Attard.