Aussie women make a decent start in the Australian Open qualifying

Eight from 14 Australian women have advanced to the second round of qualifying for the Australian Open.

Of the players that lost Jaimee Fourlis and Petra Hule had their chances to advance. Fourlis going down to Spain’s (5) Sara Sorribes Tormo in a marathon. The final score was 7-6(5), 5-7, 6-4 after three hours and 43 minutes.

The winners were Kimberly Birrell, Maddison Inglis, Priscilla Hon, Taylay Preston, Arina Rodionova, Destanee Aiava, Astra Sharma and Elena Micic.

The other players to lose in round one were Lizette Cabrera, Tina Smith, Melissa Ercan and Alana Subasic.

At least one Australian women will reach round one as Priscilla Hon and Kimberly Birrell face each other in round two. If Astra Sharma can get the better of Oksana Selekhmeteva, Australia will be guaranteed one woman advancing as Sharma would face the winner of Birrell and Hon.

Hon and Birrell played each other just last week in the round of 64 in Brisbane, with Birrell getting the win before having a run to the quarterfinals. Hon leads the H2H 5-3, stretching all the way back to their first meeting in 2015.

Taylah Preston was impressive on day one when she took care of Mona Barthel 6-1, 6-2. Preston next faces Britain’s world no. 113 Harriet Dart. The Brit thrashed Preston in the Nottingham final back in 2023.
Preston showed some good form last week in the Canberra International.

Australia’s lowest ranked woman to take part in the qualifying is Elena Micic at no. 424. She defeated Elena Pridankina 6-3, 3-6, 7-5, the world no. 186 and daughter of one time coach for Daniil Medvedev. Micic next faces former world no. 181 Darya Astakhova, who currently is unranked.

The full list of round one results and round two matches is listed below.

(WC) Lizette Cabrera lost to Harriet Dart (GBR) 6-2, 7-6(5).
Taylah Preston d Mona Barthel (GER) 6-1, 6-2. Rd 2 v Harriet Dart (GBR)
Jaimee Fourlis lost to (5) Sara Sorribes Tormo (ESP) 7-6(5), 5-7, 6-4.
Maddison Inglis d Elsa Jacquemot (FRA) 6-3, 6-2. Rd 2 v (5) Sara Sorribes Tormo (ESP).
Elena Micic d Elena Pridankina 6-3, 3-6, 7-5. Rd 2 v Darya Astakhova.
Tina Smith lost to [7] Anna Karolina Schmiedlova (SVK) 6-2, 6-2.
[9] Kimberly Birrell d Sara Saito (JPN) 7-6(4), 6-2. Rd 2 v Priscilla Hon.
Priscilla Hon d Usue Maitane Arconada (USA) 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-4. Rd 2 v [9] Kimberly Birrell.
Astra Sharma d Mai Hontama (JPN) 3-6, 6-3, 6-4. Rd 2 v Oksana Selekhmeteva.
Destanee Aiva d [10] Ana Bogdan (ROU) 6-4, 6-2. Rd 2 v Panna Udvardy (HUN).
Melisa Ercan lost to Panna Udvardy (HUN) 6-0, 6-3.
Arina Rodionova d Aliona Falei 6-3, 7-5. Rd 2 v (23) Eva Lys (GER).
Petra Hule lost to [16] Petra Martic (CRO) 6-2, 7-6(6).
Alana Subasic lost to Veronika Erjavec (SVO) 6-2, 6-3.