Aussies struggle to stay around

Local hopes sent packing

Alex De Minaur earned a walkover into the second round and Storm Hunter secured an emotional first ever main draw Australian Open singles win after coming through qualifying at Melbourne Park.

But bold hopes for a local stampede into the second round have come undone after a straight sets exit from Olivia Gadecki early on day three was one of a host of Australian defeats amid a swathe of quick kills and five-set marathons.

The number of Australians making their way into the second round was always going to be thinned by two all-Aussie affairs on the men’s side of the draw, with Alexei Popyrin and Jordan Thompson casting aside their countrymen in those matches.

But day two losses, both in five sets, by James Duckworth and Rinky Hijikata, who enjoyed a career-best year in 2023 and hit the Open with high hopes, were cruel blows.

Hijikata did all he could before succumbing in a fifth-set tie break, the victim of new rules preventing elongated fifth sets.

Melbourne’s own Omar Jasika was emotional after winning his way into the main draw, but his stay only lasted three sets, in a comprehensive loss.

Then there was Daria Saville, on a high after making the semi-finals in Hobart, still on the comeback trail from a knee injury.

She at least won the opening set, but then lost the next two to Poland’s Magdalena Frech and now finds herself staring at qualifiers for an event in Thailand for her next pay cheque, to add to the $120,000 all the first round losers at Melbourne Park received.

“Overall I didn’t play my best tennis. I didn’t play as well as I was playing in Hobart or Brisbane,” she said.

“But, you know, I’m in a way better position this time compared to this time last year when, you know, I was just a few months post my ACL, doing a bit of recovery in the gym while everyone was getting ready for their matches.

“So I still, you know, had a pretty good Aussie summer.”

Day three brought hope, with the final six Aussies to get their first round chance in action.

But 21-year-old Gadecki was swiftly shown the exit door by American Sloane Stephens in a 6-3 6-1 thrashing which took less than an hour.

American Alex Michelsen was then too strong for Aussie James McCabe, winning 7-6 (7-5) 3-6 6-1 6-2 to continue the rough start for the locals.