TOMIC NOT DONE WITH OPEN HOPE JUST YET
BERNARD Tomic is still entered in for Australian Open qualifying.
One Brisbane main draw wildcard became available in the shakedown to Rafael Nadal’s withdrawal yesterday, but world No.140 Tomic’s claims to it were not enhanced when he pulled out of Brisbane qualifying this week for reasons not yet communicated to Tennis Australia.
Tomic’s agent has not replied to a request for comment on whether the former No.17’s pulled out of Brisbane International qualifying because of injury or illness, or whether it was a reaction to not being initially given one of the three wildcards into his home state tournament.
Perth’s Matt Ebden, ranked No.76, will now be in the Brisbane main draw and tournament director Cameron Pearson said the wildcard which had been provided to Ebden would be available to another Australian and likely to be awarded today.
That player could be 18year-old Alex de Minaur, ranked No.208, or Townsville’s world No.219 John-Patrick Smith, who are the two highest-ranked Australian entrants not yet in qualifying.
Meanwhile, Gold Coast 19year-olds Sara Tomic and Kimberly Birrell compete in the first round of Brisbane International qualifying this morning. Birrell, ranked 335, takes on Estonia’s 2017 US Open quarter-finalist Kaia Kanepi who is ranked 99. Sara Tomic, sitting at 462, plays 18year-old American Kayla Day who is ranked 151.