Former teenage prodigy Olivia Gadecki will make her worldwide grand slam debut after efficiently qualifying for the US Open in New York.
Gadecki crushed American Emina Bektas 6-1 6-1 in lower than an hour to spice up Australia’s Open singles contingent to 14 gamers on the season’s remaining grand slam beginning on Tuesday (AEST).
Gadecki’s fellow Queenslander Kim Birrell misplaced her final-round qualifying encounter 6-3 6-3 to American Fiona Crawley however earned a late entry into the primary draw as a ‘fortunate loser’ following two withdrawals on Sunday.
Canadian Bianca Andreescu, the 2019 US Open champion, and Spain’s Paula Badosa each pulled out injured.
Gadecki and Birrell give Australia 5 gamers within the girls’s singles at Flushing Meadows, becoming a member of returning 2022 quarter-finalist Ajla Tomljanovic, Daria Saville and wildcard Storm Hunter.
Gadecki’s solely earlier look in a grand slam important draw got here on the Australian Open in January when the 21-year-old reached the second spherical after being awarded a wildcard entry.
The Gold Coast expertise introduced her arrival on the skilled stage with a surprising victory over then-reigning Australian Open champion and world No.4 Sofia Kenin as an unranked 18-year-old on the Phillip Island Trophy occasion at Melbourne Park in February 2021.
Gadecki opted to take a seat out the 2022 Australian summer season as a result of she wasn’t vaccinated towards COVID-19 however returned this yr with a bang to file her maiden victory at a significant to climb to a career-high rating of No.144 on the planet.
Gadecki will launch her Open assault on Tuesday (AEST) towards Russia’s world No.53 Mirra Andreeva.
All 5 Australian girls play on day one.
Birrell is up towards American Jennifer Brady, the 2020 Australian Open runner-up on the comeback path, whereas Tomljanovic, enjoying her first match of the season after making final yr’s quarter-finals in New York, faces Hungary’s world No.124 Panna Udvardy.
Saville performs US teenage wildcard Clervie Ngounoue, with the winner more likely to meet world No.1 and defending champion Iga Swiatek within the second spherical.
Hunter has a tricky opener towards Czech tenth seed Karolina Muchova, the 2023 French Open runner-up.
Fellow Australian Marc Polmans misplaced his final-round males’s qualifying match 6-2 6-1 to thrilling younger American Zachary Zvajda.
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
