Ajla Tomljanovic will make her long-awaited return to tennis on the US Open after a nine-month damage lay-off, again on the New York stage she lit up in historic vogue final yr along with her well-known victory over Serena Williams.
In Thursday’s draw for the season’s remaining grand slam, affirmation of the return of Australia’s high lady participant to the circuit got here when the 30-year-old was paired with Hungary’s Panna Udvardy in her comeback match.
But Australia’s buoyant males’s gamers have very completely different paths at Flushing Meadows, with No.1 Alex de Minaur set to face a qualifier in his opener whereas the ever-improving Aleksandar Vukic can be up towards Germany’s Olympic champion Alexander Zverev.
And one thing should give when the flying Max Purcell faces his fellow Sydneysider Chris O’Connell within the first spherical.
Tomljanovic’s return for her first match because the BJK Cup finals final November following surgical procedure on her knee and a protracted battle to get totally match once more is a delight for Australian tennis after a barren yr for the nation’s main ladies gamers.
She has been practising in New York on the venue the place she introduced down the curtain on the profession of the legendary Williams final yr by profitable their third-round match 7-5 6-7 (4-7) 6-1 in a match that captured the world’s creativeness at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Tomljanovic, whose rating has dropped to 130 after she had soared as excessive as 32, went on to achieve the quarter-finals earlier than being knocked out by Ons Jabeur. Her opponent Udvardy is No.124 on the WTA laptop.
Tomljanovic is certainly one of solely three assured Australian ladies starters in the principle draw because the qualifiers proceed.
Daria Saville, additionally on the comeback path after damage, is about for a possible second-round assembly with reigning champion and high seed Iga Swiatek if she will get previous US teenager Clervie Ngounoue within the first spherical.
Swiatek will meet Sweden’s Rebecca Peterson within the first spherical.
Queensland’s Storm Hunter has a tricky opener, up towards Czech No.10 seed Karolina Muchova, who reached the French Open remaining earlier than shedding to Swiatek in June.
Australia’s males have been in high-quality kind on the American swing, however Purcell, who took world No.1 Carlos Alcaraz to 3 units within the Cincinnati Open quarter-final final week, and O’Connell can really feel dissatisfied about being paired collectively, with the winner set for a possible second spherical date with No.3 seed Daniil Medvedev.
But like thirteenth seed de Minaur, Thanasi Kokkinakis and Alexei Popyrin will each face qualifiers within the first spherical.
WHO THE AUSSIES PLAY IN THE FIRST ROUND AT THE US OPEN (PREFIX DENOTES SEEDING):
Men’s singles
13-Alex de Minaur v Qualifier
Jordan Thompson v Botic van de Zandschulp (NED)
Thanasi Kokkinakis v Qualifier
Aleksandar Vukic v 12-Alexander Zverev (GER)
Max Purcell v Chris O’Connell
Rinky Hijikata v Paval Kotov (RUS)
Alexei Popyrin v Qualifier
Jason Kubler v Matteo Arnaldi (ITA)
Women’s singles
Storm Hunter v 10-Karolina Muchova (CZE)
Daria Saville v Clervie Ngounoue (USA)
Ajla Tomljanovic v Panna Udvardy (HUN)
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
