Fallen tennis star Bernard Tomic will make his first appearance on home soil in three years when he bids to qualify once again for the Australian Open.
The former Wimbledon quarter-finalist and Australian No.1 returns to Melbourne Park this week needing to win three sudden-death matches to earn a place in the Australian Open main draw for the first time since 2021.
On that occasion, Tomic, showing his class, was the only Australian of 20 hopefuls to successfully qualify for the Open.
Four years on, and with much water under the bridge, the former world No.17 and two-time grand slam junior champ is back in Australia ranked 214th, having toiled away in tennis backwaters such as India, Thailand and the less glamorous parts of the Americas.
Tomic last year earned $US63,030 ($A101,170) playing in Challenger and Future events in spots such as Wichita, Little Rock and Calabasas.
The 32-year-old can more than double that in one week if he qualifies for the Open to secure a minimum $132,000 pay day for even losing in the first round.
Tomic faces Slovakian Jozef Kovalik in the first round of qualifying in his quest to make a 12th main-draw Open appearance.
At the other end of the spectrum, 16-year-old Cruz Hewitt – the son of former Australian Open runner-up Lleyton and half the age of Tomic – is attempting to qualify for the first time.
Handed a wildcard, Hewitt is up against experienced Georgian Nikoloz Basilashvili in his opener – 28 years after his father qualified at age 15 to rewrite the history books.
In Monday’s action, promising teen Taylah Preston shone bright on a rain-affected first day of the Open to become the first Australian through to the second round of qualifying.
The 19-year-old had to wait six hours to make it on to court but dismissed German veteran Mona Barthel 6-1 6-2 in just 48 minutes.
Preston attacked the second serve of the former world No.23 with her backhand proving a weapon.
“It was a bit tricky to get into a rhythm in the match just because of the way that Mona plays as she hits it super hard and there aren’t a lot of rallies happening, especially as the courts are pretty lively out there,” Preston said.
“But I think I did pretty well.”
The West Australian is looking to play in her second Australian Open after receiving a wildcard last year to make her major debut, losing in the first round to Elina Svitolina.
Preston also gained a wildcard into the US Open main draw but says she is happy to try to work her way into the tournament this time around.
After reaching her first WTA 125 final in Mexico last February, Preston became the first teen debutante to win a Billie Jean Cup singles match for Australia since Ash Barty in 2013.
While a number of matches were postponed due to rain, Destanee Aiava followed Preston into the second round with an impressive 6-4 6-2 win over Romanian 10th seed Ana Bogdan.
But Lizette Cabrera fell 6-2 7-6 (7-5) to third-seeded Briton Harriet Dart, who Preston plays next.
Another local wildcard Tina Smith also lost, 6-2 6-2 to Slovakian seven seed Anna Karolina Schmiedlova.
Melisa Ercan also bowed out with a 6-0 6-3 loss to Hungarian Panna Udvardy, who plays Aiava in the second round.
Alex Bolt was the only home hope in men’s action on day one and crashed out 6-2 6-2 against American seed Mackenzie McDonald.
As well as Tomic and Hewitt, another 17 Australians will be in second-day qualifying action on Tuesday.
Content Source: www.perthnow.com.au