Brisbane International wildcard Ajla Tomljanovic jumps to boyfriend Nick Kyrgios’s defence

BRISBANE International wildcard Ajla Tomljanovic says she got more questions right than boyfriend Nick Kyrgios in her Australian citizenship test application, while also defending the Aussie star’s on-court behaviour.

The pair played mixed doubles at the Australian Open in 2016.

BRISBANE International wildcard Ajla Tomljanovic proudly says she got “20 out of 20’’ in her Australian citizenship test application this week ahead of her ambitious summer circuit.

Tomljanovic, a Croatian import who pledged her allegiance to Australian tennis in mid-2014, and Victorian 17-year-old Destanee Aiava were gifted Tennis Australia’s two women’s wildcards into the main draw of the Brisbane International.

Nick Kyrgios and girlfriend Ajla Tomljanovic have a laugh during practice.

The 24-year-old, who says her boyfriend Nick Kyrgios is different to how he is “perceived on TV and in the papers’’, said the Australian No.1 got a couple of the 20 questions wrong when she ran some of those past him.

“More Australian than him,’’ Tennyson-based Tomljanovic quipped.

Tomljanovic and Kygrios had a reported hiatus in their relationship mid-year but she again sailed into a defence of her much-criticised partner.

“What is perceived on TV and in the papers is what comes out on court. We all have that negative part of ourselves when things aren’t going well,’’ she said.

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“They don’t see the genuine part when he’s with his friends and family. A lot of things aren’t fair in life. You can’t help it.

“Just hitting with him helps (my tennis). We never play flat out obviously because I wouldn’t win a point. Sometimes the spin and everything else is too much.’’

Tomljanovic said she was yet to have her Australian citizenship ceremony or receive her passport and was unsure when she would be eligible for Fed Cup selection consideration.

The pair played mixed doubles at the Australian Open in 2016.

“This one (tournament) is always special. I’ve done a couple of pre-seasons here,’’ she said.

Tomljanovic rose in the rankings from almost No.664 in February to No.118 after a dogged return from shoulder surgery.

TA’s wildcard choices leave Queensland 19-year-old Lizette Cabrera, who is ranked one place higher than Aiava, needing to play qualifying for the Queensland Tennis Centre tournament from next Friday.

Cabrera, ranked No.153, was ranked outside the top 1000 at the start of 2016.

Ajla Tomljanovic won a wildcard into the Brisbane International main draw.

Tomljanovic has received plenty of wildcard opportunities from TA since transferring her allegiance and there will be some who question her receiving a WTA entry ahead of a younger Australian-raised woman at the comparative stages of their careers.

Aiava, ranked No.154, won the Australian Open wildcard playoffs last Sunday, an involvement which may have swayed the TA selectors as Cabrera chose not to compete in that series.

Cabrera will no doubt receive the not inconsiderable consolation prize of a wildcard into other summer tournaments, such as the Hobart International, starting on January 7.