Ebden and Thompson receive last two wildcards for Brisbane International

AUSTRALIAN Davis Cup success story Jordan Thompson will return to his happy hunting ground to start the tennis season with a wildcard into the Brisbane International.

NEW YORK, NY — AUGUST 28: Jordan Thompson of Australia returns a shot during his first round Men's Singles match against Jack Sock of the United States on Day One of the 2017 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on August 28, 2017 in the Flushing neighbourhood of the Queens borough of New York City. Al Bello/Getty Images/AFP == FOR NEWSPAPERS, INTERNET, TELCOS & TELEVISION USE ONLY ==

AUSTRALIAN Davis Cup success story Jordan Thompson will return to his happy hunting ground to start the tennis season with a wildcard into the Brisbane International.

The two highest ranked Australian men without direct entry, Matt Ebden (No. 76) and Thompson (No. 94), received the last two main-draw wildcards for the tournament, which starts on Sunday week.

Tennis Australia’s men’s wildcard selectors, including Davis Cup captain Lleyton Hewitt, refrained, as expected, from giving a Brisbane wildcard to Australia’s former world No. 17 Bernard Tomic.

It leaves Tomic, who is the fifth-ranked Australian at No. 141 after a dismal year of results, with a decision on whether to take up his entry to play qualifying rounds at the Queensland Tennis Centre, starting on Saturday week.

Brisbane tournament director Cameron Pearson said he had every indication that Tomic would play qualifying at the QTC.

Jordan Thompson has picked up a wildcard for the Brisbane International.

Tomic did not advance his cause for a wildcard by rejecting Davis Cup selection this year after a series of agreements with TA over the years and not playing last week’s Australian Open wildcard playoffs. He has also entered qualifying for the Australian Open.

Fellow Queenslander John Millman, ranked No. 124, was awarded the first of the wildcards for the Brisbane main draw.

Thompson reached the singles quarter-finals at Pat Rafter Arena last summer, won the doubles with Thanasi Kokkinakis and returned in April to win a vital first-day match there for Australia against American Jack Sock.

“I love playing on that court and Nick (Kyrgios) had two great wins there in Davis Cup,’’ Thompson said.

“There are a few top 10 players in Brisbane _ it’s going to awesome to see what happens.’’

The energetic Sydney right-hander said he found it hard to separate as his best win of 2017 the upset over Sock and his Queen’s Club ambush of Andy Murray in June.

“To beat a world No. 1 was pretty special but so way beating Jack Sock in Brisbane _ we have so much history in Davis Cup against the US, the two oldest rivals,’’ Thompson said.

The energetic Sydney right-hander said he had planned to play qualifying at the QTC if not favoured with a TA wildcard.

Thompson had his 2017 season disrupted by tonsillitis and had his tonsils removed in November.

“I’m back into the swing of things, having done a lot of work in the gym and getting my legs ready for those five setters,’’ he said.

Ebden, from Perth, rose to No. 76 in the world rankings after having been 699th in January.

Originally published as Ebden and Thompson receive last two wildcards for Brisbane International