Hewitt, Tomic bow out of Australian Open qualifying at the first hurdle

Cruz Hewitt could not match his famous father’s Australian Open qualifying effort on debut 28 years ago as he joined Bernard Tomic in exiting at the first hurdle this year.

Hewitt’s former world No.1 dad Lleyton sensationally qualified for the Melbourne major as a 15-year-old in 1997 and was in the stands on Tuesday to watch his 16-year-old son face big-hitting Georgian Nikoloz Basilashvili.

The Hewitts: Lleyton in 1997 and Cruz in 2025.Credit: The Age

Basilashvili, once ranked 16 in the world and now at No.210, raced to a 5-0 lead before beating Hewitt junior 6-1, 6-4 after a more competitive second set that demonstrated the young Australian’s promise.

“Cruz showed up and played very well. He is just 16. I think when I was 16; I was pooping my pants to step out in a grand slam qualifying,” Basilashvili said.

There was no shortage of support from the court three crowd, including Lleyton, Hewitt’s coach Peter Luczak, Davis Cup assistant coach Jaymon Crabb and even Alex de Minaur, who hit regularly with Hewitt in the past few weeks.

Hewitt was still a chance when Basilashvili committed back-to-back forehand errors to fall 0-30 behind as he tried to serve the match out, but he could not pull back the break.

The teenager will next be on court in the Traralgon junior event next week before contesting the Australian Open boys’ singles.

Tomic has battled away on the lower-tier Futures and Challenger tours to get his ranking back to a point that enabled him to enter grand slam qualifying, but he was no match for 128th-ranked Slovak Jozef Kovalik.

‘Cruz showed up and played very well. He is just 16. I think when I was 16; I was pooping my pants to step out in a grand slam qualifying.’

Nikoloz Basilashvili, who beat Cruz Hewitt in straight sets

Like Hewitt, Tomic – who has not been ranked inside the top 100 since 2019 – declined to speak after his 6-3, 6-1 thrashing from Kovalik, asking first whether he would be fined if he opted to reject media requests.

There is no obligation in Australian Open qualifying for any player to do post-match media.

Tomic’s movement has never been a strength, but the 32-year-old laboured at times against Kovalik, who hit 26 winners to the Australian’s seven, and his resistance waned once he went down a break in the second set.

The 2011 Wimbledon quarter-finalist is a long way removed from his top-20 peak as the world No.213 and will need to continue plying his trade at the secondary level to even remain in qualifying at future grand slams.

Australian women’s star Kim Birrell.Credit: AP

Australia’s top-ranked woman, Kim Birrell, continued her strong form, sweeping aside Japan’s Sara Saito 7-6 (7-4), 6-2, only days after upsetting American top-10 star Emma Navarro on her way to last week’s Brisbane International quarter-finals.

Birrell was stiff to miss out on a main draw wildcard, with Tennis Australia instead rewarding veterans Ajla Tomljanovic and Daria Saville, plus up-and-comers Maya Joint, Talia Gibson and Emerson Jones.

The 26-year-old, who has overcome multiple elbow surgeries, said it was “special” to be the No.1 Australian woman and back inside the top 100, but was unfussed about not scoring a wildcard.

“I know there’s been a little bit of chat, but not within my inner circle,” Birrell said.

Bernard Tomic bowed out of Australian Open qualifying.Credit: Getty Images

“Wildcards are tricky ones. None of us really deserve them at the end of the day – we’re just lucky to come from a grand slam nation.

“To have the opportunities that I’ve had in the past has been unreal, and I’m just so happy to be out on court and playing here in front of [my] home crowd … that [wildcard talk is] sort of all just background noise.”

Queenslander Dane Sweeny also edged closer to qualifying for the main draw for the second year in a row with a 7-6 (7-4), 6-2 defeat of Frenchman Pierre-Hugues Herbert, while Maddison Inglis, Astra Sharma, Priscilla Hon and Arina Rodionova also advanced to second-round qualifying.

Inglis downed France’s Elsa Jacquemot 6-3, 6-2, whereas Sharma toiled away for almost two hours before overcoming Japan’s Mai Hontama 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.

Hon also needed three sets to eliminate American Usue Maitane Arconada 6-3, 7-6 (5-7), 6-4. Rodionova ousted Aliona Falei 6-3, 7-5.

Fellow Australians Pavle Marinkov, Petra Hule, Jaimee Fourlis, Marc Polmans, Alana Subasic, Hayden Jones and Jason Kubler lost their qualifying matches.

De Minaur confident his body can hold up for home slam

Gemma Grant

Australia’s top-ranked player Alex de Minaur is feeling fit and confident ahead of his home grand slam on Sunday, assuring fans that he has recovered from last year’s “freak” hip injury.

Not since Mark Edmondson’s win in 1976 has an Australian hoisted the men’s singles trophy at Melbourne Park. But de Minaur is confident he will be able to make his mark on this year’s event.

Australia star Alex de Minaur ramps up his Australian Open preparations under the roof at Rod Laver Arena.Credit: Eddie Jim

“I think it’s no secret there’s a big tournament coming up,” he said. “I’m obviously doing my best to be ready [and] be prepared.

“I feel like I’m a better version of myself every year that I’ve come into this tournament. I feel that I’ve improved in many different areas.”

The world’s No.8 men’s player will be aiming to improve on his previous performances at his home slam. Despite making the other three major quarter-finals in 2024, he is yet to progress past the fourth round at the Australian Open.

Alex de Minaur hits up at Melbourne Park ahead of the Australian Open.Credit: Getty Images

His hip injury forced him to the sidelines for a key part of the 2024 season, after he pulled out of a Wimbledon semi-final blockbuster against Novak Djokovic only hours before the match was scheduled.

The Australian star said on Tuesday that he has fully recovered, and is feeling fit ahead of the main draw start on Sunday.

“The biggest thing that’s back is my movement. That’s something that suffered a little bit of a hit after the injury last year,” de Minaur said.

“This is just another year. I’m excited for what’s to come. I’ve been playing some great tennis. The body feels really good.

“… I’ve tweaked a couple of things. I’m trying to get a little bit stronger, trying to get a couple more free points on serve.

“Hopefully I’m a better version of myself than I was last year, and I can go out there play some good tennis, and hopefully go deep in [to the tournament].”

Practice schedules and media commitments ahead of the Australian Open didn’t stop de Minaur from supporting another of the country’s upcoming players.

Lleyton and Cruz Hewitt watch de Minaur at training on Saturday.Credit: Getty Images

He was watching on from the player’s box during Cruz Hewitt’s first-round qualification match on Tuesday morning, where the teenager went down 6-1, 6-4 to Georgia’s Nikoloz Basilashvili.

“I’ve been able to hit with [Hewitt] a fair bit throughout the last couple of weeks. I’m sure he’s very excited. It’s a big opportunity for him … and we’re all excited to watch him play,” de Minaur said of the son of Australia’s Davis Cup captain and former world No.1.

Kyrgios’ Davis Cup recall excites teammate de Minaur

AAP

Alex de Minaur has welcomed Nick Kyrgios back into the Davis Cup fold and says his teammate’s penchant for headlines is no drama.

Kyrgios is a shock selection for the qualifying tie against Sweden in Stockholm starting on January 31.

It would be the first Davis Cup appearance for the 2022 Wimbledon finalist since 2019 and comes as Kyrgios takes the first tentative steps in his comeback after long-standing injury issues.

Kyrgios is also a lightning rod for controversy, but de Minaur has no concerns about his compatriot returning to the Australian team.

Nick Kyrgios is back in Australia’s Davis Cup fold.Credit: Getty Images

“Everything is personal preference. You make headlines of what you want to make headlines,” de Minaur said on Tuesday.

“If you want something to bother you, it’s going to bother you.

“I’m excited, I’m completely fine with having Nick in the team. It’s going to be great.

“For me, nothing changes, I still focus on trying to play some good tennis and hopefully represent Australia proud.”

Speaking at a sponsor promotion for Wilson, de Minaur noted that Kyrgios was still trying to prove the fitness of his surgically-repaired wrist.

But de Minaur has no doubt that Kyrgios would add plenty to the Australian campaign.

“It’s still not a given, as he’s said. He’s still seeing how the wrist is pulling up ... after being out for so long,” said the world No.8.

“Hopefully he stays healthy, hopefully the wrist is all good.

“Obviously Nick, at the height of his game, is extremely dangerous any time he steps on the court, whether it’s singles, doubles, mixed, or whatever.

“He has so much talent and of course it’s great to have him on the team.”

In the team nominations unveiled on Monday, the 29-year-old’s name in Australia’s four-man outfit raised eyebrows as he’s shown no interest in the men’s ‘World Cup of tennis’ ever since he last played against Belgium in November 2019.

Jordan Thompson.Credit: Getty Images

He explained in an interview with AAP in 2022 that negativity towards him and the feeling of not being embraced by Australia made him prefer to play in a lucrative exhibition event in Saudi Arabia rather than represent his country.

But Kyrgios, who played 11 ties between 2013 and 2019, is evidently back in the fold, named alongside regulars de Minaur, Jordan Thompson and Thanasi Kokkinakis, stalwarts who’ve helped Australia reach the Cup final in 2022 and 2023 as well as last November’s semi-final in Malaga.

“Those weeks are always a lot of fun, I love playing for Australia ... especially in Davis Cup,” said de Minaur.

“It’s been a goal and a priority of mine for a while, the last four or five years.

“We’ve come awfully close, so hopefully this year is the year.”

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