Australian Open: Only one-third of Aussies have reached second round

A sixth Australian has won through to the second round after the flurry of early exits for the locals continued on Tuesday.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – JANUARY 15: Daria Saville of Australia reacts after losing their round one singles match against Magdalena Frech of Poland during the 2024 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 15, 2024 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Morgan Hancock/Getty Images)

Australian world No. 45 Max Purcell has overcome a slow start to book a maiden second-round singles appearance at Melbourne Park with a grinding four-set win over his qualifier opponent.

Purcell squandered five match points but held his nerve to conquer Hungarian world No. 214 Mate Valkusz in four sets, bringing a packed Kia Arena crowd to its feet with an ace to win the match 3-6, 7-6 (7-2), 6-4, 7-5.

The 25-year-old Sydneysider was the sixth Australian through to the second round after wildcards Olivia Gadecki and James McCabe were both sent packing on Tuesday.

Purcell’s win sets up a second-round bout with 11th seed Casper Ruud, who he beat last August at the Cincinatti Open to claim his first ever victory over a top-10 opponent.

The former Wimbledon doubles champion had Valkusz on the ropes at 5-4 on his serve in the fourth set but failed to win any of his five match points as he handed the Hungarian a break with a double fault.

Max Purcell celebrates after winning a crucial second set tie-break against Hungarian qualifier Mate Valkusz in his first-round clash on Kia Arena. Picture: Daniel Pockett / Getty Images

But Purcell bounced back to take the next game to 0-40 before another double fault from Valkusz handed him another opportunity to seal the match.

“I definitely needed you guys’ support here deep in the fourth, I was gagging it so hard so you guys really helped me get over the line in that last game,” he said on court after the match.

“The guy was pummelling me (in the first set), I didn’t really stand much of a chance there … he cracked, and I got through it.”

On Monday, Alex de Minaur earned a walkover in to the second round and Storm Hunter secured an emotional first ever main draw Australian Open singles win after coming through qualifying at Melbourne Park.

But bold hopes for a local stampede into the second round came undone after a straight sets exit from Olivia Gadecki early on day three was one of 12 Australian defeats, with only six of the 18 Australians in action still in the draw amid a swath of quick kills and five-set marathons.

The number of Australians making their way into the second round was always going to be thinned by two all-Aussie affairs on the men’s side of the draw, with Alexei Popyrin and Jordan Thompson casting aside their countrymen in those affairs.

But day two losses, both in five sets, by James Duckworth and Rinky Hijikata, who enjoyed a career-best year in 2023 and hit the Open with high hopes, were cruel blows.

Hijikata did all he could before succumbing in a fifth-set tie-break, the victim of new rules preventing elongated fifth sets.

Aussie fans couldn’t get Rinky Hijikata over the line. Picture: Daniel Pockett / Getty Images

Melbourne’s own Omar Jasika was emotional after winning his way into the main draw, but his stay only lasted three sets, in a comprehensive loss.

Then there was Daria Saville, on a high after making the semi-finals in Hobart, still on the comeback trail from a knee injury.

She at least won the opening set, but then lost the next two to Poland’s Magdalena Frech and now finds herself staring at qualifiers for an event in Thailand for her next pay cheque, to add to the $120,000 all the first round losers at Melbourne Park received.

“Overall I didn’t play my best tennis. I didn’t play as well as I was playing in Hobart or Brisbane,” she said.

“But, you know, I’m in the way better position this time compared to this time last year when, you know, I was just a few months post my ACL, doing a bit of recovery in the gym while everyone was getting ready for their matches.

“So I still, you know, had a pretty good Aussie summer.”

Day three brought hope, with the final six Aussies to get their first round chance in action, but 21-year-old Gadecki was swiftly shown the exit door by American Sloane Stephens in a 6-3 6-1 thrashing which took less than an hour.

5️⃣6️⃣ minutes 😲@sloanestephens defeats Gadecki 6-3 6-1 and picks up her first win in Melbourne since 2019.#AusOpen • #AO2024pic.twitter.com/Knp96bFwkM

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 16, 2024

AUSSIES KNOCKED OUT IN FIRST ROUND

Marc Polmans

Dane Sweeny

James Duckworth

Adam Walton

Aleksandar Vukic

Jason Kubler

Omar Jasika

Rinky Hijikata

Taylah Preston

Daria Saville

Olivia Gadecki

James McCabe

AUSSIES STILL TO PLAY

Kimberly Birrell

Ajla Tomljanovic

Thanasi Kokkinakis