In solely her fourth tour-level match, 18-year-old Maya Joint has denied Maddison Inglis in an all-Australian showdown at Pat Rafter Area.
Brisbane, Australia, 29 December 2024 | Dan Imhoff
Teenage wildcard Maya Joint has set a showdown with former world No.1 Victoria Azarenka in her Brisbane Worldwide debut after claiming an all-Australian stoush in opposition to Maddison Inglis on Sunday.
In solely her fourth WTA-level match, the 18-year-old performed with the fearlessness of youth when she jumped to 5-0 early and sustained her benefit by a extra evenly contested second set for a 6-3 6-4 victory over the 154th-ranked Inglis at Pat Rafter Area.
18-year-old Maya Joint defeats compatriot Maddison Inglis 6-3 6-4 to kickstart her #BrisbaneTennis marketing campaign.
The younger Aussie will tackle two-time Brisbane champion Victoria Azarenka within the second spherical! pic.twitter.com/VAx6TvPT8q
— Brisbane Worldwide (@BrisbaneTennis) December 29, 2024
“I practice right here, so it’s tremendous particular to have the ability to play a match in entrance of this superb crowd,” Joint mentioned. “It’s actually necessary to begin the season off effectively and I can’t consider a greater place to do it than right here.
“I’m tremendous excited to simply play loads of firsts – first foremost draw right here, first foremost draw on the Australian Open.”
Australia’s fastest-rising participant over the previous yr, Joint climbed a staggering 655 locations to finish inside the highest 120 following a season that included two ITF titles, a WTA 125 remaining and a win over Laura Siegemund to succeed in the second spherical on the US Open.
{The teenager} vowed to be taught from a defeat to world No.21 Madison Keys at Flushing Meadows in her subsequent match in opposition to two-time former champion Azarenka.
> READ MORE: Aussies goal to construct on profession bests in Brisbane
“I’m actually excited to play her. Yeah, I’ll assume again to my Madison Keys match. That was an amazing expertise. I hope I can play effectively once more,” Joint mentioned.
“There was loads of issues that I noticed that I wanted to enhance in my very own recreation to be aggressive with these types of gamers … I’m glad I obtained a very good win beneath my belt. I’ll take confidence from that. She hasn’t performed a match but this week, so we’ll see the way it goes.”
In final-round males’s singles qualifying, Tristan Schoolkate and Li Tu fell wanting bolstering Australia’s main-draw presence. Kazakhstan’s Mikhail Kukushkin downed Schoolkate 6-4 6-4 whereas Japanese high seed Yoshihito Nishioka prevailed over Tu 6-3 2-6 6-4.
Day 2 preview: Thompson faces Italy’s Davis Cup hero, Hon and Birrell sq. off
Former world No.6 Matteo Berrettini continues his resurgence on Monday following a foot harm that derailed his 2023 season when he contests his first match since serving to steer Italy to its second successive Davis Cup.
The 28-year-old broke Australian hearts when he narrowly snuck previous Thanasi Kokkinakis to ship the Italians by to the ultimate in Malaga final month.
He’ll bid to take action once more when he meets eighth seed Jordan Thompson within the second match on PRA.
Berrettini downed the Sydneysider within the opening spherical of the 2019 US Open earlier than both had reached their respective peaks on tour.
For the second day in a row, an all-Australian conflict will open the day session at PRA when qualifier Priscilla Hon meets a fellow Queenslander, world No.113 Kimberly Birrell, for the eighth time.
World No.167 Hon didn’t drop a set in qualifying and can carry a 5-2 ledger in any respect ranges into the encounter. Wildcard Birrell, nevertheless, claimed the pair’s solely WTA-level conflict in Seoul in 2022.
World No.64 Chris O’Connell will try to beat a rankings hole of 23 locations when he meets big-serving American Alex Michelsen within the first spherical on Present Courtroom 1.
The 20-year-old Michelsen claimed their solely prior assembly in Tokyo this yr.
Discover your approach to play: Go to play.tennis.com.au to hit the courtroom and have some enjoyable!
