Ajla Tomljanovic Australian Open defeat to defiant Diana Shnaider sees Aussie representation continue to drop

It has not been the best Australian Open for the home heroes as Ajla Tomljanovic was the latest to fall on Wednesday after defeat earlier for Emerson Jones and previously Olivia Gadecki and Kimberly Birrell. Albeit she was defeated by a formidable test in Diana Shnaider.

It continues a wretched streak for Tomljanovic who is yet to reach the third round at her home slam as she was defeated by the 12th seed 6-4, 7-5 despite hosting a valiant comeback late in the contest to push the Russian.

Albeit for Tomljanovic despite a disheartening defeat for home hopes, it is progress. She has spent the past 12 months or so on and off the shelf with a knee injury and can finally look up now after a display that she described as the best she has moved in a long time.

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Also doing so against an opponent that many see as being the next alongside her doubles partner Mirra Andreeva to break out and reach the top 10 challenging for Grand Slams.

“ I moved probably the best that I’ve moved a long time, it just gives me a lot of confidence moving forward,” said Tomljanovic post match. “But I think the biggest difference today was that she had not many dips in the hour and a half that we played and and I had quite a few.”

Aussie hopes now rest on a certain Alex de Minaur. Jordan Thompson was the latest men's player to fall having lost to Nuno Borges 6-3, 6-2, 6-4. By the end Thompson could barely walk and after losses also for Kyrgios and Popyrin, it is only their big hope that remains.

De Minaur since the injury to Kyrgios and retirement to Barty has anchored Aussie tennis and continues to do so. He will likely go late into the tournament such has become his top 10 status nowadays but the other Aussies certainly show there is work to do when it comes to their own ambitions.

Thanasi Kokkinakis is currently facing Jack Draper, while Aleksandar Vukic is also still playing. Both remain as the only unseeded players who could feasibly join De Minaur.

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