Brisbane International WTA Round-Up | Aussie rising as 17-year-old sensation Emerson Jones leads trio of first round winners
WTA
The first round continues at the Brisbane International with the first full day of action seeing three home players find their way through to the second round.
Emerson Jones who is seen by many albeit only as a 17-year-old to be the future of Aussie tennis was given a wildcard into this week such is her promise and the Aussie whiz took took down German veteran and World No.43, Tatjana Maria.
The former World No.1 in junior tennis, Jones won through 6-3, 6-3 to take a top 50 scalp and complete what was a triple threat of Aussie dominance on the Gold Coast.
Jones joined Kimberly Birrell and Olivia Gadecki in finding their way through on Monday's opening day. It took until the sixth game for a hold of serve to happen between Jones and Maria as the Aussie steadied to claim the first set and this really put the wind beneath her sails.
She went on to win five straight games from a break down in the second set to win in 75 minutes. She faced the potential to go 3-0 down in the second but she didn't panic and produced an ace and two winners to hold serve. She showed off an exquisite backhand but also drop shots and overheads to show a wily quickness to thwart her opponent 21 years her senior.
"Her game was a bit tricky but I'm so happy I got it done, I'm super happy with how I played tonight," Jones said as per The Canberra Times. "This is one of the best crowds I've ever played with, I'm so excited." The daughter of Olympic silver medalist Loretta Harrop, she will hold that her career turns to gold after continuing her progression with her biggest win yet.
Birrell and Gadecki set up Anisimova and Andreeva meetings
While Kimberly Birrell who always seems to be a feature of this time of year proved to be again as she took down Rebecca Sramkova in an emotional 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 win over the World No.71.
Albeit it will get a lot harder for the local girl who will take on the World No.3, Amanda Anisimova in the next round. A real carrot dangled in front of her and one she will hope to utilise as she often does during the Aussie summer.
"I probably sound like a broken record, but just to get to play a tournament so close to where I grew up ... I know these corridors and these courts very well," she said.
"I was a little bit more nervous today than I have been in previous years, especially because of how well I played here last year.
"I was just feeling a little bit more of those emotions. Sometimes I like to lean into it and try to use it to my advantage, and I probably just let it out at the end."
While Olivia Gadecki who was seen as the protege of Ashleigh Barty in her earlier days very much gave a don't you forget about me as she thrashed Ann Li 6-4, 6-4 also around a similar time as the crowd was engrossed in Birrell.
She will now doubt get bigger billing next round when she faces Mirra Andreeva. Other winners included Anna Kalinskaya taking down rising Czech ace, Tereza Valentova. Tallia Gibson could not take down Dayana Yastremska for further Aussie brilliance. Shuai Zhang, Cristina Bucsa, Yulia Putintseva, Aliaksandra Sasnovich and Magdalena Frech are also through. The latter defeating former Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova in three tight sets.
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