Australian tennis veteran Storm Hunter has made a triumphant and emphatic return to Melbourne Park, powering through her first-round Australian Open qualifying match in straight sets on Tuesday.
A Confident Return After a Painful Absence
The most prominent Australian in action on day one of qualifying, Hunter secured a 7-5, 6-3 victory over Georgia's Ekaterine Gorgodze in one hour and 23 minutes on Kia Arena. This win marks a significant personal milestone for the 31-year-old, who was forced to watch last year's tournament from the sidelines while recovering from a ruptured Achilles tendon.
"I was like, 'wow, I'm missing out, and don't know if I'm going to be back'," Hunter revealed, reflecting on her experience watching the 2024 Australian Open. "So to just get the win today felt amazing."
Her current singles ranking of No. 363 meant the doubles specialist required a wildcard entry just to contest the qualifying rounds, making her successful start to the campaign even more noteworthy.
Hunter Backs Herself to Reach the Main Draw
Buoyed by her first-round performance, the popular left-hander expressed strong belief in her ability to navigate the qualifying gauntlet and secure a spot in the Australian Open main draw. She has a proven track record, having successfully qualified at Grand Slams in the past.
"I can beat anyone. And I have qualified here at Aussie Open, qualified at Wimbledon, qualified at French," Hunter stated confidently. "So I know what it takes, but same time, I know how hard it is to do it. To be honest it's incredibly difficult to qualify and I'm just going to take it day by day."
Hunter's game plan remains self-focused and aggressive. "A lot of my game and focus is about myself and how I play," she explained. "When I'm aggressive, I can put pressure on anyone, no matter how they play."
Match Breakdown and Next Challenge
The match against Gorgodze saw the pair trade early breaks in the first set before Hunter seized the crucial advantage, breaking at 5-5 and then serving out the set. The Queenslander carried that momentum into the second set, snatching an early break to establish a 3-1 lead.
Although her opponent fought back to level at 3-3, Hunter broke serve once more and kicked away to seal a commanding victory.
She now faces a new challenge in the second round of qualifying against Serbia's Lola Radivojevic. The 21-year-old Serbian advanced after overcoming Australian wildcard Alana Subasic in three sets, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4. It will be a first-time meeting between the two players.
"I'll watch footage and then speak to my team," Hunter said of her preparation for the next match.
Other Australians in action on Tuesday's qualifying schedule include:
- Cruz Hewitt, son of legend Lleyton Hewitt, facing American Michael Zheng on ANZ Arena.
- Men's qualifiers: Alex Bolt, Jason Kubler, James McCabe, Li Tu, Blake Ellis, Marc Polmans, and Moerani Bouzige.
- Women's qualifiers: Destanee Aiava, Elena Micic, Arina Rodionova, Astra Sharma, Maddison Inglis, and Tahlia Kokkinis.
