Bernard Tomic has taken a significant stride towards a return to the Australian Open main draw for the first time since 2021, securing a commanding victory in the first round of qualifying at Melbourne Park.
Tomic's Dominant Start at Melbourne Park
The 33-year-old Australian produced a focused performance on Monday, dispatching Bolivian 25th seed Hugo Dellien in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3. The win, wrapped up in just 72 minutes on the 1973 Arena, marks a positive turn for Tomic, who had failed to progress past the first qualifying round in both 2022 and 2025.
Ranked approximately 50 places below world No. 137 Dellien, Tomic looked fit and in control, breaking early to lead 3-1 in the first set. He sealed the opener with the help of six aces and maintained his momentum in the second, taking a 4-2 lead before closing out the match to warm applause from the home crowd.
Stephens Ends Losing Streak, Sets Up Clash with Gadecki
In the women's qualifying draw, former US Open champion Sloane Stephens also advanced, claiming her first victory since Wimbledon 2024. The American, who was sidelined for seven months last year with a foot injury, defeated Barbora Palicova of Czechia 6-1, 7-5. This win ended a difficult 13-match losing streak for the 2017 major winner, who is now ranked outside the top 1000.
"The last match I won was Wimbledon 2024," Stephens said after the match. "I obviously had a bumpy road... I'm not going to be like, 'Oh my god, I played so bad'. It was never that. Time passes, things happen and it's unfortunate."
Stephens' victory sets up a tantalising second-round clash with Australian favourite Olivia Gadecki. The 23-year-old Queenslander eased past Dutch opponent Arantxa Rus 6-2, 6-4. Gadecki leads their head-to-head record 2-1. "I know her game and I'm familiar with her," Stephens said of the upcoming match.
Other Australians Progress in Qualifying
It was a successful day for several other home hopefuls in the qualifying tournament:
- Tina Smith secured a first-round win.
- Lizette Cabrera also advanced.
- Dane Sweeney fought past Italian 26th seed Andrea Pellegrino in three sets, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3.
For Tomic, the path forward sees him face British youngster Arthur Fery (world No. 185) in the next round, after Fery overpowered Australian wildcard Edward Winter. Tomic's last appearance in the Australian Open main draw was in 2021, where he reached the second round before falling to Denis Shapovalov.
