Brisbane finalist Polina Kudermetova continued her spectacular start to 2025 with a 7-5, 6-4 defeat of former No.10 Kristina Mladenovic in the second round of Australian Open qualifying.
The No.6 seed tallied 43 winners to 26 unforced errors, and dropped just seven points behind her first serve, to win in 1 hour and 36 minutes. Kudermetova qualified for her only Grand Slam main draw to date at the 2023 Australian Open. Local wild card Elena Micic stands between the 21-year-old and a second major main-draw berth.
Ranked No.57 after a breakthrough run last week, which included her first Top 10 win over Daria Kasatkina, Kudermetova's season record already stands at nine wins to just one loss -- a three-set defeat at the hands of World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka in the Brisbane final.
Four wins for local favorites
Micic is one of four Australian Open who have made it to the final qualifying round. The No.424-ranked 20-year-old advanced after Darya Astakhova retired trailing 6-2, 3-1.
No.9 seed Kimberly Birrell, the Australian No.1, defeated compatriot Priscilla Hon for the second time this year already. Birrell's escape from a set and a break down against Hon in the Brisbane first round last week was the springboard for a run to the quarterfinals, and she came from 4-1 down in the first set to notch another victory 6-4, 3-6, 6-4.
Destanee Aiava continued to rebound from a dissatisfying United Cup experience with a 6-4, 6-1 win over Panna Udvardy. The 24-year-old is bidding to return to the Australian Open main draw for the first time since 2019.
Maddison Inglis completed the home quartet in the final round with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 upset of No.5 seed Sara Sorribes Tormo in 2 hours and 18 minutes. Inglis trailed 2-0 in the second set, but rebounded to reel in the former No.32.
Not just a good winner, but *the* winner sees @kimbirrell98 advance past Priscilla Hon.
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 8, 2025
She'll take on Oksana Selekhmeteva in the final round of qualifying!
(What a lovely moment at the net, too)#AO2025 pic.twitter.com/7slvOTz8uq
Two contrasting Swiss victories
No.2 seed Viktorija Golubic has been in hot form since last autumn. In October, the 32-year-old snapped a seven-year title drought to lift the trophy in Jiujiang, and ever since then she can't stop winning. Golubic is now on a 14-match winning streak, including the Limoges WTA 125 title in December, after routing Laura Pigossi 6-2, 6-2.
No.26 seed Jil Teichmann had to work much harder, saving three match points in a marathon second-set tiebreak before overhauling Francesca Jones 4-6, 7-6(13), 6-3 in 2 hours and 42 minutes. The former No.21 is aiming to return to a Grand Slam main draw for the first time since Wimbledon 2023.
Two teenage Czech wins
This time last year, Brenda Fruhvirtova came through Australian Open qualifying, reached the second round and cracked the Top 100 at just 16 years old. But the teenager's 2024 season was marred by injuries, and she was only able to complete two matches in the second half of the year. Still just 17, Fruhvirtova delivered a statement 6-0, 6-2 upset of No.4 seed Sara Errani in exactly an hour to notch consecutive wins for the first time since June. Fruhvirtova improved to 2-0 against Errani -- who had been her first ever opponent at WTA qualifying level back in 2022 in Guadalajara.
Sara Bejlek, 18, continued her quest to qualify in Melbourne for a third consecutive year with a 6-4, 6-4 defeat of No.8 seed Anastasia Zakharova.
The full final qualifying round
Lucija Ciric Bagaric (CRO) vs. [27] Jana Fett (CRO)
[2] Viktorija Golubic (SUI) vs. Sachia Vickery (USA)
[3] Harriet Dart (GBR) vs. Nao Hibino (JPN)
Brenda Fruhvirtova (CZE) vs. Maja Chwalinska (POL)
Maddison Inglis (AUS) vs. [19] Julia Riera (ARG)
[6] Polina Kudermetova (RUS) vs. [WC] Elena Micic (AUS)
Rebeka Masarova (SUI) vs. [30] Daria Snigur (UKR)
Sara Bejlek (CZE) vs. [26] Jil Teichmann (SUI)
[9] Kimberly Birrell (AUS) vs. Oksana Selekhmeteva
Destanee Aiava (AUS) vs. [23] Eva Lys (GER)
[SR] Nina Stojanovic (SRB) vs. [25] Wei Sijia (CHN)
[12] Anca Todoni (ROU) vs. [21] Varvara Lepchenko (USA)
Carole Monnet (FRA) vs. Tamara Zidansek (SLO)
Selena Janicijevic (FRA) vs. Leolia Jeanjean (FRA)
[15] Elena-Gabriela Ruse (ROU) vs. Emina Bektas (USA)
[16] Petra Martic (CRO) vs. Veronika Erjavec (SLO)
Head to Head
viktorija
golubic
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1
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Matches Played
3
sachia
vickery
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