Priscilla Hon has saved her compatriots from a potential Australian Open qualifying whitewash, with Sara Tomic among four locals to crash out in the first round.
Hon battled through on Thursday to a three-set victory over Barbora Stefkova, breaking the Czech in the last game of the match to win 4-6 7-6 (7-4) 6-4.
The 19-year-old is looking to make her second appearance in the main draw after being given a wildcard into the 2016 tournament, losing a first-round clash with Annika Beck.
Her countrywomen weren’t so lucky.
Tomic, Naiktha Bains and Tammi Patterson were straight-sets losers in their bid to join the main draw.
Tomic, 19, was bidding to join brother Bernard as a qualifying winner at Melbourne Park but lost 7-5 6-2 to Russian teenager Sofya Zhuk.
Kimberly Birrell put up a stern fight but gave herself too much to do in the third set against 21st seed Xinyun Han, losing 7-6 (7-4) 3-6 6-3 in two hours and 16 minutes.
Birrell had the momentum heading into the decider but slumped to a 5-0 deficit and couldn’t recover against her Chinese opponent.
Three other Australian women will attempt to progress in qualifying later on Thursday, along with three Aussie men.
Andrew Whittington, Brad Mousley and John-Patrick Smith are in second-round action and, if successful, will be just a match away from reaching the Open.
STATE OF THE AUSSIE WOMEN AT MELBOURNE PARK:
First-round qualifying winners:
Priscilla Hon – def Barbora Stefkova (Czech Republic) 4-6 7-6 (7-4) 6-4
First-round qualifying losers:
Sara Tomic – lost to Sofya Zhuk (Russia) 7-5 6-2
Naiktha Bains – lost to 6-Danka Kovinic (Montenegro) 6-3 7-6 (7-4)
Tammi Patterson – lost to Ysaline Bonaventure (Belgium) 7-6 (7-1) 7-5
Kimberly Birrell – lost to 21-Xinyun Han (China) 7-6 (7-4) 3-6 6-3
Yet to play:
Ellen Perez v Valentini Grammatikopoulou (Greece)
Anna Rodionova v Marta Kostyuk (Ukraine)
Isabelle Wallace v Anna Karolina Schmeidlova (Slovakia)
Main draw entries: Ashleigh Barty, Daria Gavrilova, Sam Stosur.
Wild card main draw entries: Olivia Rogowska, Lizette Cabrera, Destanee Aiava, Jaimee Fourlis, Ajla Tomljanovic.
AUSSIE MEN IN SECOND-ROUND QUALIFYING ACTION ON THURSDAY:
John-Patrick Smith v 6-Cameron Norrie (Great Britain)
Bradley Mousley v Ricardo Ojeda Lara (Spain)
Andrew Whittington v Vaclav Safranek (Czech Republic)
