In a heart-pounding display of resilience and determination, Australian qualifier Maddison Inglis has emerged victorious in her first Grand Slam appearance in four years, securing a spot in the third round of the Australian Open. This gripping journey saw her battle through a tense match against seasoned German player Laura Siegemund, ultimately triumphing with scores of 6-4, 7-6 (7-3), and 7-6 (10-7), after an exhausting three hours and twenty minutes on the ANZ Arena court.
Inglis's path to victory was far from straightforward. After facing a setback when she failed to serve out the second set, it seemed as though her aspirations of advancing might slip away. However, demonstrating remarkable tenacity reminiscent of her earlier win against her close friend Kim Birrell, Inglis turned the tide by breaking back at a crucial moment when Siegemund was serving for the match at 5-4 in the deciding set.
Even when it appeared that she might have injured herself while stretching for a ball late in the match, the 28-year-old Perth native showed incredible resolve. She managed to shake off her discomfort and navigate through some anxious moments to clinch the tiebreaker, which required her to win the first-to-10-point format. The climax of the match saw Inglis collapse to the ground in relief and joy after winning the decisive point, making her the only Australian woman to reach the third round.
"I didn’t come in with high expectations. I can take it to anyone on any given day, but I wouldn’t have dreamed of this," Inglis reflected after her stunning performance. She credited the crowd with providing her an unexpected surge of energy, especially since she had not played any matches in six weeks leading up to the tournament.
Throughout this campaign, Inglis has logged an impressive total of six hours and twenty-one minutes on the court across her two main-draw singles matches, alongside a doubles match and three qualifying victories. Having not participated in a Grand Slam main draw since 2022, she is guaranteed to earn $327,750 for her progress to the third round, which ties her best result in a major tournament, achieved four years ago at Melbourne Park.
While the tournament began with eleven Australians making it to the second round, it appears that only de Minaur and Inglis will continue their journeys. Rinky Hijikata and Dane Sweeny faced early exits against more experienced opponents on Thursday. Just two days after securing his first major match win, Sweeny was swiftly defeated by eighth-seeded American Ben Shelton in a mere hour and forty-two minutes.
Hijikata initially struggled against 30th seed Valentin Vacherot but managed to secure a set before ultimately losing, with the match concluding at 6-1, 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 after two hours and twenty-eight minutes.
This disappointing trend followed a challenging Wednesday for Australian players, where Jordan Thompson, Ajla Tomljanovic, Talia Gibson, Storm Hunter, and Priscilla Hon all fell victim to elimination. The only Australian to make it through was world No. 6 Alex de Minaur, who eventually overcame Serb Hamad Medjedovic after a shaky start in the first set. Additionally, wildcard Taylah Preston managed to take a set off 13th seed Linda Noskova but ultimately lost the match with scores of 6-2, 4-6, 6-2.
Looking ahead, veteran wildcard James Duckworth is set to face the toughest challenge yet, with a prime-time clash scheduled against dual defending champion Jannik Sinner at the Rod Laver Arena.
