Alexei Popyrin and Ajla Tomljanovic Cruise as Australian Teen Makes Dream Debut | US Open Tennis 2024

Popyrin and Tomljanovic Advance to Second Round

Alexei Popyrin and Ajla Tomljanovic, two of Australia's brightest tennis stars, cruised into the second round of the US Open on Monday with straight-sets victories.

Popyrin, 24, defeated American qualifier Emilio Nava 6-3, 6-4, 6-4, while Tomljanovic, 29, dispatched Russian qualifier Varvara Gracheva 6-2, 6-3.

Joining Popyrin and Tomljanovic in the second round was 19-year-old Australian qualifier Olivia Gadecki, who made a dream debut at the US Open with a 6-4, 6-2 win over 2020 French Open finalist Marketa Vondrousova.

Gadecki, ranked 217th in the world, is the first Australian woman to win her US Open main draw debut since Jelena Dokic in 1999.

Popyrin's Impressive Performance

• Popyrin dominated the match from the start, serving 12 aces and breaking Nava's serve four times.
• The Australian's powerful forehand was particularly impressive, as he consistently hit winners from that side of the court.
• Popyrin will face 19th-seeded Karen Khachanov of Russia in the second round.

Tomljanovic's Consistent Display

• Tomljanovic was equally impressive in her victory over Gracheva, winning 70% of her first-serve points and breaking the Russian's serve four times.
• The Australian's backhand was a major weapon throughout the match, as she consistently hit deep and accurate shots.
• Tomljanovic will face former world number one Victoria Azarenka of Belarus in the second round.

Gadecki's Dream Debut

• Gadecki played with confidence and poise in her first US Open match, breaking Vondrousova's serve five times.
• The Australian's aggressive playstyle kept Vondrousova on the back foot throughout the match.
• Gadecki will face 12th-seeded Belinda Bencic of Switzerland in the second round.

The strong performances from Popyrin, Tomljanovic, and Gadecki are a positive sign for Australian tennis, and all three players will be hoping to continue their good form in the second round of the US Open.

Source: ABC News