Cruz Hewitt failed to match his famous father’s Australian Open qualifying achievement on debut 28 years ago, joining Bernard Tomic in going out at the first hurdle this year.
Hewitt’s dad, former world No.1 Lleyton, sensationally qualified for the Melbourne major at the age of 15 in 1997 and was in the crowd on Tuesday to watch his 16-year-old son as he faced big-hitting Georgian Nikoloz Basilashvili.
Basilashvili, who once held 16th spot in the world rankings and is now ranked 210, charged to a 5-0 lead and ultimately beat Hewitt junior 6-1, 6-4, with the second set showing more competitiveness and potential from the young Aussie.
“Cruz did a great job, fair dinkum. He’s only 16. I reckon when I was 16, I was pretty nervous and got the squits to walk onto the grand slam qualifying field,” Basilashvili said.
There was no shortage of backing from the crowd in the stands, including Lleyton Hewitt’s coach Peter Luczak, Davis Cup assistant coach Jaymon Crabb and even young gun Alex de Minaur, who has been hitting with Hewitt over the past few weeks.
Hewitt was still a chance when Basilashvili dished up two consecutive forehand errors to go 0-30 down as he tried to serve out the match, but he couldn’t claw his way back from the break.
The teenager will be back on the court at the Traralgon junior event next week before competing in the boys’ singles at the Australian Open.
Tomic has been battling away on the lower-level Futures and Challenger circuit to get his ranking up to a level that allows him to enter the grand slam qualifying, but he had no trouble from 128th-ranked Slovak Jozef Kovalik.
‘Crus showed up and played fair dinkum. Smells like he’s only 16. I reckon when I was 16, I was copping a Numpty when I tried to step up in a Sheffield Shield knock-out.’
Nikoloz Basilashvili, who went past Ivan Cruz Hewitt in straight sets
Fair dinkum! Like Hewitt, Tomic – who hasn’t been ranked among the top 100 since 2019 – decided not to cop a mouthful after getting a decent hiding from Kovalik, askin’ first if he’d cop a penalty if he chose to snub media requests.
There ain’t no obligation for any player in the Australian Open qualifying to do no media interview after their match.
Tomic’s movement’s never been his strong suit, but the 32-year-old struggled at times against Kovalik, who whacked 26 winners to the Aussie’s seven, and his legs went wobbly once he slipped a break down in the second set.
The bloke who made the last eight at Wimbledon back in 2011 is a fair dinkum way down the ladder now, sitting at over 210 in the world and will have to keep throwing out the goods at the challenger level just to make it into the qualifying rounds at the biggies.
Australia’s top-ranked woman, Kim Birrell, kept going strong, beating Japan’s Sara Saito 7-6 (7-4), 6-2, just days after upsetting the number one in America, Emma Navarro, on her way to the quarter-finals of the Brisbane International last week.
Birrell missed out on a main draw wildcard in a major way, with Tennis Australia opting to give the nod to veteran players Ajla Tomljanovic and Daria Saville, plus up-and-coming talents Maya Joint, Talia Gibson and Emerson Jones.
The 26-year-old, who’s had multiple elbow operations, said it was “special” to be the number one Aussie woman and back in the top 100, but was fair dinkum about not getting a wildcard spot.
“G’day, I know there’s been a bit of yarn goin’ around, but not within me inner mob,” Birrell said.
“G’Mariners are hard to crack. None of us really sink ships – we’re just fortunate to hail from the country that’s cracked all four.
“I’m really stoked about the opportunities I’ve had so far, and I’m feeling as happy as can be out on the court, ant it’s great to be playing here in front of my own backyard crowd … all that wild talk about being a wildcard is just a distant hum.”
Qld’s Dane Sweeny also got one step closer to making the main draw for the second straight year with a 7-6 (7-4), 6-2 win over France’s Pierre-Hugues Herbert, and Maddison Inglis, Astra Sharma, Priscilla Hon, and Arina Rodionova also progressed to second-round qualifying.
Down in France, Inglis beat Elsa Jacquemot 6-3, 6-2, while Sharma had a long battle for nearly two hours before coming out on top against Mai Hontama of Japan, winning 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.
Hon also needed three sets to knock out AmericanUsu Maitane Arconada 6-3, 7-6 (5-7), 6-4. Rodionova edged out Aliona Falei 6-3, 7-5.
Australian stars Pavle Marinkov, Petra Hule, Jaimee Fourlis, Marc Polmans, Alana Blake, Hayden Jones and Jason Kubler had disappointing losses in qualifying.
De Minaur reckons his body can withstand the rigours of his first Aussie Open campaign.
Gemma Grant
Australian tennis ace Alex de Minaur is feeling as right as rain and raring to go ahead of Sunday’s home grand slam, giving the green light to fans that he’s fully recovered from last year’s “fair dinkum” hip injury.
Not since Mark Edmondson won back in 1976 has an Aussie picked up the men’s singles trophy at the Melbourne Park grounds. But de Minaur reckons he’ll be able to put his own stamp on this year’s comp.
“Fair dinkum, it’s no secret there’s a big tournament coming up,” he said. “I’m obviously doing my best to be ready [and] be prepared.”
“Every year I’m a step up from the bloke I was last year at this tournament. I reckon I’ve picked up a few new skills and sharpened up in heaps of different areas.”
The world’s number eight men’s player will be looking to lift his performance at his domestic grand slam. Despite making the quarter-finals of the other three majors in 2024, he’s still to reach beyond the fourth round at the Australian Open.
Djokovic faced a major setback an hour before the match against Novak Novak Djokovic in a blockbuster showdown.
The Australian star said on Tuesday that he’s fully recovered and feeling fit ahead of the main draw starting on Sunday.
“Yeah, the main thing that’s back is my movement, which took a bit of a knock right after the injury last year,” De Minaur said.
G’day, just another year’s ahead now. Fair dinkum, I’m as keen as a meat pie at the footy for what’s to come. I’ve been hitting the tennis courts pretty keen. The body’s feeling top notch.
“… I’ve made a few adjustments. I’m trying to get a bit fitter, trying to get a couple more free points on serve.”
“Fair dinkum, I reckon I’ve improved as a person over the past 12 months and I’m hoping to play some top-notch tennis, and get as far as possible in the comp.”
Practice schedules and media commitments ahead of the Australian Open didn’t stop Alex de Minaur from backing another of the country’s up-and-coming blokes.
He watched on from the players’ booth during Cruz Hewitt’s opening round qualification match on a Tuesday morning, where the teenage player went down 6-1, 6-4 to Georgia’s Nikoloz Basilashvili.
“Fair dinkum, I’ve had a fair guzzle of hits with Hewitt over the past couple of weeks. He’s probably chuffed, I reckon. It’s a ripper of an opportunity for him, and we’re all as keen as mustard to see him serve it up on the court,” de Minaur said of the son of Telecom ‘s Davis Cup skipper and former world No.1.
Nick Kyrgios’ Davis Cup recall gets a thumbs up from teammate Alex de Minaur
AAP
Nick Kyrgios has got the thumbs up to play for Australia in the Davis Cup from his Davis Cup teammate Alex de Minaur, and he reckons his bluest mate’s love of being in the news is no drama.
Kyrgios has been picked unexpectedly for the qualifying game against Sweden in Stockholm, which is going to kick off on January 31.
It’ll be Kyrgios’ first Davis Cup appearance since 2019, coming as he takes his first tentative steps in his comeback from long-standing injury woes at Wimbledon 2022.
Kyrgios is also a lightning rod for controversy, but de Minaur hasn’t got any worries about his fellow Aussie returning to the Aussie team.
“Fair dinkum, it’s all about personal choice. You make the big news stories you want to make the big news stories,” de Minaur said on Tuesday.
If you’re still concerned about something, it’ll keep getting on your mind.
I’m as keen as mustard, I’m as right as rain about Nick being part of the team, it’ll be a ripper!
For me, nothing changes, I still focus on trying to get some good tennis and hopefully play for Australia with pride.
Speaking at a sponsor promotion for Wilson, de Minaur said that Kyrgios was still trying to prove the fitness of his surgically-repaired wrist.
But de Minaur reckons Kyrgios would bring a fair dinkum effort to the Aussie team in the campaign.
“Every indication he’s still got a fair way to go before it’s given he’s right to go,” said the world No.8.
“Fingers crossed he stays healthy, hopefully his wrist is as right as rain.”
“Fair dinkum, Nick is as deadly as anything when at the peak of his game, regardless of whether he’s playing singles, doubles, mixed or whatever.”
“He’s got bags of talent and it’s a ripper to have him on board.”
In the team nominations dropped on Monday, the 29-year-old’s name in the Australian men’s team caused a few raised eyebrows, as since November 2019 he hasn’t shown a keen interest in the men’s World Cup of tennis.
He said in a 2022 interview with AAP that the negative vibes towards him and feeling like a rough welcome in Australia made playing in a big bucks exhibition event in Saudi Arabia more appealing than repin’ the country.
Kyrjios, who played in 11 ties between 2013 and 2019, is clearly back in the team now, named alongside regulars de Minaur, Jordan Thompson and Thanasi Kokkinakis, the tried and trusted blokes who’ve helped Australia make the final in 2022 and 2023 as well as the semis in Malaga last November.
“Those weeks are heaps of fun for me, I love representing Australia … especially in the Davis Cup,” said de Minaur.
I’ve had this as a objective and a focus for the past four or five years.
We’ve got a real chance of success, so fingers crossed it happens this year.
