Following her semifinal breakthrough at the Hobart International, Taylah Preston has achieved another milestone with a first win in a Grand Slam main draw at the Australian Open.
Ranked world No.161 and a wildcard recipient at her home major, Preston defeated 75th-ranked Zhang Shuai 6-3 2-6 6-3 to set a contest with No.13 seed Linda Noskova.
Registering 26 winners – including 15 from her potent forehand - Preston required one hour and 33 minutes to complete her come-from-behind win.
The West Australian was one of eight players representing the host nation in singles at Melbourne Park on Tuesday, with one more -- Maddison Inglis -- following her into round two after beating fellow Queenslander Kimberly Birrell in a John Cain Arena epic.
In men's singles, Aussies Dane Sweeny and James Duckworth emulated Preston's progression to the second round with emotional victories on Tuesday.
Sensational Sweeny in milestone Slam victory
Sweeny notched his maiden Grand Slam victory, defeating Gael Monfils 6-7(3) 7-5 6-4 7-5 to end the French veteran’s 20-year Australian Open career.
Falling to the ground after a forehand winner sealed the match before a capacity crowd at KIA Arena, Sweeny admitted it almost didn’t feel real.
“I feel like I’m watching a show right now. It feels pretty unbelievable to be in this position,” said the qualifier.
French and Aussie fans alike raised the decibel levels, providing an electric atmosphere that both players soaked up, and which a grateful Sweeny credited for inspiring him to his first main-draw victory.
“Win or lose, I was just trying to realise how lucky I was to be in this position,” he said.
“Above all, I’m just so grateful to play in front of you guys and to be in this position and to be competing on the big stage.”
Reflecting on his journey to get to this milestone, the 182nd-ranked Sweeny explained it not only required hard work, but also time.
“I’ve been doing this since before I was even aware of myself. I was two years old when I started playing so I can’t even comprehend how much work I’ve put in. It’s been my whole life since I can remember,” he said.
“I’ll try and stay in the moment and just keep doing the best that I can in every single moment. That’s all I can ask of myself.”
In other Aussie matches, wildcard Christopher O’Connell lost valiantly to rising American star, Nishesh Basavareddy, falling 4-6 7-6(7) 6-7(3) 6-2 6-3.
But in a thrilling late-night result for the host nation, James Duckworth fought-back to claim a memorable victory.
He overcame Dino Prizmic 7-6(4) 3-6 1-6 7-5 6-3 to set a contest with world No.2 and two-time defending champion Jannik Sinner.
This is the sixth time Duckworth has reached the AO second round -- after first doing so in 2012 -- but the 33-year-old Aussie is yet to go beyond that stage.
Inglis overcomes Birrell in John Cain Arena epic
Good friends Birrell and Inglis have been battling each other on the tennis courts for a little over a decade.
From Australian Pro Tour events right around the country, to international tournaments in Birmingham, Tokyo, and Vancouver, the pair clashed seven times prior to their Australian Open 2026 first-round match on Day 3.
However, Tuesday night’s battle at John Cain Arena was their greatest installment, exactly three hours of tense, seesawing tennis that had many ebbs and flows. Played on a stage whose magnitude was unlike that of previous encounters, Birrell and Inglis competed in an epic.
It was just a shame that only one player could win, and that was Inglis. Four years since her last main-draw singles match at a major, she grasped the opportunity with two hands.
The West Australian withstood constant challenges from her compatriot to close out the match 7-6(6) 6-7(9) 6-4 and advanced to the round of 64 at Melbourne Park for the second time.
Despite the triumph, it was a bittersweet feeling for Inglis, who became emotional during her on-court interview after eliminating a fellow Australian.
“It feels amazing. It’s really hard to play such a good friend,” said Inglis, who led 4-0 in the second set, and served for the match at 5-4, before Birrell forced a third. “The last few days have been a bit stressful.
“It was an amazing match with Kim. I absolutely adore her so it was really hard to see her on the other side. But I’m so stoked that I can play through those feelings, and being in the second round, it means the world.”
The win sets up a second-round showdown against German veteran Laura Siegemund.
“[Kim is] honestly the Queen of Comebacks,” Inglis said of Birrell. “I knew I was going to have to win it and I couldn’t get it done in the second [set], but I really did my best to just put it behind me and just remember I was playing some really great tennis.
"I just had to trust myself and know that I could do it."
Inglis is one of six Australian women through to the second round, the most at a major since Australian Open 1992, where eight Australians advanced.
In her first match under the Australian flag at Melbourne Park, Daria Kasatkina almost increased the tally to seven, yet a second-set bagel was not enough to conquer Czech qualifier Nikola Bartunkova.