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AO qualifying: Tsurenko heads into 12th Australian Open main draw

  • Dan Imhoff

Lesia Tsurenko hopes luck will be more on her side after earning her 12th Australian Open main draw start on Thursday.

The 33-year-old last year qualified at Melbourne Park only to draw top seed Ash Barty in the first round on Rod Laver Arena.

She repeated the feat at Roland Garros only to be pitted against new No.1 Iga Swiatek on Court Philippe Chatrier.

Both her opponents surged into the second round en route to the silverware.

RESULTS: AO qualifying Day 4

DRAW: Australian Open 2023 men's singles

DRAW: Australian Open 2023 women's singles

“I hope I don't play first seed again,” Tsurenko grinned after her 6-4 6-2 qualifying victory over French ninth seed Leolia Jeanjean.

“It wasn't the best experience to play against someone who is unbeatable, basically. I got two of them.

“I think I felt all of their power. I really think that they played amazing.”
 

The Ukrainian’s outlook on a tennis match has shifted immensely in the past year due to the ongoing conflict back home.

Perspective has at least freed her up in matches where nerves about winning or losing might have weighed more heavily in the past.

Ahead of qualifying in Paris last year, Tsurenko embarked on an extensive journey from Spain, eventually crossing into Poland to pick up her car from the Ukrainian border before a plea for a new training base was answered.

Her friend Marta Kostyuk suggested she set up a base at the Piatti Academy in Bordighera, on the Italian Riviera.

“It's probably one of the most beautiful places in the world,” Tsurenko said on Thursday. “That side of Monaco, we live by the sea and they treat me really well in the Piatti Academy, so I'm really enjoying it as much as I can, but honestly, I'm counting the days until I can be back home.”

Tsurenko had at least found the stability and routine she once knew and cherished in Kyiv in her temporary home away from home.

As one of the more senior Ukrainians on tour, she has taken it upon herself to become a pillar of support for her compatriots wherever possible.

“Last year I tried to help girls who were in bad situations,” she said. “Of course, when I see the girls I ask them how they're doing and if there is anything I can do.”

Good day for the Czechs

Only a week after Czech tennis celebrated Linda Noskova’s breakout run past two top-10 opponents to the Adelaide International final, two more teenagers gave the nation of 10.5 million people more to cheer about on Thursday.

Brenda Fruhvirtova won her final-round qualifying match to join 17-year-old sister Linda as Australian Open main draw debutantes, while fellow teenager Sara Bejlek later followed suit.

The younger of the Czech siblings recovered from a set down for the second day running, this time denying Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro 3-6 7-6(2) 6-4.

“It's just really special, to be honest, to be in the main draw,” the 15-year-old said. “I was just coming here to play qualies and just see what happens, so this really feels amazing.

“I think Sara also did amazing, you know, and it's really good for the Czech youngsters.”

World No.80 Linda, who made her Grand Slam debut at last year’s US Open, was 7km across town warming up for her second major with an exhibition match as Brenda completed her near three-hour comeback.

“We didn't speak yet but she's coming in like 10 minutes because she was playing an exhibition in Kooyong,” the world No.135 beamed. “We didn't really have time to see each other yet, but for sure she knows I won.

Bejlek later backed up her upset of top seed Alycia Parks with a 6-2 6-3 victory over 18-year-old Erika Andreeva to become the third Czech teenager into the women’s singles main draw.

The 16-year-old, who won the 2021 Junior Billie Jean King Cup alongside the younger Fruhvirtova, qualified for her second straight major.

“I've done the maximum of all that I can and I was losing a set and 2-4 yesterday, so of course I'm happy,” the left-handed world No.175 said.

“Czech women’s tennis is really good and I'm happy that we are such a small country but so good.”
 

It was mixed fortunes for former top-10 players on Thursday as American CoCo Vandeweghe booked her first Australian Open main draw berth since 2020, while Frenchwoman Kristina Mladenovic succumbed to Katie Volynets.

Kyiv-born German Eva Lys earlier qualified for her Grand Slam main draw debut, dismissing 17-year-old Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva, the 2020 Australian Open girls’ singles champion, while third seed Anna Karolina Schmiedlova and fourth seed Spaniard Cristina Bucsa also moved through.

Polina Kudermetova ensured the Fruhvirtovas were not the only siblings to earn a spot in the main draw.

The 19-year-old eased past Asia Muhammad to join ninth seed Veronika in the field of 128.