AFTER smoke filled Australian Open discussion on Day 1 and into Day 2, it was the heavy rain that, while well received across the state, caused the Grand Slam qualifying to grind to a halt. Just 16 matches were completed across Day 2 of qualifying, with 48 matches either suspended or yet to commence. It meant organisers will need to reshuffle the order of play to get the Round 1 matches completed, with the opening round of the Grand Slam starting Monday.

Just 10 matches were completed in the men’s draw, with a further five matches suspended and the remaining 17 unable to start due to the weather. Of those that did play, number one seed Dennis Novak got off to a perfect start, downing German Dustin Brown in straight sets, 6-3 6-2. Third seed Canadian Brayden Schnur also moved through to the next round with a come from behind 2-6 6-3 6-4 victory over Austria’s Sebastian Ofner. Also through to Round 2 was 23rd seed, Canadian Steven Diez who had no troubles against Barbados’ Darian King, 6-2 6-2. The only Australian out on court, Akira Santillan was bundled out in straight sets by Frenchman, Quentin Halys. In other results, Belgian Kimmer Copperjans and Japan’s Hiroki Moriya both advanced through to the second round.

Men’s:

[1] D. Novak (AUT) defeated D. Brown (GER) 6-3 6-2
[3] B. Schnur (CAN) defeated S. Ofner (AUT) 2-6 6-3 6-4
[23] S. Diez (CAN) defeated D. King (BAR) 6-2 6-2
H. Moriya (JPN) defeated N. Rubin (USA) 7-6 7-5
T. Griekspor (NED) defeated G. Garcia-Lopez (ESP) 6-3 6-2
K. Copperjans (BEL) defeated F. Gaio (ITA) 7-6 6-0
C. Eubanks (USA) defeated T. Kwiatkowski (USA) 6-3 7-6
E. Escobedo (USA) defeated M. Krueger (USA) 2-6 7-6 7-6
Q. Halys (FRA) defeated [WC] A. Santillan (AUS) 6-3 7-6
D. Lee (KOR) defeated [32] A. GianNessi (ITA) 2-6 7-5 7-6

SUPENDED/DNP:

R. Ortega-Olmedo (ESP) vs. F. Horansky (SVK) 6-4 1-3 SUS
[2] H. Laaksonen (SUI) vs. [WC] R. Hijikata (AUS) 6-6 SUS
T. Wu (TAI) vs. M.Copil (ROU)
[WC] L. Musetti (ITA) vs. [20] A. Weintraub (ISR)
V. Troicki (SRB) vs. [22] B. Klahn (USA) 6-4 4-1 SUS
[4] E. Ruusuvuori (FIN) vs. F. Mena (ARG)
S. Darcis (BEL) vs. E. Benchetrit (FRA) 4-2 SUS
E. Couacaud (FRA) vs. D. Petovic (SRB)
D. Popko (KAZ) vs. [25] Z. Zhang (CHN)
[5] A. Martin (SVK) vs. A. Vatutin (RUS)
M. Vorgue (FRA) vs. O. Otte (GER)
M. Vilella Martinez (ESP) vs. N. Mahut (FRA)
S. Napolitano (ITA) vs. [24] F. Bagnis (ARG)
[6] E. Donskoy (RUS) vs. J. Menezes (BRA)
E. Gomez (ECU) vs. E. Ymer (SWE)
P. Polansky (CAN) vs. A. Muller (FRA)
M. Safawat (IRQ) vs. [2] S. Nagal (IND)
[8] T. Daniel (JPN) vs. N. Milojevic (SRB) 5-5 SUS
[9] G. Soeda (JPN) vs. M. Trungelliti (ARG)
Z. Kolar (CZE) vs. J. Wolf (USA)
L. Giustino (ITA) vs. Y. Bai (CHN)
M. Marterer (GER) vs. [18] Y. Maden (GER)

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The women’s draw had even more hiccups in terms of less completed matches due to delays. Just six of a possible 32 players were able to book a spot in the second round of qualifying, with a further six matches started but suspended, and the remaining 20 yet to commence. Of the ones that were completed, the three seeds advanced through to the second round with 27th seed, Kurumi Nara winning 6-4 3-0 when Jana Cepelova retired from the clash. She will play United States’ Danielle Lao in the second round after the American won 6-2 7-6 over Paraguay’s Veronica Cepede Royg. Fellow American and 28th seed, Allie Kiick moved through to the next round courtesy of a 7-5 6-3 victory over Hungarian Reka Luca Jani, while her next opponent, China’s Wang Xinyu had to survive a massive three-set battle against United States’ Irina Falconi, 3-6 6-2 7-6 with a 10-8 tiebreaker in the decider. In the only other two matches completed, 32nd seed Austrian Barbara Haas defeated Slovakian, Kristina Kucova 2-6 6-4 6-4, and now faces Dutchwoman, Lesley Pattinama Kerkhove following the Netherlands player winning 6-1 7-6 over Spaniard Eva Guerrero Alvarez, 6-1 7-6.

Women’s:

[27] K. Nara (JPN) defeated J. Cepelova (SVK) 6-4 3-0 RET
[28] A. Kiick (USA) defeated R. Jani (HUN) 7-5 6-3
[32] B. Haas (AUT) defeated K. Kucova (SVK) 2-6 6-4 6-4
X. Wang (CHN) defeated I. Falconi (USA) 3-6 6-2 7-6
D. Lao (USA) defeated V. Cepede Royg (PAR) 6-2 7-6
L. Pattinama Kerkhove (NED) defeated E. Guerrero Alvarez (ESP) 6-1 7-6

SUSPENDED/DNP:

[2] N. Hibino (JPN) vs. E. Liang (TAI)
S. Murray Sharan (GBR) vs. Y. Yuan (CHN)
I. De Vroome (NED) vs. L. Arruabarrena (ESP)
Y. Naito (JPN) vs. [26] A. Friedsam (GER)
[3] V. Gracheva (RUS) vs. C. Pacquet (FRA) 6-2 SUS
O. Danilovic (SRB) vs. J. Jovic (SRB)
J. Larsson (SWE) vs. U. Radwanska (POL)
J. Ponchet (FRA) vs. [29] M. Minella (NED)
[4] K. Zavatska (UKR) vs. S. Ma (CHN)
G. Ce (BRA) vs. S. Vickery (USA)
V. Lepchenko (USA) vs. B. Eraydin (TUR)
A. Bondar (HUN) vs. [19] B. Krejcikova (CZE) 2-2 SUS
[5] A. Kalinskaya (RUS) vs. S. Errani (ITA)
I. Bara (ROU) vs. L. Paar (ROU)
[6] N. Vikhlyantseva (RUS) vs. M. Kostyuk (UKR)
M. Chwalinska (POL) vs. I. Shinikova (BLR)
[WC] S. Sanders (AUS) vs. R. Anderson (USA)
E. Gorgodze (GEO) vs. [18] K. Juvan (SLO)
[7] P. Tig (ROU) vs. L. Fernandez (CAN) 2-6 1-4 SUS
M. Frech (POL) vs. M. Hibi (JPN) 2-6 6-4 1-0 SUS
[10] C. McNally (USA) vs. A. Muhammad (USA)
D. Lopatetska (UKR) vs. C. Perrin (SUI)
[WC] O. Rogowska (AUS) vs. N. Parrizas Diaz (ESP)
E. Ruse (ROU) vs. [22] U. Arconada (USA)
[13] G. Minnen (BEL) vs. K. McPhee (AUS) 6-3 2-6 2-1 SUS
F. Xun (CHN) vs. [WC] J. Fourlis (AUS) 6-7 6-3 SUS