THE first of the main draw qualifiers are through to the Australian Open starting Monday after a number of men’s and women’s finals were played yesterday. The remainder of the finals will be played today, with 32 qualifiers all-up – 16 men and 16 women – making it through to the final 128 players who will contest the 2020 Australian Open.

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Leading the charge for the main draw was former top 10 pick, Ernests Gulbis with the Latvian no doubt causing a few main draw opponents some headaches before he is assigned his place in the 128-man field. Gulbis defeated 17th seed, India’s Prajnesh Gunneswaran in straight sets, 7-6 6-2. He joined Australian Max Purcell in booking a spot in the first round after the local hope downed 26th seed Slovakian, Jozef Kovalik 6-4 6-2. Also into the next round was 16th seed German, Peter Gojowczyk who will not be an easy opponent for anyone in the main draw, winning 6-2 6-3 over Frenchman Constant Lestienne. Slovakia’s 10th seed Norbert Gombos, Spain’s Pedro Martinez – who downed Czech Lukas Rosol – and Belarusian Ilya Ivashka all advanced through to the main draw in straight sets win.

From the Round 2 winners, top seed Dennis Novak continued his run to the final 32 with a straight sets win over Slovakia’s Filip Horansky, 6-1 6-4. In a day where seeds fell like flies, sixth seed Evgeny Donskoy was the other to survive the minefield, winning 6-3 3-6 6-3 over the qualifying draw’s late inclusion Croatia’s Viktor Galovic. It was bad news for ATP Cup doubles-winning player Viktor Troicki with the Serbian having to retire a set up and 1-2 down in the second set and forfeit his match to American Christopher Eubanks. Belgian, Kimmer Coppejans kept his hopes of a main draw spot alive with an upset win over third seed Canadian, Brayden Schnur, while Frances’ Elliot Benchetrit downed fourth seed Fin, Emil Ruusuvuori in an epic encounter. Netherland’s Tallon Griekspoor ended Australian wildcard, Rinky Hijikata‘s chances with a straight sets win, while Egypt’s Mohamed Safwat moved through to a final match after a 7-5 7-5 win over Alexandre Muller.

Men’s Finals:

I. Ivashka (BLR) defeated Z. Li (CHN) 6-4 6-3
[10] N. Gombos (SVK) defeated P. Krstin (SRB) 6-3 6-3
P. Martinez (ESP) defeated L. Rosol (CZE) 6-4 6-2
M. Purcell (AUS) defeated [26] J. Kovalik (SVK) 6-4 6-2
E. Gulbis (LAT) defeated [17] P. Gunneswaran (IND) 7-6 6-2
[16] P. Gojowczyk (GER) defeated C. Lestienne (FRA) 6-2 6-3

Round 2:

[1] D. Novak (AUT) defeated F. Horansky (SVK) 6-1 6-4
H. Moriya (JPN) defeated [23] S. Diez (CAN) 6-4 7-5
T. Griekspoor (NED) defeated [WC] R. Hijikata (AUS) 7-5 7-5
[WC] L. Musetti (ITA) defeated M. Copil (ROU) 6-7 6-4 7-5
K. Coppejans (BEL) defeated [3] B. Schnur (CAN) 7-6 6-3
C. Eubaks (USA) defeated V. Troicki (SRB) 4-6 2-1 RET
E. Benchetrit (FRA) defeated [4] E. Ruusuvuori (FIN) 6-4 0-6 7-6
D. Popko (KAZ) defeated E. Couacaud (FRA) 6-3 3-6 6-3
M. Bourgue (FRA) defeated [5] A. Martin (SVK) 4-6 7-6 7-5
M. Vilella Martinez (ESP) defeated [24] F. Bagnis (ARG) 7-6 0-6 6-4
[6] E. Donskoy (RUS) defeated V. Galovic (CRO) 6-3 3-6 6-3
M. Safwat (EGT) defeated A. Muller (FRA) 7-5 7-5
N. Milojevic (SRB) defeated E. Escobedo (USA) 6-4 7-6
Q. Halys (FRA) defeated D. Lee (KOR) 6-3 6-4
M. Trungelliti (ARG) defeated J. Wolf (USA) 0-6 7-6 7-5
L. Giustino (ITA) defeated [18] Y. Maden (GER) 6-7 6-2 6-4

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Six players are officially through to the main draw of the 2020 Australian Open women’s draw after the first of 16 women’s finals were played yesterday. The upset of the day was 31st seed and young gun American, Ann Li toppling top seed and top 100 Romanian, Ana Bogdan, 5-7 7-6 6-2. The Wimbledon Junior Final runner-up booked a spot in the main draw and undoubtedly has a bright future ahead. She was joined in the main draw by fellow American, Shelby Rogers who downed compatriot, Caroline Dolehide 6-4 6-4. A big surprise was the straight sets exit of former top 10 player, Eugenie Bouchard with the Canadian bowing out to Italian Martina Trevisan who won 6-4 6-3. Also into the main draw was 20th seed and former top 30 player, Monica Niculescu with the Romanian getting up over 11th seed Swiss player, Stefanie Voegele in three sets, 6-2 3-6 6-4. Liudmila Samsonova was the highest seed to officially make the main draw thus far, downing 24th seed, Xiyu Wang 6-4 2-6 7-5, while Great Britain’s Heather Dart booked a spot in the main draw thanks to a win over Italian Giulia Gatto-Monticone, 6-1 6-3.

From Round 2 results that will see the remaining 20 player battling for 10 spots, second seed Nao Hibino is the highest player ranked played remaining in the draw, while third seed Varvara Gracheva will have a tough task against former top 50 player, Johanna Larsson of Sweden after the 31-year-old Swede made light work of 29th seed, Netherland’s Mandy Minella, 6-2 6-3. The North American presence at Australian Open should be strong with a number of Americans moving through to the final round with Sachia Vickery defeating fourth seed Ukrainian, Katarina Zavatska in three tight sets, while 10th seed compatriot, Catherine McNally also advanced with an easy straight sets win over Ukrainian Daria Lopatetska. Other seeds to book a spot in the next round were fifth seed Anna Kalinskaya of Russia, Belgium’s 13th seed Greet Minnen, 18th seed Kaja Juvan – who knocked out Australian wildcard Storm Sanders in three sets – 19th seed Barbora Krejcikova who stunned former top 20 player, Varvora Lepchenko in straight sets, and 32nd seed, Barbara Haas from Austria.

Women’s Finals:

[31] A. Li (USA) defeated [1] A. Bogdan (ROU) 5-7 7-6 6-2
S. Rogers (USA) defeated [30] C. Dolehide (USA) 6-4 6-4
M. Trevisan (ITA) defeated E. Bouchard (CAN) 6-4 6-3
[20] M. Niculescu (ROU) defeated [11] S. Voegele (SUI) 6-2 3-6 6-4
[12] L. Samsonova (RUS) defeated [24] X. Wang (CHN) 6-4 2-6 7-5
H. Dart (GBR) defeated G. Gatto-Monticone (ITA) 6-1 6-3

Round 2:

[2] N. Hibino (JPN) defeated Y. Yuan (CHN) 3-6 6-1 6-1
L. Arruabarrena (ESP) defeated Y. Naito (JPN) 6-3 6-4
[3] V. Gracheva (RUS) defeated O. Danilovic (SRB) 6-2 4-6 6-1
J. Larsson (SWE) defeated [29] M. Minella (NED) 6-2 6-3
S. Vickery (USA) defeated [4] K. Zavatska (UKR) 6-4 5-7 6-4
[19] B. Krejcikova (CZE) defeated V. Lepchecnko (USA) 6-4 6-4
[5] A. Kalinskaya (RUS) defeated L. Paar (ROU)
X. Wang (CHN) defeated [28] A. Kiick (USA) 6-0 6-1
[6] N. Vikhlyantseva (RUS) defeated I. Shinikova (BLR) 6-2 6-3
[18] K. Juvan (SLO) defeated [WC] S. Sanders (AUS) 6-0 2-6 6-3
L. Fernandez (CAN) defeated M. Hibi (JPN) 6-4 6-4
D. Lao (USA) defeated [27] K. Nara (JPN) 7-5 6-7 6-3
[10] C. McNally (USA) defeated D. Lopatetska (UKR) 6-2 6-3
E. Ruse (ROU) defeated N. Parrizas Diaz (ESP) 6-3 7-5
[13] G. Minnen (BEL) defeated F. Xun (CHN) 6-3 6-1
[32] B. Haas (AUT) defeated L. Pattinama Kerkhove (NED) 6-4 4-6 6-1