Britain’s Katie Boulter, Lily Miyazaki, Jodie Burrage win in Australian Open qualifying but Liam Broady, Katie Swan out
Katie Boulter, Lily Miyazaki and Jodie Burrage moved a step closer to securing a spot at the Australian Open as they all won their first-round qualifying matches.
World No. 124 Boulter came through 6-3 3-6 7-6 (10-5) against Caroline Dolehide and next faces 19-year-old Polina Kudermetova.
Miyazaki beat Hailey Baptiste 6-4 7-5, while Burrage eased past Elysia Bolton 6-2 6-4.
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Miyazaki faces Jang Su-jeong in the second round of qualifying on Wednesday and Burrage faces Barbora Palicova later on the same day.
There are three rounds of qualifying to reach the main draw, which starts on January 16.
Broady, who lost to Nick Kyrgios in his first main-draw match at the Australian Open last year, pushed world No. 101 Gomez close but ended up losing 6-3 6-7(4) 7-6(7).
Broady dropped the first set after getting broken in the eighth game but levelled by taking a tight second set in a tie-break.
Broady fell 3-1 behind in the deciding set but broke back twice to lead 4-3.
The advantage didn’t last long as Gomez responded to get to 4-4 and then saw a match point saved two games later. Gomez started stronger in the 10-point tie-break and although Broady got back to 7-7 he then lost three points in a row.
Boulter looked as though she might ease through the opening round after breaking twice in the first set against Dolehide.
However, after missing three break-point chances in the second set she then lost serve for the first time to fall 4-2 behind.
Boulter dug in to hold serve midway through the deciding set and wrapped up the match by winning five straight points in the 10-point tie-break.
There was a shock in qualifying as Adelaide International finalist Linda Noskova was beaten by Katherine Sebov.
Noskova, 18, beat former world No. 1 Victoria Azarenka and top seed Ons Jabeur on her way to the final in Adelaide last week.
But she couldn’t show the same level in Melbourne as she was beaten 6-4 3-6 6-4 by the world No. 191.
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