UPDATE 5.15pm: After claiming the Australian Open Wildcard Playoff earlier this month, Russian-turned-Australian Daria Gavrilova will make her maiden appearance in the Brisbane International main draw after progressing through the final round of qualifying today.
The 20-year-old Gavrilova defeated Russian Elizaveta Kulichkova 7-6(2) 6-4 to earn a first-round berth against American Alison Riske.
After conceding a break early in the first set, Gavrilova rallied to level at 3-a-piece before the match went on serve en route to 6-all.
While the majority of the set was an even baseline-orientated battle, Gavrilova raced ahead in the tiebreak, taking a 5-1 advantage at the change of ends.
She brought up set point with an ace before claiming the set from a Kulichkova unforced error.
Gavrilova broke early in the second for a 2-love lead and held the two-game advantage to take the second set 6-4.
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In other results from the final round of women’s qualifying, top seed Yaroslava Shvedova needed little over an hour and a half to get past determined Ukrainian Mayna Zanevska 7-5 6-4.
Shvedova will be joined by 2013 Brisbane International semifinalist Lesia Tsurenko, who beat Russia’s Alla Kudryavseva 6-4 7-6(4).
American Madison Brengle was the first through to the main draw after a comprehensive showing saw her breeze past Irina Falconi 6-2 6-0 in a little over an hour.
In the penultimate round of men’s qualifying, Aussie Matt Reid came from a set behind to beat Norbert Gombos 6-3 7-6(11) 7-6(3) in a match that lasted more than two hours.
Reid will need to recover quickly for a play-off against Rhyne Williams for a spot in the main draw, after the American toppled fourth seed Pierre-Hughes Herbert 6-3 6-1.
Earlier in the day, top qualifying seed Tobias Kamke was knocked out by Canadian Frank Dancevic 7-5 6-3 on Court 6, while Pole Lukasz Kubot needed three sets to get past Japan’s Yasutaka Uchiyama 6-4 6-7(4) 6-2.
Former world No.12 Victor Troicki saved four match points to edge past Slovak Miloslav Mecir 7-6 2-6 7-6.