News & Media

Sixth-seeded Spaniard safely through

4 January 2016, by AAP

UPDATE 3pm: Adopted Australian Ajla Tomljanovic has suffered an opening-round defeat to Spain’s Carla Suarez Navarro at the Brisbane International.

The Spanish sixth seed took just over an hour to claim a 6-1, 6-2 victory over Tomljanovic on Pat Rafter Arena.

Suarez Navarro, the world No.13, will face Sam Stosur in the second round if the Australian can beat Slovakian qualifier Jana Cepelova later on Monday.

Croatian-born Tomljanovic will aim to get her Australian Open preparations back on track at the Sydney International after she was granted a wildcard for that tournament.

Monday also brought a quick exit for Brisbane teenager Priscilla Hon with the 17-year-old beaten 6-4, 6-4 by American qualifier Samantha Crawford.

Tomljanovic and Hon’s exits mean Stosur is the only Australian left in the women’s draw.

Crawford next meets Swiss seventh seed Belinda Bencic after she defeated Italian Sara Errani 6-1, 6-2.

In other first round matches on Monday, American Madison Brengle held off Ukraine’s Kateryna Bondarenko 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 and Italian No.8 seed Roberta Vinci rebounded to defeat former No.1 Serb, Jelena Jankovic, 3-6, 6-2, 6-4.