Aussie wildcard Ajla Tomljanovic has progressed through to the second round of the Adelaide International on Monday after world No.14 Clara Tauson retired due to injury.
Tomljanovic had taken the first set in a tiebreak (7-5) before the Dane stopped playing due to a lower back injury.
This was not the pair’s first clash; Tomljanovic owns a 3-2 career record against Tauson, with wins coming at Ningbo 2025, Hong Kong 125 2024 and Cincinnati 2022. She can now add Adelaide to that list, though the win felt somewhat bittersweet.
“I thought I played OK in the first set,” admitted the Aussie. “I think it was competitive. It's really unfortunate when someone close to a Slam has to retire … I really feel for her [Tauson]. I know what it feels like. It's never easy.
“I think the longer the match was going the more I was finding it. Yeah, I was looking forward to kind of play the second set … I could feel I could play better.”
Tomljanovic advances to second round, where she will play either Sofia Kenin or countrywoman Maya Joint.
“I really enjoy playing Maya,” said Tomljanovic ahead of that projected second-round match. “I think she's a great player … Yeah, either one will be a really fun match, and just excited to get another match under my belt in this summer.”
Valiant effort by Jones in first round
Australian rising teenage talent Emerson Jones faced world No.15 Emma Navarro, also on Monday. Despite her efforts, Jones was unable to advance through to the next round, falling to the former world No.8 6-3 6-3.
While Navarro defeated Jones in straight sets, she expressed admiration for the young player’s game and will be keeping the 17-year-old’s journey on her radar.
“Any compliment you get from a [former] top 10, and especially her. She's such a great player, and her game it's really hard to play against her. So, I think that's pretty cool that she said that,” Jones said.
The 2025 season was a breakout year for Jones, who made the move from junior rans onto the WTA Tour.
“I'm pretty excited to play AO again this year,” said Jones. “It was pretty tough last year. I know what to expect because I've had so many opportunities last year and this year during the summer.
“I think I am ready, and I know what to expect. I played a couple of top 10, top 20s, and the whole level pretty much. So, yeah, I think I'm ready for it.”
Jones continues her Australian summer of tennis at Australian Open 2026.
Popyrin pipped by Opelka
Meanwhile, top-50 player Alexei Popyrin was defeated by American world No.62 Reilly Opelka, who prevailed in a tense second-set tiebreak to seal a 6-3 7-6(6) win.
There was better luck for Aleksandar Vukic, who defeated Brit Jacob Fearnley in three sets to take his place in the main draw, where he will face Stefanos Tsitsipas on Tuesday.
Popyrin is not unfamiliar with defeating tennis giants; he earned the biggest win of his career over 24-time major champion Novak Djokovic, then the world No.2, to reach his first fourth round of a Grand Slam at US Open 2024.
This time, the six-foot-11 Opelka proved too great a competitor. “I think you play a player like that it can go either way,” said Popyrin. “He played a ridiculous game to break me … And then when he's serving above 80 percent first serves, at his height, it's quite hard to break him.
“I don't think my volleys were that bad, and I don't think the point construction was that bad. So, it's just something you just have to applaud and say, ‘OK, too good there.’ It's a shame it happened against me, but that's tennis.”