World No.182 Dane Sweeny continues his pilgrimage through AO qualifying, advancing to the third round after defeating Jerome Kym 6-4 6-4.
Joining Sweeny in the final round was world No.192 and fellow Aussie Jason Kubler, who also won in straight sets against Lithuania world No.129 Vilius Gaubas.
Helped by a commanding serve that resulted in nine aces across the match, Kubler was able to secure his victory in just shy of two hours. He will move on to face world No.95 Alexander Blockx, while Sweeny will confront Italian player Stefano Travaglia in the final battle to reach the main draw.
However, Bernard Tomic and James McCabe unable to join their countrymen in the final round following their defeats on Wednesday.
The roar of the crowd, as Sweeny converted match point, was deafening to the point it could be heard halfway across Melbourne Park from ANZ Arena.
When asked whether he personally knew any of the raucous crowd, Sweeny joked with a laugh: “Heaps of friends and family, [I] had to ask [AO Tournament Director] Craig [Tiley] for extra accreditation.
“I just felt super grateful to be able to compete in front of that crowd, win or lose. It obviously feels better to get the win, but it’s just an honour to play in front of the crowd and that's what keeps me going. That's what motivates me a lot.”
This is the first time Sweeny and Kym had gone head-to-head – and there are always challenges that come with facing an unknown competitor – but this did little to deter the Aussie, who felt his game has improved as he’s progressed through qualifying.
“[My game] was good,” said Sweeny. “Definitely a step up from my first round, [I am] playing with a lot more courage and conviction. First round [I] was a little bit hesitant and that was the main goal today, win or lose was to play on my terms. And I think I did a really good job.
“I played very tactically smart and he had the firepower, but I think I just kind of swindled in with his skills.”
Aussies in action – AO 2026 Qualifying
DAY 3 RESULTS
Men's singles qualifying – second round
Dane Sweeny (AUS) d Jerome Kym (SUI) 6-4 6-4
Jason Kubler (AUS) d [17] Vilius Gaubas (LTU) 7-5 6-2
Arthur Fery (GBR) d Bernard Tomic (AUS) 6-4 6-2
[23] Nicolai Budkov Kjaer (NOR) d James McCabe (AUS) 6-4 3-6 6-7 [6-10]
COMING UP
Men's singles qualifying – final round
Dane Sweeny (AUS) v Stefano Travaglia (ITA)
Jason Kubler (AUS) v [7] Alexander Blokx (BEL)