For the second week in a row, an Australian has qualified for the Queen’s Club championships.
Rinky Hijikata followed in Maddison Inglis’ footsteps, qualifying for the main draw at the ATP 500 event in London.
Hijikata is one of 12 Australians competing in tour-level tournaments on grass this week, while 16 compatriots will play at ATP Challenger or WTA 125 level.
He recorded two top-100 victories to confirm his place in the Queen's main draw, the first time he has secured multiple top-100 victories at a tournament since Indian Wells, where he prevailed against Luciano Darderi and Alexander Bublik.
This time, the New South Welshman triumphed over seeds Dino Prizmic and Marcos Giron to return to the main draw at a tournament where he went from qualifying to quarterfinalist in 2024.
He begins his main-draw campaign against Chilean Alejandro Tabilo, in what will be their first meeting.
The 25-year-old joins top seed Alex de Minaur in London, who could embark on a historic week. Currently ranked world No.6, De Minaur, sits 10 points behind fifth-ranked Ben Shelton and has an opportunity at Queen's to reach a new career high.
Should De Minaur enter the top five, he would become the seventh Australian since ATP rankings were introduced in 1973 to feature in that exclusive group.
The 2023 Queen’s finalist will hope to carry his momentum from another finals run achieved in s-Hertogenbosch last week; he battles Canadian Gabriel Diallo in his opening match.
> READ: De Minaur takes flight in s-Hertogenbosch
The Australian singles No.1 will also play in doubles alongside local Cameron Norrie.
In Halle, Alexei Popyrin and Nick Kyrgios will fly the Australian flag in singles, while Marc Polmans and John Peers are set to feature in doubles.
After recording his first ATP win in 15 months in Stuttgart, Kyrgios adds another German city to his comeback tour. A semifinalist in 2022, the Canberran is up against third seed Shelton, last week's Stuttgart champion.
> MORE: Kyrgios back in business in Stuttgart
Kyrgios will also play doubles with Italian Mattia Bellucci.
Eight Australians will battle it out in Nottingham, Great Britain this week at the combined WTA 250/ATP Challenger tournament.
Maya Joint, Talia Gibson, Kimberly Birrell, Taylah Preston, Tristan Schoolkate and Chris O’Connell have all gained main-draw status, while Storm Hunter will be the doubles’ top seed alongside American Caty McNally. Schoolkate will also play doubles with Ecuadorian Diego Hidalgo.
A potential all-Australian encounter awaits between Birrell and Preston, should they win their respective first-round matches.
Meanwhile in Dublin, Thanasi Kokkinakis and Cruz Hewitt fight to join Bernard Tomic in the singles main draw, hoping to clinch two of six qualifying places at the Irish grasscourt Challenger.
Tomic opens his account against local wildcard Conor Gannon, with a second-round encounter against Grigor Dimitrov on the horizon.
Aussies in action
(Singles world rankings in parentheses)
QUEEN’S ATP 500
Singles: Alex de Minaur (No.6), Rinky Hijikata (No.104)
Doubles: Alex de Minaur (with Cameron Norrie)
HALLE ATP 500
Singles: Alexei Popyrin (No.90), Nick Kyrgios (No.899)
Doubles: Marc Polmans (with Sadio Doumbia), John Peers (with Robert Galloway), Nick Kyrgios (with Mattia Bellucci)
BERLIN WTA 500
Doubles: Ellen Perez (with Demi Schuurs)
NOTTINGHAM WTA 250/ATP CHALLENGER 125
Women’s singles: Maya Joint (No.53), Talia Gibson (No.66), Kimberly Birrell (No.73), Taylah Preston (No.124)
Men’s singles: Dane Sweeny (No.126), Tristan Schoolkate (No.149), Chris O’Connell (No.154)
Women’s doubles: Storm Hunter (with Caty Mcnally)
Men’s doubles: Tristan Schoolkate (with Diego Hidalgo)
FIGUEIRA DA FOZ WTA 125
Singles: Elena Micic (No.351)
Doubles: To be announced
BRESCIA WTA 125
Doubles: Alexandra Osborne (with Catherine Harrison), Gabriella Da Silva-Fick/Tenika Mcgiffin
PARMA ATP CHALLENGER 125
Doubles: Jason Taylor (with Adil Kalyanpur)
POZNAN ATP CHALLENGER 100
Doubles: Matthew Romios (with Szymon Kielan)
DUBLIN ATP CHALLENGER 75
Singles: Bernard Tomic (No.192)
Singles qualifying: Thanasi Kokkinakis (No.503), Cruz Hewitt (No.612)
Doubles: Blake Bayldon/Patrick Harper, Calum Puttergill (with Keegan Smith)
ROYAN ATP CHALLENGER 50
Singles qualifying: Thomas Fancutt (No.872)
Doubles: Thomas Fancutt (with Ajeet Rai)
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