Launceston TAS, Australia, 6 February 2018 | David Packman

Priscilla Hon has advanced to the second round at the Smart Fibre Launceston International after winning a see-sawing affair against Japan’s Miyabi Inoue on Tuesday.

The Queenslander – who won through to the final round of qualifying at this year’s Australian Open – survived a second set slump to take the match 7-6(3) 0-6 6-1 and now faces the prospect of either Brit Gabriella Taylor or local teenage wildcard Renee McBryde.

“I definitely let it go there and she doesn’t give you much, so she took advantage of that,” Hon said. “But I knuckled down and got myself back in the game. I was happy I could find my way back.”

After somewhat of a break-out year at WTA level in 2017, and coming into Launceston as the third seed, the 19-year-old understands expectations placed upon her may now be somewhat higher.

“There’s always a little bit of pressure but I’m not too fussed. All the girls here are very good and every match is tough,” she said.

Fellow Queenslander and qualifier Olivia Tjandramulia also enjoyed a solid win, ousting Jaqueline Adina Cristian, the No.7 seed from Romania, 6-4 6-1. She will now look ahead to her second round clash with another qualifier – Shuko Aoyama of Japan.

Top seed Patty Schnyder may well await beyond that in a quarterfinal, after the veteran Austrian and former world No.7 came from a set behind to defeat wildcard Kaylah McPhee. She will need to get past the winner of Burnie semifinalist Zoe Hives or Brit Katy Dunne to reach that stage.

Other winners on Tuesday included Frenchwoman Myrtille Georges, the fifth seed, and American Allie Kiick.

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