Aussie men set for Roland Garros qualifying
Roland Garros 2021 qualifying begins today and we have six Aussies in the men's singles qualifying draw.
Paris, France, 24 May 2021 | Leigh Rogers
Six Australian men will contest the men’s singles competition at Roland Garros this year – and a further six are aiming to join them when the qualifying competition begins in Paris tonight.
Our Aussie hopes in qualifying are …
[31] Marc Polmans, 24, Victoria
Contesting qualifying in Paris for a fifth consecutive year, the world No.149 can take confidence from last year’s effort. Polmans scored the biggest win of his career at Roland Garros 2020, defeating world No.38 Ugo Humbert in his main draw debut as a lucky loser. It was his first top-50 win. Polmans’ qualifying quest this year begins against fellow Australian, and sometimes doubles partner, Alex Bolt. Bolt leads their tour-level record 3-1, however Polmans did claim victory when they met in a UTR Pro Tennis Series final in 2020.
Roland Garros career record: 1-1 (4-4 in qualifying)
Roland Garros best result: Second round (2020)
Alex Bolt, 28, South Australia
Clay proves challenging for Bolt, whose most recent win on the surface was in April 2019. Although he is aiming to snap a five-match losing streak at Roland Garros, the world No.195 knows how to win at Grand Slam level. He has made the Australian Open second round on three occasions and qualified twice before at a major. Bolt can also take confidence from a winning record against his first-round opponent, fellow Aussie and No.31 seed Marc Polmans.
Roland Garros career record: 0-0 (0-5 in qualifying)
Roland Garros best result: Qualifying first round (2013, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2020)
Thanasi Kokkinakis, 25, South Australia
It has been three years since Kokkinakis, who has endured a challenging run with injuries and illness, last competed at Roland Garros. Back inside the world’s top 180, Kokkinakis has been building form and confidence on the ATP Challenger Tour where he has won 12 of his past 16 matches on clay. He faces world No.118 Mackenzie McDonald in the opening qualifying round. The ninth-seeded American is also returning from injury and made the Australian Open fourth round in February. It will be their first career meeting.
Roland Garros career record: 2-2 (3-2 in qualifying)
Roland Garros best result: Third round (2015)
> READ: Qualifying draws revealed for Roland Garros 2021
Aleksandar Vukic, 25, New South Wales
Vukic returns to Roland Garros with happy memories, having qualified on debut in 2020. He saved match points in his opening match and then defeated two seeded opponents during a sensational qualifying run. The world No.208, who reached two ATP Challenger quarterfinals on clay in April, faces world No.168 Frederico Ferreira Silva in the opening round. The Portuguese player qualified at the Australian Open earlier this year, then tested Nick Kyrgios in the first round at Melbourne Park.
Roland Garros career record: 0-1 (3-0 in qualifying)
Roland Garros best result: First round (2020)
Bernard Tomic, 28, Queensland
The former world No.17, who qualified for the Australian Open earlier this year and is currently ranked No.213, is aiming to earn an 11th main draw appearance at Roland Garros. This is the second time Tomic has contested qualifying in Paris – in 2018, he qualified without dropping a set. Tomic faces 16-year-old French wildcard Arthur Gils in the first round. Gils, who is ranked No.1034 and making his major-level debut, is one of the world’s top 20-ranked juniors.
Roland Garros career record: 3-10 (3-0 in qualifying)
Roland Garros best result: Second round (2012, 2015, 2016)
Matthew Ebden, 33, Western Australia
Having improved his singles ranking almost 100 places so far this season, Ebden carries impressive momentum into his eighth Roland Garros campaign. The world No.229, who was a mixed doubles finalist at the Australian Open in February, is attempting to qualify in Paris for a first time. Ebden’s first-round opponent is Chile’s Alejandro Tabilo, a 23-year-old left-hander ranked No.166 and making his first Roland Garros appearance.
Roland Garros career record: 0-4 (1-3 in qualifying)
Roland Garros best result: First round (2012, 2014, 2018, 2019)