Melbourne, Australia, 22 January 2022 | Darren Parkin

Three Australians won through to the second round of Australian Open 2022 as juniors action began at Melbourne Park today.

Hayden Jones and Jeremy Jin were local standouts in the boys’ event as they both secured strong victories.

Jones, one of the youngest players in the draw at just 15 years old, progressed with an impressive first-round victory over No.15 seed Bor Artnak.

In a marathon contest in scorching Melbourne sun, Jones recovered from a break down in the third set to produce a courageous 6-3 6-7(6) 6-4 win over the Slovenian.

“I’m pretty sore to be honest. It was nice and rough out there, so the legs are pretty gassed,” Jones said.

“In the middle of the third (set), I noticed he was starting to struggle physically, and I thought this is my chance to break back.”

Jeremy Jin won a rollercoaster battle with New Zealand’s Jack Loutit 6-2 2-6 6-1 in an hour and 22 minutes, almost half the length it took for Jones to secure his victory.

In a statistically even contest, it was Jin’s ability to capitalise on Loutit’s second serve and his conversion on break point chances that proved the difference.

The Australian won 16 out of 22 points off Loutit’s second serves and broke him twice in the first set and twice again in the third.

Charlie Camus came from a break down in the first set to force a tiebreak against Gilles Arnaud Baily but the Belgian eventually claimed a 7-6(2) 6-4 victory in an entertaining 91-minute battle.

Henry Lamchinniah also fell in the opening round of the boys’ event.

Charlotte Kempenaers-Pocz advanced in the girls’ draw with a comprehensive 5-7 6-2 6-2 victory over No.16 seed Elena Pridankina.

Kempenaers-Pocz broke serve in the opening game of her clash with the Russian and held three set points at 5-4 40-0 before Pridankina clawed her way back to break.

The Russian eventually took the set 7-5 but Kempenaers-Pocz responded to break twice in the second, taking it 6-2 to level the contest.

The young Australian kept the foot down early in the third, breaking serve twice in a row to take total control of the match, closing it out 6-2 in the third.

Kempenaers-Pocz won 12 of the last 15 games of the match in an impressive display, as she struck 34 winners to 22 and lifted her first serve percentage from 39 per cent in the first to 64 per cent in the final two sets.

In other results, Roisin Gilheany lost her opening round clash in straight sets to Romania’s Anca Alexia Todoni 1-6 4-6.

The 16-year-old saved two match points with some gallant defence but couldn’t hold out the third as the Romanian advanced to the second round.

Wildcard Talia Gibson fought hard against No.13 seed Liv Hovde before the American claimed a 6-3 7-6(7) win.

In a seesawing second set, Gibson raced to a 4-1 lead before Hovde won four games in a row to move within one game of victory.

With the American serving for the match, Gibson broke back and, in the tiebreak, she created four set points before Hovde lifted and found a way home.

Gibson was nominated for Junior Female Athlete of the year, alongside Gilheany, at the 2021 Newcombe Medal awards.

Meanwhile, 15-year-old Lily Taylor also fell in the opening round, defeated 2-6 4-6 by Dominka Salkova of the Czech Republic, and Lily Fairclough went down to Canada’s Annabelle Xu 4-6 2-6.

Australian Open 2022

TODAY’S RESULTS
Girls’ singles, first round
Charlotte Kempenaers-Pocz d [16] Elena Pridankina (RUS) 5-7 6-2 6-2
[13] Liv Hovde (USA) d [WC] Talia Gibson (AUS) 6-3 7-6(8)
Anca Alexia Todoni (ROU) d [WC] Roisin Gilheany (AUS) 6-1 6-4
Dominika Salkova (CZE) d [WC] Lily Taylor (AUS) 6-2 6-4
Annabelle Xu (CAN) d [WC] Lily Fairclough (AUS) 6-4 6-2

Boys’ singles, first round
[WC] Jeremy Jin (AUS) d [Q] Jack Loutit (NZL) 6-2 2-6 6-1
[WC] Hayden Jones (AUS) d [15] Bor Artnak (SLO) 6-3 6-7(6) 6-4
Gilles Arnaud Bailly (BEL) d [WC] Charlie Camus (AUS) 7-6(2) 6-4
Luis Carlos Alvarez Valdes (MEX) d [Q] Henry Lamchinniah (AUS) 6-4 7-5

COMING UP
Girls’ singles, first round 
[WC] Catherine Aulia (AUS) v Amelie Smejkalova (CZE)
[WC] Yulin Yan (AUS) v Lola Radivojevic (SRB)
[Q] Zara Larke (AUS) v [7] Johanne Christine Svendsen (DEN)
[Q] Anja Nayar (AUS) v Meshkatolzahra Safi (IRN)
[Q] Elena Micic (AUS) v [14] Victoria Mboko (CAN)
[WC] Taylah Preston (AUS) v Patricija Paukstyte (LTU)

> VIEW: Australian Open 2022 girls’ singles draw

Boys’ singles, first round
[WC] Edward Winter (AUS) v Konstantin Zhzhenov (RUS)
[WC] Amor Jasika (AUS) v [12] Wong Coleman (HNK)
[WC] Alec Braund (AUS) v [14] Dino Prizmic (CRO)
[WC] Cooper Errey (AUS) v Jaden Weekes (CAN)

Girls’ singles, second round
Charlotte Kempenaers-Pocz(AUS) v Sara Saito (JPN)

Boys’ singles, second round
[WC] Jeremy Jin (AUS) v Constantino Koshis (CYP)
[WC] Hayden Jones (AUS) v Tanapatt Nirundorn (THA)

> VIEW: Australian Open 2022 boys’ singles draw

Book online, play today: Visit play.tennis.com.au to get out on court and have some fun!