Melbourne, Australia, 11 January 2023 | Leigh Rogers

Eight Australian men have progressed to the second round in the Australian Open qualifying competition, matching the best result by local hopes in the past 24 years.

The last time more than eight Aussie men reached this stage in an Australian Open qualifying draw was in 1998.

The experienced Max Purcell and Alex Bolt, who have successfully qualified before at this tournament, are leading the Aussie charge this week.

Adam Walton and Li Tu are enjoying career-best runs at their home Grand Slam, while Dane Sweeny, Marc Polmans, Aleksandar Vukic and Tristan Schoolkate are each hoping to qualify at Melbourne Park for the first time.

All are scheduled to play their second-round matches today.

Tickets to attend Australian Open qualifying are just $5 for kids and $10 for adults. Fans will also be able to see some of the world’s top-ranked players compete in practice matches at Melbourne Park.

> BUY NOW: Australian Open 2023 tickets

Aussies in action:

Marc Polmans (AUS) v Marco Trungelliti (ARG)
Men’s qualifying singles, second round, Kia Arena, first match (from 10am AEDT)
Polmans, a 25-year-old from Melbourne, is determined to qualify at his home Grand Slam for the first time. “I really want to earn my spot,” he said after his first-round win yesterday. The world No.303, who is building strong momentum in his return from ankle surgery, faces the experienced Trungelliti. The 32-year-old from Argentina is ranked No.224 and has successfully qualified at the Australian Open on three previous occasions (in 2016, 2020 and 2022).
Head-to-head record: First meeting

Alex Bolt (AUS) v [22] Matteo Arnaldi (ITA)
Men’s qualifying singles, second round, Court 3, first match (from 10am AEDT)
Bolt has produced some of the best results of his career at Melbourne Park and is determined to add more. The 30-year-old South Australian, who missed six months with injury last year, vowed he was “feeling fresh and really hungry” after scoring an impressive first-round win on Monday. Bolt now faces a rising Italian in the second round. The 21-year-old Arnaldi is ranked No.134 and hoping to qualify at a Grand Slam for the first time.
Head-to-head record: First meeting

Max Purcell (AUS) v Damir Dzumhur (BIH)
Men’s qualifying singles, second round, Court 7, first match (from 10am AEDT)
Purcell defeated No.2 seed and former world No.16 Marco Cecchinato in the opening round. Now the 24-year-old from Sydney has his sights set on taking out the experienced Dzumhur. The 30-year-old Dzumhur is currently ranked No.177, but has been as high as world No.23. Purcell, a two-time Australian Open doubles finalist, is aiming to qualify at a Grand Slam for a third time in his career. The world No.204 has previously qualified at AO 2020 and at Wimbledon last year.
Head-to-head record: First meeting

[WC] Dane Sweeny (AUS) v Luciano Darderi (ITA)
Men’s qualifying singles, second round, Court 3, second match
The 21-year-old Sweeny enjoyed a career-best 2022 season, claiming six ITF titles to break into the world’s top 250. This provides additional confidence in his third Australian Open qualifying campaign. Sweeny declared he felt “comfortable” on the Grand Slam stage after conceding only two games against No.27 seed Vit Kopriva in a dominant first-round win. The world No.240 holds an edge in experience too against Darderi, a 20-year-old Italian ranked No.205 and making his Australian Open debut.
Head-to-head record: First meeting

> VIEW: Australian Open 2023 men’s qualifying singles draw

[21] Aleksandar Vukic (AUS) v Thiago Agustin Tirante (ARG)
Men’s qualifying singles, second round, Kia Arena, third match
Vukic is the highest-ranked Australian in the men’s qualifying singles draw. The world No.129 finished the 2022 season strongly, reaching back-to-back ATP Challenger finals, and is now aiming to make a third consecutive Australian Open main-draw appearance. The 26-year-old from Sydney faces a rising 21-year-old from Argentina in the second round. Tirante is a former world No.1-ranked junior and looking to qualify at a Grand Slam tournament for the first time.
Head-to-head record: First meeting

Li Tu (AUS) v Laurent Lokoli (FRA)
Men’s qualifying singles, second round, Court 7, third match
World No.209 Tu’s incredible comeback continues, scoring his first Grand Slam-level singles win yesterday. The 26-year-old South Australian is now looking to extend his winning run against another resilient competitor. The 28-year-old Lokoli won five ITF titles in 2022 and sits at a career-high ranking of world No.176. The late-blooming Frenchman is contesting his second Australian Open – and first since 2015, when he qualified on debut.
Head-to-head record: First meeting 

> VIEW: Full Australian Open 2023 qualifying day three schedule

[WC] Adam Walton (AUS) v Peter Gojowczyk (GER)
Men’s qualifying singles, second round, Kia Arena, fourth match
Walton, a world No.433-ranked wildcard who won three ITF titles during 2022, is contesting his first Grand Slam tournament. The 23-year-old from Queensland graduated from US college last year and is quickly making his mark on the world stage. His second-round opponent is the experienced Gojowczyk, a 33-year-old German currently ranked No.232. Gojowczyk is a former world No.39 and making his 12th consecutive Australian Open appearance.
Head-to-head record: First meeting

[WC] Tristan Schoolkate (AUS) v Raul Brancaccio (ITA)
Men’s qualifying singles, second round, Kia Arena, fifth match
Schoolkate impressively fired 48 winners in a hard-fought first-round victory to match his career-best Australian Open result. The 21-year-old from Perth is now looking to advance to the final round in a Grand Slam qualifying draw for a first time. The world No.365 faces a 25-year-old Italian making his Australian Open debut. World No.146 Brancaccio is currently on a six-match winning streak after claiming an ATP Challenger title in New Caledonia last week.
Head-to-head record: First meeting

> READ: Five Aussie women to continue AO 2023 qualifying quests

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