11 September 2025 | Adam Pengilly

Teenager Cruz Hewitt saved a slew of match points but couldn’t wear down veteran countryman Marc Polmans in an enthralling first round match at the Capital of Country International in Tamworth on Thursday.

Hewitt, the son of two-time grand slam winner Lleyton, was making his first appearance in a professional event in the New England region and had the unenviable task of being drawn against second seed Polmans, some 409 spots above him on the ATP rankings.

Polmans experience shone through in a 6-2, 7-6(3) victory in overcast conditions, but 16-year-old Hewitt made him work for the result at the rain-affected tournament.

Serving for the match at 5-4 in the second set, Polmans surrendered three match points as Hewitt clawed his way back into the contest, eventually breaking serve and forcing a tiebreak.

But after rattling off the first four points in the breaker, Polmans sealed a straight sets win in one hour and 44 minutes.

Hewitt wasn’t without his chances, but could only convert two of his seven break point opportunities in the match, while Polmans was much more effective on the big points (four from six break point conversions).

It was the first competitive match Hewitt has played since featuring in the US Open Juniors at New York earlier this month.

Given rain has played havoc with the schedule earlier in the week, 28-year-old Polmans returned later in the day for his second round match against world No.1197 Ethan Cook and had little trouble in a 6-4, 6-0 win in just over an hour.

It was also good news for top seed Dane Sweeny who was largely untroubled in two straight sets wins to begin his campaign in Tamworth.

Sweeny, ranked 439 in the world, swept past Sam Ryan Ziegann 6-4, 6-2 and then needed even less time to beat Noah Brownrigg 6-3, 6-3.

Quarter-final matches will be played on Friday.

In Wagga Wagga, Great Britain’s United Cup representative Katie Swan had a fantastic day as she cruised through her opening two matches at the Jim Elphick Tennis Centre.

Swan, seeded No.4 for the event, was forced to double up on Thursday as tournament organisers try to make up for lost time with adverse weather earlier in the week.

Swan breezed past Australian Giselle Isabella Guillen 6-3, 6-0 in her first round match before her second round opponent Tahlia Kokkinis retired mid-way through the second set. Swan was leading 6-2, 3-0 at the time.

Top seed Lizette Cabrera is also safely through to the quarter-finals with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over New Zealander Elyse Tse.

It was much harder work for second seed Taylah Preston, who needed three hours and third-set tiebreaker to finally stave off Laquisa Khan 6-7(3), 6-1, 7-6(6), saving a match point in the process.