(Melbourne) Canada’s Rebecca Marino earned her ticket to the Australian Open women’s main draw with a qualifying win on Thursday.
Posted at 6:21 a.m.
Marino defeated Russian Kamilla Rakhimova in three sets 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (10) in the final qualifying round. The clash lasted two hours and 21 minutes.
Rakhimova quickly smashed Marino in the first set, but the 31-year-old British Columbian orchestrated a comeback with her powerful serve. She got 24 aces during the game.
Marino, who currently occupies 146and echelon in the WTA rankings, dominated the second set by winning his three break points.
Formerly ranked 38and in the world, Marino surprised many at the National Bank Open in Montreal in August when she recorded two surprising victories before losing in the third round to seeded Aryna Sabalenka.
Marino joins compatriot Leylah Annie Fernandez in the women’s main draw of the first major tournament of the year. Fernandez is the 23and seeded and she will immediately face the Australian Addison Inglis.
On the men’s side, Montreal’s Félix Auger-Aliassime (no. 9) will cross swords with Finland’s Emil Ruusuvuori while Ontario’s Denis Shapovalov (no. 14) will do battle with Serbian Laslo Djere.