Bianca Andreescu has qualified for the main draw at the 2019 Australian Open, while compatriot Peter Polansky stumbled at the final hurdle as qualifiers wrapped up in Melbourne on Friday.
Mississauga, Ont., native Andreescu breezed past world No. 137 Tereza Smitkova 6-0, 4-1 (ret.). The 18-year-old continued a red-hot run that has seen her win 10 of her last 11 matches, and now Andreescu will begin preparations for her second-ever Grand Slam main draw.
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On Friday, Andreescu needed just 27 minutes to claim the first set, breaking Smitkova's serve three times in the process.
It was more of the same in the second set, with the Canadian opening with a successful break point. It would take until Andreescu was up 2-0 before Smitkova would even win a game, but any thoughts of a comeback were quickly squashed as the match reverted to form as Andreescu took the next two games in short order.
Down 4-1, Smitkova retired with injury, giving Andreescu the victory and a spot in the main draw alongside fellow Canadians Milos Raonic, Denis Shapovalov and Genie Bouchard.
BOOM. Bianca Andreescu is into the #AusOpen main draw, overcoming Tereza Smitkova 6-0, 4-1 ret.
— Tennis Canada (@TennisCanada) January 11, 2019
After an exhausting week in Auckland, the 18-year-old got a little lucky in qualifying with two retirement wins, but hey, we’ll take it.
Fresh and ready for the main draw. 👊 pic.twitter.com/sDjPBXPlWH
Andreescu will face 16-year-old American Whitney Osuigwe in her opening match of the main draw.
Earlier in the day, Polansky stumbled at the last hurdle before the main draw, falling in straight sets — 6-4, 6-4 — to 22-year-old Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis.
The match lasted 90 minutes, with Kokkinakis serving 18 aces and hitting 33 winners en route to victory.
.@TKokkinakis does it the hard way. He defeats Polansky 6-4, 6-4.
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) January 11, 2019
3 tough wins and he is through to the @AustralianOpen main draw. pic.twitter.com/eyDV6HKDQ6
Polansky, ranked 118th in the world, has now lost in the third round of qualifiers in eight of the last nine Grand Slam events. However, the 30-year-old from Toronto has advanced to the main draw of the last four Grand Slam tournaments as the Lucky Loser, and he still has a chance at making it five in a row.
All he can do is wait.