Source :- PERTH NOW NEWS
An 18th birthday is a special day, Emerson Jones is hoping to celebrate hers in a special place.
Australia’s teen tennis tyro turns 18 on July 7, which is the second Tuesday of Wimbledon, an ideal location to mark a major birthday.
Jones was the junior Wimbledon finalist two years ago but is yet to play in the main draw.
Everyone knows she will, it is just a case of when. Jones took a step towards doing so this year with a 6-2 6-1 defeat of Czech Linda Fruhvirtova on Tuesday to move into the second round of Wimbledon qualifying
Russian 27-year-old Anastasia Gsanova, ranked 210, is the next opponent for Jones, ranked 75 places higher.
While Jones is just starting out on her career fellow Queenslander Storm Hunter, at 31, knows the end is nearing. However, the gritty Rockhampton native has plenty to aim for yet, including a first return to Wimbledon since 2023
She progressed past Belgium’s Sofia Costoulas 7-5 6-4 and now also plays Aliaksandra Sasnovich, of Belarus. The winner will meet the 2019 US Open winner Bianca Andreescu if the Canadian keeps winning.
While Jones and Hunter hope to join the dozen Aussies already confirmed in the main draw a trio of Australian aspirants went out.
Taylah Preston, seeded 18, was beaten 6-1 2-6 6-4 in a topsy-turvy game by Italy’s Tyra Caterina Grant. Maddison Inglis lost to 20th seed Lucia Bronzetti 6-3 3-6 6-4 and Priscilla Hon exited 6-2 6-2 to Japan’s Nao Hibino.
Also at Roehampton New Zealand’s Lulu Sun eased by Linda Klimovicova 7-6 (7-3) 7-5.
On Wednesday the men play their second qualifying round with one guaranteed to make the third and final round as Chris O’Connell plays Bernie Tomic.
In addition Dane Sweeny plays American Darwin Blanch while Tristan Schoolkate has a tricky tie with British veteran Dan Evans who he can hasten into retirement – the 36-year-old will quit after Wimbledon
In the Wimbledon warm-up at Eastbourne Talia Gibson went on centre court hoping to emulate the first match giantkilling in which top seed Jasmine Paolini was KO’d by Tatjana Maria. But facing second-seeded 2025 Australian Open champ Madison Keys she lost 6-4 6-4.
Kimberley Birrell secured a fine win over fourth-seed Barbora Krejcikova, the former Wimbledon and French Open champion. Birrell won 6-3 7-6 (8-6)
Aleksandar Vukic went down 7-5 6-1 to American Jenson Brooksby while in Mallorca Marc Polmans also lost, 6-1 7-6 (7-3) to Bulgarian warhorse Grigor Dimitrov.
