By Darren Walton
An untimely knee injury is set to rob Ajla Tomljanovic of a precious first-time grand slam seeding at the Australian Open.
Australia’s top women’s hope following the retirement of 2022 champion Ash Barty, Tomljanovic was in line for a top-32 seeding at her home grand slam before withdrawing from the United Cup.
Ajla Tomljanovic had to withdraw from the United Cup with a knee injury.Credit:AP
In a major blow, Tomljanovic is now projected to slip two places to world No.35 after opting to sit out the mixed teams’ event as a precaution due to the knee complaint.
With world No.10 Simona Halep not contesting the Open, the 33rd-ranked player as of next Monday’s rankings will nab the final women’s seeding slot.
A quarter-finalist at both Wimbledon and the US Open last year, Tomljanovic is now sweating on two withdrawals before next Thursday’s draw to snatch an all-important seeding.
Being seeded would ensure Tomljanovic couldn’t run into a higher-ranked rival until at least the third round at Melbourne Park.
Such a protected position in the draw would be a huge advantage for the first Australian woman since Evonne Goolagong Cawley in 1979 to reach the last eight at Wimbledon and New York in a single season.
Before Tomljanovic’s injury setback, Barty hailed her 29-year-old former Fed Cup teammate a genuine Melbourne Park title hope.
“And that’s the genuine feeling among the players,” Barty told AAP. “Certainly, when I played Ajla, I knew I had to be at my absolute very best or she’d completely roll me. And she’s got that respect from everyone.”
Tomljanovic took the opening set of a gripping Wimbledon quarter-final against eventual champion Elena Rybakina last July before also losing a high-quality US Open last-eight encounter to world No.2 Ons Jabeur.
While Tomljanovic needs a touch of luck, Poland’s world No.1 and reigning French and US Open champion Iga Swiatek will be top seed at Melbourne Park for the first time.
Nick Kyrgios will be Australia’s highest seed at the season’s first grand slam. The 2022 Wimbledon finalist is currently slated to be seeded 21st.
Crucially, countryman Alex de Minaur is likely be seeded 24th. That means de Minaur will avoid being in the bracket of players seeded between 25th and 32nd who will be drawn to strike a top-eight opponent in round three.
Teenage whiz Carlos Alcaraz, who removed Lleyton Hewitt from a page in the tennis record books by becoming the youngest year-end No.1 in history, will be the men’s Open top seed.
AAP
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