Dane Sweeny and Adam Walton have both eliminated seeded opponents in the opening round of the Australian Open 2023 men’s qualifying singles competition.
Melbourne, Australia, 9 January 2023 | Darren Parkin
Adam Walton and Dane Sweeny have taken advantage of Australian Open 2023 qualifying wildcards in impressive fashion.
The 23-year-old Walton scored his first Grand Slam-level victory today, stunning Spanish veteran Pablo Andujar in a superb first-round performance at Melbourne Park.
The 14th-seeded Andujar has reached at least the third round of every major, including last year’s Australian Open, but was powerless against the Aussie wildcard.
Walton, currently ranked world No.431, prevailed 6-1 6-2 in a near-flawless display.
“I’m really pleased,” Walton said. “It’s not easy your first time playing a Slam, I’m just grateful Tennis Australia has given me the opportunity to have a wildcard.”
Walton was pleased with his ability to hold his nerve against a player with vastly more Grand Slam experience.
“I took care of a lot of the tight games. They can be big momentum swingers. When you win the really long games it can be absolutely critical,” he said.
The Queenslander played US college tennis before turning professional in mid 2022.
“I’ve chosen a different route to most, going through the college system but I don’t regret that. It’s helped my game so much and I feel like it is really progressing,” he said.
“I was glad to get out here. I’ve been looking forward to today more than anything since I got the word of the wildcard. I’ll savour every day here.”
Sweeny blitzed through his opening-round match, posting a 6-1 6-1 win against No.27-seeded Czech Vit Kopriva.
The 21-year-old Sweeny controlled his match from the outset to progress to the second round in Australian Open qualifying for the third year in a row.
“This is the biggest tournament of the year, so you are always a bit anxious,” said the Queensland talent.
“I expect a lot of myself. I played a solid match, I didn’t try to do too much, I just wanted to do the basics right.”
After reaching the final qualifying round at AO 2021 and the second round last year, world No.240 Sweeny feels he is learning more and more with each passing year.
“Experience is crucial. You can’t buy it. I feel more comfortable than the last couple of years, and more prepared for these big moments,” he said.
“The body feels great, I…
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