Aussie rookie gets career-best win in Hobart
Ethan James |
Australian youngster Taylah Preston has pulled off the biggest victory of her burgeoning career in the opening round of the Hobart International.
The 20-year-old wildcard, who is ranked 205 in the world, outpowered 40-ranked Spanish fifth seed Jessica Bouzas Maneiro 6-4 7-6 (7-4) in 88 minutes on Monday.
It was the best win rankings-wise of Preston’s career, bettering a three-set result over Poland’s then world No.42 Magdalena Frech at the San Diego Open in 2024.
Preston raced to a 4-1 lead in the first set after just 15 minutes and then got to 5-2 in the second.
She was unable to serve out the match and lost four games in row, but rallied to break Bouzas Maneiro to force a tiebreak where she held her nerve.
Preston, who will soon play her second Australian Open via a wildcard, was happy with how she overcame some anxious moments.
“I just started thinking ‘don’t worry about the score’. Every point, play it the same,” she said.
“Don’t think about the fact you just lost four games in a row.
“I’m lucky enough to have my family here this week. They were all super positive and just going ‘you know what to do’.
“I looked to them a little bit, just more for that reassurance. But ultimately I had to try and trust myself, that I know what is best to do.”
Preston, a former top-10 junior, had the better of her more experienced opponent from the baseline.
She’ll face either Slovakia’s world No.71 Rebecca Sramkova or Frenchwoman Varvara Gracheva for a place in the quarter-finals.
Preston couldn’t get past the qualification stage at the Brisbane International last week but managed to beat a player in the top 100 and push No.79 Zhang Shuai to three sets.
“I’m really happy with how I’m playing and hitting the ball and at a level where I want to be,” she said.
Preston, who hails from WA, will be hoping to emulate the Hobart run of Australia’s top-ranked woman Maya Joint who reached the semi-finals in 2025 and sparked a breakout season.
Preston is one of two Australians in the draw, alongside fellow wildcard Tahlia Gibson who meets China’s Wang Xinyu on Tuesday.
Former US Open winner Emma Raducanu is the tournament’s top seed in a field that includes veteran Venus Williams.
AAP
