'Learning experience': Cruz Hewitt crashes out in qualifiers during mixed day for Aussies
Updated . First published at
Australia had a mixed day in the Australian Open qualifiers with Cruz Hewitt, Destanee Aiava and Arina Rodionova among many Aussies to be eliminated, however newly engaged couple Maddison Inglis and Jason Kubler both progressed.
Hewitt was one of the first to miss out, losing his match to American Michael Zheng 6-3, 6-3 in front a 3000-capacity crowd inside ANZ Arena.
The 17-year-old played with his parents Lleyton and Bec watching on in the stands and often looked frustrated as he finished with 37 unforced errors.
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Cruz Hewitt during the opening round of qualifying. Getty
Hewitt also lost in the first round of qualifying last year.
"Another learning experience for Cruz," Jill Craybas said on Nine's coverage.
"Obviously he's still trying to grow and develop and still pretty young but he faced an opponent today in Michael who was so solid throughout that whole match ... hardly any unforced errors and played a lot smarter and understood the shots that needed to be hit to keep Cruz off balance."
Watch the Adelaide International and Australian Open qualifying live and free on 9Now.
Zheng is currently ranked 174th in the world and didn't serve a single double fault, while also only producing 14 unforced errors.
"It's my first time here, it's been an unbelievable experience so far, they treat the players so well here at the Australian Open," the American said post-match.
"It's a full stadium so there's not much more that I can ask for so I'm super excited."
Hewitt did manage to cause some concern for Zheng throughout the second set, winning two break points.
"I feel like he returned really well on the games that he broke me, he was doing a good job attacking my second serve," Zheng said.
"I just tried to refocus ... I was in every single one of his service games so I just kept calm and tried to take it one point at a time."
Reaching round two of qualifying equals Zheng's best record at a slam having made the same stage in the 2023 and 2025 editions of the US Open.
As for other Aussies, Aiava looked like she was on the comeback trail in her match against Harriet Dart. Dart won the first set 6-3 before the second went to the Aussie 6-2. However, the Brit finished off 6-3 in the third.
Rodionova found herself in a similar situation, losing the first set in a tiebreak against Iryna Shymanovich.
The Aussie won the second 7-5 but the third went the way of Shymanovich at 6-4.
Following Hewitt's qualifying match, fellow Aussie Maddison Inglis managed a comeback against Spaniard Leyre Romero Gormaz.
Inglis won the match 4-6, 7-6(7), 6-2 and noticeably took in a number of deep breaths on the sideline after it was completed. She'll play Claire Liu next.
Her partner Kubler played after her and beat Harold Mayot 6-3, 6-4.
There was also a battle of the Aussies in the qualifiers with James McCabe winning 6-2, 7-5(7) against Pavle Marinkov.
