Australian Open qualifying: Cruz Hewitt and Bernard Tomic bundled out in straight sets as hopes dashed
Watch the Australian Open qualifying live and free on 9Now.
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No luck for Tomic and Hewitt, but plenty of other Aussies remain alive in the hunt for the first grand slam of 2025.
Mixed day in Melbourne
It's been a mixed day for the Aussies thus far.
Maddison Inglis advanced with a dominant straight-sets victory, but high-profile men's hopes Cruz Hewitt and Bernard Tomic were both bundled out.
The country's top-ranked female player, Kim Birrell, has just started her qualifying match against Japan's Jara Saito.
Hilarious from Nikoloz Basilashvili
Hilarious and humble from Nikoloz Basilashvili aftwr his win over Cruz Hewitt in the Australian Open first round of qualifiers.
"I think the crowd was not annoying today. It was pretty fair," he said after his win on 9Now.
"Cruz showed up and played very well, he just turned 16. When I was 16 I would have been pooping my pants to have to come out on the grand slam court and play a match like this."
Hewitt goes down
A glimpse into the future is all but over, as Basilashvili defeats Cruz Hewitt 6-1, 6-4.
It's a great first outing for the 16-year-old and one every fan is Australia shoudl be proud of!
He thanks to crowd as he heads off court 3.
Cruzing his way back in
Serving to stay in it, and stay in he does! Cruz Hewitt nabs a game back in the second set, he's now down to Basilashvili 4-5, after dropping the first set.
Hope for Hewitt
The great escape! Cruz Hewitt has saved the four break points and won that game!
He absorbed the pressure perfectly.
He still trails, but only just in the second set, down to Basilashvili 3-4.
A glimmer of hope!
Come on, Cruz!
A break back for Cruz Hewitt!
It's all tied in the second set at 2-2!
And he is lapping up all the crowd support, with another "come on", directed at his dad, Lleyton, who gives him the thumbs up from the sidelines.
We've got a match on our hands!
Cruz Hewitt in action. Nine
Well that was quick
Bernard Tomic is gone!
He's lost 6-3, 6-1.
That final set was done very quickly. No real reacton from Tomic, he gives a thumbs up to the crowd, signs a few autographs for kids and makes his way up the tunnel.
Bernard Tomic lost in the first round of qualifying. Nine
An early stance
A great start, Hewitt takes the opening game of the second set, leading now 1-0, after losing that first set 6-1.
He's just as pumped up as we expected.
The 16-year-old is looking way more comfortable in this second set. A sight to behold!
The teen loses the first
Nikoloz Basilashvili has claimed the first set, overcoming Cruz Hewitt 6-1.
