Bernard Tomic pulls off incredible Mallorca qualifying double to return to ATP Tour main draw
Australian tennis veteran Bernard Tomic is celebrating a return to the top after qualifying for an ATP Tour event for the first time since 2021.
The 32-year-old pulled off an impressive double on the grass courts of Mallorca, claiming upset wins over world No.93 Jesper De Jong and world No.77 Aleksandar Kovacevic to reach the main draw.
He had not beaten a top-100 rival since February 2023.
Tomic, the world No.243, has been an ATP Challenger and third-tier ITF circuit regular and last played an ATP Tour-level event when he qualified for the 2021 Australian Open.
He will face fellow Australian Rinky Hijikata in the first round at Mallorca.
Mallorca will be the high point of the grass season for Tomic, who was in the mix for the Wimbledon qualifying draw before pulling out to focus on the Spanish event.
Tristan Schoolkate will lead a 16-strong Australian contingent seeking Wimbledon places — and lucrative pay packets — this week.
With 13 Australians (eight man and five women) already guaranteed in the main draw next week, Ilkley Trophy winner Schoolkate will spearhead the challenge to join them in the cut-throat qualifying tournament at nearby Roehampton.
Players will have to come through three qualifying matches at the venue 5km from the All England Club to nail down one of the coveted 16 places in each of the singles draws a week on Monday.
Making the main draw will guarantee each qualifier at least a £66,000 ($A137,000) pay day even if he or she loses in the first round.
Schoolkate, who earned the biggest win of his burgeoning career at the picturesque Challenger event in Ilkley that likes to dub itself the 'Wimbledon of the North', has moved to 102nd in the rankings and is seeking a maiden appearance at the grass-court slam.
The 24-year-old, second seed for the qualifying event, opens on Monday against Argentine world No.198 Facundo Diaz Acosta.
Last year, Alex Bolt had just 10 minutes notice as an alternate that he would be a late replacement in the qualifying draw and went on to surprise everyone, not least himself, by going on to battle into the main draw.
This year, somewhat better prepared, the 32-year-old Murray Bridge veteran will face Frenchman Harold Mayot first up, hoping to make the main draw for a fourth time.
Four other Aussie men — Li Tu, Jason Kubler, James McCabe and Omar Jasika — will also open their bids on Monday while the world No.1 junior Emerson Jones will lead the women's qualifying challenge that begins on Tuesday.
Jones, who reached the Australian Open and Wimbledon junior finals last year, will be joined in the draw by Talia Gibson, Priscilla Hon, Daria Saville, Astra Sharma, Destanee Aiava, Maddison Inglis, Lizette Cabrera, Arina Rodionova and Taylah Preston.
Meanwhile, Alex de Minaur is not in action in any of the final pre-Wimbledon grass-court events after his early exit at Queen's Club.
But seven SW19-bound Australians will feature in the final warm-up tournaments this week, including Tomic.
James Duckworth beat British wildcard Johannus Monday 6-4 6-2 and Aleksandar Vukic downed American Jenson Brooksby 7-5 6-3 to book their places in the Eastbourne International men's main draw.
Kim Birrell also made it to the traditional seaside event, defeating Anna Bondar 6-2 6-3 in Eastbourne qualifying, to join the country's top pair, Daria Kasatkina and Maya Joint, in the women's event.
Ajla Tomljanovic, a former Wimbledon quarter-finalist, beat Germany's Eva Lys, who retired when 6-4 3-2 down, to make it into the Bad Homburg WTA main draw.
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