‘I can definitely be top 30’: Qualifier among three Aussie winners at US Open

Once upon a time, Priscilla Hon was Australia’s brightest junior tennis prospect.

Those days are long gone for 27-year-old Hon, with teenagers Maya Joint and Emerson Jones now owning that status – but the tour veteran is not done dreaming.

The world No.126 won her first grand slam main-draw match in more than five years at the US Open on Tuesday (AEST), brushing aside Frenchwoman Leolia Jeanjean 6-3, 7-5 to back up her effort of qualifying for the New York major in consecutive years.

Hon, who next faces big-striking Russian 17th seed Liudmila Samsonova, told this masthead she believed she could be ranked about 100 spots higher, where she would be among the 30 best women on the planet.

Her victory is part of an Australian uprising at Flushing Meadows this year, joining day-one winner Jordan Thompson, plus 15th seed Daria Kasatkina and in-form Adam Walton, in the second round.

Kasatkina dispatched Romania’s Elena-Gabriela Ruse 7-5, 6-1, while Walton extended his impressive North American hardcourt swing with an upset 6-4, 7-6 (7-4), 5-7, 6-1 triumph over 22nd-seeded French opponent Ugo Humbert.

Alex de Minaur faces fellow Australian Chris O’Connell in his first-round match on Wednesday, while Alexei Popyrin, Joint, Ajla Tomljanovic, Kim Birrell and wildcard Tristan Schoolkate will also start their campaigns.

“It’s my favourite slam, apart from the Australian Open, so I can’t be much happier right now,” Hon said.

“I love New York – everything about it. The fans, everyone who comes to watch; there’s so much energy, and it’s so chaotic, and there’s so much happening. But I’d way rather that than just silence, so there’s something about it that gives me a lot of energy, and it makes me want to do well.”

Hon, whose win gives her a shot at surpassing her career-high ranking of No.118, also qualified at Wimbledon two months ago.

However, the Queenslander revealed to this masthead that a frank conversation during her run from qualifying at last year’s US Open to a first-round date with Aryna Sabalenka felt like the turning point in her solid but unremarkable career.

“One of my best friends, who was there with me, was like, ‘Come on, Pri, you can do this’, and I’m like, ‘I know I can’ – and for her to hear me say that was huge because I would never say that before,” Hon said.

“I feel like Aussies in general are very humble people, and we don’t like to say this stuff … but I think that was a really big step for me, even to say that out loud.”

That statement from Hon, who readily admits that self-doubt has riddled her career, opened the floodgates. Now, she thinks her best tennis is still to come, five years after a doctor told her a serious hip injury might force her to quit tennis.

“I think I can definitely be top 30. Hopefully, I can do that before my career ends,” she said.

“Honestly, even last year at the US Open, I feel like there were moments where I believed it, and every day there are always doubts – not just in tennis, but in life, with everyone – and not letting those feelings take over the positives is huge.

“I want to be way past top 100. I don’t want that to be the goal … top 100 is not even really in my head. It would be great, obviously, but I want to do a lot more than that.”

Walton, a former college tennis standout at the University of Tennessee, kicked-started the North American hardcourt swing by reaching the semi-finals in Los Cabos.

The 26-year-old then pushed Alexander Zverev in a tight second-round clash at the Toronto Masters before upsetting Daniil Medvedev on his way to the last 32 at the Cincinnati Masters.

The Humbert win continued that form, and vaults Walton to No.74 in the live rankings, which would be a new high for him if he maintains it. He has a big chance to advance to the third round at a major for the first time when he meets Hong Kong qualifier and world No.176 Coleman Wong.

“At a slam, to beat a seeded player [is a big deal], and it’s a first win, and you take great confidence in doing so,” Walton said.

“I’ve had a great American summer. I feel more comfortable being back on the hardcourts, and I’m just glad that this American summer I’ve really been able to capitalise on some good matches and [have] some good wins.”

Aleks Vukic, James Duckworth and wildcard Talia Gibson were not so fortunate.

Vukic lost a five-set thriller to American Jenson Brooksby, 6-3, 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 3-6, 6-4; Duckworth went down 7-5, 6-3, 6-4 to local wildcard Tristan Boyer, and Gibson suffered a 6-2, 6-2 defeat to Polish 28th seed Magdalena Frech.

with AAP

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