Tagger’s One-Hander Carves Path in Aussie Qualies

On Melbourne Park’s rebound ace surfaces, where the afternoon sun baked the lines into sharp relief, 17-year-old Austrian Lilli Tagger launched her Grand Slam qualifying career with a pulse-quickening fight. She turned a 3-6 deficit against China’s Gao Xinyu into a 7-5, 6-3 comeback over 2 hours and 54 minutes, the day’s longest battle, her one-handed backhand flashing like a counterpunch in the humid air. This win, packed with 40 winners and a net game that converted 15 of 25 points, echoed her whirlwind year—from a junior Roland Garros title to a WTA final in Jiujiang—that vaulted her from No. 977 to No. 153 in the rankings.

Resilience flips the second set

Trailing a set and 4-2 in the second, Tagger absorbed Gao’s probing crosscourt forehands, which exploited the hard court’s pace to stretch rallies thin. Coached by Francesca Schiavone, the 2010 Roland Garros champion and last major winner with a one-hander, she dialed up inside-out backhands that skimmed the baseline, forcing Gao into high-bouncing errors. The crowd’s murmurs built as she claimed two multi-deuce games, her heavy topspin forehands landing deep to level the sets, a tactical shift that blended junior poise with pro-level grit.

That momentum carried into the decider’s opening game, a 20-minute marathon of 12 deuces where Tagger saved seven break points with underspin slices staying low and skidding. Each escape—mixing down-the-line backhands with one–two patterns from the baseline—disrupted Gao’s rhythm, her serve-volley rushes pulling the Chinese player forward too soon. Gao battled back with flat returns, but Tagger’s hold sealed the pivot, her legs steady despite the heat’s toll.

Backhand rarity meets hardcourt fire

Tagger’s one-hander, increasingly scarce on the tour, thrived on these outdoor hard courts, redirecting Gao’s topspin with flat, penetrating drives that opened angles for inside-in forehands. The surface’s speed amplified her slice backhands, keeping them low to jam Gao’s movement, while her 40 winners outpaced the opponent’s 34 in a flurry of crowd-pleasing hot shots. This wasn’t mere flair; it was adaptation from clay triumphs to the faster bounce, honed under Schiavone’s guidance to handle pressure points without faltering.

Next awaits Elena Pridankina, who dispatched No. 13 seed Diane Parry—another one-handed backhand user—6-3, 6-2, setting up a stylistic duel where angles and aggression collide. Tagger’s debut resilience suggests she’s built for these qualifiers’ grind, her story adding fresh energy to the Australian Open’s outer courts as the main draw looms.

Kalinina’s return gathers pace

Across the draw, Anhelina Kalinina shook off a six-month layoff to outlast No. 19 seed Joanna Garland 7-5, 6-2, a matchup of recent WTA 125 champions on courts still echoing from earlier matches. The former No. 25, who claimed the Limoges title in her comeback event last month, dictated with deep, looping topspin from the baseline, absorbing Garland’s Canberra-sharpened variety. Her straight-line power broke serve at crucial junctures, the first set’s tightness giving way to control as her movement sharpened.

On these hard courts, Kalinina’s 1–2 combinations—crosscourt backhands setting up inside-in forehands—exploited the pace, passing Garland’s net forays with precision. The Ukrainian’s composure, forged from past top-25 runs, turned the qualifying schedule’s back-to-back demands into an advantage, her efficient point construction resuming a rankings climb. She advances to face Anouk Koevermans, who eased past 17-year-old Australian wild card Tahlia Kokkinis 6-3, 6-3, promising more baseline battles in the draw’s unfolding layers.

For more on these Australian Open qualifying advances, check the latest at WTA Tennis. As Tagger and Kalinina push deeper, their paths highlight the qualifiers’ blend of youth and experience, where every hold builds toward the main-stage roar.