Storm Hunter powers into Australian Open second round with straight-sets win
Storm Hunter paid tribute to the sacrifices of her parents after she secured her first main singles draw victory at the Australian Open on Monday as the world doubles No 1 pursues a rise up the individual rankings in 2024.
Her 6-4, 6-3 victory over Italian veteran Sara Errani showcased the power and confidence that won her through qualifying.
Hunter became the first Australian in the second round of the women’s draw, and equalled her best grand slam result which came at last year’s French Open.
Monday’s victory came in front of her parents, who arrived from Perth on Sunday.
“It’s crazy,” she said. “They they had flights for Sunday so they were like, ‘you better get through qualifying if we can watch you,’ so that was definitely a big motivation.”
Hunter spent part of her youth in Rockhampton, in the now closed Grand Hotel owned by her grandparents. The tennis hopeful lived upstairs with her parents, who joined the Navy to help finance their child’s career.
“My parents had no money but they were hard workers,” she said. “They knew I had this dream and they joined the military trying to give us a better life and a better opportunity and we relocated to WA.
“I spent a lot of time in my childhood not seeing my parents because they were sacrificing their time, with me and my brother to give us that support.”
Watched by her parents courtside, Monday’s result takes on greater significance.
“It means everything,” the 29-year-old said on court after the match. “I grew up watching the Australian Open and then dreaming of playing here.”
“I’ve had a lot of opportunities and I’m a little bit older so I’ve played a few main draws and never got the win, so to come through qualifying and to win my first round in singles, it’s a dream come true.”
The left-hander’s powerful ground strokes were evident early in the match, and she quickly racked up the winners as the Italian – the oldest player in the draw who turned pro in 2002 and was ranked as high as No 5 in 2013 – struggled to stay in touch.
The crowd, who had filled the 5,000-seat Kia Arena on a warm Melbourne morning, were far from boisterous, but were clearly in Hunter’s corner. With no Australian woman in the top 100, the Perth product presents one of the best prospects for local success.
But Hunter stumbled at the end of the first set as the winners were traded for unforced errors. She was broken when serving for the set, prompting reassurance from coach Nicole Pratt in the stands. Finally, on her fourth set point, Hunter hit a forehand winner that triggered a roar of determination.
In her five previous Melbourne Park appearances, Hunter had won just two sets, including one against Aryna Sabalenka in 2022. She doubled that tally in the victory, but the second set again didn’t go all her own way. An early break was pegged back by the Italian, but Hunter’s aggressive returns against Errani’s modest serve delivered her the victory in 90 minutes, to go with at least $180,000 in prize money.
Hunter had overcome the odds in even making it to the first-round clash. Her five previous main-draw appearances, stretching back a decade, have been as a wildcard.
after newsletter promotion
And her progress through qualifying was rare. She is just the third Australia woman to get through the lead-in week at Melbourne Park in the 36-year history, after Kerry-Anne Guse in 2000 and Astra Sharma in 2019.
Hunter finished 2023 as the doubles world No 1 after a successful year alongside Elise Mertens, a three-time grand slam doubles winner.
The 180-ranked Hunter is placing more emphasis on singles this year, and is balancing prioritising her calendar alongside doubles events with new partner, Katerina Siniakova.
The Paris Olympics tournament at Roland Garros in July is a priority for Hunter, though she said she needed to improve her form on clay.
She said an Olympic medal would rank higher for her than even a grand slam title.
“Being an Australian athlete in Australia growing up, I think that to me is everything,” she said. “Before I played tennis, I wanted to be an Olympian.
“That would be a dream come true.”
But while she is Hunter by name – after marrying longtime partner Loughlin Hunter last year – she revealed the human side that has won her many friends on tour, midway through the match.
Not long after missing a makable forehand at the net in a marathon game during the first set, she delayed the match to remove a flying insect from the Melbourne Park surface amid applause from the audience and respect from her opponent. The delay lengthened when the critter wouldn’t leave her racquet.
Hunter too wants to stick around longer. She is set to face either 17th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova or German veteran Laura Siegemund in the second round.