Dart, Watson Advance in Australian Open Qualifying

Harriet Dart and Heather Watson both advanced to the second round of qualifying for the Australian Open, with Dart defeating Australian wildcard Lizette Cabrera 6-2 7-6(5) and Watson overcoming Lola Radivojevic 7-5 6-7(14) 6-2. Dart's victory marks her effort to qualify for the main draw for the fifth time, demonstrating her resilience after dropping the second set. Watson's victory was significant as it marked her first progression past the opening round since 2022, highlighted by a thrilling second-set tie-break. In contrast, Dan Evans was eliminated after losing to Japan's James Trotter. Meanwhile, Fran Jones and Billy Harris also progressed, while several other British players faced defeats in the qualifiers. Notably, several British players, including Katie Boulter and Emma Raducanu, have secured direct entries into the main draw.