Rising star Emerson Jones has made an impressive start to her Adelaide International campaign, with the 16-year-old powering past China’s world no.37 Wang Xinyu 6-4, 6-0 at The Drive.
The highly touted Australian teenager, a runner-up in the Australian Open girls’ final last year, looked comfortable despite facing a player over 300 spots higher in the rankings.
Alongside her Australian Open 2024 finals appearance, Jones was a Wimbledon 2024 girls’ finalist and was crowned champion of the prestigious ITF World Junior Finals.
She subsequently became the youngest Australian since Jelena Dokic in 1998 to rank as a junior world No.1.
The Queenslander also shared Female Junior Athlete of the Year honours with Maya Joint at the 2024 Australian Tennis Awards to add more buzz to her budding career.
Ranked No.371 in the world, Jones certainly earned her wildcard spot in the Adelaide main draw after her breakout year in 2024.
“I didn’t even think I’d get a wildcard into this tournament, so winning a round is pretty special,” Jones said in her on-court interview. “I’m actually pretty surprised, a bit shocked.”
Down a break early in the first set against Wang, Jones clawed her way back into the match with her trademark aggressive groundstrokes from the baseline.
The second set was all one-way traffic as Jones cruised past the world No.37 without dropping a game.
“As the match went on, I was kind of like, I’ve got this. Even at 5-love, I was still, I just have to keep focusing on every point,” Jones said.
The 16-year-old credited her improved mental strength as the main factor behind the win.
“I think mentally I’ve improved a lot from last year and this year. I just think if I try to be mentally good, as best as I can, just play the way I want to play, then I think I’ll be pretty proud of myself, yeah.”
Despite comparisons to three-time Grand Slam champ, Ash Barty, Jones is focussed on her own unique journey as a player.
“It’s great to be compared to Ash Barty. I find it exciting that people say I’m following in her footsteps. I just think we’re all on our different journeys. I just want to see how I go and just focus on myself.”
Jones’ draw doesn’t get any easier, as she next faces world No.9 Daria Kasatkina, who defeated fellow Australian Olivia Gadecki, 6-2, 6-3.
In that match, Gadecki at times struggled to change direction and anticipate Kasatkina’s aggressive groundstrokes.
Competing with her ankle strapped, the 22-year-old Aussie’s normally potent groundstrokes were uncharacteristically erratic as she succumbed to a risk-taking Kasatkina, who capitalised on her opponent’s errors.
Other winners on Day 1 of the Adelaide International included Yulia Putintseva, who overcame Donna Vekic in the opening match.
Marketa Vondrousova progressed in a marathon against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, with her 6-4 6-7(4) 6-2 victory completed in two hours and 44 minutes.
Denis Shapovalov claimed an upset in the men’s draw, with the Canadian a 6-3 6-4 winner over No.9 seed Zhizhen Zhang.
In doubles action, Australia’s Ellen Perez teamed with Czech Katerina Siniakova, to defeat Spanish pair, Cristina Bucsa and Yana Sizikova, 6-4, 7-6(4).
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