Webster-Jones holds back Blom in dead rubber Australian Open qualifier
Australian Open main draw now complete
Darcy Webster-Jones has won through the qualifying tournament at the Australian Open, booking his first ever appearance in the main draw. However, following the withdrawal of Nick Howell last week, Blom will also progress to the main draw as a lucky loser.
The quirk of the tournament format meant that both players were assured of qualification prior to the match, making it something of a dead rubber. The winner of the match, originally assigned as the qualifier 1 position, was to play Kieran Booth, while the loser would play the on paper easier match against Oliver Pridmore. As both first round opponents are likely out of reach of the qualifiers in any case, the match was still played for pride and handicap points.
Webster-Jones impressed throughout the match. Blom was serving pounding left-handed railroads that rocketed off the back service wall. Webster-Jones was handling it with ease, pressuring Blom into his backhand corner. Once in the rally, Blom was reaching for aggressive and high-risk stroke play that didn’t pay out reliably. Meanwhile, Webster-Jones handled his defensive play well, effectively taking the pace out of the ball and pressuring Blom into playing even more low-percentage shots. Webster-Jones’s biggest weakness came when attacking the easier balls in the forehand corner, struggling for height between the net, the grille and the high back wall.
Although Blom’s play looked promising in the first few games, he struggled to break through in any of the multiple deuce games the players had in the first set. Webster-Jones was seemingly always on top and in control. By the back half of the second set, Blom’s play became more frustrated as Webster-Jones ran away with the match.
Match results:
10am: Tony Blom lost to Darcy Webster-Jones 1/6 1/6
Order of play for Monday (all times AEDT):
10am: John Woods-Casey vs Jackson Pastoor
followed by: Kieran Booth vs Darcy Webster-Jones
Not before 1pm: Rob Fahey vs Baudouin Huynh-Lenhardt
followed by: Camden Riviere vs Nick Stenning
Not before 5pm: Lewis Williams vs Claire Fahey