Purcell to the max
AFTER taking out the boys singles' title at the Optus 14s Australian Claycourt Tennis Championships in Ipswich on Sunday, Max Purcell made a shock first-round exit from the 2012 Queensland Junior Claycourt International in Bundaberg yesterday.
The New South Wales pocket dynamo was unseeded for the tournament at Drinan Park and after the highs of two days earlier, he never found his rhythm.
He was beaten by fellow Australian Alan Poric 6-2, 6-2.
Despite Poric's famous victory, he faces a tough task ahead.
Today he will meet the older 17-year-old New Zealand eighth seed Nicholas Brown who has a ranking of 925.
If Poric gets past Brown, top seed Harry Bourchier is on the same side of the draw as him, and after that, he potentially has No. 9 Marshall Street in the third round.
Just three boys seeds had first round matches, with 15th seed Harley Pearson and No. 16 Andrej Lukic each advancing against Jesse Delaney 6-3, 6-0 and Simon Truong 6-1, 6-3 respectively, both in all-Australian matches.
But No. 14 Robert Stirling bowed out with a 6-4, 6-4 defeat at the hands of fellow Aussie Mitchell Harper.
The other top 13 seeds players will all hit the courts today, including Australians Brad Mousley (2), Robert Allan (3), Jake Delaney (4), David Kohan (5), Mitchell Pritchard (6), Marc Polmans (10), Daniel Nolan (11), Haris Poric (12) and John Giakoumakis (13).
No.7 Kennosuke Nouchi, of Japan, who is the only other non-Australian seed, will also start his quest for the championship.
Australian claycourt girls champion Sara Tomic, of Southport and a younger sister to Bernard, is ranked fifth for this tournament and she will open her campaign today against compatriot Maddie Antoun who white-washed Japan's Yuuka Saito, 6-0, 6-0 yesterday.
New Zealand top seed Danielle Feneridis will be up against New Caledonia's Assya Trimari who withstood a second set challenge from Australia's Nicole Kraemer before advancing 6-0, 6-4.
New Zealandalso has the second and sixth seeds in Louise Oxnevad and Paige Hourigan who will open their accounts today, along with Australians Andrea Dikosavljevis (3), Ellen Perez (4), Astra Sharma (8), Isabella Wallace (10), Ebony Panoho (11), Lizette Cabrera (12), Jaimee Gilbertson (13), Zoe Hives (14), Priscilla Hon (15) and Stephanie Yamada (16).
Today's second round matches will start at 9.30am while the day will also feature the first round of doubles action.
Admission is free and spectators are welcome.
