Russian tennis player Polina Kudermetova reached the main draws by beating Australian representative Elena Micic in the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam tournament of the year.
The match, which lasted 1 hour and 22 minutes, ended with a score of 6:4 and 7:5. Kudermetova has four break points out of six, along with seven aces and three double faults. Micic had seven serves, seven double faults and converted two of nine break points.
Kudermetova’s opponent in the first round will be determined later.
On March 6, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) announced its decision to allow Russian and Belarusian tennis players to compete in neutral status at the Olympic Games in France. Russians and Belarusians will be able to compete in the 2024 Olympics if they comply with the neutral athlete principles previously formulated by the IOC. Russians Mirra Andreeva and Diana Schneider reached the final of the women’s doubles at the Olympic tournament. The remaining tennis players from Russia did not win a medal at the Games.
Previously recognized Russia’s rivals at the Australian Open.