Melbourne, Australia, 21 January 2024 | Leigh Rogers

Dreams can come true, as Alana Subasic is discovering at Australian Open 2024.

The 16-year-old Aussie scored her first Grand Slam main-draw win today in the girls’ singles competition, edging out Italian Noemi Basiletti in a three-set thriller at Melbourne Park.

“I’ve been coming (to the Australian Open) every year since I started playing tennis at the age of six. I was dreaming of playing here and now it’s finally a reality,” Subasic said after recording a hard-fought 5-7 6-2 7-5 victory.

The Sydney talent, who won two qualifying rounds to earn her spot in the draw, stepped up under pressure when world No.43 Basiletti served for the match in the 10th game of the deciding set.

Subasic had just lost three consecutive games and looked in serious trouble.

“‘It’s not over until the end. Take it point by point, you can catch up’, that’s what I was telling myself to stay calm,” the world No.293 said.

That mindset helped Subasic reel off three straight games, including two service breaks, to clinch an impressive victory.

“It’s the biggest win of my career,” she beamed.

“All the emotions are going through my brain right now. I’m just glad I pushed through.”

Making the victory even sweeter is the fact that the resilient Subasic is returning from a broken wrist, which she suffered during a fall at a clay-court tournament in the Netherlands in July.

“It was a really tough time, but I had an amazing team around me,” she said.

“I missed five months last year, so this is definitely a well-deserved win.”

Subasic names Novak Djokovic and Ajla Tomljanovic as her biggest inspirations.

“Djokovic is amazing and I love how Ajla plays. I feel like I play very similar to her, so I try to watch a lot of her,” she explained.

Determined to emulate her heroes at Melbourne Park this week, Subasic is excited to meet fourth seed Hannah Klugman in the second round.

Although the 14-year-old Brit is one of the world’s most promising juniors and won the prestigious 18/u Orange Bowl tournament in America late last year, Subasic is not intimidated.

“I love playing seeded players, because it’s just another opportunity and anyone is beatable,” she said.

Subasic was among four Aussies to score opening-round wins today in the girls’ singles competition, with Emerson Jones, Maya Joint and Tahlia Kokkinis also advancing.

Pavle Marinkov was the sole Aussie winner in the boys’ singles competition.

> BUY NOW: Australian Open 2024 tickets

Aussies in action – Australian Open

TODAY’S RESULTS
Girls’ singles, first round
[6] Emerson Jones (AUS) d [Q] Daria Egorova 7-6(5) 6-4
Maya Joint (AUS) d [14] Wakana Sonobe (JPN) 7-6(6) 2-6 6-2
[Q] Alana Subasic (AUS) d Noemi Basiletti (ITA) 5-7 6-2 7-5
[WC] Tahlia Kokkinis (AUS) d Asylzhan Arystanbekova (KAZ) 6-1 6-4
Mia Slama (USA) d [WC] Koharu Nishikawa (AUS) 6-2 6-2
[Q] Lea Nilsson (SWE) d [WC] Kimiko Cooper (AUS) 6-0 6-2

Boys’ singles, first round
[13] Pavle Marinkov (AUS) d Hoyoung Roh (KOR) 6-3 6-2
[5] Kaylan Bigun (USA) d [WC] Rohan Hazratwala (AUS) 6-3 3-6 6-4
[6] Alexander Razeghi (USA) d [WC] Cruz Hewitt (AUS) 6-2 6-3
Atakan Karahan (TUR) d [WC] Daniel Jovanovski (AUS) 7-5 6-3
[Q] William Rejchtman Vinciguerra (SWE) d [WC] Jerome Estephan (AUS) 6-7(8) 6-3 6-1

Girls’ doubles, first round
[6] Maya Joint (AUS)/Kristiana Sidorova d Ksenia Efremova (FRA)/Alena Kovackova (CZE) 4-6 6-4 [10-3]
Yoana Konstantinova (BUL)/Teodora Kostovic (SRB) d [WC] Lily Taylor (AUS)/Gabrielle Villegas (AUS) 7-6(4) 6-2

Boys’ doubles, first round
[WC] Jonas Hahn (AUS)/Ty Host (WC) d Atakan Karahan (TUR)/Hoyoung Roh (KOR) 6-3 6-2
[2] Tomasz Berkieta (CZE)/Maxim Mrva (CZE) d [WC] Thomas Gadecki (AUS)/Hugh Winter (AUS) 6-3 7-6(3)
Diego Dedura-Palomero (GER)/Max Schoenhaus (GER) d [4] Pavle Marinkov (AUS)/Charlie Camus (FRA) 6-4 4-6 [10-3]

COMING UP
Girls’ singles, second round
[6] Emerson Jones (AUS) v Mika Buchnik (ISR)
Maya Joint (AUS) v [Q] Isabelle Lacy (GBR)
[Q] Alana Subasic (AUS) v [4] Hannah Klugman (GBR)
[WC] Tahlia Kokkinis (AUS) v [16] Iva Ivanova (BUL)

> VIEW: Australian Open 2024 girls’ singles draw

Boys’ singles, second round
[13] Pavle Marinkov (AUS) v Diego Dedura-Palomero (GER)
[16] Hayden Jones (AUS) v Jagger Leach (USA)
[WC] Ty Host (AUS) v [14] Jangjun Kim (KOR)

> VIEW: Australian Open 2024 boys’ singles draw

Girls’ doubles, first round
[7] Emerson Jones (AUS)/Mika Stojsavljevic (GBR) v Reina Goto (JPN)/Junhan Zhang (CHN)
Renee Alame (AUS)/Alana Subasic (AUS) v Asylzhan Arystanbekova (KAZ)/Yuliya Perapekhina
[WC] Kimiko Cooper (AUS)/Gabby Gregg (AUS) v [8] Iva Ivanova (BUL)/Gloriana Nahum (BEN)
[WC] Tahlia Kokkinis (AUS)/Koharu Nishikawa (AUS) v Laura Brunkel (DEN)/Olivia Carneiro (BRA)

Girls’ doubles, second round
[6] Maya Joint (AUS)/Kristiana Sidorova v TBC

> VIEW: Australian Open 2024 girls’ doubles draw

Boys’ doubles, first round
[3] Hayden Jones (AUS)/Alexander Razeghi (USA) v [WC] Cruz Hewitt (AUS)/Lachlan McFadzean (AUS)
[WC] Rohan Hazratwala (AUS)/Jarrod Joyce (AUS) v [8] Nicolai Budkov Kjaer (NOR)/Jan Kumstat (CZE)

Boys’ doubles, second round
[WC] Jonas Hahn (AUS)/Ty Host (WC) v TBC

> VIEW: Australian Open 2024 boys’ doubles draw

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