‘Life-changing’ match awaits qualifier Inglis at home Slam

Maddison Inglis barely made it into the main draw for the Australian Open.

Now she’s made it into the second week of a Grand Slam for the very first time – as one of only two unseeded players left across the men’s and women’s singles.

The 28-year-old Australian – ranked 168th in the world – has gone from saving two match points in qualifying to the fourth round in Melbourne, where a “life-changing” encounter with six-time major winner Iga Swiatek awaits on Monday.

“Maddison Inglis has just been struggling around the tour, just scraping into qualifying,” former Wimbledon winner Pat Cash told BBC Radio 5 Live.

“I don’t think she ever believed she would be in the fourth round.”

Having been overlooked by Tennis Australia for a wildcard, Inglis said herself that a spot in the main draw was a “dream come true” after she came through qualifying.

Let alone a place in the last 16.

She has benefitted from Naomi Osaka’s late withdrawal, with the Japanese 16th seed pulling out injured just two hours before their third-round tie.

That decision means Inglis is in for a A$480,000 (£243,000) payday, as well a night-session spot on Rod Laver Arena in front of her home crowd.

“Obviously she’s got the walkover but she’s played really well and – for somebody who struggles around making a 1,000 bucks a year here and 1,000 bucks there, trying to get into the Grand Slams where you can make 15,000, or something like that – it’s life-changing for her,” Cash added.

“I’m really happy for her because she works really hard and has just been grinding away on the circuit for years and years.”

Inglis, who has been plying her trade in the tier below the WTA Tour, might have been handed a walkover, but she’s unlikely to be feeling rusty when she faces Swiatek.

She has been playing singles, doubles and mixed doubles – alongside her fiance Jason Kubler – and spent 16 hours and 12 minutes on court over the past 12 days.

“Once you get out there and playing, and you want it so bad, it’s crazy what you can do,” Inglis said.

Second seed Swiatek, in comparison, has played just over five hours of tennis – a heavy workload by her own standards.

The Pole has endured a mixed start to the tournament as she bids to complete the career Grand Slam.

Swiatek squeezed past 31st seed Anna Kalinskaya with an error-strewn performance on Saturday, while she grappled with her serve and committed 34 unforced errors in her first-round match against Chinese qualifier Yuan Yue.

Inglis, too, has also had to battle her way through the early rounds.

Four of her five singles matches – across both qualifying and the main draw – have gone to three sets, while she’s played six tie-breaks.

And her emotion spilled out when she beat Germany’s Laura Siegemund in a marathon second-round match, falling to the court in tears after more than three hours of play.

“I haven’t been in the main draw of a Grand Slam for a long time,” Inglis said after that victory.

“To be in a Grand Slam in Melbourne – it’s my favourite tournament. My family is here. Jason was right there. To be able to share the wins with them is crazy and so special.

“I’m just going to soak it all in. It’s not every day you’re in the third round of a Grand Slam.”

Reaching the fourth round is rarer still, and the quarter-finals would be bordering on a fairytale.