Ash Barty is widely considered the Australian Open title favourite but her first-up opponent won’t be a pushover.
Tsurenko isn’t a prototypical qualifier, in that she’s a former world No.23 who beat Barty in Brisbane four years ago and won the first set against her at Melbourne Park two years ago.
“She obviously knows how to win big matches and how to play in the big moments. She knows how to navigate and win matches and navigate through some tough times. Beyond Tsurenko, Barty would meet Russia’s Varvara Gracheva or Italian qualifier Lucia Bronzetti in the second round, while No.30 seed Camila Giorgi is her likely round-of-32 opponent.
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