Australian tennis has a new rising star with teenager Destanee Aiava blazing her way into the main draw of the Brisbane International.
Queensland’s scorching heat and more experienced rivals have not bothered Aiava this weekend as she continues a purple patch of form that defies her years.
The 16-year-old from Melbourne joins Sam Stosur and Ash Barty as the third Australian in the 30-strong women’s field, after sweeping aside German world No.86 Carina Witthoeft 6-1 6-1 in Sunday’s final qualifying round.
She will meet fellow qualifier Bethanie Mattek-Sands in the first round after the American beat Ukrainian sixth seed Kateryna Kozlova 6-3, 4-6, 6-2.
Aiava, a powerful baseliner coached by her Samoan-born mother Rosie, took just 64 minutes to close out the match in 35-degree heat.
Her maiden WTA Tour appearance comes on the back of winning a wildcard into the Australian Open after taking out last month’s Australian under-18 championships.
She lost a mere eight games combined in her three qualifying matches at the Queensland Tennis Centre, beating last year’s semifinalist Samantha Crawford, Spaniard Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez and Witthoeft all in straight sets.
Against the 21-year-old Witthoeft, Aiava showcased a powerful forehand and reliable serve, while supported by her family on QTC’s exposed court six.
She raced to 6-1 4-0 in quick time but was made to work hard to close out the match after the German broke back when some nerves took hold.
But Aiava, helped by a pivotal overrule by the chair umpire in the sixth game, ground out the next two tense games in the draining heat.