Australian wildcard Jordan Thompson has flown the home flag high to be the first man into the second round of the Brisbane International after clinically dispatching Sweden’s Elias Ymer.
Sydneysider Thompson took control of the first-round match early and never giving up control to win 6-3 6-2 on Sunday on Pat Rafter Arena.
The world No.79 and Rio Olympian broke Ymer in his opening two service games to race to a 4-0 lead before the dreadlocked Swedish wildcard, ranked 160 in the world, fought back strongly.
The second set was far easier once the Australian broke in the fourth game and he went on to close out the entertaining encounter in 90 minutes.
“I didn’t make too many errors and returned pretty well and my movement was good,” said Thompson, who rose through the rankings with four Challenger title triumphs last year.
“We were both sweating absolute rockets but overall I thought I handled the conditions well.”
Thompson will play the winner of Monday’s clash between Bernard Tomic and Spanish eighth seed David Ferrer.
The victory completed a pleasing start for the local men’s contingent after 17-year-old Alex De Minaur earlier ensured four Australian men would contest the main draw, following his second energy-sapping qualifying triumph in two days.
De Minaur came back to overcome American fifth seed Frances Tiafoe 6-7 (4-7) 6-4 6-4 in two hours and 19 minutes in the sweltering 35-degree conditions.
And he had an esteemed countryman cheering him on from the Court 6 stands in former world No.1 and Davis Cup captain, Lleyton Hewitt.
“Oh, it was pretty good, because so many times he’s come back from tough matches,” he said of having Hewitt courtside. “You know, I’m happy I could do that today in the heat. Especially, you know, having him out there, it means a lot.”
Hewitt, who has worked hard with the 17-year-old over the past two months, was highly impressed.
“I’m just rapt for Alex,” he said. “He gets an opportunity now to play in a main draw of an ATP Tour event. What a way to start the new year.
“He has a lot of ability, he wants to work hard (and) puts in a lot of hard hours … that’s the main reason he was able to win today.”
De Minaur joins Tomic, Thompson and wildcard Sam Groth in the main draw.
John-Patrick Smith was poised to join his countrymen in the main draw but fell narrowly shy against American Jared Donaldson 6-2 4-6 7-6 (7-2).