There were more positive news coming from the Australian Open for Juniors on Monday as Helene Pellicano teamed up with Spanish player Marta Custic to power their way into the second round of the girls doubles competition.
Pellicano and Custic brushed aside Leylah Annie Fernandez, of Canada, and Sasha Woods, of the United States 6-1 6-4 in just less than an hour.
Custic and Pellicano, who are seeded fourth in the tournament, will now take on Russian duo Veronika Pepelyaeva and Avelina Sayfetdinova in the second round with the winner progressing to the quarter-finals.
Pepelyaeva and Sayfetdinova book their place in Tuesday’s match after completing a straight sets win over Japan’s Saki Imamura and South Korea’s Yeon Woo Ku.
Pellicano’s win on Monday leaves two Maltese players in the doubles draw as on Tuesday Francesca Curmi and her French partner and Loudmila Bencheikh, the seventh seeds, will be up against Maria Krupenina, of Russia, and Ukraine’s Daria Snigur for a place in the last eight.