Happy memories come flooding back for Ajla Tomljanovic on every visit to Brisbane.<\/p>\n
The Australian fondly recalls spending pre-seasons in the Queensland capital, where she would train for months at a time early in her career.<\/p>\n
\u201cI love this city. I love the vibe,\u201d smiled the 32-year-old. \u201cI can always get my training done in peace and enjoy the weather. And the people are great. Everyone’s so relaxed.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tomljanovic added to the happy memory bank as she successfully launched the 2026 season with victory over Frenchwoman Elsa Jacquemot at the Brisbane International.<\/p>\n
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Contested before a supportive home crown on Show Court 1 at the Queensland Tennis Centre, Tomljanovic completed the 6-1 6-3 win to set a second-round meeting with 11th-seeded Karolina Muchova.<\/p>\n
The 80th-ranked Tomljanovic stamped early authority against world No.55 Jacquemot with a break of serve in the fourth game of the first set . She recovered from 1-3 down in the second, winning four straight games to secure victory in 75 minutes.<\/p>\n
It added to a positive off-season for the experienced Tomljanovic, who is making a fifth main-draw appearance at the WTA 500 tournament.<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel great. I had such a great preparation but you never when the first match comes. Anything can happen on the day in tennis,\u201d she commented.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo I was just really hoping to at least do 80 per cent of what I\u2019ve been practising and I think I did even more today so I’m just thrilled. It\u2019s been a while since I’ve been back in Brissy competing, so this feels amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Movement was particularly pleasing as Tomljanovic aims to replicate her best Brisbane performance as a quarterfinalist in 2018.<\/p>\n
\u201cI definitely feel the best I’ve felt so far. I put in a lot of work in in the gym daily which isn’t my favourite thing, but I’ve got to do it just so that I can come out here and pretty much give my best,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
It was a more challenging day in Brisbane for Daria Kasatkina, who faced Anastasia Potapova in her first match as an Australian representative.<\/p>\n
After dropping the first set against the world No.50, Kasatkina drew on warm crowd support to force a third set. But in her first match since taking an extended break in September, Kasatkina was unable to capitalise, with Potapova emerging a 6-4 5-7 6-4 winner.<\/p>\n
Special Ks make successful return<\/p>\n
After long injury absences for each player, Thanasi Kokkinakis and Nick Kyrgios returned with a win in the men’s doubles, recovering from a first-set deficit to overcome countryman Matt Ebden and his American partner Rajeev Ram 5-7 6-4 [10-8] at Pat Rafter Arena.<\/p>\n
The boys are back!<\/p>\n
Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis came from a set down, claimed a match tiebreak and progressed to the next round after super match up on PRA!#Scenes<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/2W0fmvpnlU<\/a><\/p>\n