Ajla Tomljanovic is the only Australian woman to gain direct entry into this year’s Australian Open.Credit:AP
It is the same meagre number the host nation began the 2014 Australian Open women’s draw with,when Sam Stosur was the only non-wildcard.
Tiley intended to give one of the five wildcards typically granted to Australians to 42-year-old American legend Venus Williams,now ranked 658,but her injury withdrawal enabled Queenslander Kim Birrell to receive a late call-up.
Ash Barty after her win last year.Credit:Eddie Jim
“If you’re asking an ex-coach;I’m never comfortable unless there is absolute performance at the highest level and as many as you can get,” Tiley said.
“That’s what drives us every single day – to get more young kids to play ... we have more people playing tennis than we’ve ever had before. We had the biggest growth in the last two years of any sport,of people participating,and that’s going to lead to a great future,but it’s a journey.”
This year’s low tally comes with an asterisk,given defending champion Ash Barty’s retirement and Daria Saville (née Gavrilova) recovering from an ACL rupture.
Sam Stosur,the 2011 US Open champion,also ended her singles career at last year’s Australian Open,but was no longer a top-100 player at the time.