Defending Sydney champ Konta out

 Before launching into some results of important Aus Open lead up tournaments I want to point out significant ranking improvements from two of our Australian female players.

Ellen Perez, by beating Kristina Mladenovic in Sydney, improved from 341 to a career high live ranking of 293.

Zoe Hives jumped 76 spots to her new career high of 302.

These may seem rather low in importance, but it is for these girls and the future of tennis in Australia.

Sydney saw more success for Australia with wins by wildcard Samantha Stosur over lucky loser in qualifying Carina Witthoeft.

In a match lasting over two hours, Stosur displayed immense grit, coming from a set down to take the first round encounter.

Next for Samantha is a fellow Aussie - either Dasha Gavrilova or Olivia Rogowska.

Currently those two are locked at a set apiece with a rain delay and Olivia (ranked 165) trailing 4-5 on serve in the decider.

Alex de Minaur, the Aussie teenager who set Brisbane alight last week in making the semi finals, has continued his fine domestic run, eliminating veteran Fernando Verdasco 6-4 6-2 in their opening match.

There wasn’t much to choose in set one, but Alex was able to win more points on serve and convert an extra break point.

Set two was more decisive as the de Minaur serve drew more Spanish frustration and subsequent error.

Break points were saved by the young prospect and he proceeded to round two where he will challenge seventh seed Damir Dzumhur who dismissed Jan-Lennard Struff easily 6-1 6-4.

Seeds to fall in the men’s draw so far are Philipp Kohlschreiber (6), defeated by qualifier Daniil Medvedev, and Mischa Zverev (8), overcome by Argentine Leonardo Mayer.

The big upset came in the women’s draw, with Johanna Konta (4), the defending champion, eliminated by last years finalist Aga Radwanska in straight sets 6-3 7-5.

The very fact that the two finalists from Sydney last year had to meet in round one 2018 shows how much Aga slipped down the order as 2017 progressed.

Thankfully her form early this year is solid.

Konta on the other hand is a concern.

We have two quarter finalists already, and still the top seed hasn’t stepped out to play her first match.

Those two players in the final eight are Dominika Cibulkova and Barbora Strycova, both unseeded.

Cibulkova unseated Elena Vesnina, the second top twenty player she has beaten in her two outings thus far.

Strycova dismissed Ekaterina Makarova, Vesnina’s doubles partner, and conqueror of third seed Ostapenko in round one.

In Auckland nothing much has happened, with first round matches still underway - seeds 5,6 and 7 are through to round two, Roberto Bautista Agut, Pablo Cuevas and David Ferrer respectively.

In a bloodbath for seeds in Hobart, round one saw:

Sorana Cirstea (3) lose to qualifier Heather Watson

Alize Cornet (4) lose to Mihaela Buzarnescu

Irina-Camelia Begu (6) lose to Monica Niculescu

Tatjana Maria (7) lose to Donna Vekic

Katerina Siniakova (8) lose to Alison Riske