By John Salvado
Local young gun Taylah Preston has continued her flying start to 2026 with a breakthrough maiden grand slam win at the Australian Open.
Fresh from a career-best run to the semi-finals at last week’s Hobart International, Preston held her nerve to down Chinese veteran Zhang Shuai 6-3 2-6 6-3 in one hour and 33 minutes at a jumping KIA Arena.
Her victory continued the home contingent’s outstanding start to the first major of the year, with eight Australians already through to the second round.
Just two weeks ago in qualifying for the Brisbane international, Zhang had beaten Preston in three sets.
But swinging freely from both wings, the West Australian was able to turn the tables on the big stage.
“Obviously I was trying to get it the other way around today which I’m very happy that I was able to do,” she said.
“We went over that match and tweaked a few things and I guess it helped.”
Zhang’s best run at Melbourne Park came back in 2016 when she got through qualifying and then made it all the way to the quarter-finals.
The only Chinese player with more match victories at Melbourne Park than Zhang is retired 2014 champion Li Na.
But she was unable to find a way to add to that tally on Tuesday.
“Sometimes I’m calm and sometimes I’m not,” said Preston, who will play Czech No.13 seed Linda Noskova in the second round.
“I try and stay hopefully more calm than not.
“Especially at the end of the third set I started getting a bit bit nervous but I tried to not think about it.
“… I’m just really, really happy to get the win today. It’s my first grand slam win and it means a lot.”
While Preston was all smiles after her win, the news was nowhere near as good for Maya Joint.
Australia’s highest-ranked woman and the No.30 seed, Joint bowed out 6-4 6-4 to Czech Tereza Valentova.
Seeded at a grand slam for the first time, the 19-year-old delivered a horrendous serving display.
Joint dropped service five times on John Cain Arena, coughed up eight double faults and faced a whopping 17 break points in total.
Her departure is a huge disappointment after the world No.32 arrived as the first women’s home seed at the Open since Ash Barty took home the trophy in 2022.
But the 30th seed was simply unable to find the form that fired her from outside the world’s top 100 and firmly into the spotlight with a blazing two-title season in 2025.
Valentova reached the quarter-finals of the Australian Open junior girls’ event last year but was playing her first AO main-draw match on Tuesday.
“Yeah, it feels amazing,” said the world No.54.
“I didn’t expect that last year at the beginning of the year. I was playing at the ITF tournament and now I’m here in Melbourne.
“So it feels amazing.”
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