Aussie weekly wrap: Adam Walton soars into top 100 with title-winning run (2024)

Taipei, Chinese Taipei, 20 May 2024 | Leigh Rogers

Adam Walton is set to make his top-100 debut after winning an ATP Challenger singles title in Chinese Taipei.

The 25-year-old from Queensland, who began the year ranked world No.176, continued his impressive form to claim this third career ATP Challenger singles title.

Currently ranked world No.111, Walton is projected to jump up almost 20 spots in the next release of the ATP Tour singles rankings.

Walton is not the only Australian celebrating a new milestone this week, with several players scooping titles and posting career-best results on the world stage.

This week’s most outstanding performers include:

Alex de Minaur: The 25-year-old enjoyed a career-best run at the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Rome (Italy), progressing to the fourth round in singles for the first time. De Minaur scored a top-20 win, just his second ever on clay, to reach that stage.

Adam Walton: The 25-year-old was crowned the singles champion at an ATP Challenger tournament in Taipei (Chinese Taipei). This is Walton’s eighth career singles title and improves his season record to 36 wins from 51 matches.

> READ: Tomljanovic, Walton awarded wildcards at Roland Garros 2024

James Duckworth: The 32-year-old was a singles semifinalist at the ATP Challenger tournament in Taipei, exiting in three sets to compatriot Adam Walton. This was Duckworth’s fourth ATP Challenger semifinal appearance of the season.

Max Purcell: The 26-year-old progressed to his first singles quarterfinal of the season at the ATP Challenger event in Taipei. It was a welcome return to form for Purcell, who had not won back-to-back singles matches since August 2023.

Jake Delaney and Max Purcell: The 27-year-old Delaney and 26-year-old Purcell were doubles semifinalists at the ATP Challenger in Taipei. This was Delaney’s deepest run at ATP Challenger level in more than eight years.

Thanasi Kokkinakis: The 28-year-old was a singles quarterfinalist at an ATP Challenger in Bordeaux (France). Kokkinakis scored his first top-100 win of the clay-court season, beating world No.79 and fellow Aussie Rinky Hijikata in the opening round.

John Peers: The 35-year-old was a doubles semifinalist alongside France’s Sadio Doumbia at the ATP Challenger in Bordeaux.

Destanee Aiava: The 24-year-old (below right) won the biggest doubles title of her career at an ITF 100 tournament in Madrid (Spain) alongside Greece’sEleniChristofi. This is Aiava’s 13th career doubles title and her first this season.

Arina Rodionova: The 34-year-old was a singles finalist at an ITF 75 tournament in Kurume (Japan). This improves Rodionova’s record from the past three weeks to 10 wins from 13 matches.

Elena Micic: The 18-year-old advanced to her first professional singles semifinal, scoring five wins to reach the final four at an ITF 35 tournament in Monzon (Spain) as a qualifier. Micic was also a doubles quarterfinalist with Romanian Maria Toma.

Tina Smith: The 21-year-old advanced to the singles quarterfinals at an ITF 35 tournament in Villach (Austria). Smith was also a doubles semifinalist alongside fellow Australian Melisa Ercan.

Bernard Tomic: The 31-year-old made the singles semifinals at an ITF 25 tournament in Pensacola (USA), improving his record to 12 wins from his past 18 matches.

Matthew Dellavedova: The 23-year-old was a singles finalist at an ITF 15 tournament in Kursumlijska Banja (Serbia). This was Dellavedova’s sixth career ITF singles final appearance and his first this season.

Jacob Bradshaw: The 21-year-old was a singles semifinalist at an ITF 15 tournament in Monastir (Tunisia). It was Bradshaw’s third semifinal appearance this year.

Heath Davidson: The 37-year-old (below middle) won the quad singles title at an ITF wheelchair tennis tournament in Madrid (Spain). This is Davidson’s ninth career singles title and his second of the season.

Renee Alame: The 15-year-old played a starring role representing Australia at the Junior Billie Jean King Cup qualifying event in Kazakhstan, winning all of her 10 matches for the week (six in singles and four in doubles).

> READ: Australian team qualifies for 2024 Junior Billie Jean King Cup Finals

Ashton McLeod: The 16-year-old won his first junior singles title, triumphing at an ITF J60 tournament in Dededo (Guam). McLeod also swept the doubles title alongside Chinese Taipei’s HoChen Hui to cap an impressive breakthrough week.

> READ: Fourteen Australians to contest qualifying at Roland Garros 2024

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