Australian Open: Dan Evans knocked out in first round of qualifying as Cam Norrie claims win in Auckland
Dan Evans lost to Japan's Rei Sakomoto in the first round of Australian Open qualifying; Arthur Fery and George Loffhagen advance to second round; Cam Norrie wins opening match at ASB Classic in Auckland
Monday 12 January 2026 11:48, UK
Former British No 1 Dan Evans is out of Australian Open qualifying following a first-round defeat to Japan's Rei Sakamoto.
The 35-year-old was beaten 6-1 6-2 as he appeared to struggle with his serve.
He double-faulted four times and made just 48 per cent of his first serves, compared to Sakamoto's 74 per cent.
- Latest scores, results and schedule from WTA and ATP Tours
- Australian Open 2026: Dates, seeds, format and favourites
- Not got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream contract-free on NOW
Evans fared little better on return, failing to earn a break point, while Sakamoto took five of his seven chances to break.
It's the second successive year that Evans has exited in the first round of qualifying in Melbourne. The only Grand Slam main draw he reached in 2025 was at Wimbledon, where he was given a wild card.
There was some better news for the British contingent in Melbourne on Monday as Arthur Fery beat Australian Edward Winter 6-2 6-4 to advance.
George Loffhagen joins him in the second round after claiming a hard-fought 7-6 (7-4) 7-6 (7-2) victory over Germany's Justin Engel.
Jack Pinnington Jones and Jay Clarke followed Evans out. Pinnington Jones lost in straight sets to Belgium's Gilles Arnaud Bailly, while Clarke also failed to win a set against Brazilian Gustavo Heide.
Norrie eases through in Auckland
Elsewhere, Britain's Cam Norrie won his opening match at the ASB Classic in Auckland.
Norrie beat French qualifier Hugo Gaston 6-3 6-4 to set up a last-16 meeting with either Roberto Bautista Agut or Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard.
Norrie is the fifth seed in Auckland thanks to his world ranking of No 28, and will be Britain's top-ranked male at the Australian Open in the absence of the injured Jack Draper.
Norrie produced a strong serving display against Gaston on Monday, making 69 per cent of his first serves and winning 88 per cent of those points to control the contest.
The 30-year-old created eight opportunities to break and took five of them to seal victory in an hour and 20 minutes.
Boulter into Australian Open main draw
Katie Boulter has been given a place in the Australian Open main draw after injuries created an opening.
The 29-year-old Brit was preparing to begin the qualifying tournament for the first major of the year, but was withdrawn from her opening-round contest when an injury drop out saw her promoted from the position of first alternate for the main draw.
Boulter endured a hugely disappointing 2025, dropping from inside the top 25 of the rankings at the start of the year to outside the top 100 by the end of it.
Boulter will learn her first-round opponent when the draw takes place on Thursday in Melbourne.
Watch the ATP and WTA Tours live on Sky Sports. Stream tennis, football, cricket, NFL and more contract-free with NOW.
