The qualifier Yuliia Starodubtseva has fought her way into the main draw at the Australian Open and will face Ajla Tomljanovic next. This is their first meeting at a major, and the winner will play Elena-Gabriela Ruse in the second round. Read on for our prediction of the match.   

Yuliia Starodubtseva has never won a single outing in Melbourne, losing in the first round in both of her appearances. She will hope her strong form in the qualifying rounds gives her the right momentum to break her main draw duck. 

The Ukrainian, who has won five of six matches to start 2026, comes into this match ranked 110th in the WTA. 

Ajla Tomljanovic defeated Starodubtseva last September in Beijing. She won in straight sets and will be hopeful of another strong display as she plays in her hometown major for the 11th time. 

The Australian, who has never made it past the second round in Melbourne, is likely not to be fully fit. It hasnt been a very good start to the year, as in her last match, less than a week ago, the 32-year-old was forced to retire with a shoulder injury.

Currently down to 78th in the live ranking, Tomljanovic has opened the season with a 2-2 record.