Former grand slam winner Sofia Kenin will go head-to-head with Australian wildcard Daria Saville for a spot in the Hobart International quarter-finals.
World No.38 and sixth seed Kenin, who won the Hobart tournament in 2019, was relatively untroubled in a first-round 6-3 6-3 win over Belgium's Greet Minnen on Tuesday.
She will meet Saville on Wednesday after the world No.195 Australian upset No.46 Anna Blinkova on Monday night to progress to the round of 16.
It was Saville's best win by ranking since her return from a serious knee injury in June.
"It’s going to be very tough. She’s obviously very feisty, a fighter," Kenin said about Saville, who she has never played.
"We’ve practised a few times. She gets a lot back. I just have to fight and get ready for long rallies."
Kenin was upset by Australia's top-ranked woman Arina Rodionova in the second round of the Brisbane International last week.
Saville, meanwhile, was recently granted the final discretionary wildcard for the Australian Open, controversially ahead of Rodionova.
Young talent Olivia Gadecki, the only other Australian in the Hobart singles draw, fought hard but was knocked out in the opening round by China's world No.34 Xinyu Wang.
Gadecki claimed the opening three games of the match before falling 6-3 3-6 6-3 in her final hit-out ahead of wildcard entry at the Australian Open.
The 21-year-old reached the second round in Brisbane last week after two qualifying wins, falling to eventual winner Elena Rybakina.
"I started really well and that first set got away from me a little bit but I regrouped," Gadecki said.
"I’m in some pretty good form. I feel like I’ve been trying to get those matches in.
"Obviously there is room for improvement, which is exciting. I’m looking forward to going in (to the Australian Open)."
In other first-round results at Hobart on Tuesday, former US Open winner and world No.43 Sloane Stephens was outlasted by Chinese qualifier Yue Yuan.
The American served for the match in the third set but couldn't seal the deal against the 73-ranked Yuan, who won 6-4 3-6 7-6 (7-5).
Stephens also lost to a qualifier in the opening round in Hobart in 2022 - fellow American Lauren Davis, who went on to win the tournament.
