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Rankings: Top-100 debuts for James Duckworth and Daria Gavrilova and plenty else to cheer about, too

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New South Welshman James Duckworth has felt like a top-100 player for a long time and now he can officially say he is one. Picture: CHRISTOPHER LEVY New South Welshman James Duckworth has felt like a top-100 player for a long time and now he can officially say he is one. Picture: CHRISTOPHER LEVY

The number 97 may well be James Duckworth’s and Daria Gavrilova’s shared new favourite.

The two young Australian stars – Russian-born Gavrilova’s citizenship is pending – made their respective top-100 debut in the ATP and WTA rankings on Monday at the same spot to put them in a strong position to secure French Open direct entry.

Both Duckworth, 23, and Gavrilova, 21, qualified and won a round at Indian Wells to propel themselves into elite territory.

Gavrilova won the first set against eventual Indian Wells champion Simona Halep, of Romania, before bowing out in three sets, while Duckworth lost to Spanish former top-tenner Fernando Verdasco.

Neither player has immediate ranking pressure, meaning they each have an opportunity to make further ranking inroads.

Duckworth’s previous 2015 feats include winning a round for the third time at the Australian Open and reaching the Brisbane quarter-finals – his first on the ATP Tour – and Kolkata Challenger final.

He has beaten three top-100 players this year, as well as great rival and world No.102 Blaz Kavcic in five sets at his home grand slam.

Gavrilova, who ended last year ranked 233, has a 22-6 winning record this season, including qualifying.

The Launceston and Burnie champion, an energetic and aggressive on-court presence, has made round two at three WTA events and qualified for four, upsetting three players ranked 64 or higher.

Duckworth joins Bernard Tomic, Nick Kyrgios, Sam Groth and Marinko Matosevic in the ATP 100, while Gavrilova’s Australian companions in the WTA top 100 are Sam Stosur, Casey Dellacqua, Jarmila Gajdosova and Ajla Tomljanovic.

Three other Australian men, Tomic, Thanasi Kokkinakis and John-Patrick Smith, also did some significant climbing.

Tomic (up six places to No.29) beat 18-year-old wildcard Kokkinakis (16 to career-high 108) in an all-Australian fourth-round clash at Indian Wells to reach his tour-leading sixth quarter-final of the year.

Daria Gavrilova’s blistering start to the 2015 season culminated in her breaking into the top 100 for the first time. Picture: CHRISTOPHER LEVY</.
Daria Gavrilova’s blistering start to 2015 culminated in her breaking into the top 100 for the first time. Picture: CHRISTOPHER LEVY

The 22-year-old forfeited his clash against world No.1 Novak Djokovic because of a serious tooth ache and a back problem.

Smith, 26, was unable to match his 2014 effort of qualifying for Indian Wells, but won his second Challenger title on Monday morning at Drummondville, Canada, to vault 32 places to a career-best ranking of 163.

Two other major movers were Mildura finalists Matt Barton (118 to 382) and Harry Bourchier (153 to career-high 619).

Former world No.201 Barton won the Port Pirie and Mildura titles in this ranking period as he kick-starts his assault on the top 100.

Also enjoying three-figure jumps to career highs were Port Pirie semi-finalist Daniel Hobart (1067), Nishi-Tama quarter-finalist Jarryd Chaplin (1157), Mildura quarter-finalists Tom Fancutt (1277) and Oliver Anderson (1326), as well as Blake Ellis (1608) and Aaron Addison (1650).

On the women’s side, Anastasia Rodionova’s upset of 100th-ranked Anna-Lena Friedsam in first-round Indian Wells qualifying helped her leap 12 positions to No.170.

Australia’s strong female performance at Mildura also saw ranking benefits, headlined by titlist Alison Bai’s 20-spot improvement to a career-best 395.

Injury and university commitments have stalled the 25-year-old’s career, but she is free of both and targeting Australian Open qualifying next year – meaning a ranking in the low 200s.

Teenagers Kim Birrell (up 225 places to 662) and Zoe Hives (181 to 736), the respective Mildura runner-up and semi-finalist, and 20-year-old quarter-finalist Abbie Myers (40 to 511) also rocketed to new highs.

Sixteen-year-old Birrell’s incredible run came as a lucky loser, starting with victory over Port Pirie quarter-finalist Priscilla Hon (103 to 761).

Rankings: ATP singles and doubles, WTA singles and doubles and ITF

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