World No.1 Ash Barty begins her Olympic singles campaign against world No.48 Sara Sorribes Tormo of Spain first on centre court.  

The 25-year-old is pursuing Australia’s first tennis medal since women’s captain Alicia Molik won bronze at the Athens Olympics in 2004. 

Just two weeks ago, Barty won her second Grand Slam title at Wimbledon.  

World No.51 Ajla Tomljanovic will face former world No.25 Yaroslava Shevdova of Kazakhstan in her debut on court 6. The 28-year-old enters the Tokyo Olympics in career best form having reached the quarterfinals in London. 

James Duckworth will face off against world No.23 Lukas Klein of Slovakia in their first ever match up.  

“It’s been really cool, to be with all the Aussie athletes, being around the top sportsman of their different fields and learning different things about different sports and how they prepare and what their events are like, it’s been really enjoyable,” Duckworth said about his Olympic experience so far. 

“It’s been great to be in the village. They’ve done a really good job of the Australian building. It feels like home with all the Australian additions they have brought over and added. I’ve really enjoyed it.  

“I played here a couple of times before but not at this time of the year, it’s obviously not as hot when the tour event is on in September. The conditions are quite different, the courts are playing quite fast and lively, which I like and we’ve had a tough week of training, all of us are hitting the ball really well and are ready to go.” 

Australia’s top ranked doubles player John Peers will lead the men’s doubles charge on Sunday when he teams up with Max Purcell against American pair Austin Krajicek and Tennys Sandgren. 

“I’ve been speaking to my kids back home and they are really excited to see me on TV,” Peers said ahead of his doubles match.  

“My family have just known I’ve always dreamed of becoming an Olympian. To be able to become a second time Olympian is something really special and something I definitely don’t take for granted.  

“Any time you get to wear the green and gold, it’s something really special. We all do it with pride and try and put our best foot forward whenever we get the opportunity.” 

This will be the first time Peers and Purcell team up. 

“The handy thing with doubles is you’ve got Maxy next to me so we can talk through what’s working and what’s not and adjust it accordingly as we go,” Peers added 

“We haven’t played together but practiced quite a bit together, especially over the last 12 months.  

“He is one of Australia’s next up and coming players, putting his best foot forward quite a few times now on the singles court and as well as his doubles success, making the final of the Aussie. He is young, fresh and it’s always good to play with the young boys.” 

Playing for Australia means a fair bit for 23-year-old Purcell, who received the late call up after world No.15 Alex de Minaur was forced to withdraw.  

“It means a fair bit to play for your country. In tennis there are lot of big tournaments to play but the Olympics is the one that you don’t get really many opportunities to play so I really couldn’t pass it up,” Purcell said.  

“Being an Australian, everyone wants to be an Olympian at some point.” 

“John’s probably had the best doubles career out of any Australian for a long while now. I’m relatively new to the doubles scene. I’m picking up as much as I can from him. He has the book on a lot of doubles players out there, so any little things I can clean up I will do to help us out.” 

Millman and Saville will face off against the oldest player competing in Tokyo in Austria’s Oliver Marach (41 years 16 days), who is competing alongside fellow countryman Philipp Oswald in the second men’s doubles match today.  

Stosur, who joins the likes of Arantxa Sanchez Vicario and Venus Williams in five Olympic Games appearances among female players, will team up with Ellen Perez against Latvian pair Jelena Ostapenko and Anastasia Sevastova on Court 6.  

Harriet Rendle