Maya Joint’s impressive run on the professional circuit has reached new heights as the teenage rising star surpassed an Australian record set by Ash Barty.
Joint became the youngest Australian to claim a win at WTA 1000 level after defeating Spain’s Carlota Martinez Cirez in the first round at the Madrid Open.
The American-born talent survived a second set scare to defeat the local wildcard Cirez 6-2, 2-6, 6-4.
Retired Australian great Barty held the record as the youngest Australia to win a WTA match since 2017 when she competed at the Miami Open.
Ash Barty of Australia holds the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup after defeating Danielle Collins of the U.S., in the women’s singles final at the Australian Open tennis championships in Saturday, Jan. 29, 2022, in Melbourne, Australia.
Aussie champion Ash Barty. AP Photo/Hamish Blair
Barty was 20 years and 330 days old when she set the record but Joint now surpasses her feat at 19 years and five days.
It was the second time Joint had competed in a WTA 100 match, having lost in straight sets in the opening round of the Indian Wells to Romania’s Sorana Cirstea.
Just 12 months ago, Joint was ranked 269th in the world but now her ranking of 78th is set to grant her automatic qualification into the French Open.
Joint will take on world No.10 Emma Navarro in the second round on Thursday (AEST).
Maya Joint of Australia in action against Carlota Martinez Cirez.
Maya Joint of Australia in action against Carlota Martinez Cirez. Europa Press via Getty Images
Navarro was given a first round bye at the Madrid Open and will be looking to continue her success on clay courts just as she did at the Mérida Open in March.
Elsewhere, Ajla Tomljanovic and Kim Birrell both were eliminated in the first round.
Tomljanovic was dismissed 6-3, 1-6, 7-5 by her lower ranked rival Rebeka Masarova, while Kim Birrell fell short 5-7, 6-3, 6-3 to America’s Peyton Stearns.
Daria Kasatkina is the only other Australian woman with Joint competing in the second round as she prepares to face America’s Alycia Parks.