Tomljanović breaks Cocciaretto in Eastbourne after three sets and reaches the second round
Ajla Tomljanović opened her campaign in the main draw of the WTA Lexus Eastbourne Open with a victory that, by its course, had all the features of a demanding grass-court match: a fast start, a major turnaround in the second set, a lost tie-break and then a return to control in the closing stage of the deciding set. The Australian tennis player, listed in the official draw as a qualifier, defeated the eighth seed Elisabetta Cocciaretto 6:2, 6:7, 7:5 in the first round of the tournament in Eastbourne, a town on the southern coast of England. According to the official WTA draw, Tomljanović thereby entered the round of 16, while Cocciaretto, one of the seeds in that section of the draw, ended her campaign at the very first hurdle. The result is especially valuable because, after losing the second set, Tomljanović had to rebuild her rhythm, maintain aggressiveness on her first shot and withstand the pressure of a player who had already gained momentum.
A quick start to the match and the first set under control
Tomljanović imposed a clear direction on the contest in the first set. The 6:2 scoreline shows that she managed early to put Cocciaretto in a chasing position, which is particularly important on grass because shorter points and a smaller number of long rallies often punish every weaker service game. According to the official score display in the WTA draw, the Australian player did not allow the opening set to turn into an even game-by-game battle, but closed it with enough of a margin to create the impression of full control. Such a start was also important psychologically because Cocciaretto arrived in Eastbourne as a seed, while Tomljanović had to reach the main tournament through qualifying. In such circumstances, a player from qualifying often already has a feel for the surface and the rhythm of competitive matches, and Tomljanović used precisely that continuity in the opening of the duel.
Cocciaretto, however, found a way in the second set to extend the match. WTA score data show that the set went to a tie-break, and the Italian tennis player was firm enough there to level at 1:1 in sets. For Tomljanović, that was the most delicate moment of the match: after a convincing first set and an opportunity to bring the contest to an end in two sets, she had to accept that momentum had shifted to the other side of the net. On grass, such a turn can be particularly dangerous because one weaker service game or several missed first serves can change the entire match in a short period. Still, the closing stage of the third set showed precisely that Tomljanović had not lost the structure of her game, but, after the lost tie-break, managed to re-establish balance.
The deciding set brought the most important response
The third set ended 7:5 for Tomljanović, which points to a match that did not fall apart for either player, but was decided in the final games. After the sets were levelled, Cocciaretto had the psychological advantage of a comeback, but Tomljanović managed in the most important part of the match to keep enough composure not to retreat too much behind the baseline. The official WTA review described the match as a “rollercoaster” victory for Tomljanović against Cocciaretto, which well describes a duel in which the Australian player first looked as if she was heading toward a routine win, then lost the second set, and then nevertheless closed out the match in the deciding section. Such a victory, especially against a seed, carries more weight than the mere progression because it shows the ability to adapt after a scoreboard blow. According to the available official information, Tomljanović concluded the match after a large number of match points, which additionally emphasizes how tense the finish was.
For Cocciaretto, the defeat is difficult because, after the first set, she managed to bring the match back into balance and force her opponent into a third set. The Italian tennis player showed resilience in the second set, but did not manage to completely overturn the match. As the eighth seed, she had the role of a player expected to pass the first round, but Eastbourne is a tournament where grass often evens out differences in status and ranking. One of the reasons is the specific rhythm of the surface: the ball stays lower, reactions must be quicker, and players who read the first shot after the serve better can neutralize the advantage of seeds. In that context, Tomljanović used her own competitive rhythm from qualifying and turned it into a victory in the main draw.
The qualifying path gave Tomljanović additional rhythm
According to the official WTA draw, Tomljanović successfully came through qualifying in Eastbourne before the match with Cocciaretto. In the qualifying section, she defeated Camila Osorio 6:2, 6:4, and then Veronika Erjavec 6:1, 7:5, thereby securing a place among the 32 players in the main draw. Such a path often means additional physical effort, but at grass-court tournaments ahead of major competitions it can also bring a significant advantage because the player already has an opportunity to test the bounce, the speed of the court and the conditions on the specific courts. Against Cocciaretto, Tomljanović from the start looked like a player ready to accept faster exchanges and take the initiative when the point shortened. The qualifying victory is therefore not merely a formal item from the draw, but an important part of the context of her performance in the first round.
Eastbourne is played in the week immediately before Wimbledon, so the tournament traditionally has additional importance for tennis players seeking a competitive feel on grass. The WTA states that the women’s tournament in Eastbourne has been held since 1974 and that the event, after a change of level, is today on the calendar as a WTA 250 tournament. According to the official information from the organizer, the competition is held on the courts of Devonshire Park, and the women’s main draw has 32 players and 16 pairs in the doubles competition. Such a format leaves little room for a gradual rise in form because the very first round can bring a seed, as happened to Tomljanović. The victory over Cocciaretto is therefore simultaneously a passage into the second round and confirmation that Tomljanović managed to adapt quickly in Eastbourne to the demands of the main tournament.
Eastbourne as an important stop in the grass-court part of the season
The Lexus Eastbourne Open 2026 is being held at Devonshire Park from 20 to 27 June, according to data from the British Lawn Tennis Association. Qualifying began on 20 June, the main draw started on 22 June, while the finals are scheduled for 27 June. The official WTA pages state that it is a grass-court tournament in the WTA 250 category, and the official LTA draw for the women’s tournament lists a total prize fund of 499,000 US dollars. Because of its position in the calendar, Eastbourne is counted among the final tests before Wimbledon, which additionally increases the weight of the result for players seeking confidence and as many competitive games on grass as possible. For Tomljanović, who according to her WTA profile competes under the Australian flag and has experience of deep runs at major tournaments, the victory over a seed represents an important result in that part of the season.
The tournament also has a broader competitive framework because events in different competitions are held simultaneously in Eastbourne. The LTA stated in its preview that the event includes WTA, ATP and wheelchair tennis tournaments, which makes it one of the most content-rich grass-court events in the final week before Wimbledon. For the women’s draw, this means that first-round matches are played amid a dense schedule and limited room for recovery between appearances. By 23 June, Tomljanović had already played three singles matches at the tournament, counting qualifying and the first round of the main draw. That detail may be important later in the tournament because the rhythm of matches brings security in strokes, but at the same time requires careful energy management.
The next obstacle is Tereza Valentova
According to the official WTA draw, Tomljanović will play in the second round against Tereza Valentova. The Czech player defeated British wildcard Hannah Klugman 7:5, 5:7, 7:5 in the first round, in another match that showed how tight the opening rounds in Eastbourne were. That meeting brings Tomljanović a different challenge from the duel with Cocciaretto: her opponent comes after her own three-set victory, with enough confidence, but also with an expenditure that is not negligible. For Tomljanović, the key will be to repeat the level from the first set against Cocciaretto, but without the fluctuation that allowed her opponent to come back in the second. In the match against Valentova, stability in service games will be especially important because, on grass, pressure is often built through several quick points, not through long periods of rallying.
The victory over Cocciaretto does not guarantee Tomljanović a calm continuation of the tournament, but it opens a good position for her in a section of the draw from which one seed has already fallen. According to the official WTA draw, Cocciaretto’s defeat opened Tomljanović a place in the second round and a meeting with Valentova. That is an important change for the dynamics of that section of the draw because the eighth seed was the player with the formal advantage in tournament projections. Tomljanović now has the opportunity to link her qualifying run and victory in the main draw, and ahead of the second round the most important thing will be recovery after a physically and mentally exhausting match. Eastbourne remains an open tournament in which, because of the specifics of grass and the proximity of Wimbledon, current adaptation is often valued more than the status of being seeded.
What the victory means for Tomljanović
For Tomljanović, this result is significant also because it came against a player who entered the tournament with a better starting position in the draw. The official WTA profile lists Tomljanović as the world No. 98, while Cocciaretto is listed on her official WTA profile as a player from a considerably higher part of the rankings. Although ranking by itself does not decide matches on grass, the difference in status gives additional weight to the qualifier’s victory over a seed. In her career, Tomljanović has already had experience of big matches, including quarterfinals at Grand Slam tournaments, and such experience often becomes important in contests that break in the closing games of the third set. In Eastbourne, it was precisely that part of the match that she played firmly enough to avoid a complete Cocciaretto comeback.
On the other hand, Cocciaretto may regret the opportunity because, after a poor start to the match, she found a way back. The equalization in the second set showed that she managed to change the dynamic, but in the deciding set she did not reach the final step. For players seeking security on grass in the week before Wimbledon, such defeats can be unpleasant, but at the same time they offer a clear insight into the segments of the game that require additional stability. Tomljanović, meanwhile, comes out of the match with a different conclusion: she survived a scoreboard blow, defeated a seed and extended her stay at a tournament where each additional match may have a value greater than the placement itself. The next duel against Valentova will show whether she can turn that victory into a deeper result in Eastbourne.
Sources:
- WTA – official overview of the Lexus Eastbourne Open 2026 tournament, category, surface, location and dates (link)
- WTA – official draw of the Lexus Eastbourne Open 2026 tournament, result of the Tomljanović – Cocciaretto match and second-round pairings (link)
- LTA – official information about the Lexus Eastbourne Open 2026 tournament, Devonshire Park location and general competition context (link)
- LTA – official tournament news and results, confirmation that Tomljanović reached the second round (link)
- LTA – official schedule of the Lexus Eastbourne Open 2026 tournament, dates of qualifying, main draw and finals (link)
- WTA – official profile of Ajla Tomljanović, ranking, biographical data and highlighted result against Cocciaretto (link)
- WTA – official profile of Elisabetta Cocciaretto, ranking and biographical data (link)