Challenging opener awaits former Hilton Head resident in Australia

Fresh off a runner-up performance in her final tuneup for the Australian Open, Alison Riske will take on a fellow upstart for her opening match Monday in Melbourne.

Riske, a former Van der Meer Academy student, was drawn against fellow American Madison Brengle in the first round. Brengle made headlines two weeks ago when she knocked off Serena Williams in the second round of the ASB Classic in New Zealand.

That was the same week in which Riske reached the final of the Shenzhen Open for the second consecutive year, upsetting world No. 3 Agnieszka Radwanska along the path. Riske’s quest for a second career WTA title fell short, though, when she lost in straight sets to Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic.

The Pittsburgh native currently stands at No. 42 in the world rankings, just shy of her all-time high of 39th she attained last November.

If Riske wins her opener, she’d likely face 20th seed Shuai Zhang of China in the second round. A matchup against reigning French Open champion Garbine Muguruza potentially awaits in the fourth round.

This story was originally published January 15, 2017 at 4:09 PM with the headline "Challenging opener awaits former Hilton Head resident in Australia."