Queensland teenager Lizette Cabrera will get the chance to continue her meteoric rise up the world tennis rankings at next year's Australian Open after she was awarded a wildcard entry.
The 18-year-old started the year outside the top 1000 but Pro Tour event title wins at Tweed Heads and Brisbane in September saw her rocket up to 214 in the WTA rankings at season's end.
"It's amazing news and a pretty surreal feeling ... to be honest I'm probably still in a bit of shock," Cabrera said.
"I think if I'm playing my best tennis you can always match it with any girls inside the top 100, so I want to try and win as many matches as I can, which will hopefully help me play in more WTA tournaments in the future."
Cabrera will make her grand slam debut at the Australian Open, which runs from January 16-29.
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Tennis Australia head of women's tennis Nicole Pratt said the wildcard was just reward for Cabrera's breakout season.
"Lizette has had an outstanding year ... she deserves the opportunity to have the ideal preparation into the Australian summer," Pratt said.
"She finished the year with a win over a top 100 player most recently in Japan and she has really stayed disciplined all year with her dedication on and off the court."
