Storm Hunter has again spearheaded Australia’s challenge at Wimbledon’s qualifying tournament, leading a trio of her compatriots into the final round with a place in the main draw just one tantalising win away.

Queenslander Hunter, up-and-coming Gold Coast player Olivia Gadecki and Melbourne’s Marc Polmans all earned second-round victories on a rain-interrupted afternoon at Roehampton, a couple of kilometres from the All England Club, on Wednesday.

Hunter — formerly Sanders, before her marriage late last year — is on a bit of a roll after also being the only Australian to successfully qualify at the French Open where she reached the second round.

She again earned a notable triumph at Roehampton, defeating Russia’s top seed in the qualifying event, world number 64 Elina Avanesyan, in two tough tiebreak-settled sets 7-6 (7-1), 7-6 (7-2).

Tonight, Rockhampton’s Hunter, ranked the sixth-best doubles player in the game but only 162 in singles, will face Japan’s Nao Hibino, ranked 125, in a contest to earn the main draw place.

Gadecki, a 21-year-old who’s one of the rising stars of the Australian women’s game, made handsome progress with a 6-3, 6-1 demolition of American Ann Li, and she’ll look to make her Wimbledon debut by beating another youngster, Spain’s 20-year-old Jessica Bouzas Maneiro.

Polmans, the lanky South African-born player who has a liking for the grass courts and qualified for Wimbledon two years ago, had to come from behind to beat American Zachary Svajda 4-6, 6-3, 6-3.