The Australian Opals put one foot on the plane to the Rio Olympics with a comfortable win over the New Zealand Tall Ferns in front of a bumper crowd at Rod Laver Arena on Saturday night. 
The Opals' 61-41 win means the Tall Ferns have to win the return leg in Tauranga, New Zealand by 21 points otherwise the Australians will win the series and a berth in Rio.
Opals coach Brendan Joyce's decision to bring veteran centre Suzy Batkovic back into the Opals' fold after a two-year absence proved inspired as the left-hander scored a game-high 16 points and seven rebounds, while point guard Tessa Lavey was exceptional with nine points, 11 rebounds and five assists.
While the game was sold as a double-header with the Boomers, local supporters turned up in droves to watch the Opals game, and a crowd of 11,400 people had built up by half-time in their match.
Tall Ferns captain Natalie Taylor, Micaela Cocks and emerging guard Chevannah Paalvast led their side with seven points each, but the Opals' defence forced the visitors into a horror shooting night, making only 14 of 64 shots (22 per cent ) from the court.
The Opals made the perfect opening with a Steph Talbot three-pointer, but then the home side struggled to get into the game.
Taylor collided with Tess Madgen in the opening minutes, sending the Aussie guard to the floor and setting the tone for the contest.
But late in the term the Opals pulled clear thanks to some smart play from Laura Hodges and Rachel Jarry to have them lead 15-5 at quarter-time.
The second term was a scrap as both sides shot poorly but defended well.
Despite their problems, the Opals managed to slightly build their lead to have a 29-17 advantage at half-time with Batkovic the leading scorer with eight points.
The Opals were all business as the third quarter opened, pressuring the Tall Ferns into several errors and punishing them at the other end to extend their lead past 20 points, while Jarry and Talbot knocked down three-pointers.
Batkovic and impressive Tall Ferns forward Penina Davidson clashed and received a warning from referees but the experienced Batkovic then took Davidson to the basket and drew the forward's fourth foul which forced her to the bench.
The Opals' stifling defence continued throughout the term with Lavey, Batkovic and Jarry leading the way at both ends as the home side took a 50-29 lead into the final change.
The Opals continued on with their strong defence in the final term to run out convincing winners.
The Boomers and Tall Blacks will finish their crucial series with a return game in Wellington, New Zealand on Tuesday night.