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Melbourne
Australian Open title holders Naomi Osaka and Novak Djokovic cleared their first hurdles as they kicked off their title defence campaigns with wins under the roof of Rod Laver Arena on a rainy Monday.
Osaka opened proceedings on Melbourne Park’s biggest stage with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Marie Bouzkova, while Djokovic dropped a set on his way past Jan-Lennard Struff, finishing 7-6 (7-5), 6-2, 2-6, 6-1 in the day’s final match for his 900th career singles victory.
Top women’s seed Ash Barty also dropped a set in her 5-7, 6-1, 6-1 defeat of Lesia Tsurenko, while former champions Roger Federer and Serena Williams both stayed perfect on day one, with the Swiss handing Steve Johnson an humbling 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 and the American beating Anastasia Potapova 6-0, 6-3.
Osaka, playing under a then cloudy sky, showed some nerves against the Czech, committing a barrage of unforced errors - 28 in total - but keeping in control of the match, which she closed out in one hour and 20 minutes.
“Definitely, it was really tough for me trying to control my nerves,” Osaka said in her on court interview. “I’m really glad I was able to finish it in two sets.”
Second seed Djokovic had a less than ideal start against Struff: he failed to capitalize on a break in the first set, needing the tie-break to get the edge over the German 29-year-old in 50 minutes.
After a smooth second set, the seven-time Australian Open champion then dropped the third set with a double fault.
The seven-time Australian Open champion found his stroke again in the fourth set, quickly closing the match in 2 hours and 16 minutes.
“I thought I started off well ... he came back and it was a close tie breaker. In the second set I played really well, high percentage of first serves in, then he turned it around ... credit to him,” Djokovic said after the win.
World number one Barty had an even less ideal start as she dropped her opening set against Tsurenko after conceding a break on 5-5.
The 2019 French Open champion turned gears in the second and third sets, only allowing the Ukrainian two more games in total.
“It was disappointing to not start as well as I would have liked. All in all, I think it was really nice to be able to tighten the screws, run away with it in the second and third,” Barty told journalists after the win.
Earlier in the day, seven-time Australian Open champion Williams made quick business of 18-year-old Russian Potapova, defeating her in less than one hour.
The 38-year-old American, who is chasing a record-tying 24th Grand Slam title, steamrolled 18-year-old Russian in the first set, grabbing the opener in just 19 minutes.
The teenager showed resilience in the second set, breaking Williams early on, but was overpowered by the American, who hit a total nine aces and 24 winners.
“I felt like I started out very well, played really strong in the first set, just building on that,” Williams said after the match.
“I feel like I can still improve throughout this tournament for sure and this a good stepping stone right now.” Amid worries during the qualifying rounds that smoke from the bush fires still devastating Australia may affect the slam, rain turned out to be the spanner in the works of the Open with a host of matches on outside courts interrupted, cancelled or moved because of it.
The match between Federer and Johnson was interrupted early on to allow the Rod Laver Arena’s roof to be closed, as was 2018 champion Caroline Wozniacki’s bout against American Kristie Ahn at Melbourne arena.
Wozniacki, playing in her last tournament before retiring, went on to win 6-1, 6-3 once play resumed under the roof, while Federer went on to dismiss Johnson in just over an hour.
Greek six seed Stefanos Tsitsipas, a 2019 semi-finalist, beat Italian Salvatore Caruso, 6-0, 6-2, 6-3; and Italian eight seed Matteo Berretini also advanced in straight sets, 6-3, 6-1, 6-3 over Australian wildcard Andrew Harris.
In the women’s draw, 24th seed and 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens was serving for the match before dropping seven consecutive games and finally losing 6-2, 5-7, 2-6 to China’s Shuai Zhang.Open Results (Day 1); Schedule Day 2Men’s singles (1st round)
Matteo Berrettini (ITA x8) bt Andrew Harris (AUS) 6-3, 6-1, 6-3
Ricardas Berankis (LIT) bt Roberto Carballes (ESP) 6-4, 6-2, 6-2
Sam Querrey (USA) bt Borna Coric (CRO x25) 6-3, 6-4, 6-4
Guido Pella (ARG x22) bt John-Patrick Smith (AUS) 6-3, 7-5, 6-4
Gregoire Barrere (FRA) bt Mohamed Safwat (EGY) 6-7 (8/10), 7-6 (7/1), 6-4, 7-6 (7/5)
Marton Fucsovics (HUN) bt Denis Shapovalov (CAN x13) 6-3, 6-7 (7/9), 6-1, 7-6 (7/3)
Grigor Dimitrov (BUL x18) bt Juan Ignacio Londero (ARG) 4-6, 6-2, 6-0, 6-4
Daniel Evans (GBR x30) bt Mackenzie McDonald (USA) 3-6, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-3
Yoshihito Nishioka (JPN) bt Laslo Djere (SRB) 6-4, 3-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7/1)
Roger Federer (SUI x3) bt Steve Johnson (USA) 6-3, 6-2, 6-2
Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE x6) bt Salvatore Caruso (ITA) 6-0, 6-2, 6-3
Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) bt Marcos Giron (USA) 7-5, 6-1, 6-2
Novak Djokovic (SRB x2) bt Jan-Lennard Struff (GER) 7-6 (7/5), 6-2, 2-6, 6-1
Women’s singles (1st round)
Zhu Lin (CHN) bt Viktorija Golubic (SUI) 4-6, 6-1, 7-6 (10/5)
Julia Georges (GER) bt Viktoria Kuzmova (SVK) 6-1, 6-2
Petra Martic (CRO x13) bt Christina McHale (USA) 6-3, 6-0
Ekaterina Alexandrova (RUS x25) bt Jil Teichmann (SUI) 6-4, 4-6, 6-2
Barbora Krejcikova (CZE) bt Kaia Kanepi (EST) 7-6 (7/3), 2-6, 6-3
Paula Badosa (ESP) bt Johanna Larsson (SWE) 6-1, 6-0
Petra Kvitova (CZE x7) bt Katerina Siniakova (CZE) 6-1, 6-0
Naomi Osaka (JPN x3) bt Marie Bouzkova (CZE) 6-2, 6-4
Zheng Saisai (CHN) bt Anna Kalinskaya (RUS) 6-3, 6-2
Sorana Cirstea (ROU) bt Barbora Strycova (CZE x32) 6-2, 7-6 (7/5)
Ann Li (USA) bt Lizette Cabrera (AUS) 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (12/10)
Sofia Kenin (USA x14) bt Martina Trevisan (ITA) 6-2, 6-4
Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) bt Kristie Ahn (USA) 6-1, 6-3
Tamara Zidansek (SLO) bt Han Na-lae (KOR) 6-3, 6-3
Serena Williams (USA x8) bt Anastasia Potapova (RUS) 6-0, 6-3
Ashleigh Barty (AUS x1) bt Lesya Tsurenko (UKR) 5-7, 6-1, 6-1
Coco Gauff (USA) bt Venus Williams (USA) 7-6 (7/5), 6-3
Caty McNally (USA) bt Samantha Stosur (AUS) 6-1, 6-4
Zhang Shuai (CHN) bt Sloane Stephens (USA x24) 2-6, 7-5, 6-2.
Day 2 Schedule (late afternoon & night session)
From 11am Doha Time
Rod Laver Arena
D. Medvedev (4) versus F. Tiafoe (Men’s Singles 1st Round)
E. Cocciaretto (Q) versus A. Kerber (17) (Women’s Singles 1st Round)
Margaret Court Arena
J. Brady versus S. Halep (4) (Women’s Singles 1st Round)
M. Cecchinato versus A. Zverev (7) (Men’s Singles 1st Round)
Not before 8am Doha Time
Melbourne Arena: A. Popyrin versus J. Tsonga (28) (Men’s Singles 1st Round)
Not before 11am Doha Time
N. Kyrgios (23) versus L. Sonego (Men’s Singles 1st Round)
1573 Arena: G. Monfils (10) versus Y. Lu (Men’s Singles 1st Round)
C. Su?rez Navarro versus A. Sabalenka (11) (Women’s Singles 1st Round)
Court 3: D. Goffin (11) versus J. Chardy (Men’s Singles 1st Round)
E. Mertens (16) versus D. Kovinic (Women’s Singles 1st Round)
Court 5: C. Eubanks (Q) versus P. Gojowczyk (Q) (Men’s Singles 1st Round)
A. Tabilo (Q) versus D. Galan (Q) (Men’s Singles 1st Round)
Court 7: M. Vondrousova (15) versus S. Kuznetsova (Women’s Singles 1st Round)
S. Sorribes Tormo versus V. Kudermetova (Women’s Singles 1st Round)
K. Kozlova versus P. Hon (WC) (Women’s Singles 1st Round)
Court 8: J. Isner (19) versus T. Monteiro (Men’s Singles 1st Round)
A. Sharma (WC) versus A. Kontaveit (28) (Women’s Singles 1st Round)
A. Pavlyuchenkova (30) versus N. Stojanovic (Women’s Singles 1st Round)
Court 10: H. Gaston (WC) versus J. Munar (Men’s Singles 1st Round)
K. Pliskova versus H. Watson (Women’s Singles 1st Round)
Court 11: Y. Sugita versus E. Benchetrit (Q) (Men’s Singles 1st Round)
H. Dart (Q) versus M. Doi (Women’s Singles 1st Round)
Court 12: F. Delbonis versus J. Sousa (Men’s Singles 1st Round)
T. Townsend versus J. Pegula (Women’s Singles 1st Round).
Court 13: K. Flipkens versus K. Muchova (20) (Women’s Singles 1st Round)
T. Fritz (29) versus T. Griekspoor (Q) (Men’s Singles 1st Round)
C. Ruud versus E. Gerasimov (Men’s Singles 1st Round)
Court 14: J. Paolini versus A. Blinkova (Women’s Singles 1st Round)
D. Koepfer versus P. Martinez (Q) (Men’s Singles 1st Round)
Court 15: P. Herbert versus C. Norrie (Men’s Singles 1st Round)
P. Cuevas versus G. Simon (Men’s Singles 1st Round)
Court 19: C. O’Connell (WC) versus A. Rublev (17) (Men’s Singles 1st Round)
I. Swiatek versus T. Babos (Women’s Singles 1st Round)
Court 22: I. Karlovic versus V. Pospisil (Men’s Singles 1st Round)
I. Ivashka (Q) versus K. Anderson (Men’s Singles 1st Round).
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21/01/2020
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