Welcome to our reside protection of day one of many Australian Open.
With out Ash Barty to defend her title and carry native hopes, anticipate Nick Kyrgios and nine-time winner Novak Djokovic to dominate the discourse at Melbourne Park in 2023.
Kyrgios is already making headlines on day one after being caught flouting Victoria’s highway guidelines (see under), however neither he or the Djoker are enjoying right now.
Rafael Nadal, Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff are the headline acts.
12.30pm — Star in tears after beautiful Open upset
Amanda Anisimova has turn into the primary seeded participant to be knocked out of the 2023 Australian Open.
The twenty eighth seeded Anisimova fell in straight units to Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk, 6-3, 6-4.
Earlier than the match formally completed the American was in tears as her hopes of advancing slipped via her fingers.
11.45am — ‘Beautiful’: Followers approve of recent Nike outfit
Tennis followers have given the tick of approval to Nike’s new ladies’s tennis outfit after Emma Raducanu debuted it at Melbourne Park.
The Melbourne Assortment features a vibrant abstrict print. Raducanu was sporting the spring slam costume as she made a robust begin in opposition to Tamara Korpatsch on 1573 Area.
“Nike lastly appear to have a good slam equipment after ages,” one fan tweeted.
Whereas the tennis podcast added: “This Nike equipment is fireplace.”
“Beautiful equipment,” added one other.
11.30am — Blistering begins in all places
A number of gamers wanted lower than half an hour to place the primary units of this 12 months’s event away.
Coco Gauff got here out smoking in opposition to Katerina Siniakova to go up 6-1, whereas Jess Pegula was simply as spectacular in a 6-2 effort in opposition to Jaqueline Cristian.
However in distinction to her fellow People, Amanda Anisimova trailed Marta Kostyuk 6-3.
Emma Raducanu, with a strapped ankle, began promisingly in opposition to Tamara Korpatsch and leads 6-3.
Within the males’s draw, 17-year-old Chinese language qualifier Shang Juncheng stole the opening set of Oscar Otte.
10am — ‘Disregarded’ Wimbledon champ’s ugly Aus Open snub
No factors and no respect.
That’s been Elena Rybakina’s expertise of profitable Wimbledon after it emerged the reigning champion of the game’s most prestigious event would start her Australian Open marketing campaign manner out on court docket 13 at Melbourne Park on Monday.
The 23-year-old Kazakh defeated Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur within the Wimbledon decider final July however earned no factors from the occasion after the ATP and WTA objected to the event’s ban of Russian gamers.
That is simply one other hit.
“Reigning Wimbledon champ Elena Rybakina obtained relegated all the way in which out to the hinterland of Court docket 13 for her first #AusOpen match,” Racquet Journal senior editor Ben Rothenberg tweeted.
“I perceive there’s a saturation of current ladies’s Slam champs, to an extent, however has a reigning Wimbledon champ ever been so shortly disregarded?”
He wasn’t the one one perplexed by the transfer.
Tennis journalist Jose Morgado wrote: “Rybakina on the parking zone vs. Hobart finalist…”
He later added to Rothenberg’s submit: “She obtained completely screwed by the pointless Wimbledon.
“Unhealthy attracts and small courts each week.”
American sports activities reporter Jacob Cersosimo commented: “I don’t know how this occurs however that is WILD!”
7.15am — Kyrgios, girlfriend seem to flout Victoria highway guidelines
Nick Kyrgios’ may discover himself in scorching water after being noticed using an e-scooter and not using a helmet in Melbourne on Sunday.
The Aussie tennis star and what gave the impression to be his girlfriend, Costeen Hatzi, have been photographed on Elizabeth St.
Victorian highway guidelines require e-scooter riders to put on accepted bicycle helmets.
Information.com.au has contacted Victoria Police concerning the incident.
Kyrgios opens his Australian Open marketing campaign in opposition to Roman Safiullin at 7pm on Tuesday night time.
7am — Stosur lastly able to put her ft up
Veteran Sam Stosur has introduced the Australian Open can be her ultimate event, ending a 23-year profession wherein she gained a singles Grand Slam title and 7 others in doubles.
The 38-year-old Australian’s best second got here when she defeated Serena Williams to win the singles crown on the 2011 US Open, which she described as “the head” of her profession.
This week will mark her twenty first Australian Open.
“That was definitely a dream of mine to realize that, and I did,” she informed reporters of her Flushing Meadows triumph. “That’s a second I’ll always remember.
“I’m very lucky that I’ve so many nice reminiscences, yeah, from the game, profitable, dropping, travelling, on and off the court docket,” she added at Melbourne Park, the place she is going to play within the doubles with France’s Alize Cornet.
Stosur reached a career-high rating of 4 on this planet in singles and one in doubles after making her Grand Slam debut on the 2002 Australian Open.
She gained 4 Grand Slam ladies’s doubles titles, most just lately on the 2021 US Open alongside China’s Zhang Shuai, and three blended doubles titles.
“I didn’t know what I might do,” she stated, trying again to her skilled debut greater than 20 years in the past.
“I dreamt what I want to do and I definitely achieved that and far more than what I might have ever imagined. So I can stroll away being very proud.”
6.45am — Nadal dealing with ‘hardest first-round doable’
Rafael Nadal opens his Australian Open title defence Monday feeling weak and in opposition to a harmful younger opponent, with ladies’s prime seed Iga Swiatek additionally dealing with a difficult encounter as she targets a maiden crown.
The primary Grand Slam of the 12 months kicks off at Melbourne Park with the lads’s world primary rating at stake and a brand new ladies’s champion set to be topped after Ash Barty’s shock retirement following her win final 12 months.
Spanish nice Nadal, 36, has misplaced six of his previous seven matches, together with his opening two this 12 months, forward of a troublesome afternoon conflict on Rod Laver Area in opposition to Britain’s in-form Jack Draper.
“Most likely one of many hardest first-round (video games) doable, being seeded,” stated the 22-time Grand Slam winner and prime seed. “Younger, highly effective, rising very, very quick on the rating, enjoying effectively.”
The fast-improving Draper, 21, made the semi-finals of the Adelaide Worldwide this week and stated he wouldn’t be overawed, regardless of Nadal being an idol.
“I wish to go and compete laborious and actually play effectively and I wish to go and win the match, in fact. In order that would be the plan,” he stated.
Nadal surged to the title final 12 months with an exhilarating five-set win over Russia’s Daniil Medvedev, who faces American Marcos Giron on centre court docket in a night match.
His run to a primary Australian crown since 2009 got here within the absence of nine-time champion Novak Djokovic, who’s again this 12 months and heavy favorite after lacking the 2022 occasion when he was deported over his Covid vaccination stance.
The 35-year-old Serbian begins on Tuesday in opposition to Spain’s Roberto Carballes Baena, bidding not only for a tenth title and to equal Nadal’s 22 Slams, however to reclaim the highest world rating.
“I like my probabilities,” stated Djokovic, who’s in type, profitable at Adelaide final week after ending 2022 with one other ATP Finals triumph.
He can return to the highest by lifting the trophy. So can Norway’s Casper Ruud and Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas, in accordance with the governing physique ATP.
World quantity three Ruud may also turn into world primary by reaching the ultimate, as lengthy neither Djokovic nor Tsitsipas win the title.
If none of these eventualities play out, the reign of Carlos Alcaraz, who shouldn’t be enjoying in Melbourne resulting from harm, will proceed.
Tsitsipas opens his marketing campaign in opposition to France’s Quentin Halys on Margaret Court docket Area, with Ruud in motion on Tuesday.
High seed Swiatek is the clear favorite having dominated ladies’s tennis following the retirement in March final 12 months of Barty.
The Pole secured eight WTA titles in 2022 and have become the primary girl in six years to win two Grand Slams in the identical season — at Roland Garros and New York.
With retired nice Serena Williams and two-time Melbourne winner Naomi Osaka additionally lacking, it’s nearly sure that there can be a brand new identify on the Daphne Akhurst trophy.
The one former titleholders within the draw are out-of-sorts Sofia Kenin, who gained in 2020, and Victoria Azarenka, whose second Australian Open triumph was a decade in the past.
Swiatek begins on Monday in opposition to Jule Neimeier, the German world quantity 68 who reached the quarter-finals at Wimbledon final 12 months.
6.30am – Day 1 Order Of Play (All courts from 11am, all instances AEDT)
Rod Laver Area
Katerina Siniakova (CZE) v [7] Coco Gauff (USA)
Yue Yuan (CHN) v [6] Maria Sakkari (GRE)
Not earlier than 2:30pm
[1] Rafael Nadal (ESP) v Jack Draper (GBR)
Evening session from 7pm
[1] Iga Swiatek (POL) v Jule Niemeier (GER)
Marcus Giron (USA) v [7] Daniil Medvedev (RUS)
Present Court docket 1
[3] Jessica Pegula (USA) v Jaqueline Cristian (ROM)
[10] Hubert Hurkacz (POL) v Pedro Martinez (ESP)
Sofia Kenin (USA) v [24] Victoria Azarenka (BLR)
Evening session from 7pm
[3] Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE) v Quentin Halys (FRA)
[10] Madison Keys (USA) v Anna Blinkova (RUS)
John Cain Area
Kyle Edmund (GBR) v [15] Jannik Sinner (ITA)
Alison Van Uytvanck (BEL) v [15] Petra Kvitova (CZE)
Not earlier than 3:30pm
Sebastian Baez (ARG) v Jason Kubler (AUS)
Evening session not earlier than 6pm
Vasek Pospisil (CAN) v [6] Felix Auger-Aliassime (CAN)
Aussies in motion
Kia Area, Match 4
Xinyu Wang (CHN) v Storm Hunter (AUS)
Court docket 3, Match 2
Talia Gibson (AUS) v Clara Burel (FRA)
Court docket 3, Match 4
John Millman (AUS) v Marc-Andrea Huesler (SWI)
Court docket 8, Match 1
Polina Kudermetova (RUS) v Olivia Gadecki (AUS)
Court docket 8, Match 4
Yannick Hanfmann (GER) v Rinky Hijikata (AUS)
— with AFP
