Top seeds Aryna Sabalenka and Carlos Alcaraz both eased into the second round with straight-set wins on Day 1 of the Australian Open at Melbourne Park.
Two time women's champion Sabalenka recovered from a slow start before beating 20-year-old French prospect Tiantsoa Rakotomanga Rajaonah 6-4, 6-1 on Rod Laver Arena
The world No 1 found herself a break down after the opening game and looked troubled throughout the first set by the guile of left-hander Rakotomanga Rajaonah despite getting back on serve.
“I didn't start my best but she showed up and fired on and she was playing great, said the four-time Grand Slam champion. “It was a tricky start and I'm super happy I found my rhythm at the end of the first set and I felt a bit more confident.
“I didn't know much about her, I watched her previous games, but it's always tricky to play against someone you don't really know and also left [handed] but I'm super happy to be able to close this match in straight sets.”
Sabalenka eventually found her rhythm and reasserted control, turning her initial difficulties into little more than a footnote as the 27-year-old settled into her power game to go up 5-4 and wrapped up the set with a huge forehand that her opponent returned long.
An early break in the second set helped Sabalenka go 3-0 up and there was no stopping the four-times major champion, who closed out the contest on her third match point to book a second-round clash with either Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova or Bai Zhuoxuan.
Italian seventh seed Jasmine Paolini powered past Aliaksandra Sasnovich 6-1 6-2 in just over an hour. “I didn’t expect that,” said a smiling Paolini after her quick-fire demolition of the Belarusian.
“I was solid, I was focused. Before the match, I was a little nervous, to be honest, but then I stepped on the court and felt good from the first ball.
Elena Svitolina's 13th Australian Open campaign was also off to a smooth start as she defeated Cristina Bucsca of Spain 6-4, 6-1. The Ukrainian is unbeaten so far this year after claiming the WTA 250 title in Auckland last week.
Olga Danilovic pulled off a stunning comeback from 4-0 down in the deciding set to beat American veteran Venus Williams 6-7, 6-3, 6-4.
Williams, 45, looked primed to win her first Grand Slam match since a first-round victory at Wimbledon in 2021 but Danilovic took six games in a row in the final set to book her spot in the second round.
In the men's draw, six-time major champion Alcaraz began his latest attempt to win the Australian Open crown and complete a career Grand Slam by beating Adam Walton of Australia 6-3, 7-6, 6-2.
The 22-year-old Spaniard, who has never been beyond the quarter-finals in Melbourne, can eclipse Don Budge and become the youngest man to win all four major singles titles at least once.
“I'm really happy to step on the court for the first time this season,” said Alcaraz. “I think it couldn't be better than stepping out here at the Rod Laver Arena. It's a good match. I felt great.
“Adam – great level in the match so I had to stay there. Overall, I'm happy with the level I played today.”
Last year's runner-up Alexander Zverev endured a shaky start to his Melbourne campaign before going on to secure a spot in the second round.
The German third seed dropped – who lost to Jannik Sinner in the final 12 months ago – the first set against the feisty world number 41 at Rod Laver Arena but rallied to a 6-7, 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 win at Rod Laver Arena.
“Definitely when I saw the draw I wasn't too happy, to be honest,” the German said of former US college player Diallo, one of the most dangerous unseeded players in the men's singles.
“He’s somebody that’s very young, very talented, unbelievably aggressive, so [it was] difficult to find a rhythm especially [because] I didn’t play many matches yet this year.
“The first set wasn’t my best tennis, I would say, but then afterwards when I got into the match, I felt really good on the court and I’m definitely happy with the level.”
Italian 20th seed Flavio Cobolli lost 7-6, 6-4, 6-1 to British qualifier and world No 186 Arthur Fery after complaining of stomach problems during his match at John Cain Arena.
