Italy's Jannik Sinner lunges for a return against Chile's Nicolas Jarry during their Australian Open first-round match in Melbourne on Monday. Defending champion Sinner got his 2025 campaign off to a winning start by beating Jarry 7-6 (2), 7-6 (5), 6-1. AFP
MELBOURNE, Australia — After wasting a set point in the second tiebreaker with an ill-conceived drop shot, Jannik Sinner regained focus quickly Monday and began his Australian Open title defense with a 7-6 (2), 7-6 (5), 6-1 win over Nicolas Jarry.
After all the pre-tournament attention on the 2024 doping cases of Sinner and long-time women's No 1 Iga Swiatek, both started the year's first Grand Slam tournament about the same time on nearby courts on Day 2.
Top-ranked Sinner had to grind for two long, tiebreak sets against No 35-ranked Jarry, a 29-year-old from Chile, before hitting his stride in the third with two service breaks on Rod Laver Arena.
"It was a very close one because the first two sets, they can go both ways," Sinner said after extending his winning streak to 16 matches dating back to October, including 14 consecutive straight-sets victories. "In the third set when I broke it the first time, that gave me a little bit of room to breathe.
"I'm happy how I handled the very tough situation."
Sinner has got a good record at Melbourne Park in that department. He rallied from two sets down in last year's final to beat Daniil Medvedev for his first Grand Slam title, coming off a semifinal upset of 10-time champion Novak Djokovic.
With Australian player Nick Kyrgios particularly scathing about Sinner's doping case, the Italian said he was curious how fans at Rod Laver Arena might react.
As it was, Sinner was cheered warmly as he took the court, and throughout his win over Jarry in the afternoon sunshine.
"You never know what's happening. I was happy about the crowd. It was a very nice crowd. There were some (support) for my opponent and some for me," he told reporters.
"It was a nice atmosphere."
While Sinner was deep into his match against Jarry, Swiatek, a five-time major winner from Poland, fended off top-ranked doubles player Katerina Siniakova 6-3, 6-4 on John Cain Arena.
The 23-year-old said a blast of Australian rockers AC/DC had helped get her in the mood for her solid but unconvincing win over Czech Siniakova.
"Before matches, appropriate music makes me feel more energized and sometimes I hum it during the match," said the world No 2, who served a short doping ban last year.
In her match against the 50thranked Siniakova, Swiatek struggled to find the deliberate rhythm that has helped her win five Grand Slam titles as her opponent, a doubles specialist, put up some stiff resistance.
"For sure it wasn't an easy first round so I'm happy I got through," said Swiatek, who will next play Rebecca Sramkova of Slovakia.
"I felt like she was playing really well and I knew I needed to be more proactive when I wanted to and at the end in the second set I did that."
Poland's Iga Swiatek hits a return against Czech Republic's Katerina Siniakova during their first-round match on Monday. AFP
Coco Gauff had a little difficulty adjusting to the sun at one end of Rod Laver Arena in Monday's first marquee match and dropped an early service game before quickly settling into a rhythm in a 6-3, 6-3 win over 2020 champion Sofia Kenin.
Third-seeded Gauff beat Swiatek to win the title at the WTA Finals last November and started this season by helping the US to victory at the United Cup last week, again beating No 2 Swiatek in the final.
Gauff, the 2023 US Open champion is wearing a Marvel-inspired bodysuit and skirt at Melbourne Park and she's radiating confidence and calm.
"I knew going in it was going to be difficult, but you know I'm happy with how I played," she said of the 1-hour, 20-minute win over Kenin, who at No 81 is a much tougher opponent than her ranking suggests.
"I mean (I) could serve better, but like on that side I was struggling to see the ball," Guaff said, pointing to one baseline on the main show court that was bathed in sun. "So I'm just happy that I was able to manage through that."
Another 20-year-old American, Alex Michelsen, produced the biggest win of his young career with a 7-5, 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 first-round upset of 2023 Australian runner-up Stefanos Tsitsipas.
Michelsen's three booming service returns in the ninth game of the fourth set helped him earn a vital break against the 11th-seeded Tsitsipas and, after shaking off jitters on his own serve, he closed out for his first victory over a player ranked in the top 20 at a Grand Slam.
Tsitsipas could only blame himself for his jaded performance at the Grand Slam where he once beat both Rafa Nadal and Roger Federer in their prime.
"I had a fresher mind back then," the 26-year-old said.
"I would definitely say that one thing that stood out the most back then is that I had this hunger to try and make a life out of tennis.... It was different from it is now."
No 17 Frances Tiafoe advanced in five sets over Arthur Rinderknech of France.
Gauff went into her opening round on a streak of winning 33 matches against players ranked outside the Top 50, dating to a loss to Kenin at Wimbledon 2023.
It was tough going early, with Gauff converting an early break before Kenin got back on serve at 2-2, hitting deep ground strokes and getting good bounce off the hard court.
But Gauff, who had five aces and four double-faults in her first two service games, lifted her tempo, started taking the ball earlier and won four of the next five games. She finished the match with 12 aces and nine double-faults, and saved seven of the eight breakpoints she faced. She also had 28 winners, including two rifling backhands on key points in the second set, and 13 unforced errors.
The draw presented another tough trip to Australia for Kenin. It was the third straight year Kenin faced a Grand Slam champion in the first round in Australia, and her fourth consecutive first-round exit here.
Twice champion Victoria Azarenka was sent packing by unseeded Italian Lucia Bronzetti, who beat the Belarusian 21st seed 6-2, 7-6 (2).
Gauff will next play Jodie Burrage of Britain. No 7 Jessica Pegula also advanced along with No 12 Diana Shnaider, No 28 Elina Svitolina, and Belinda Bencic, who ousted No 16 Jelena Ostapenko.
Agencies via Xinhua
