The Last Time Roger Federer lost in the opening round of a Grand Slam
2003 - We have to trek all the way back to the 2003 French Open to find a time when the Swiss Maestro last fell in the first round of a Grand Slam. That year he lost to Peruvian Luis Horna 7-6(6) 6-3 7-6(3), but Federer won Wimbledon for the first time a month later – the first of his 19 Grand Slam titles. On Day 2 he will start heavy favourite against Slovenian Aljaz Bedene.
The Last Time Thanasi Kokkinakis played the Australian Open
2015 - The 21-year-old is making his first Australian Open appearance in three years after a plethora of injuries kept him out of the sport for an extended period of time. Kokkinakis is back in 2018 and will take on Sydney champion Daniil Medvedev on Show Court 3.
MORE: Day 2 preview: Steps into the unknown
The Last Time Maria Sharapova was unseeded at the Aus Open
2003 - The 2008 champion has always been around the top 10 of the WTA but after her year-long doping suspension her ranking plummeted. She managed to climb back inside the top 50 but it has not been enough to warrant seeding. The last time this happened at the Australian Open was in 2003 when the fresh faced 15-year-old came through qualifying before losing to fellow qualifier Klara Koukalova in the first round.
The Last Time Roger and Rafa were the top two seeds at a Grand Slam
2011 - It is well documented how successful Federer and Nadal were in 2017, ending the year as the top two players in the world once again. It is the first time since Australian Open 2011 that the pair will hold that honour at a Grand Slam, that tournament was the beginning of Novak Djokovic’s 41-match winning streak to mark his dominance on tennis.
The Last Time Novak Djokovic was seeded this low at a major
2007 - He endured a tumultuous 2017 with injury, causing him to end his season after Wimbledon. Almost considered invincible the year before, Djokovic’s ranking has plummeted outside the top 10 for the first time in 10 years, and his seeding of 14 at this year’s Open is his lowest at a Grand Slam since the 2007 edition at Melbourne Park, when the courts were green. He would reach the fourth round where he fell to eventual champion Roger Federer.
The Last Time a Williams Sister did not reach the second round at the Aus Open
1997 - You wouldn’t be blamed if you could not produce the answer of when this was because it wasn’t even in this millennium. With Belinda Bencic defeating Venus Williams on day one of the Australian Open and Serena being absent, it marks the first time in 21 years that the famous surname will not grace the round of 64 at Melbourne Park. Neither of them were in the draw that year and Venus would make her Grand Slam debut at the French Open in May that year.
The Last time Simona Halep progressed beyond the opening round in Melbourne
2015 - Melbourne Park hasn’t been a happy hunting ground for Simona Halep in recent years, with the current world No.1 failing to win a single match in each of her previous two ventures to the Australian Open. In 2016 she was the first victim of qualifier Zhang Shuai’s inspiring run to the quarterfinals and last year it was knee tendinitis that plagued her loss to Shelby Rogers. The Romanian will take on Australian Destanee Aiava on day two in as she hopes to better her quarterfinal displays in 2014-15.
The Last Time Juan Martin del Potro played the Australian Open
2014 - It has been four long years since the Argentine has graced the courts of Melbourne Park, with a string of wrist injuries marring his career since winning the US Open back in 2009. The world No.10’s last campaign at Melbourne Park in 2014 ended in the second round with a five set loss to Roberto Bautista Agut. He would not play a major again until Wimbledon 2016.
The Last time Tomas Berdych lost in the opening round in Melbourne
2005 - It has been a long time since the Czech has been beaten at the first hurdle and the last time that happened was in 2005 when sixth seed Guillermo Coria defeated the then 19-year-old in straight sets. Berdych takes on young Australian Alex de Minaur on Hisense Arena in the evening session on Day 2 and he will certainly have to be on guard.
The Last Time Petra Kvitova made the final eight at the Aus Open
2012 - Petra Kvitova makes her long awaited return to the Australian Open after missing the 2017 event with a severe wrist injury. The last time she mounted a serious charge in Melbourne was back in 2012, where the then world No.2 reached the quarterfinals for the second consecutive year. She advanced one match further before eventually falling victim to Maria Sharapova.