Marketa Vondrousova will have to wait to complete her Grand Slam quarterfinal collection.
The reigning Wimbledon champion exited Australian Open 2024 6-1 6-2 at John Cain Arena to the ever hard-hitting Dayana Yastremska – who went three sets in all three of her qualifying matches as the top seed.
Yastremska’s fellow Ukrainian, Elina Svitolina, Ons Jabeur and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova also progressed in straight sets. The latter got the better of 21st seed Donna Vekic.
MORE: All the results from Day 2 at Australian Open 2024
Yastremska struck 26 winners in the 15 games, while Vondrousova produced the sort of numbers lacking at Wimbledon last year — five winners and 19 unforced errors.
“In life I’m also pretty aggressive, same on court,” Yastremska said afterwards. “Of course, I played like that since I was very small but I do enjoy to play like this.
“I have a lot of mistakes as well but it’s fine. When you play aggressive, it’s normal.”
Three of the world No.93’s four top-10 wins have come against Czechs.
Vondrousova would have hoped for a smoother lead-in to Australian Open 2024, however.
After contesting two matches at the United Cup, the lefty pulled out of the Adelaide International last week due to a hip complaint.
The seventh seed – no stranger to injuries, unfortunately – sported strapping around her serving shoulder.
Her average first serve speed registered at 158 km/h, a considerable dip from her tally of 164 km/h during her Wimbledon final victory over Jabeur.
Jabeur wins in first 2024 outing
Of the current top 10 in the WTA rankings – barring the injured Karolina Muchova – Jabeur was the lone member not to see action leading into AO 2024.
And when Ukraine’s Yuliia Starodubtseva broke the trailblazer from Tunisia in the opening game at Margaret Court Arena, one couldn’t help but wonder if a battle would ensue.
But Jabeur broke straight back – and then never looked back – against the 168th-ranked qualifier, who was making both her tour-level and Grand Slam debut.
“I decided to rest a bit before coming to the Australian Open and just play this tournament,” Jabeur said in her on-court interview after the 6-3 6-1 victory.
Jabeur's mix of power and touch has helped the 29-year-old reach three Grand Slam finals. The latter surfaced early in the second set when the sixth seed struck a stunning drop shot return winner.
Is this her year to win that elusive major?
That is her goal. In a revealing documentary recently released about her life, Jabeur said she felt “destroyed” after the defeat to Vondrousova – who won their second-round clash at Melbourne Park about six months earlier – in London.
Had she triumphed at SW19, Jabeur likely would have tried to start a family with husband Karim Kamoun, she added in the documentary.
For now her sojourn continues at AO 2024, in front of new fans and those who have been supporting her for years.
“Last year wasn’t so great here, so coming back here I was a little bit stressed but seeing the crowd made me less stressed … and a little bit more,” she said. “I saw some guys that I know from 2016 cheering for me when I was playing qualifying and holding the ‘Ons’ (sign).
“It just stressed me a little bit. They’ve been following me since qualifying, so that’s really something. And thank you for coming, thank you for supporting after so many years.”
Winning return for Svitolina
Welcome back to the Australian Open, Elina Svitolina.
The Ukrainian returned to the tennis tour last April after giving birth to daughter Skai, which meant AO 2023 came a little too early for her.
Buoyed by a Roland-Garros quarterfinal and Wimbledon semifinal, Svitolina soared to 25 in the rankings – after having no ranking at her comeback event – to earn the WTA’s Comeback Player of the Year gong.
A spot in the Auckland final – edged by Coco Gauff in three sets – preceded Monday’s 6-2 6-2 win over Grand Slam singles debutante wildcard Taylah Preston.
The clash took place first up at 1573 Arena.
And asked if she preferred to play day or night, the globetrotting 19th seed said there were pros and cons.
“Either way works, because if I'm playing at night I'm gonna go in the morning to see [Skai],” Svitolina, married to longtime men’s pro Gael Monfils, told reporters. “If I'm playing in the morning, like now, okay, Gael is going to play soon, but I'm going to see her this afternoon.
“So, we just have to adjust.”
They also adjusted prior to the new campaign, leaving Europe a day later than planned due to Skai’s illness.
“These kind of things you do now these days, putting the priority of your child,” said Svitolina. “But I'm so happy that we decided to bring her here with us.
“We spend so much nice time and really enjoy time together, the weather is super nice.”
One of Svitolina’s major strengths lies in her return and Preston – the 18-year-old Perth native who stretched Caroline Garcia to three sets last week in Adelaide – discovered that first hand.
Svitolina bagged 80% of points behind Preston’s second serve.
Pavlyuchenkova in form
Pavlyuchenkova’s first-round pairing with Vekic certainly caught the eye.
Pavlyuchenkova after all is a Grand Slam finalist who continues to make her way back from a serious knee injury while Vekic matched her best showing at a major at AO 2023 by venturing to the quarterfinals.
She, too, has had to contend with injuries.
They are both steely competitors.
Pavlyuchenkova downed the Croat last September and made it two in a row with the 6-4 6-4 win over the 21st seed at Margaret Court Arena.
This following a narrow quarterfinal defeat to world No.5 Jessica Pegula last week in Adelaide.
Pavlyuchenkova has been coming to Melbourne since her junior days – winning the title in 2006 and 2007 – but said she would leave it up to her boyfriend to scout for spots to visit during any free time.
“It’s his first time here and he knows already a lot more places than I do over the, I don’t know, 15 years I’ve come here,” Pavlyuchenkova said on court afterwards. “With tennis players, we just mostly do courts, hotel, so thanks to him I can explore a bit more.”