The sport’s most recent female Grand Slam champion, Coco Gauff, headlined the Rod Laver Arena day session on Monday at Australian Open 2024, and looked every inch a title contender during an opening victory that lasted exactly an hour.
Last September’s US Open winner hammered her way past Slovakia’s Anna Schmiedlova for the loss of just three games to set up a second-round date with fellow American Caroline Dolehide.
The 19-year-old has recently spent time remodelling her serve motion with former men’s world No.1 Andy Roddick, and in her post-match press conference talked about the mechanics and objectives behind those changes.
In the night session on the main show court, the locals roared Australian No.1 Alex De Minaur into the second round. The newest member of the ATP’s top 10 had to work hard to get in front against former world No.3 Milos Raonic before the Canadian was forced to quit early in the third set with a hip injury.
While it was plain sailing for reigning women’s US Open champion Gauff, it was a very different story for a pair of major champions on Monday in Melbourne.
Naomi Osaka was no match for a focused Caroline Garcia in the night session at RLA, the two-time Australian Open champion's comeback six months after becoming a mother ending in a high-quality 6-4 7-6(2) defeat.
Reigning Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova made a more abrupt exit at John Cain Arena earlier in the day, the seventh-seeded Czech completely outplayed by Ukrainian qualifier Dayana Yastremska 6-1 6-2 to become the highest seeded casualty so far.
Later, Vondrousova was followed through the exit door by last year’s quarterfinalist and 21st seed Donna Vekic, who lost in straight sets to former Roland Garros finalist Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.
Other big names to move on in the men’s draw included last year’s runner-up Stefanos Tsitsipas. The Greek came up with a potential shot of the tournament that had to be seen to be believed during a four-set win over Belgian lucky loser Zizou Bergs at RLA.
Daniil Medvedev, the men’s runner-up in Melbourne in 2021 and 2022, went through when his opponent, French qualifier Terence Atmane, retired with severe cramp at the start of the fourth set.
Andy Murray’s fans will be wondering whether he’ll make it back to Melbourne Park again after a first-round defeat at Kia Arena. The former world No.1 lost comfortably 6-4 6-2 6-2 to Argentine Tomas Martin Etcheverry. “It's a definite possibility that will be the last time I play here,” Murray admitted afterwards.
Another former Grand Slam champion, Stan Wawrinka, also finished second-best on that court when he let slip a two-sets-to-one lead against Frenchman Adrian Mannarino. The 20th seed blazed his way through their final set 6-0.
Ben Shelton’s army of fans left happy when they watched the young American begin his campaign with a straight-sets win over experienced Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut.
Another former top 10 player to disappear on Day 2 was Denis Shapovalov. Far from his best after months away from the game with a recent knee injury, the Canadian lefty was no match for highly-rated young Czech qualifier Jakub Mensik.