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Rafael Nadal and Naomi Osaka through: Australian Open 2022 day one report and round-up

Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates his win over Marcos Giron of United States - Getty
Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates his win over Marcos Giron of United States - Getty

With so much attention on the 11-day saga of Djokovic's attempt to participate in the year's first Grand Slam tournament, the returns of Naomi Osaka and Rafael Nadal have been overshadowed.

Nadal didn't seem to be put off by that, renewing his bid for a record 21st Grand Slam singles title with a 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 win over Marcos Giron.

Nadal is tied with Djokovic and Roger Federer with 20 major singles titles each, the most in the history of men's tennis. With Djokovic unable to defend his crown in Melbourne because he didn't meet Australia's Covid-19 vaccination criteria, the door is slightly ajar for Nadal.

Naomi Osaka's main concern, meanwhile, is winning a third Australian title in four years.

The first test of her new approach to tennis came when she completely whiffed an overhead to give her opponent a break point.

Osaka didn't throw her racket. She didn't roll her eyes. She smiled.

"There are situations where I previously would get upset. But at this point in my life, like, I'm here because I want to be here and because I find that it's fun for me," Osaka said. "Might as well enjoy it while I still can."

Naomi Osaka in her first round match - AP
Naomi Osaka in her first round match - AP

In Osaka's mind, the drama involving nine-time champion Djokovic's deportation on the eve of the Australian Open was something for the players in the men's draw to worry about.

Her title defense began smoothly enough: She won the first five games on the way to a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Camila Osorio.

"To be completely honest, it didn't really affect me," Osaka said of the Djokovic drama. "My goal, like even before this whole situation, is to just focus on myself more, what I need to do to become better.

"Me, I'm a tennis player. I'll focus on my matches. You as, I guess, an audience, focus on whatever is in the news, no?"

A potential fourth-round meeting with top-ranked Ash Barty could be waiting. Barty, aiming to be the first Australian woman to win the title in Melbourne since 1978, beat Lesia Tsurenko 6-0, 6-1.

Osaka, after winning the title last year, pulled out of the French Open before the second round, then sat out Wimbledon. She played at the Tokyo Olympics, where she lit the cauldron, but ended her 2021 season early after a third-round loss and a teary news conference at the U.S. Open.

Two of her goals for 2022 are to stay completely composed on the court and off, and to enjoy the game.

Ash Barty of Australia battered Lesia Tsurenko of Ukraine 6-0 6-1  - AP
Ash Barty of Australia battered Lesia Tsurenko of Ukraine 6-0 6-1 - AP

And, yes, finally, the focus was on tennis in Australia. It got started in a big way, with a combined 64 singles matches on opening day.

French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova, fifth-seeded Maria Sakkari, No. 15 Elina Svitolina and two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka all advanced.

Two young American contenders went out in the first round, with 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin losing 7-6 (2), 7-5 to Madison Keys and No. 18 Coco Gauff saving five match points before losing 6-4, 6-2 to Wang Qiang.

Olympic champion Belinda Bencic advanced to a second-round match against Amanda Anisimova.

Men's Olympic champion Alexander Zverev wrapped up the Day 1 program on Rod Laver Arena with a 7-6 (3), 6-1, 7-6 (1) win over Daniel Altmaier and will next play John Millman, who ended 40-year-old Feliciano Lopez's 79th consecutive Grand Slam event in the first round.

No. 14 Denis Shapovalov followed up his win with Canada in the ATP Cup with a 7-6 (3), 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (3) win over Laslo Djere.

Also advancing were No. 7 Matteo Berrettini, No. 10 Hubert Hurkacz, No. 16 Cristian Garin, No. 17 Gael Monfils and No. 23 Reilly Opelka, while No. 12 Cameron Norrie lost in straight sets to Sebastian Korda.

Nadal won the Australian Open in 2009 and is the only past champion in the men's bracket after Djokovic's late withdrawal Sunday. On Monday, the top-ranked Serbian landed in Dubai, then caught a flight to Belgrade.

Monday was Nadal's first appearance at a major since he lost to Djokovic in the semifinals of the French Open. He missed Wimbledon because of fatigue, skipped the U.S. Open with a painful left foot and, after recovering from COVID-19, started 2022 with a title in a tuneup tournament in Melbourne.

"Honestly, it's been very tough moments and there are still doubts," Nadal said. "But here I am and I can't be happier to be back in this amazing stadium. It's fantastic."

The 35-year-old Spaniard said Djokovic's absence would have an impact on the tournament.

"In a personal level, yes, I would like to see him playing here," Nadal said. "If it is fair or not that he's playing here is another discussion that I don't want to talk anymore."


01:13 PM

And that will do it for day one

Thanks for following. See you tomorrow.


01:12 PM

Some highlights of the day

Paula Badosa overcame a leg injury in the first set to break Ajla Tomljanovic's serve three times in the second and beat the Australian 6-4 6-0.

Badosa, who beat French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova in the Sydney International final on Saturday, will face qualifier Martina Trevisan in the next round.

World number three Alexander Zverev battled through a couple of tight sets to defeat compatriot Daniel Altmaier 7-6(3) 6-1 7-6(1) and set up a second round match against John Millman.

"Not much went to plan today, to be honest, except that I won. You're not going to play your best tennis all the time though, unless you're Roger (Federer) or Rafa (Nadal)," Zverev said.

World number one Ash Barty needed less than an hour to advance to the second round after starting her campaign with an emphatic 6-0 6-1 victory over qualifier Lesia Tsurenko.

The home favourite, who won the Adelaide International title earlier this month, will play Italian qualifier Lucia Bronzetti for a place in the third round.


12:55 PM

Osaka news

if you missed it earlier, the defending champ got past a battling Colombian, Osorio, in the first round. She will now face Madison Brengle who is, obviously pretty much given the first name, from the US.

Naomi Osaka in her first round match - AP
Naomi Osaka in her first round match - AP

12:53 PM

Good battle on the Margaret Court

Badosa has really put the hammer down there after Ajla Tomljanovic fought hard in the first set.


12:45 PM

The Murray Killer grinds on


12:40 PM

I see John McEnroe has kicked off and is pro-Novak


12:22 PM

Looking ahead


12:22 PM

Zverev has won his match

"Not much went to plan for me today, other than winning!"

Asks the interviewer if he can slow down the questions because he cannot understand him.

"I am German with Russian roots and I live in Monaco so English is my fourth language."

"I didn't play perfectly but then who can? Other than Rafa and Roger and I am not them."

He beat fellow German Daniel Altmaier three sets to nil. 7-6, 6-1, 7-6

He seems like a nice lad actually. He can become world number one if he wins the title here.


12:14 PM

The 15th seed

Elina Svitolina is through in straight sets.


12:02 PM

Have you heard the good news?

About the excellent The Tennis Podcast?


11:38 AM

The veteran Feliciano Lopez

who reached the third round here all the way back in 2003, and indeed got to that stage last year, has gone out 3-1 to John Millman. Hard lines for the 40-year-old Spaniard, but hats off for a mighty career effort.


11:33 AM

Freakish point here!


11:31 AM

D-Sports


11:24 AM

In an all-American affair on court 11

Madison Keys has defeated her countrywoman Sofia Kenin in straight sets. Kenin was the 11th seed.


11:23 AM

Maria Sakkari, the sixth seed

is through the first round. She's beaten Tatjana Maria in two sets.


11:20 AM

French Open vax

This would seem to suggest that certain tennis stars who won't play ball are going to be on the outs in France too...


11:14 AM

Zvrev won the first set on the breaker

and has turned up the heat on Altmaier in the second. 6-1 in that.


11:12 AM

Liam with a strong view


11:05 AM

Aces high


10:43 AM

Raducanu with coach Torben Beltz

Torben Beltz coaching Emma Raducanu - Getty Images

10:21 AM

Emma! Emma! Emma!

Emma Raducanu also plays tomorrow; she goes last on Margaret Court Arena and plays American Sloane Stephens. Stephens herself of course was a prodigy once. Now 28, she reached the 2013 semis here, beating Serena on the way. She won the 2017 US Open. The bookies make Radders the 4-5 favourite but Stephens is being backed at evens so that's clearly pretty close.

Emma Raducanu given tough Australian Open draw against Sloane Stephens

Emma Raducanu of Great Britain practices at Albert Park courts during day one of the 2022 Australian Open - Getty
Emma Raducanu of Great Britain practices at Albert Park courts during day one of the 2022 Australian Open - Getty

09:54 AM

Nadal earlier

Australian Open 2022 live: Day one updates Barty, Zverev, Djokovic and latest Djokovic reaction - AP

09:52 AM

No Coco

American teenager Coco Gauff crashed out of the Australian Open in the opening round after an error-strewn performance against China's Wang Qiang as the 18th seed lost 6-4 6-2 on Monday.

Gauff shot to fame as a 15-year-old when she reached the fourth round at Wimbledon in 2019 on her Grand Slam debut. She also reached the fourth round at Melbourne Park in 2020 before making the French Open quarter-finals last year.

The 17-year-old Gauff made 38 unforced errors to lose in 73 minutes against the 110th-ranked Chinese player, who knocked Serena Williams out of the Australian Open two years ago to reach the fourth round.

"I don't know if it was just an off day or just getting used to it (conditions)," said Gauff, who had won her previous two meetings against former world number 12 Wang.

"Today I came into the match and the first couple of games, even though they were close, I was making more errors than I was used to.

"Just everything disappointed me about today. I feel in the pre-season, I worked really hard, and I felt like I was ready to have a good run here. Today I just didn't perform well.

"I didn't play as free as I normally do today. I think I was playing a little bit tighter than normal."

Seven-times major winner Mats Wilander said Gauff needs to be better tactically.

"For her to be a future Grand Slam champion, the pressure is starting to build, but she still has many, many years before she is going to get to her best," Eurosport expert Wilander said.

"But she has to learn now to figure out her opponent and all the things she needs to do to make her opponent worse. You can't always be perfect."


09:50 AM

Talking of the great man

Sir Andy Murray will be in action on day two: he will play at approx 0400 on Tuesday (GMT obvs) on the John Cain Arena. He faces a toughie: 21st seed Nikoloz Basilashvili of Georgia.


09:46 AM

Cameron Norrie is already out

Cameron Norrie was left searching for answers after a dispiriting loss to Sebastian Korda in the first round of the Australian Open.

The young American is one of the game's up-and-coming stars and this was a very tricky draw for the British number one, but a 6-3 6-0 6-4 scoreline left no room for finding the positives.

"I think that's maybe my worst match in the last eight months or so," said the 12th seed. "I had a week off to prepare, prepared as well as I could, and just I was slow, I was missing routine backhands, which I never miss.

"I honestly can't put a finger on it. I just need to get better and improve. Lots to work on. Korda was too good today. Any time I had a chance to come back, he served his way out of it. And on the bigger points he was much better than me.

"I didn't play well in really any big point today. That's part of it and just a disappointing way to start the year with this match."

Both men have recently tested positive for Covid-19 - Norrie in December and Korda on arrival in Australia.

But the American, son of former Melbourne champion Petr, was sharp from the start while Norrie found himself facing an uphill battle immediately and never recovered.

The 26-year-old had a phenomenal 2021, unexpectedly climbing to the verge of the top 10 and winning one of the biggest titles on the ATP Tour in Indian Wells.

His success has been based on a relentless physical and mental approach, but there were signs during the Davis Cup Finals at the end of November that his efforts had taken a toll and there has been precious little time to recover.

He insisted there were no mitigating factors, though, saying: "I played a lot of matches, but this is what we are paid to do and just not good enough.

"For the last year and a half, I have been playing great on the big points, in the big moments and I have been very quick around the court. Today I didn't do any of that."

He lost three matches to high-quality opponents at the ATP Cup to start the season and was unable to trouble Korda, who made the fourth round at Wimbledon last summer, on the new Kia Arena at Melbourne Park.

The 21-year-old is one of the new generation of players of 6ft 5in and above who move exceptionally well and he pressed Norrie straight away.

Korda broke serve at the start of every set, winning nine games in a row from the end of the first set to 2-0 in the third, and there was no way back for Norrie.

The British number one was raised in New Zealand and his family still live there but, although he is planning to take a little bit of time off prior to his next tournament in Rotterdam in three weeks, he will not head across the Tasman Sea.

There is a mandatory seven-day hotel quarantine for all arrivals into New Zealand, and Norrie said: "It's difficult. It would be nice to see them. I missed them a lot. Last time I saw them was for the very first lockdown, so a year and a half. Hopefully they'll come for the British summer."


09:45 AM

Aslan Karatsev

who beat Sir Andy in that warm-up event final the other day, does not seem to be kicking on from taking that scalp. He is in action on the Show Court Arena and he is trailing Jaume Munar. Aslan is the 18th seed.


09:32 AM

Umpire Alison Hughes

calls players Daniel Altmaier and Alexander Zverev to the net. "Alexander, you are a little bit late," she says. "I know," he replies. "I know, I just need to tell you that," says the ump. Ha.

And now Altmaier is dithering around. Zverev goes over to the ump to moan that HE got told off, and what about the other boy and waa waa waa.


09:29 AM

More on Barty


09:21 AM

Ash Barty

is interviewed by Jelena Dokic.

Here's the opening bit.

"I think, no I don't think, I am sure that I speak for everyone in Australia, around the world, particularly myself, thank you, you made us so proud [winning Wimbledon in 2021] I just want to hug you but I can't. There are no words to describe what you have done so thank you for that. I am going to lose all my questions! What did it feel like to be back on Rod Laver Arena?"

The sort of hard-hitting interview that tennis is rightly celebrated for.


09:11 AM

In the battle of the giants

Opelka has now won the second set as well. Look at the size of the lad!

Opelka - EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
Opelka - EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

09:08 AM

Oliver Brown on Novak

“Orwellian” is right. For almost two years now, Australia has coined some of the cruellest policies ever concocted in the name of public health. Families have been separated indefinitely across the oceans, expatriates have been threatened with prison if they dared return to their own country, while Melbourne’s 262 days of lockdown were symbolised by the sight of a homeless woman on a park bench surrounded by eight police officers. The complication is that while these excesses provoke horror in the outside world, they are endorsed by most here. Mark McGowan, premier of Western Australia, has kept his borders slammed shut even to neighbouring states for 22 months and is feted as a hero.

It is against this backdrop that the ejection of Djokovic is greeted with mass enthusiasm. It is a cause for national jubilation that the reputation of the world’s most divisive player has been severely wounded. But so too, sadly, has that of the once-tolerant country that has kicked him out.

Oliver Brown: Australia's 'Orwellian' decision to deport Novak Djokovic leaves many uncomfortable questions


09:05 AM

No

She cannot. It's 5-0 Barty in the second and the Aussie is far too good here. We will have look elsewhere for our early morning upset!


08:49 AM

Barty has put that first set away

6-0. Can the Ukrainian make a better fist of the second?


08:28 AM

It's a battle of the big men on court 15

Reilly Opelka, the six foot 11 inch American, is taking on Kevin Anderson - the South African is a mere tiddler in comparison at a petite six foot eight.


08:22 AM

Ashleigh Barty vs Lesia Tsurenko

And the Aussie has taken early command of the first set, a very impressive point at 15-40 on the Tsurenko serve, Barty moving her overmatched opponent around the court with some quality shot selection, and Barty soon has an early break of serve. 2-0.


08:16 AM

On court now

are the woman carrying local hopes, Ashleigh Barty, and her opponent Lesia Tsurenko of Ukraine.


08:12 AM

What's on the Aus Open cards?

Novak Djokovic! Emma Raducanu! Vaccines! Deportation! Naomi Osaka! Some tennis matches! It’s all happening at the Australian Open tennis, and the days when this was a pleasant, mildly interesting January distraction on the other side of the world seem long gone. All sporting eyes this morning will be on Melbourne Park, and we will have so much tennis, news and comment to bring you from day one of first Grand Slam tennis event of 2022.

Overnight for UK porpoises, Naomi Osaka and Rafael Nadal have both won their opening matches.

Osaka beat Camila Osorio in her first round match, but found the Colombian hard going. Osaka won 6-3 6-3 at the Rod Laver Arena, which will boost her hopes. She had to withdraw from a recent prep event due to an abdominal injury.

Of her return to competitive action, and her mindset, Osaka said:

"I was just sitting in my house wondering, 'what do I want to do in the future?' I felt like there's still so many things that I want to do in tennis.

"It's like a little bit of unfinished business, but also knowing that everything can't be perfect all the time. I accept the fact that I'll have dips, and I need to figure out a way to overcome it."

With Djokovic absent, it looks like everything's coming up Milhouse for Rafa Nadal as he launches his campaign to win a record 21st Slam. American Marcos Giron was the first victim, sent packing 6-1 6-4 6-2 trouncing.

He is the only former champion left in the draw. World number 66 Giron had his serve broken five times as Nadal hit 34 winners past him.

Sixth seed Nadal will face the winner of wildcard Thanasi Kokkinakis and qualifier Yannick Hanfmann for a place in the third round.


07:37 AM

Osaka and Nadal through - Norrie out

Good morning and welcome to our coverage from the 2022 Australian Open in Melbourne with some fascinating matches to come, featuring Ash Barty and Alexander Zverev.

But first a quick round-up of the best of the early action. Defending champion Naomi Osaka began her Aussie Open campaign with a comfortable victory over young Colombian Camila Osorio.

Having taken four months off at the end of last season, Osaka returned to the match court two weeks ago and has hit the ground running in Melbourne.

The 13th seed raced into a 5-0 lead against 20-year-old Osorio, who was making her Australian Open debut, before being pegged back to 5-3.

Osaka stopped the rot, though, to take the opening set and kept her nose in front through the second to clinch a 6-3, 6-3 victory.

Cameron Norrie's winless start to the season continued with a dispiriting loss to Sebastian Korda in the first round of the Australian Open.

The young American is one of the game's up-and-coming stars and this was a very tricky draw for the British No 1 but a 6-3, 6-0, 6-4 scoreline will surely be alarming for Norrie, the 12th seed.

Both men have recently tested positive for Covid-19 - Norrie in December and Korda on arrival in Australia.

But the American, son of former Melbourne champion Petr, was sharp from the start while Norrie found himself facing an uphill battle immediately and never recovered.

Rafael Nadal made a convincing return to grand slam tennis with a 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 victory over American Marcos Giron.

The sixth seed, the only man bidding for a 21st grand slam title this fortnight following Novak Djokovic's deportation, cut short his 2021 season in early August because of a foot problem.

His only slam title in Melbourne came 13 years ago but he began the new year by winning an ATP Tour event on the same courts and brushed aside Giron to reach round two.