Australian Open title favorites Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz on Tuesday cruised to the second round after recording straight-sets victories.
Carlos Alcaraz of Spain hits a return during the men's singles first round match between Carlos Alcaraz of Spain and Richard Gasquet of France at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia on Jan. 16, 2024. (Photo by Hu Jingchen/Xinhua)
Swiatek overcame a challenge in stifling conditions against former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin to reach the second round with a 7-6 (2), 6-2 victory in a match lasting almost two hours.
Her 17th straight victory did not come easy against the unseeded Kenin, who has been unable to recapture the heights of her triumph at Melbourne Park in 2020.
22-year-old Swiatek twice fell behind a break in a tense first set before dominating the tiebreak. She then went up a level to overwhelm Kenin in a one-sided second set.
"It wasn't easy at the beginning to find my rhythm," Swiatek said. "I felt a little bit off and I feel like Sofia really did everything to keep it that way. I'm happy that I managed to get through the second set."
The four-time Grand Slam winner will face either America's Danielle Collins or former tournament champion Angelique Kerber next.
As a powerful challenger to Novak Djokovic's bid for an 11th Australian Open title, world No. 2 Alcaraz returned to Melbourne Park for the first time in two years, as he withdrew from the tournament due to a right leg injury.
After edging past Richard Gasquet of France in a nerve-racking first-set tiebreak, the 20-year-old Spaniard dominated the following two sets, sealing a 7-6 (5), 6-1, 6-2 victory.
Last year's tournament runner-up Elena Rybakina shrugged aside former world No.1 Karolina Pliskova 7-6 (6), 6-4 in 93 minutes.
The 2022 Wimbledon champion had to fight hard in a see-saw of a first set, but she found her top level in a tense tiebreak and she had to win five consecutive points to dent Pliskova, who frustratingly could not capitalise on three set points.
Rybakina of Kazakhstan had the edge after that as she started her quest to go one better than last year.
"It was a really tough match for me. Karolina is a very good player and it was always going to be a challenging first match for me," Rybakina said. "No matter what happened last year [in the final], I'm super happy to be back."
The fifth-seeded Jessica Pegula also booked her berth in the next round after defeating Canadian qualifier Rebecca Marino 6-2, 6-4 in 65 minutes.
Top 15 players Holger Rune, Casper Ruud and Grigor Dimitrov all progressed into the second round.
China's top-ranked player Zheng Qinwen came from behind to defeat America's Ashlyn Krueger 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 in two hours and 18 minutes. The 12th seed hit 28 winners to 17 as she set up a second round clash with Katie Boulter, who beat China's Yuan Yue in straight sets.
Wang Yafan stunned 22nd seed Sorana Cirstea in three sets, while men's wildcard Shang Juncheng upset the higher-ranked American Mackenzie McDonald in a five-set thriller.
No. 1 Novak Djokovic, women's second seed Aryna Sabalenka and U.S. Open champion Coco Gauff are in second-round action on Wednesday.
