Iga Swiatek, the current world number one, defeated German Jule Niemeier in straight sets at Melbourne Park to start the Australian Open on a positive note.
Swiatek, a three-time major champion who advanced to the semi-finals last year, triumphed 6-4 7-5 on Rod Laver Arena.
In the second round, the 21-year-old Pole will compete against Colombian Camila Osorio.
Additionally, the third-seeded Jessica Pegula, the sixth-seeded Maria Sakkari, and the seventh-seeded Coco Gauff all won. Coco Gauff will now play the British player Emma Raducanu.
Rafael Nadal defeats Jack Draper in a match.
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Niemeier’s serve slipped for the first time, and top seed Swiatek, 21, took advantage to win the opening set.
Swiatek avoided going the distance by winning four straight games to set up her meeting with Osario, who defeated Hungarian Panna Udvardy 6-4 6-1 in response to the German’s early serve break in set two.
In 59 minutes, American Pegula defeated Romanian Jaqueline Cristian 6-0, 6-1. Following the Belarusian’s 7-5 6-2 triumph over 15-year-old Czech qualifier Brenda Fruhvirtova, she will play Aliaksandra Sasnovich.
Sakkari advanced after defeating China’s Yue Yuan 6-1, 6-4, and will now take on Russian qualifier Diana Shnaider, who is 18 years old.
Gauff, meanwhile, overcame Czech Katerina Siniakova 6-1 6-4 to set up a fascinating second-round match with Raducanu, who triumphed against Germany’s Tamara Korpatsch 6-3 6-2 to successfully return to the court following her injury scare.
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The only two former champions in the women’s tournament squared off, with Belarusian two-time champion Victoria Azarenka defeating American 2020 winner Sofia Kenin 6-4, 7-6 in a match that lasted ten years (7-3).
Russian Anna Kalinskaya required three sets to be defeated by American Danielle Collins, the runner-up from last year, who was placed 13th. She ultimately prevailed 7-5 5-7 6-4.
Elena Rybakina, the 22nd seed and Wimbledon champion, complained that she “didn’t get the benefit which Grand Slam champions generally get” because her first-round match was set on an outdoor court.
“However, I don’t really give a damn and I simply want to compete and win. Regardless of the court I play on, I love being here “She stated following her 7-5, 6-3 victory over Italian Elisabetta Cocciaretto on court 13.
When Rybakina defeated Ons Jabeur in the Wimbledon final last summer, the ATP and WTA stripped the Grand Slam of ranking points as a result of the organizers’ choice to prohibit Russian and Belarusian players, denying Rybakina the chance to climb into the world’s top 10.
Petra Kvitova, who reached the 2019 final, defeated Belgian Alison van Uytvanck 7-6 (7-3) 6-2, and Barbora Krejcikova, a fellow Czech, defeated Sara Bejlek, a 16-year-old countrywoman, 6-3 6-1.
Bianca Andreescu, a Canadian who won the 2019 US Open, defeated Czech 25th seed Marie Bouzkova 6-2 6-4, while 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia defeated Dayana Yastremska of Ukraine 6-4 6-2.
