Your rapid recap of Day 2 at AO 2024.
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.
Naomi Osaka comeback spoiled by early loss at Australian Open.
MELBOURNE, Australia -- Naomi Osaka returned to Grand Slam tennis after maternity leave in the same way she left it, with a first-round loss after going down 6-4 7-6 (2) to Caroline Garcia on Rod Laver Arena at the Australian Open on Monday.Taking on the experienced French 16th seed, who is an aggressive baseliner like Osaka, was always going to be a big challenge for the two-time Australian Open champion, who returned to tournament tennis only two weeks ago after being out for 15 months.
The power that took Osaka to four Grand Slam titles before she took time off to have daughter Shai was still there, but it was always going to take Osaka, 26, time to rediscover her accuracy in clutch moments.
A double fault gave Garcia, 30, the first break point of the match in the fifth game, and the former world No. 4 converted it with alacrity to edge ahead.
Osaka had a sniff of a break back at deuce in the eighth game but dumped a routine backhand into the net. Garcia held with back-to-back aces before going on to take the set.
The Japanese former world No. 1 won her first three service games of the second set to love, but Garcia's serving was brilliant and Osaka was unable to put any pressure on it.
Osaka had beaten Garcia 6-2, 6-3 on the way to her 2021 triumph at Melbourne Park. But this was a much tighter contest, with the second set decided in a tiebreaker.
Still hitting the mark with her first serves, Garcia raced to a big lead and clinched the win on her first match point when Osaka dumped another backhand into the net.
"The competitive in me is really frustrated that I'm not winning these matches, of course," Osaka told a post-match news conference. "So I wouldn't say, like, this comeback is how I thought because I'm delusional enough to think I could have won the tournament."
She smiled at that point, and added: "I think my delusion is what allows me to win the tournaments."
"I have a lot of respect for Naomi as a person and as a player -- 15 months she's been away," Garcia said. "I'm very glad to see her back. Six months after giving birth, she's playing quite amazing already. We have to watch out."
Osaka was one of three past Australian Open champions who returned to play at Melbourne Park for the first time as mothers, joining 2016 winner Angelique Kerber and 2018 champion Caroline Wozniacki.
It was Osaka's earliest exit in eight visits to the Australian Open and her third successive loss in the opening round of a Grand Slam after she fell at the first hurdle at the French and US Opens in 2022.
She took time out from tennis for her own wellbeing after those tournaments. She's not planning any more breaks for now.
"Yeah, I think I just have to keep living day by day and training hard and playing a lot more matches," she said. "And hopefully my dreams will come true."
I think Prismic will have more then Carlos
(Olivia Gadecki +3.5 -108) vs Sloane Stephens
Loser
Iga is off and running! The No.1 seed overcomes the challenge from Sofia Kenin winning 7-6(2) 6-2.
Day 3 women's wrap: Azarenka through, Collins stops Kerber.
Two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka finds opening-round matches at majors “nerve-racking” despite her wealth of experience.Appearing in the 63rd Grand Slam of her career, the 34-year-old was pleased with her gritty 6-1 4-6 6-3 victory over Camila Giorgi on Tuesday afternoon at Australian Open 2024.
She's a very dangerous opponent,” said the right-hander, who has lost to the Italian twice in their five meetings.
“In the second set … I focused a bit too much on what she was doing, instead of focusing on what I have to do. I'm glad that I was able to regroup for the third set."
Azarenka, the 2012 and 2013 champion at Melbourne Park, held firm under duress on Tuesday, saving six of the eight break points she faced.
“First matches are never easy, so I'm happy that I fought the way I did, that I took chances in the important moments … I actually played better when my back was a bit against the wall,” she said.
By getting the better of Giorgi, the 18th seed earned a second-round meeting with Denmark’s Clara Tauson, who defeated Greet Minnen 7-5 7-5.
“I want to play my best tennis here because I have all those great memories. I always have tremendous support here so I just want to give my best, I want to put on a show, I want to continue to keep doing it all the way,” Azarenka said.
At Kia Arena, 14th seed Daria Kasatkina avoided an upset, steeling herself to a 6-2 3-6 6-2 win over Peyton Stearns in the American’s Australian Open debut.
“The conditions are tough today, it’s windy plus it’s very hot so it’s very difficult to control the ball. It’s difficult also to play very aggressive because there’s a higher chance of making a mistake,” the 26-year-old said.
Kasatkina next faces 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens, who snapped a four-year losing streak at Melbourne Park. The American, a semifinalist at AO 2013, surged past Australian wildcard Olivia Gadecki 6-3 6-1 in 56 minutes.
“I’m really pleased with the way I played,” Stephens said after her resounding victory at John Cain Arena.
“Australian tennis is super special for tennis fans around the world, so it was really nice to come out here and play … a player that I know will be a great player in the future."
Asked what her plans are for the rest of Tuesday, Stephens’ face lit up. “Today, there’s animals in the players’ lounge, so I’m going to go see if can pet a koala.” That mission was indeed accomplished.
Jelena Ostapenko, the 11th seed, also conquered an Australian wildcard, blasting 28 winners past Kimberly Birrell in her 7-6(5) 6-1 win.
Elsewhere, AO 2021 finalist Danielle Collins toughed out a 6-2 3-6 6-1 victory against three-time Grand Slam champion Angelique Kerber at 1573 Arena.
It’s never easy when you play against a Grand Slam champion in the first round,” said Collins, who reminisced about her experience against Naomi Osaka in the opening round of the 2022 US Open.
“A tough little bracket [in the draw] that we have, but I think it just speaks so much to the level of women’s tennis right now and the depth.
“I played a great match today and kind of found my game, was in rhythm. It was nice to have a longer match, just to get some more court time and settle into things.”
“I stayed calm for the most part … I was very relentless about my strategy even when it wasn’t working and I made mistakes, I was kind to myself.”
Collins credited Kerber for her performance at the left-hander’s first major since becoming a mother.
“Because of how great a lot of these women are as athletes and the way that they’ve trained over years, I feel like it’s amazing to see how quickly they’re able to come back," she said.
“If you looked at Angie and if you were out there playing against her, you wouldn’t think that she just had a baby so I just have so much respect for everything that she’s doing on court, and all of the women that have come back from pregnancy."
Prior success Down Under has elevated the year’s first Slam in the Florida resident’s books.
“This is the most important one in my eyes and the one that I want to try to have my best performance in,” said Collins, who is aiming to upset top seed Iga Swiatek in the second round.
“Something about winning a Grand Slam sounds kind of cool … it’s what I would like to do the most in my career."
