Defending Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka overcame a sluggish opening few games — and a wayward net strap — to start her Melbourne Park title defence on the right foot.
Kicking off the action on Rod Laver Arena, the world no. 3 overcame an early unforced error-prone stint, and her powerful shots appeared dialled in late to notch an opening 6-2 6-4 victory.
The defending champion struggled to break away in the opening four games, trading service holds with unseeded Czech Marie Bouzkova before securing her first service break on her third opportunity.
From there, the first set was smooth sailing for Osaka, reeling off four consecutive games against the Toronto semi-finalist to close out the first set 6-2.
With momentum behind her, the Japanese superstar appeared set to runaway with the match — before her own power briefly halted her in her tracks.
Serving at 0-1 in the second set, Osaka threw down one of her trademark service bombs that careered into the net strap, snapping it free from its anchor and forcing a short delay, as ground staff hastily worked to fix it.
Resuming after the break, Osaka struggled to regain the upper hand, as Bouzkova threatened to take the match to a decider.
But showing the class that has steered the 22-year-old to two grand slam titles, her brutal groundstrokes found their range and guided her to a comfortable opening victory.
“I’m really glad I was able to finish it in two. You probably didn’t come for me, but thanks for filling up the stadium,” Osaka said post-match with typical self-deprecating wit.
Australian contingent
Making his Australian Open debut, Melbourne boy Andrew Harris has found himself instantly on the back foot against thundering Italian Matteo Berrettini.
Harris, who won two grand slam junior doubles titles before making a name for himself in the US college system, showed flashes of brilliance — namely, a stretched backhand passing shot at 5-3 in the opening set that elicited rapturous applause from the Melbourne Arena faithful.
However, the eighth seed’s devastating combination of fiercely-struck groundstrokes and willingness to approach the net at first opportunity proved insurmountable for the Australian, with the Italian closing out the opening two sets 6-3 6-1.
Looking ahead — tonight’s must-watch matches
Women’s singles: Ashleigh Barty (AUS) [1] vs Lesia Tsurenko (UKR)
All eyes will be firmly affixed to Rod Laver Arena as hometown hero Barty seeks to break Australian women’s drought in Melbourne that stretches back to Chris O’Neill’s triumph in 1978. The World No. 1 gets her campaign underway with renewed confidence, shaking off rust from an early Brisbane exit with a maiden title at the Adelaide International.
Men’s singles: Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE) [6] vs Salvatore Caruso (ITA)
The fast-rising Greek sensation became a staunch Melbourne fan favourite following his giant-killing semi-final run at last year’s tournament, where he outlasted Roger Federer in a gruelling fourth round encounter. Rising to World No.6 following victory at the ATP Finals, Tsitsipas’ flowing all-court game and sometimes-ferocious temper is always perfect fodder for highlights reels.
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