Fails to make most of wild card
her best showing at a major has been the quarterfinals at the 2018 French Open.
She wasn’t making any excuses.
‘‘I mean, I think I’m not the only one — I can speak about my struggles and the things that I’ve gone through with my shoulder, but it’s not really in my character to,’’ Sharapova said.
Johanna Konta, a 2016 Australian Open semifinalist, lost her first-round match to Ons Jabeur 6-4 6-2. It was only her second match since she lost in the quarterfinals of last year’s US Open because of a tendinitis-related problem in her right knee.
After torrential rain hit Melbourne Park on Day 1, organisers had to move dozens of matches over to yesterday.
Second-seeded Karolina Pliskova beat Kristina Mladenovic 6-1 7-5 and sixth-seeded Belinda Bencic advanced 6-3 7-5 over Anna Karolina Schmiedlova.
In men’s play, Rafael Nadal wasted little time advancing, casting aside Bolivian Hugo Dellien for the loss of only five games.
The men’s world No 1 won the first five games and the last eight in a 6-2 6-3 6-0 mauling on Rod Laver Arena.
With the threat of the Big Three looming ever-large over the tournament, challengers Dominic Thiem and Roberto Bautista Agut easily negotiated their first-round assignments.
Two-time French Open runner-up Thiem vaulted into the second round with a comfortable 6-3 7-5 6-2 win over Adrian Mannarino, while Bautista Agut, the ninth seed, beat countryman Feliciano Lopez 6-2 6-2 7-5.
Former Open finalist Marin Cilic is also shaping as a dangerous floater, winning his first-round clash in a canter.
Runner-up to Federer two years ago, Cilic blitzed past Frenchman Corentin Moutet 6-3 6-2 6-4 in 1hr 46min.
Cilic next plays temperamental Frenchman Benoit Paire after the 21st seed outlasted Cedrik- Marcel Stebe 6-4 3-6 6-3 6-7 (2-7) 6-0.
In other matches, Canadian Milos Raonic beat Lorenzo Giustino 6-2 6-1 6-3, Chile’s Christian Garin defeated Italian Stefano Travaglia 6-4 6-3 6-4, diminutive Argentinian 14th seed Diego Schwartzman cruised past South African Lloyd Harris 6-4 6-2 6-2, while Italian teen sensation Jannik Sinner outgunned Australian qualifier Max Purcell 7-6 (7-2) 6-2 6-4.